UNIFIED DESKTOP BIG BROTHER APPLICATION POOLS
Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface or “desktop” across two devices are provided. More particularly, a unified desktop is presented across a device and a computer system that comprise a unified system. The unified desktop acts as a single user interface that presents data and receives user interaction in a seamless environment that emulates a personal computing environment. To function within the personal computing environment, the unified desktop includes a process for docking and undocking the device with the computer system. The unified desktop presents a new user interface to allow access to functions of the unified desktop.
1 . A method, comprising:
providing a device;
providing a computer system;
docking the device to the computer system to form a unified system;
generating a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;
receiving a first input, wherein the first input moves an application display of a first application from a first user interface to a second user interface, wherein the first application is executed on the device;
determining if the application is associated with a big brother application in a big brother application pool; and
in response to the first input and if the application is associated with a big brother application, re-executing the first application in the big brother application.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the big brother application pool includes two or more big brother applications.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each big brother application in the big brother application pool is associated with an application executed on the device.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising searching one or more items of metadata associated with the big brother application pool to determine if the application is associated with a big brother application in a big brother application pool.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the metadata includes an association of the big brother application with the first application.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the metadata further includes an identifier for the big brother application and an identifier for the first application.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the association is one of automatically created or manually input.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the device searches the metadata.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the device sends a directive to execute the big brother application based on the search of the metadata.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein a new association is created in the metadata when a new application is installed on the device or the computer system.
11 . A unified system, comprising:
a device comprising:
a first screen;
a first memory;
a first processor;
a computer system comprising:
a second screen;
a second memory;
a second processor, wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system;
wherein the unified system is configured to:
receive a first input, wherein the first input moves an application display of a first application from a first user interface to a second user interface, wherein the first application is executed on the device;
determine if the application is associated with a big brother application in a big brother application pool; and
in response to the first input and if the application is associated with a big brother application, re-execute the first application in the big brother application.
12 . The unified system of claim 11 , wherein the big brother application pool includes two or more big brother applications, and wherein each big brother application in the big brother application pool is associated with an application executed on the device.
13 . The unified system of claim 11 , the unified system further configured to search one or more items of metadata associated with the big brother application pool to determine if the application is associated with a big brother application in a big brother application pool, wherein the metadata includes an association of the big brother application with the first application, and wherein the metadata further includes an identifier for the big brother application and an identifier for the first application.
14 . The unified system of claim 11 , wherein the device searches the metadata, and wherein the device sends a directive to execute the big brother application based on the search of the metadata.
15 . The unified system of claim 11 , wherein a new association is created in the metadata when a new application is installed on the device or the computer system.
16 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified desktop, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
upon docking a device with a computer system, instructions to generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;
instructions to receive a first input, wherein the first input moves an application display of a first application from a first user interface to a second user interface, wherein the first application is executed on the device;
instructions to determine if the application is associated with a big brother application in a big brother application pool; and
in response to the first input and if the application is associated with a big brother application, instructions to re-execute the first application in the big brother application.
17 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the big brother application pool includes two or more big brother applications, and wherein each big brother application in the big brother application pool is associated with an application executed on the device.
18 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions to search one or more items of metadata associated with the big brother application pool to determine if the application is associated with a big brother application in a big brother application pool, wherein the metadata includes an association of the big brother application with the first application, and wherein the metadata further includes an identifier for the big brother application and an identifier for the first application.
19 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the device searches the metadata, and wherein the device sends a directive to execute the big brother application based on the search of the metadata.
20 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the device searches the metadata, and wherein the device sends a directive to execute the big brother application based on the search of the metadata.