Enhanced user interface to transfer media content
A method and apparatus are provided for sharing a media content displayed in a window of the touch input interface of a first electronic device with at least one second electronic device. The first electronic device includes a processor controlling the touch input interface. The method is carried out by the processor and includes the acts of enabling displacement of the window in response to capturing a first touch input indicative of an initiation of a transfer, capturing a continuous touch input across the interface from an initial position in the window, displacing the window with each additional touch input of the continuous touch input, sending an activation message that the media content is to be played on the second device when determining that the window is within a given distance of a virtual representation of the second electronic device on the interface.
1. A method for sharing a media content displayed in a window of a first graphical user interface (GUI) of an electronic device with at least one end point, the first GUI comprising the window and data displayed around the window, said electronic device comprising a processor controlling said first GUI, the method being carried out by said processor and comprising:
capturing a user input within the window, the user input being of a drag type input,
generating a second GUI comprising:
the window in the same position as in the first GUI, and
a free space between contours of the second GUI and the window, the free space being obtained by erasing the data displayed around the window in the first GUI,
rendering the second GUI in place of the first GUI,
displaying a virtual representation of the end point in the free space,
capturing further drag inputs on the window,
displacing the window with each additional captured drag input, and
sending an activation message that the media content is to be transferred to the end point for subsequent rendering when determining that the window is within a given distance of the virtual representation of the end point in the free space.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the second GUI comprises creating at least part of the free space by shrinking the window to a size at least smaller than the size of the first GUI.
3. A method according the claim 1 , wherein creating the free space is conditioned upon a determination that the received user input is of the drag type.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the media content is stored on the first electronic device, the sending of the activation message comprising pushing the media content to the end point over a communication network.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the media content is streamed from a media content server, the activation message comprising redirecting the streaming to the end point.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the given distance is nil, sending of the activation message is triggered by capturing a drop of the window on the virtual representation.
7. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving status information for the end point, the status information comprising an inactive or active status for rendering of the media content, and
displaying the virtual representation of the end point if its status is active.
8. A electronic device for sharing a media content displayed in a window of a first graphical user interface (GUI) of said electronic device with at least one end point, the GUI comprising the window and data displayed around the window, said electronic device comprising:
a processor controlling said graphical input interface, said processor being configured to:
capture a user input within the window, the user input being a drag type input,
generate a second GUI comprising:
the window in the same position as in the first GUI, and
a free space between contours of the second GUI and the window, the free space being obtained by erasing the data displayed around the window in the first GUI,
render the second GUI in place of the first GUI,
display a virtual representation of the end point in the free space,
capture further drag inputs on the window,
displace the window with each additional captured drag input, and
send an activation message that the media content is to be transferred to the end point for subsequent rendering when determining that the window is within a given distance of the virtual representation of the end point in the free space.
9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising an application stored thereon and configured to share a media content displayed in a window of a first graphical user interface (GUI) of an electronic device with at least one end point, the first GUI comprising the window and data displayed around the window, the application being carried out by a processor of the electronic device and controlling the graphical user interface, the application comprising instructions configured to:
capture a user input within the window, the user input being of a drag type,
generate a second GUI comprising:
the window in the same position as in the first GUI, and
a free space between contours of the second GUI and the window, the free space being obtained by erasing the data displayed around the window in the first GUI,
render the second GUI in place of the first GUI,
display a virtual representation of the end point in the free space,
capture further drag inputs on the window,
displace the window with each additional captured drag input, and
send an activation message that the media content is to be transferred to the end point for subsequent rendering when determining that the window is within a given distance of the virtual representation of the end point in the free space.