Method for simulating screen sharing for multiple applications running concurrently on a mobile platform
View Patent ↗A system for sharing a physical display screen among multiple applications on a mobile platform includes an Internet-connected client device and software executing on the client device from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function assigning dominancy to one of the multiple running applications, a second function mitigating application background transparency among the multiple running applications, a third function establishing a messaging mechanism and protocol between the multiple running applications, and a fourth function enabling the dominant application to intercept digital input directed toward individual ones of the multiple running applications and to dispatch the input to the appropriate application.
1. A system for sharing a physical display screen among multiple applications on a mobile platform, comprising:
a processor; and
memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
host multiple running applications on the mobile platform;
provide a messaging mechanism for the multiple applications to exchange information relative to a location of at least one application feature;
receive in a first application of the multiple running applications information relative to the application feature for a second application of the multiple running applications;
determine a portion of a background of the first application that overlays the location of the application feature for the second application and render transparent the determined portion of the background of the first application to allow the application feature for the second application to show through to the physical display screen;
determine a portion of the physical display;
render transparent a periodically updated application feature of the first application in the portion of the physical display until an event is registered for the first application and, responsive to the event, render non-transparent the periodically updated application feature of the application for a determined period of time;
launch a third application; and
adjust a size of the application feature of the third application such that the application feature of the third application does not overlay a location of the application feature for the second application.
2. The system of claim 1 , where the memory further include instructions that cause the processor to:
receive in the first application information relative to the application feature for a third application of the multiple running applications; and
determine a first portion of a background of the first application that overlays the location of the application feature for the second application and the location of the application for the third application and render transparent the determined portion of the background of the first application to allow the application features for the second and third applications to show through to the physical display screen.
3. The system of claim 2 , where the memory further includes instructions that cause the processor to:
receive in the first application information relative to the application feature for the third application of the multiple running applications; and
determine a second portion of a background of the first application that does not overlay the location of the application feature for the second application and render a non-transparent application feature of the first application in the second portion.
4. The system of claim 3 , where the third application overlays the second application and the information relative to the application features for the second and third applications includes update information and the memory further include instructions that cause the processor to:
determine from the update information that the application features for the second and third applications are periodically updated;
determine the first portion of the background of the first application such that the application features for the second and third applications overlay one another; render as non-transparent the application feature of the second application in the first portion; and
render as non-transparent the application feature of the third application in the first portion for a determinant period of time when an update for the third application is received.
5. The system of claim 3 , where the information relative to the application features for the second and third applications includes size information, the system includes information indicating a position of each applications in an application stack and the memory further includes instructions that cause the processor to:
for each application, using the size and location of application features for each application below it in the application stack, determine portions of the background of the application that overlay the application features for the applications below it in the application stack and render the overlaying portions transparent.
6. The system of claim 5 , where the memory further includes instructions that cause the processor to:
for each application, using the size and location of application features for each application below it in the application stack, determine a portion of the background of the application that does not overlay the application features for the applications below it in the application stack and render an application feature of the application in the non-overlaying portion of the background of the application.
7. The system of claim 1 , where the information relative to the application features for the second application includes location and size information and the memory further include instructions that cause the processor to:
determine a second portion of the background of the first application that does not overlay a location and size of the application feature for the second application and render an application feature of the first application in the second portion for display on the physical display screen.
8. The system of claim 1 , where the memory further include instructions that cause the processor to:
render transparent an application feature of the first application until an event is registered for the first application and, responsive to the event, render non-transparent the application feature of the first application for a determinant period of time.
9. A method for sharing a physical display screen among multiple applications on a mobile platform, the mobile platform having a processor, comprising:
hosting multiple running applications on the mobile platform;
providing a messaging mechanism for the multiple applications to exchange information relative to a location of at least one application feature;
receiving in a first application of the multiple running applications information relative to the application feature for a second application of the multiple running applications;
determining a portion of a background of the first application that overlays the location of the application feature for the second application and render transparent the determined portion of the background of the first application to allow the application feature for the second application to show through to the physical display screen;
determining a portion of the physical display;
rendering transparent a periodically updated application feature of the first application in the portion of the physical display until an event is registered for the first application and, responsive to the event, rendering non-transparent the periodically updated application feature of the application for a determined period of time;
launching a third application; and
adjusting a size of the application feature of the third application such that the application feature of the third application does not overlay a location of the application feature for the second application.
10. The method of claim 9 , where the method further includes:
receiving in the first application information relative to the application feature for a third application of the multiple running applications; and
determining a first portion of a background of the first application that overlays the location of the application feature for the second application and the location of the application for the third application and rendering transparent the determined portion of the background of the first application to allow the application features for the second and third applications to show through to the physical display screen.
11. The method of claim 10 , where the method further includes:
receiving in the first application information relative to the application feature for the third application of the multiple running applications; and
determining a second portion of a background of the first application that does not overlay the location of the application feature for the second application and rendering a non-transparent application feature of the first application in the second portion.
12. The method of claim 11 , where the third application overlays the second application and the information relative to the application features for the second and third applications includes update information and the method further includes:
determining from the update information that the application features for the second and third applications are periodically updated;
determining the first portion of the background of the first application such that the application features for the second and third applications overlay one another;
rendering as non-transparent the application feature of the second application in the first portion; and
rendering as non-transparent the application feature of the third application in the first portion for a determinant period of time when an update for the third application is received.
13. The method of claim 11 , where the information relative to the application features for the second and third applications includes size information and the method further includes;
providing information indicating a position of each application in an application stack; for each application, using the size and location of application features for each application below it in the application stack, determining portions of the background of the application that overlay the application features for the applications below it in the application stack and rendering the overlaying portions transparent.
14. The method of claim 13 , where the method further includes:
for each application, using the size and location of application features for each application below it in the application stack, determining a portion of the background of the application that does not overlay the application features for the applications below it in the application stack and rendering an application feature of the application in the non-overlaying portion of the background of the application.
15. The method of claim 9 , where the information relative to the application features for the second application includes location and size information and the method further includes:
determining a second portion of the background of the first application that does not overlay a location and size of the application feature for the second application and rendering an application feature of the first application in the second portion for display on the physical display screen.
16. The method of claim 9 , where the method further includes:
rendering transparent an application feature of the first application until an event is registered for the first application and, responsive to the event, rendering non-transparent the application feature of the first application for a determinant period of time.