Distributed user interfaces as a service

Abstract

Technologies are generally described to send distributed user interface elements to a customer. In some examples, a virtualization server may receive an application to be provided to a customer. The visualization server may separate the application into multiple user interface elements and encapsulate each user interface element with virtualization components for individual delivery to the customer. Subsequently, the virtualization server may then forward the encapsulated element(s) to one or more customer devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a first device, a request to a server, the request corresponding to receiving a plurality of user interface controls for an application, wherein the plurality of user interface controls are configured to be rendered at the first device and a second device;   in response to the transmission of the request from the first device, receiving a first user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls for the application, the first user interface control being encapsulated with a virtualization component and an event-type variable associated with the first user interface control; and   rendering, at the first device, the first user interface control based on the virtualization component and the event-type variable associated with the first user interface control.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 in response to a modification of an event-type variable associated with a second user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls, receiving the modification for modifying the event-type variable associated with the first user interface control, wherein the second user interface control is associated with the second device. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of user interface controls is encapsulated by:
 separating a user interface of the application into the plurality of user interface controls;   encapsulating each of the plurality of user interface controls by packaging each user interface control with at least one virtualization component;   determining a local variable that affects both the first user interface control and a second user interface control among the plurality of user interface controls; and   replacing the local variable with the event-type variable.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein encapsulation of each of the plurality of user interface controls further comprises:
 determining that a user is executing the application simultaneously on the first device and the second device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first device and the second device are associated with a user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a second user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls for the application, the second user interface control being encapsulated with another virtualization component and an event-type variable associated with the second user interface control; and 
 rendering, at the second device, the second user interface control based on the another virtualization component associated with the second user interface control. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtualization component comprises one or more of a copy of a header associated with the application, instructions for rendering the first user interface control, and at least one distributed-user-interface-related control. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing the first user interface control to detect an interface type associated with the first device and/or provide at least one display instruction for rendering the first user interface control at the first device.   
     
     
         9 . A client device comprising:
 a memory configured to store program instructions; and   a processor configured to execute the program instructions stored in the memory to:
 transmit a request to a server, the request corresponding to receiving a plurality of user interface controls for an application, wherein the plurality of user interface controls are configured to be rendered at the client device and another client device; 
 in response to the transmission of the request from the client device, receive a first user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls for the application, the first user interface control being encapsulated with a virtualization component and an event-type variable associated with the first user interface control; and 
 render, at the client device, the first user interface control based on the virtualization component and the event-type variable associated with the first user interface control. 
   
     
     
         10 . The client device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 in response to a modification of an event-type variable associated with a second user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls, receive the modification for modifying the event-type variable associated with the first user interface control, wherein the second user interface control is associated with the another client device.   
     
     
         11 . The client device of  claim 9 , wherein the client device and the another client device are associated with a user. 
     
     
         12 . The client device of  claim 9 , wherein encapsulation of each of the plurality of user interface controls comprises:
 determining that a user is executing the application simultaneously on the client device and the another client device.   
     
     
         13 . The client device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 receive a second user interface control of the plurality of user interface controls for the application, the second user interface control being encapsulated with another virtualization component and an event-type variable associated with the another client device, wherein the second user interface control is rendered at the another client device based on the another virtualization component.   
     
     
         14 . The client device of  claim 9 , wherein the virtualization component comprises one or more of a copy of a header associated with the application, instructions for rendering the first user interface control, and at least one distributed-user-interface-related control. 
     
     
         15 . The client device of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 cause the first user interface control to detect an interface type associated with the client device and/or provide at least one display instruction for rendering the first user interface control at the client device.