Control redistribution among multiple devices

Abstract

Technologies are presented for distributing user interface elements and controls among devices. A user may select an element and/or control of a user interlace (UI) of a first application displayed on a first device for shifting to one or more other devices. The additional display area at the first device treed up by the shift may be filled with additional application content or UI elements. The shifted element and/or control may remain usable on the one or more other devices the element and/or control shifted to. Overall, a user may be able to remove and redirect application control elements while viewing additional content on the first device in a fast and transparent process.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method to modify a portion of a user interface (UI) Of a computing device, the method comprising:
 providing a first UI, of a first application, to be displayed on a first device by:
 generating a simulated instance of the first application based on at least one of a display size of the first device, content of the first application, and a formatting parameter, 
 selecting content to be included in the simulated instance from the content of the first application based on a size of the simulated instance, and 
 rendering the simulated instance of the first application for display through the first UI; 
   receiving a request to shift a first portion of the first UI to a second device; and   in response to receipt of the request to shift the first portion of the, first UI to the second device, providing a second UI, which includes the first UI and another content of the first application, to be displayed on the first device by:
 regenerating the simulated instance of the first application such that at least one dimension of the simulated instance is modified based on a size of the tint portion to enable display of the another content of the second UI after the first portion of the first UI is removed from the first device, and 
 rendering the regenerated simulated instance of the first application for display through the second UI on the first device, wherein the regenerated simulated instance of the first application displayed through the second UI includes the another content and the first UI but excludes at least some of the first portion of the first UI. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein rendering the regenerated simulated instance of the first application comprises enabling a size of the first UI to be reduced. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 capturing an input associated with the first portion; and,   conveying the captured input to the first application so as to be processed by the first application.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the first UI includes one or more control elements and the captured input is associated with one of the one or more control elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising executing the simulated instance of the first application and delivering the captured input as a message to the simulated instance of the first application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising implementing one or more controls within the first portion as a writeable stream to the second device and as a readable stream from an interface object. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a control manager to receive the request is implemented on one of the first device, the second device, and a server communicatively coupled to the first and second devices. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the another content of the second UI is positioned at a second location, the second location different from a first location, wherein the first location corresponds to an available display space of the first UI that corresponds to the first portion of the first UI. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein regenerating the simulated instance of the first application comprises re-sizing at least one element of the selected content, which is displayed through the first UI. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus to modify a user interface (UT) of;a computing device, the apparatus comprising:
 a communication device; and   a processor coupled to the communication device, the processor operable to execute a control manager, wherein the control manager is configured to:
 cause a first device to display a first UI of a first application; 
 receive, via the communication device, a request to shift a first portion of the first UI to a second device by use of a clipping tool, wherein the clipping tool is configured with an identifier for the first device such that the first portion of the first UI that is snipped by the clipping tool is rendered at the second device and one or more other devices associated with a user of the first device; 
 cause the second device to display the first portion; and 
 cause the first device to display a portion of a second UI, wherein the portion of the second UI includes an additional content and the first UI but excludes at least some of the first portion of the first UI. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the control manager is further configured to:
 capture an input associated with the first portion; and   convey the captured input to the first application so as to be processed by the first application.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the control manager is further configured to execute a simulated instance of the first application and deliver the captured input as a message to the simulated instance of the first application. 
     
     
         13 . A control manager configured to modify a portion of a user interface (UI) of a computing device, the control manager composing:
 a processor configured to:
 cause a first device to display a first UI of a first application by:
 generation of a simulated instance of the first application based on at least one of a display size of the first device, content of the first application, and a formatting parameter, 
 selection of content to be included in the simulated instance from the content of the first application based on a size of the simulated instance, and 
 provision of the simulated instance of the first application for display through the first UI; 
 
 receive a request to shift a first potion of the first UI from the first device to a second device; and 
 in response to receipt of the request to shift the first portion of the first UI to the second device, cause the first device to display a second UI, which includes the first UI and another content of a first application, on the first device by:
 regeneration of the simulated instance of the first application such that at least one dimension of the simulated instance is modified based on a size of the first portion to enable display of the another content of the second UI after the first portion of the first UI is removed from the first device; and 
 provision of the regenerated simulated instance of the first application for display through the second UI on the first device, wherein the regenerated simulated instance of the first application displayed through the second UI includes the another content and the first UI but excludes at least some of the first portion of the first UI. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The control manager of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to enable a size of the first UI to be reduced after the regenerated simulated instance of the first application is rendered on the first device. 
     
     
         15 . The control manager of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 capture an input associated with the first portion; and   convey the captured input to the first application so as to be processed by the first application.   
     
     
         16 . The control manager of  claim 15 , wherein the first portion of the first UI includes one or more control elements, and the captured input is associated with one, of the one or more controls. 
     
     
         17 . The control manager of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the simulated instance of the first application and deliver the captured input as a message to the simulated instance of the first application. 
     
     
         18 . The control manager of  claim 13 , wherein the another content of the second UI is positioned at a second location, the second location different from a first location, wherein the first location corresponds to an available display space of the first UI that corresponds to the first portion of the first. 
     
     
         19 . The control manager of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to regenerate the simulated instance of the first application by a re-size of at least one element of the selected content, which is displayed through the first UI. 
     
     
         20 . The control manager of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to shift the first portion of the first UI from the first device to the second device, in response to the request.