Remote desktop video streaming alpha-channel

Abstract

A method includes preparing images of a remote desktop including an open cloud-application window object corresponding to an instance of a network-hosted application executing on a network, encoding the images of the remote desktop as image frames in a video stream, and transmitting the video stream over the network to a computing device. The images the remote desktop are encoded such that when decoded, reconstructed, and displayed on a local desktop of the computing device, the open cloud-application window object corresponding to the instance of the network-hosted application executing on the network has the appearance and behavior of an open window corresponding to a natively-operating application on the local desktop of the computing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 displaying a remote desktop from a video stream on a local desktop of the computing device, wherein the remote desktop includes at least a portion of a natively-operating application on the local desktop that is visible through a transparent portion of the remote desktop and wherein the natively-operating application is executing natively on the computing device and wherein the open cloud-application window has an appearance of the natively-operating application;   detecting, at a location within the transparent portion of the remote desktop, a user-input action directed to the natively-operating application; and   passing the user-input action through the transparent portion of the remote desktop to the natively-operating application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the video stream including the remote desktop including an open cloud-application window corresponding to a network-hosted application, wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in a video stream. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising decoding the image frames in the video stream of the remote desktop. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes image frames shaped so that a portion of the remote desktop, when displayed on the local desktop of the computing device, is transparent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes images encoded so that each image pixel has at least one color channel and a separate transparency channel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes images encoded so that each image pixel has a red channel, a green channel, a blue channel, and the separate transparency channel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes values assigned to alpha channels of the pixels in the images so that a portion of the remote desktop, when displayed on the local desktop of the computing device, is transparent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes values assigned to alpha channels of the pixels in the images so that the open cloud-application window has an appearance of a window of the natively-operating application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user-input action includes a keyboard entry. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user-input action includes a mouse click. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a hardware processor that is configured to:
 display a remote desktop from a video stream on a local desktop of the computing device, wherein the remote desktop includes at least a portion of a natively-operating application on the local desktop that is visible through a transparent portion of the remote desktop and wherein the natively-operating application is executing natively on the computing device and wherein the open cloud-application window has an appearance of the natively-operating application; 
 detect, at a location within the transparent portion of the remote desktop, a user-input action directed to the natively-operating application; and 
 pass the user-input action through the transparent portion of the remote desktop to the natively-operating application. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive the video stream including the remote desktop including an open cloud-application window corresponding to a network-hosted application, wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in a video stream. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to decode the image frames in the video stream of the remote desktop. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes image frames shaped so that a portion of the remote desktop, when displayed on the local desktop of the computing device, is transparent. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes images encoded so that each image pixel has at least one color channel and a separate transparency channel. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes images encoded so that each image pixel has a red channel, a green channel, a blue channel, and the separate transparency channel. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes values assigned to alpha channels of the pixels in the images so that a portion of the remote desktop, when displayed on the local desktop of the computing device, is transparent. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the remote desktop encoded as image frames in the video stream includes values assigned to alpha channels of the pixels in the images so that the open cloud-application window has an appearance of a window of the natively-operating application. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the user-input action includes a keyboard entry. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the user-input action includes a mouse click. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
 displaying a remote desktop from a video stream on a local desktop of the computing device, wherein the remote desktop includes at least a portion of a natively-operating application on the local desktop that is visible through a transparent portion of the remote desktop and wherein the natively-operating application is executing natively on the computing device and wherein the open cloud-application window has an appearance of the natively-operating application;   detecting, at a location within the transparent portion of the remote desktop, a user-input action directed to the natively-operating application; and   passing the user-input action through the transparent portion of the remote desktop to the natively-operating application.