Unified desktop big brother applications

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface or “desktop” across two devices are provided. More particularly, a unified desktop is presented across a device and a computer system that comprise a unified system. The unified desktop acts as a single user interface that presents data and receives user interaction in a seamless environment that emulates a personal computing environment. To function within the personal computing environment, the unified desktop includes a process for docking and undocking the device with the computer system. The unified desktop presents a new user interface to allow access to functions of the unified desktop.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 providing a device;   providing a computer system;   docking the device to the computer system to form a unified system;   generating a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;   receiving a first input, wherein the first input moves an application display of a first application from a first user interface to a second user interface; and   in response to the first input, re-executing the first application in a big brother application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the big brother application is executed by the computer system and has functionality similar to a second application executed by the device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining if a big brother application is associated with the application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the computer system receiving a directive from the unified system to begin execution of the big brother application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the computer system receiving state information for the first application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the state information includes at least a current state of the first application before being moved to the second display. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first input is a docking of the device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first input is a user interface input that moves the application display from the first user interface to the second user interface. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the directive is a command from the device to the computer system to execute the big brother application. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the state information follows in a second message after the directive. 
     
     
         11 . A unified system, comprising:
 a device comprising:
 a first screen; 
 a first memory; 
 a first processor; 
   a computer system comprising:
 a second screen; 
 a second memory; 
 a second processor, wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system; 
   wherein the unified system is configured to:
 generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment; 
 receive a first input, wherein the first input moves an application display of a first application from a first user interface to a second user interface; and 
 in response to the first input, re-execute the first application in a big brother application. 
   
     
     
         12 . The unified system of  claim 11 , wherein the big brother application is executed by the computer system and has functionality similar to a second application executed by the device, and the unified system is further configured to determine if a big brother application is associated with the application. 
     
     
         13 . The unified system of  claim 11 , wherein the unified system is further configured to receive state information for the first application, wherein the state information includes at least a current state of the first application before being moved to the second display, and wherein the state information follows in a second message after a directive. 
     
     
         14 . The unified system of  claim 11 , further comprising the computer system receiving a directive from the unified system to begin execution of the big brother application, and wherein the directive is a command from the device to the computer system to execute the big brother application. 
     
     
         15 . The unified system of  claim 11 , wherein the first input is one of a docking of the device or a user interface input that moves the application display from the first user interface to the second user interface. 
     
     
         16 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified desktop, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
 upon docking a device with a computer system, instructions to generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;   instructions to receive a first input, wherein the first input moves an application display of a first application from a first user interface to a second user interface; and   in response to the first input, instructions to re-execute the first application in a big brother application.   
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the big brother application is executed by the computer system and has functionality similar to a second application executed by the device, and further comprising instructions to determine if a big brother application is associated with the application. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , further comprising instructions to receive state information for the first application, wherein the state information includes at least a current state of the first application before being moved to the second display, and wherein the state information follows in a second message after a directive. 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , further instructions to receive a directive from the unified system to begin execution of the big brother application, and wherein the directive is a command from the device to the computer system to execute the big brother application. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the first input is one of a docking of the device or a user interface input that moves the application display from the first user interface to the second user interface.