Simultaneous input across multiple applications

Abstract

Processing multiple inputs received across simultaneously displayed applications. In an embodiment, a computing device displays a first application on a first portion of a display device, and simultaneously displays a second application on a second, different, portion of the display device. The computing device receives a first user input in connection with the first portion of the display device, and, at substantially the same time, also receives a second user input in connection with the second portion of the display device. The computing device routes the first user input to the first application based on the first user input having been received in connection with first portion of the display device, and, at substantially the same time, also routes the second user input to the second application based on the second user input having been received in connection with the second portion of the display device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing device for processing multiple inputs received across simultaneously displayed applications, the computing device comprising:
 one or more processors;   a display device; and   a storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to perform at least the following:
 display a first application on a first portion of the display device, and simultaneously display a second application on a second, different, portion of the display device; 
 receive a first user input in connection with the first portion of the display device; 
 receive a second user input in connection with the second portion of the display device, the first user input and the second user input being received at substantially the same time; 
 route the first user input to the first application based on the first user input having been received in connection with first portion of the display device; and 
 route the second user input to the second application based on the second user input having been received in connection with the second portion of the display device, the second user input being routed to the second application substantially at the same time as routing the first user input to the first application. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route the first user input to a first secondary input event processing thread that is running in parallel to a first main operating system event processing thread of the first application.   
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 2 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route the second user input to a second secondary input event processing thread that is running in parallel to a second main operating system event processing thread of the second application.   
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 determine a type of the first user input; and   determine a type of the second user input.   
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 4 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 when determining the type of the first user input, determine that the first user input is from a first type of object; and   when determining the type of the second user input, determine that the second user input is from a second type of object that is different than the first type of object.   
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 5 , wherein the first type of object comprises a finger, and the second type of object comprises a stylus. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 5 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route only user input from the first type of object to the first application; and   route only user input from the second type of object to the second application.   
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 1 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 synchronize the first and second user interface components, including sending the first user input to the second application associated with the second user interface component.   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 1 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 transmit the first user input and the second touch input in a single transmission frame.   
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the display device includes a digitizer, and wherein one or more of the first user input and the second user input comprises a touch user input. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the display device includes a digitizer, and wherein one or more of the first user input and the second user input comprises a stylus user input. 
     
     
         12 . A computing device for processing multiple inputs received across simultaneously displayed applications, the computing device comprising:
 one or more processors;   a display device;   one or more user input devices that are associated with the display device; and   a storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to perform at least the following:
 display a first application in a first portion of the display device; 
 while displaying the first application in the first portion of the display device, simultaneously display a second application in a second and different portion of the display device; 
 simultaneously receive, at the one or more user input devices, both (i) a first user input that is detected by the one or more user input devices to be directed at the first portion of the display device, and (ii) a second user input that is detected by the one or more user input devices to be directed at the second portion of the display device; 
 simultaneously route both (i) the first user input to the first application based at least on the first user input being detected to be directed at the first portion of the display device, and (ii) the second user input to the second application based at least on the second user input being detected to be directed at the second portion of the display device. 
   
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 12 , the one or more user input devices comprising one or more digitizers that detect touch-based user input. 
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 12 , the one or more user input devices comprising one or more digitizers that detect stylus-based user input. 
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 12 , the one or more user input devices comprising one or more digitizers that detect both touch-based user input and stylus-based user input, the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 distinguish between touch-based user input and stylus-based user input at the one or more user input devices.   
     
     
         16 . The computing device of  claim 15 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route only touch-based user input to the first application; and   route only stylus-based user input to the second application.   
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 15 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route only touch-based user input to the first application; and   route stylus-based user input to one or both of the first application and the second application.   
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 15 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route only stylus-based user input to the first application; and   route touch-based user input to one or both of the first application and the second application.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 12 , the executable instructions including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing device to:
 route the first user input to a first secondary input event processing thread that is running in parallel to a first main operating system event processing thread of the first application; and   route the second user input to a second secondary input event processing thread that is running in parallel to a second main operating system event processing thread of the second application.   
     
     
         20 . A method, implemented at a computing device that includes one or more processors and a display device, the method for processing multiple inputs received across simultaneously displayed applications, the method comprising:
 displaying a first application on a first portion of the display device, while simultaneously displaying a second application on a second, different, portion of the display device;   receiving a first user input in connection with the first portion of the display device;   receiving a second user input in connection with the second portion of the display device, the first user input and the second user input being received at substantially the same time;   routing the first user input to the first application based on the first user input having been received in connection with first portion of the display device; and   routing the second user input to the second application based on the second user input having been received in connection with the second portion of the display device, the second user input being routed to the second application substantially at the same time as routing the first user input to the first application.