User interface delegation to a delegated device

Abstract

The present technology provides an illustrative method for delegating user interface-related tasks. In some examples, the method includes receiving a request to delegate a user interface-related task to a delegated computing device, and causing the transceiver of the delegating device to send a delegation command to the delegated computing device to establish a delegation session on the delegated computing device. The delegation command requests establishment of a delegated user interface to facilitate performance of the user interface-related task on the delegated computing device, and the delegated user interface is substantially similar to the user interface of the delegating device. The method also includes exchanging data associated with the user interface-related task with the delegated computing device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A delegating device, comprising:
 a user interface;   a transceiver; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the user interface and the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to:
 obtain a request, via the transceiver from an application, to delegate a user interface related task to a delegated device; 
 responsive to the obtained request, send, via the transceiver, a delegation command to perform the user interface related task to the delegated device, wherein the delegation command identifies at least a portion of the user interface of the delegating device to be established, as a delegated user interface, on a user interface of the delegated device, and wherein the at least the portion of the user interface is determined based on the application; and 
 responsive to an acknowledgement, from the delegated device, that the delegated device is ready to perform the user interface related task, exchange, via the transceiver, data, associated with the user interface related task, with the delegated device, wherein the exchange of the data includes at least transfer of the data to the delegated device to create the delegated user interface on the delegated device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein the exchange of the data enables the processor to automatically recognize actions, associated with the user interface related task, that are performed at the delegated device. 
     
     
         3 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein the delegating device is connected to the delegated device by a personal area network or a local area network. 
     
     
         4 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 prior to the delegation command being sent to the delegated device, determine whether the delegating device and the delegated device are paired; and   responsive to a determination that the delegating device and the delegated device are unpaired, authenticate the delegated device.   
     
     
         5 . The delegating device of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to authenticate the delegated device by addition of the delegated device in a list of paired devices. 
     
     
         6 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein to exchange the data, the processor is configured to send at least one of commands to open the application, data to be viewed, and user inputs. 
     
     
         7 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein die processor is further configured to:
 responsive to creation of the delegated user interface on the delegated device, send, via the transceiver, content to the delegated device, and obtain, via the transceiver, modified content from the delegated device.   
     
     
         8 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein at least the portion of the user into of the delegating device is a first portion, wherein the delegated device is a first delegated device, and wherein the processor is further configured to;
 send, via the transceiver, another delegation command to perform another user interface related task to a second delegated device, wherein the other delegation command identifies a second portion of the user interface of the delegating device to be established, as another delegated user interface, on a user interlace of the second delegated device, and wherein the second portion of the user interface is determined based on the application; and   responsive to an acknowledgement, from the second delegated device, that the second delegated device is ready to perform the other user interface related task, exchange, via the transceiver, another data, associated with the other user interface related task, with the second delegated device, wherein the exchange of the other data includes at least transfer of the other data to the second delegated device to create the other delegated user interface on the second delegated device.   
     
     
         9 . The delegating device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 obtain, via the transceiver, another delegation command from another device; and   responsive to the other delegation command being obtained, establish another delegated user interface at the delegated device, wherein the other delegated user interface is a replica of a user interface of the other device.   
     
     
         10 . A delegation method, comprising:
 receiving, by a delegating device, a request to delegate a user interface related task;   responsive to receipt of the request, selecting, by the delegating device, a delegated device to which the user interface related task is to be delegated;   sending, by the delegating device, a delegation command to perform the user the interface task to the selected delegated device, wherein the delegation command identifies at least a portion of a user interface of the delegating device to be established, as a delegated user interface, on a user interface of the delegated device, and wherein the at least the portion of the user interface is determined based on an application that runs on the delegating device; and   responsive to an acknowledgement, from the delegated device, that the delegated device is ready to perform the user interface related task, exchanging, by the delegating device, data, associated with the user interface related task, with the delegated device, wherein the exchange of the data includes at least transfer of the data to the delegated device to create the delegated user interface on the delegated device.   
     
     
         11 . The delegation method of  claim 10 , wherein selecting the delegated device comprises selecting the delegated device by one of searching a web-based delegation connection server, searching previously delegated devices, and broadcasting a request over a personal area network. 
     
     
         12 . The delegation method of  claim 10 , wherein selecting the delegated device comprises selecting the delegated device based on at least one of a type of the user interface related task, and security permissions associated with the application. 
     
     
         13 . The delegation method of  claim 10 , wherein selecting the delegated device comprises selecting the delegated device based on an input on the user interface of the delegated device, and wherein the input includes a swipe in a particular direction on the user interface of the delegated device. 
     
     
         14 . The delegation method of  claim 10 , wherein receiving the request to delegate the user interface related task comprises receiving the request to delegate one of: an asynchronous open task, a show task, an edit task, a get keyboard task, a get pointer task, and a get user interface task. 
     
     
         15 . The delegation method of  claim 10 , further comprising
 responsive to creation of the delegated user interface on the delegated device, sending content to the delegated device, and receiving modified content from the delegated device.   
     
     
         16 . A delegation method, comprising:
 receiving, by a delegated device from a delegating device, a delegation command to perform a user interface related task, wherein the delegation command identifies at least a portion of a user interface of the delegating device to be established, as a delegated user interface, on a user interface of the delegated device, and wherein the at least the portion of the user interface is associated with an application that runs on the delegating device;   extracting, by the delegated device, information, associated the user interface related task, from the delegation command, to determine whether the delegated device is able to perform the user interface related task;   responsive to a determination that the delegated device is able to perform the user interface related task, sending, by the delegated device, an acknowledgement to the delegating device, wherein the acknowledgement indicates that the delegated device is ready to receive requests associated with the user interface related task; and   responsive to the acknowledgement being sent, receiving, by the delegated device from the delegating device, data to create the delegated user interface on the delegated device, and content to be displayed on the delegated user interface, wherein the delegated user interface is a replica of the at least the portion of the user interface of the delegating device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 sending, by the delegated device to the delegating device, a summary of actions, associated with the user interface related task, that are performed at the delegated device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , thither comprising:
 establishing, by the delegated device, another delegated user interface on the delegated device, responsive to receipt of another delegation command from another delegating device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 modifying, by the delegated device, content received from the delegating device, wherein the content is associated with the user interface related task; and   sending, by the delegated device, the modified content to the delegating device.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 responsive to receipt of the delegation command from the delegating device, determining, by the delegated device, whether the delegating device and the delegated device are related to each other; and   responsive to a determination that the delegating device and the delegated device are unrelated to each other, initiating, by the delegated device, pairing with the delegating device.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a first device, cause the first device to perform or control performance of operations to:
 obtain a request, from an application, to delegate a user interface related task to a second device;   responsive to the obtained request, send a delegation command to perform the user interface related task to the second device, wherein the delegation command identifies at least a portion of the user interface of the first device to be established, as a delegated user interface, on a user interface of the second device, and wherein the at least the portion of the user interface is determined based on the application; and   responsive to an acknowledgement, from the second device, that the second device is ready to perform the user interlace related task, exchange data, associated with the user interface related task, with the second device, wherein the exchange of the data includes at least transfer of the data to the second device to create the delegated user interface on the second device.   
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a first device, cause the first device to perform or control performance of operations to:
 receive, from a second device, a delegation command to perform a user interface related task, wherein the delegation command identifies at least a portion of a user interface of the second device to be established, as a delegated user interface, on a user interface of the first device, and wherein the at least the portion of the user interface is associated with an application that runs on the second device;   extract information, associated the user interface related task, from the delegation command, to determine whether the first device is able to perform the user interface related task;   responsive to a determination that the first device is able to perform the user interface related task, send an acknowledgement to the second device, wherein the acknowledgement indicates that the first device is ready to receive requests associated with the user interface related task; and   responsive to the acknowledgement being sent, receive, from the second device, data to create the delegated user interface on the first device, and content to be displayed on the delegated user interface, wherein the delegated user interface is a replica of the at least the portion of the user interface of the second device.