System and method for touch interaction on a multi-display device

An electronic device comprising:

• a first touch sensor that detects touch input on a surface of the electronic device;
• a connection interface that enables connection of the electronic device to a second electronic device having a second touch sensor, the electronic device operating in a connected state when the electronic device is coupled with the second electronic device via the connection interface and operating in a disconnected state when the electronic device is decoupled from the second electronic device;
• and
• a processor coupled to the first touch sensor and the connection interface, the processor executing program code that enables the electronic device to:
• in response to detecting the touch input, determine a state of the connection interface, the state being one from among the connected state and the disconnected state;
• in response to determining the connection interface is in the connected state:
• determine whether the touch input is associated with a multi-device gesture by searching a shared gesture database for a matching multi-device gesture that is available based on current contextual information and that is defined in part by defined areas that match received first touch coordinates and second touch coordinates;
• in response to determining the touch input is not associated with a multi-device gesture, execute an independent local-only function associated with the touch input, the independent local-only function affecting only the electronic device;
• and
• in response to determining the touch input is associated with a multi-device gesture, execute a multi-device function associated with the multi-device gesture, the multi-device function affecting at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device.

A computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage device;
• program code on the computer readable storage device that when executed by a processor associated with an electronic device, the program code enables the electronic device to provide the functionality of:
• in response to detecting touch input, determining a state of the connection interface, the state being one from among the connected state and the disconnected state;
• in response to determining the state is the connected state, determining whether the touch input is associated with a multi-device gesture by searching a shared gesture database for a matching multi-device gesture that is available based on current contextual information and that is defined in part by defined areas that match received first touch coordinates and second touch coordinates;
• in response to determining the touch input is not associated with a multi-device gesture, executing an independent local-only function associated with the touch input, the independent local-only function affecting only the electronic device;
• and
• in response to determining the touch input is associated with a multi-device gesture, executing a multi-device function associated with the multi-device gesture, the multi-device function affecting at least one of the electronic device and the second electronic device.