Screen sharing via a thin client application

A computer-implemented method performed by a first computing device for displaying and sharing a user interface (UI) provided by a data processing system with a second computing device, eliminating a need for the data processing system to connect directly to the second computing device thereby mitigating network congestion, the method comprising:

• receiving, using a network connection between the first computing device and the data processing system, a first data stream from the data processing system, the first data stream comprising display data defining the UI;
• displaying a first rendering of the UI on a display device of the first computing device;
• communicating a request to the data processing system, the request causing the data processing system to communicate a second data stream comprising the display data defining the UI;
• receiving, using the network connection between first computing device and the data processing system, the second data stream from the data processing system, the second data stream received concurrently with, but separately from, the first data stream;
• and
• communicating the second data stream to the second computing device, the second data stream causing the second computing device to display a second rendering of the UI on a display device of the second computing device.

An apparatus for enabling a first computing device to share a user interface (UI) with a second computing device, eliminating a need for the data processing system to connect directly to the second computing device thereby mitigating network congestion, the apparatus comprising:

• means for generating, using a network connection between the first computing device and the data processing system, a first data stream comprising display data defining the UI;
• means for communicating the first data stream to the first computing device, the first computing device configured to process the first data stream to display a first rendering of the UI on a display device of the first computing device;
• means for receiving, from the first computing device, a request to share the UI;
• in response to the request, generating a second data stream comprising the display data defining the UI;
• and
• communicating the second data stream to the first computing device concurrently with, but separately from, the first data stream, the communication of the second data stream causing the first computing device to communicate the second data stream to the second computing device, the second data stream causing the second computing device to display a second rendering of the UI on a display device of the second computing device.