# US 2014/0157159 A1 · Collaborative overlay of user interface elements rendered on the display of a computing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157159 A1 - Document ID: US20140157159A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/689,968 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: GARY D. CUDAK; LYDIA M. DO; CHRISTOPHER J. HARDEE; ADAM ROBERTS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157159A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F 9/451: Execution arrangements for user interfaces - G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports - G06F 2203/04803: Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas - G09G 2340/12: Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels - G09G 2340/145: related to small screens - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract Collaborative overlay of user interface elements rendered on the display of a computing device, including: identifying, by an overlay management module, one or more active elements of a user interface for a first application; selecting, by the overlay management module, a location on a user interface for a second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application; and displaying, by the overlay management module, the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application at the selected location on the user interface for the second application. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-8. (canceled) ### Claim 9 An apparatus for collaborative overlay of user interface elements rendered on a display device, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of: identifying, by an overlay management module, one or more active elements of a user interface for a first application; selecting, by the overlay management module, a location on a user interface for a second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application; and displaying, by the overlay management module, the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application at the selected location on the user interface for the second application. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of: determining, by the overlay management module, an importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application; and wherein displaying, by the overlay management module, the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application at the selected location on the user interface for the second application includes displaying the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application in dependence upon the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein determining, by the overlay management module, the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application includes determining a frequency of use value for each active element of the user interface for the first application. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10 wherein determining, by the overlay management module, the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application includes receiving the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application from a user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein selecting, by the overlay management module, the location on the user interface for the second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application includes identifying a location on the user interface for the second application that does not include any active elements of the user interface for the second application. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein selecting, by the overlay management module, the location on the user interface for the second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application includes receiving an importance value for one or more regions of the user interface for the second application from a user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 wherein selecting, by the overlay management module, the location on the user interface for the second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application includes determining an importance value for one or more regions of the user interface for the second application. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of displaying, by the overlay management module, high priority active elements of the user interface for the second application upon selection of the second application by a user. ### Claim 17 A computer program product for collaborative overlay of user interface elements rendered on the display of a computing device, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to carry out the steps of: identifying, by an overlay management module, one or more active elements of a user interface for a first application; selecting, by the overlay management module, a location on a user interface for a second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application; and displaying, by the overlay management module, the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application at the selected location on the user interface for the second application. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to carry out the step of: determining, by the overlay management module, an importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application; and wherein displaying, by the overlay management module, the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application at the selected location on the user interface for the second application includes displaying the one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application in dependence upon the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein determining, by the overlay management module, the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application includes determining a frequency of use value for each active element of the user interface for the first application. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18 wherein determining, by the overlay management module, the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application includes receiving the importance value for each active element of the user interface for the first application from a user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17 wherein selecting, by the overlay management module, the location on the user interface for the second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application includes identifying a location on the user interface for the second application that does not include any active elements of the user interface for the second application. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17 wherein selecting, by the overlay management module, the location on the user interface for the second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application includes receiving an importance value for one or more regions of the user interface for the second application from a user. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17 wherein selecting, by the overlay management module, the location on the user interface for the second application to place one or more of the active elements of the user interface for the first application includes determining an importance value for one or more regions of the user interface for the second application. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to carry out the step of displaying, by the overlay management module, high priority active elements of the user interface for the second application upon selection of the second application by a user.