Patent ID: 7725527

Claim:
A server-based computing system comprising: at least one server running an application and at least one client computer locally running at least one further application, the at least one client computer and the at least one server being connected through a network, wherein the at least one server: provides the at least one client computer with a user interface comprising a central screen that enables initiation of the application and the at least one further application using said central screen; detects an initiation of the at least one further application at the at least one client computer; determines that a detected initiation of the at least one further application relates to initiation of the locally run further application; provides a command to the at least one client computer over the network to launch the at least one further application after initiation of the at least one further application via the central screen, and wherein the at least one client computer comprises: an input device for providing input to the application and the at least one further application; a display device for presenting output from the application and the at least one further application; and wherein the at least one client computer: launches the at least one further application in response to receiving the command from the at least one server over the network, generates a local screen, said local screen comprising a window associated with the at least one further application, said window being generated by launching the at least one further application in response to receiving the command from the at least one server over the network; receives the user interface comprising the central screen from the at least one server; merges the local screen and the central screen to provide a merged screen integrating the application and the at least one further application into the user interface; and displays the merged screen on the display device.