Patent ID: 8078993

Claim:
A method for operating a computing device, the method comprising: operating a non-communication application; concurrently with operating the non-communication application, operating a wireless communication application, the communication application using or being responsive to data generated from a communication session in which data is both transmitted and received wirelessly on the computing device to provide for a participation of a user in the communication session; wherein operating the wireless communication application includes generating an interface on the computing device for the user to access and use in controlling the communication session, the interface being generated to be either in focus or accessible to the user when the user operates the non-communication application while the communication session is ongoing; providing an input mechanism independently of the communication application and the non-communication application; detecting the user performing an action on the input mechanism of the device in order to enter an input, the input being of a type that can be interpreted by either the communication application or the non-communication application; programmatically selecting one of the communication application or the non-communication application to process the input from the action being performed on the input mechanism, based on a pre-established protocol or condition by which the communication application and non-communication application are operated.