Patent ID: 7386803

Claim:
A method of managing user inputs in a computer system having a display, to create a framework supportng a plurality of applications comprising the steps of: displaying an application panel on said display, said application panel corresponding to a first application operating on said computer system through a connection to an individualized component object model, and said first application having an input focus of said computer system; displaying an application panel corresponding to a second application, different from said first application, operating on said computer system through a connection to an individualized component object model being different from the component object model for the first application; displaying an input panel on said display while said application panel corresponding to a first application is displayed, said input panel corresponding to an input application of said computer system; receiving a first user input in said input panel, said first user input corresponding to entry of data, a command, or selection by said user to said computer system; determining whether said first user input is to be consumed by said input panel corresponding to said first application; and forwarding data corresponding to said user input to said first application if said user input is not to be consumed by said input panel, including: retaining said input focus by said first application after said first user input is received if said first user input is not to be consumed by said input panel, and said first application retains said input focus of said computer system after said first user input is received if said first user input is to be consumed by said input panel.