US Patent 9071603 Distributed display functionality on multiple mobile devices

Techniques are described for providing functionality to users of mobile devices, including coordinating the inter-connection of multiple mobile devices, such as for multiple mobile devices of multiple distinct types, and optionally using multiple different types of inter-connections. In some situations, the described techniques include performing matchmaking operations to determine whether and/or how a group of multiple inter-connected mobile devices will provide functionality to each other and/or will access functionality from one or more remote server computing systems, including to select a host mobile device for the group. In addition, in some situations, the described techniques include providing a distributed display canvas functionality, by using the displays of multiple inter-connected mobile devices of a group to display some or all of the graphical user interface (“GUI”) of an application, such as by displaying on each mobile device a distinct portion of the GUI specific to that mobile device.