CONTROLLING ACCESS OF APPLICATION PROGRAMS TO AN ADAPTIVE INPUT DEVICE

Methods and systems for controlling access of application programs to an adaptive input device are described herein. One exemplary computing system includes an application programming interface executable on a computing device for controlling said access to an adaptive input device having a plurality of display regions. The application programming interface is configured to receive a display request from one of the application programs to display formatted output on the composite display and is further configured to apply at least a display sharing policy based on application-specific policy settings received from the application program for defining an application-specific area including at least one of the display regions. Further, the application programming interface is configured to generate formatted output based on the application-specific policy settings, and to send the formatted output to the application-specific area for display. The application-specific policy settings include a shared display mode and an exclusive display mode.