Extensible system action for sharing while remaining in context

• US 10,073,722 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Messerly, Katie, Clark, Christopher, Zhao, Feng, Kabir, Ahsan, Tritschler, Olivier, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Gloystein, Ginger, Chafins, Billie Sue, Lundberg, Patrik, Raghupathy, Sashi, Biswas, Manoj, Thakker, Devang, Harris, Jensen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiau, Shen
• Application Number:
  US14/817,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference

Abstract

An operating system provides an extensible share action to broker content sharing between applications executing on a computing platform such as a personal computer, tablet computer, or smartphone. The share action enables a consistent user experience for content sharing to be implemented across all applications and eliminates users having to switch from the current application they are using to some other functionality in order to share content. Applications can participate with the operating system share action as source applications and/or target applications. Source applications may describe what content is shareable given the current state of their application when the user chooses to invoke the share action. Target applications can be configured to receive the shared content from the source application according to content type, and will expose a companion view of their application to the user that is specifically tailored to facilitate sharing.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an electronic device;

an operating system installed on the electronic device that, based on execution by the electronic device, configures the system to;

receive, by the operating system from a source application, a reference to a data bundle; and

pass, by the operating system to a target application while enabling a user of the system to remain in context of the source application, the reference, where the source application and the target application are exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the reference is being passed.

2. The system of claim 1 where the operating system receiving and passing the reference eliminates any need for the source application and the target application to have knowledge of each other for sharing the data bundle.

3. The system of claim 1 where the target application is further exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the data bundle is being uploaded, in response to the passing and while enabling the user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, by the target application.

4. The system of claim 1 where the source application is further exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the data bundle is being uploaded, in response to the passing and while enabling the user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, by the target application.

5. The system of claim 1 where the target application is registered to receive data of a type provided by the source application.

6. The system of claim 1 where the source application is registered to share data.

7. The system of claim 1 where workflow control is returned to the source application as the target application uploads the data bundle as a background process.

8. A method performed on an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving, by an operating system of the electronic device from a source application, a reference to a data bundle; and

passing, by the operating system to a target application while enabling a user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, the reference, where the source application and the target application are exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the reference is being passed.

9. The method of claim 8 where the operating system receiving and passing the reference eliminates any need for the source application and the target application to have knowledge of each other for sharing the data bundle.

10. The method of claim 8 where the target application is further exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the data bundle is being uploaded, in response to the passing and while enabling the user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, by the target application.

11. The method of claim 8 where the source application is further exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the data bundle is being uploaded, in response to the passing and while enabling the user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, by the target application.

12. The method of claim 8 where the target application is registered to receive data of a type provided by the source application.

13. The method of claim 8 where the source application is registered to share data.

14. The method of claim 8 where workflow control is returned to the source application as the target application uploads the data bundle as a background process.

15. At least one hardware computer-readable memory that comprises instructions that, based on execution by a computing device, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:

receiving, by an operating system of the electronic device from a source application, a reference to a data bundle; and

passing, by the operating system to a target application while enabling a user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, the reference, where the source application and the target application are exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the reference is being passed.

16. The at least one hardware computer-readable memory of claim 15 where the operating system receiving and passing the reference eliminates any need for the source application and the target application to have knowledge of each other for sharing the data bundle.

17. The at least one hardware computer-readable memory of claim 15 where the target application is further exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the data bundle is being uploaded, in response to the passing and while enabling the user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, by the target application.

18. The at least one hardware computer-readable memory of claim 15 where the source application is further exempt from shutdown by the operating system while the data bundle is being uploaded, in response to the passing and while enabling the user of the electronic device to remain in context of the source application, by the target application.

19. The at least one hardware computer-readable memory of claim 15 where the target application is registered to receive data of a type provided by the source application, or where the source application is registered to share data.

20. The at least one hardware computer-readable memory of claim 15 where workflow control is returned to the source application as the target application uploads the data bundle as a background process.