Integrating an application into operating system components of a mobile computing platform

• US 10,147,145 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sethuraman, Kaushik, Ghotge, Vishal V., Jaffri, Taqi, Chung, Edward C, Howard, Gregory Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kraft, Shih-Wei
• Application Number:
  US13/304,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,566 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards integrating an application into an operating system component of a mobile computing platform. The application communicates registration information to an extension mechanism within the mobile computing platform. The extension mechanism registers the application and modifies the operating system component to provide interoperability with the application based on the registration information. The extension mechanism couples the operating system component with content from a counterpart application to the application, which corresponds to information presented on the operating system component.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor, comprising, integrating an application into an operating system component of a mobile computing platform, including:

permitting the application to access contact data presented on the operating system component;

coupling the operating system component with content that is provided by the application and is associated with an entity who is a common contact of a counterpart application to the application by;

comparing the contact data with application information to identify the common contact including identifying one or more persons with whom a mobile user of the mobile computing platform and the counterpart application have in common,

inserting the content associated with the common contact into a sub- component of the operating system component, wherein the operating system component includes at least one of a contacts component or a places component,

inserting a user interface control into the sub-component of the operating system component, and

navigating to the sub-component in response to mobile user interaction with the mobile computing platform; and

launching, in response to interaction with the user interface control, the application with an instruction to execute a query with one or more parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising in response to interaction with the user interface control, executing a function using one or more mobile device capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the operating system component with the content further comprises directing the mobile computing platform to request the content from the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the operating system component with the content further comprises combining user-generated local content with the content from the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the operating system component with the content further comprises inserting a link into the operating system component that, when activated, presents the content on an application page.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an interface to manage interoperability between the operating system component and the application.

7. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

an extension mechanism, stored in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, to;

permit an application to access contact data presented on an operating system component of a mobile computing platform;

couple the operating system component with content that is provided by the application and is associated with an entity who is a common contact of a counterpart application to the application by comparing the contact data with application information to identify the common contact including identifying one or more persons with whom a mobile user of the mobile computing platform and the counterpart application have in common, inserting the content associated with the common contact into a sub-component of the operating system component, wherein the operating system component includes at least one of a contacts component or a places component, inserting a user interface control into the sub- component of the operating system component, and navigating to the sub-component in response to mobile user interaction with the mobile computing platform; and

launch, in response to interaction with the user interface control, the application with an instruction to execute a query with one or more parameters.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the extension mechanism, in response to interaction with the user interface control, executes a function using one or more mobile device capabilities.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the extension mechanism directs the mobile computing platform to request the content from the application.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the extension mechanism combines user-generated local content with the content from the application.

11. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the extension mechanism inserts a link into the operating system component that, when activated, presents the content on an application page.

12. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the extension mechanism provides an interface for managing interoperability between the operating system component and the application.

13. One or more computer-readable storage memories having computer-executable instructions executed to perform steps comprising:

permitting an application to access contact data presented on an operating system component of a mobile computing platform;

coupling the operating system component with content that is provided by the application and is associated with an entity who is a common contact of a counterpart application to the application and of a mobile user of the mobile computing platform by;

comparing the contact data with application information to identify the common contact including identifying one or more persons with whom the mobile user and the counterpart application have in common,

inserting the content associated with the common contact into a sub-component of the operating system component, wherein the operating system component includes at least one of a contacts component or a places component,

inserting a user interface control into the sub-component of the operating system component, and

navigating to the sub-component in response to mobile user interaction with the mobile computing platform; and

launching, in response to interaction with the user interface control, the application with an instruction to execute a query with one or more parameters.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

in response to interaction with the user interface control, executing a function using one or more mobile device capabilities.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

directing the mobile computing platform to request the content from the application.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

combining user-generated local content with the content from the application.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

inserting a link into the operating system component that, when activated, presents the content to an application page.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage memories of claim 13 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

providing an interface to manage interoperability between the operating system component and the application.