Background element associated with an application installed in a browser application

• US 10,580,051 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Boodman, Aaron, Kay, Erik, Perry, Matthew, Weinstein, Rafael, Wilson, Andrew T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US13/110,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20150207852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,212 Days
• Field of Search: 715234, 715200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes running a background element that is an invisible element in a browser application, where the background element includes a declared association with an application and includes instructions related to one or more visible elements of the application in the browser application and executing the instructions on the background element to perform a function related to the one or more visible elements of the application in the browser application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running a background element that is an invisible element having a declared association with an installed application in a browser application and that starts running in response to a login of the computing device prior to and without launching the browser application, wherein the background element includes instructions related to one or more visible elements of the installed application in the browser application and the background element remains persistent when the installed application and the browser application are closed;

executing the instructions on the background element to perform a first function related to the one or more visible elements of the installed application in the browser application;

associating the background element with a popup element, the popup element defining a popup window and the popup element accessing a second function defined in the background element; and

updating the popup window using the second function defined in the background element.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the visible elements of the installed application are associated with a tab in the browser application and the background element is persistent upon closing the tab associated with the visible elements of the installed application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the background element includes a background html page.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the background element includes a background window.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising directly accessing the visible elements of the installed application from the background element using direct script access.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein executing the instructions includes collecting information from one or more remote servers and updating state information associated with the visible elements of the installed application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein executing the instructions includes collecting information from one or more remote servers, updating state information associated with the installed application and displaying a notification including the information from the remote servers.

8. A computer-readable storage device having recorded and stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

running a background element that is an invisible element having a declared association with an installed application in a browser application and that starts running in response to a login of the computing device prior to and without launching the browser application, wherein the background element includes instructions related to one or more visible elements of the installed application in the browser application and the background element remains persistent when the installed application and the browser application are closed;

executing the instructions on the background element to perform a function related to the one or more visible elements of the installed application in the browser application;

associating the background element with a popup element, the popup element defining a popup window and the popup element accessing a second function defined in the background element; and

updating the popup window using the second function defined in the background element.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 wherein the visible elements of the installed application are associated with a tab in the browser application and the background element is persistent upon closing the tab associated with the visible elements of the installed application.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 wherein the background element includes a background html page.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 wherein the background element includes a background window.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 further comprising directly accessing the visible elements of the installed application from the background element using direct script access.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 wherein executing the instructions includes collecting information from one or more remote servers and updating state information associated with the visible elements of the installed application.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8 wherein executing the instructions includes collecting information from one or more remote servers, updating state information associated with the installed application and displaying a notification including the information from the remote servers.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a memory that is arranged and configured to store executable code; and

a processor that is operably coupled memory, the processor being arranged and configured to execute the code to perform the actions of;

running a background element that is an invisible element having a declared association with an installed application in a browser application and that starts running in response to a login of the apparatus prior to and without launching the browser application, wherein the background element includes instructions related to one or more visible elements of the installed application in the browser application and the background element remains persistent when the installed application and the browser application are closed;

executing the instructions on the background element to perform a function related to the one or more visible elements of the installed application in the browser application;

associating the background element with a popup element, the popup element defining a popup window and the popup element accessing a second function defined in the background element; and

updating the popup window using the second function defined in the background element.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the visible elements of the installed application are associated with a tab in the browser application and the background element is persistent upon closing the tab associated with the visible elements of the installed application.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein executing the instructions includes collecting information from one or more remote servers and updating state information associated with the visible elements of the installed application.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein executing the instructions includes collecting information from one or more remote servers, updating state information associated with the installed application and displaying a notification including the information from the remote servers.