Interaction between a client process and software applications
First Claim
1. A method comprising enabling a client to access data in applications using a command that is defined independently of the applications in which the data are accessed, a model representing a data structure of the applications;
- and a data container that conforms with the model and accords with the command.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A generic interaction layer is an interface between a client device and APIs associated with accessible applications. The generic interaction layer allows the client to access each of the APIs in a generic and consistent way, without having to know the details of those APIs or the underlying data structure of the associated applications. The generic layer maintains models of the data structures of the associated applications and allows a user interface to access the models to determine the location, within a data structure, of data for which the user interface is searching. Using the model, the generic interaction layer prepares a data container in response to a request from the user interface and transmits the container to component modules associated with the specific application(s).
36 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method comprising
enabling a client to access data in applications using a command that is defined independently of the applications in which the data are accessed, a model representing a data structure of the applications; - and
a data container that conforms with the model and accords with the command. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An interface layer comprising:
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an interface layer module configured to receive a request from a client;
an application model module in communication with the interface layer module, the application model module having a first model portion corresponding to a first application and second model portion corresponding to a second application;
a first component module in communication with the interface layer module, the first component module corresponding to the first application; and
a second component module in communication with the interface layer module, the second component module corresponding to the second application. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A model comprising:
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a first data unit including a type;
a second data unit including a type; and
a relationship between the first data unit and the second data unit, the relationship including a unique name, a first cardinality value for the first data unit and a second cardinality value for the second data unit. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instruction signals that cause a machine to
enable a client to access data in two applications using a command that is defined independently of the two applications in which the data is accessed, a model representing a data structure of the applications in which the data is accessed; - and
a data container that complies with the model and accords with the command.
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Specification