Method and apparatus for dynamic data-type management

• US 20040059776A1
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Roberts, William A., Graham, Timothy Michael, Pitzel, Bradley John
• Granted Patent: US 7,263,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamically managing data-type associations and relationships includes providing a first global data-type association ruleset including one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications, determining whether an updated global data-type association ruleset is available, and dynamically obtaining the updated global data-type association ruleset to facilitate modification of one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications locally installed on the client device.

Claims

1. In a client device, a method comprising:

providing a first global data-type association ruleset, the global data-type association ruleset including one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications;

determining whether an updated global data-type association ruleset is available; and

dynamically obtaining the updated global data-type association ruleset to facilitate modification of one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications locally installed on the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a local data-type association ruleset defining one or more local relationships between two or more independent applications installed on the client device to supplement the global data-type association ruleset.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating a local data-type association ruleset further comprises:

performing a first data-type association scan of the client device to identify one or more data associations between at least one originating application and at least one target application installed on the client device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

periodically performing additional data-type association scans to determine whether any additional local applications have been installed on the client device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least a subset of the identified one or more data associations are dynamically modified as a result of one or more of the additional data-type association scans determining that at least one additional local application has been installed on the client device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein generating a local data-type association ruleset further comprises:

automatically associating one or more data-types with one or more applications installed locally on the client without user confirmation.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein generating a local data-type association ruleset further comprises:

associating one or more data-types with one or more applications installed locally on the client after explicit user confirmation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated global data-type association ruleset is obtained from a remote device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated global data-type association ruleset prospectively reserves at least one new data-type for use by a preferred application independent of whether the preferred application is installed on the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated global data-type association ruleset is obtained as a result of a comparison between the first global data-type association ruleset and the updated global data-type association ruleset.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a data-type comprises one or more file extension and mime-type combinations.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium; and

a plurality of instructions stored in said storage medium to provide a first global data-type association ruleset, the global data-type association ruleset including one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications,

determine whether an updated global data-type association ruleset is available, and

dynamically obtain the updated global data-type association ruleset to facilitate modification of one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications locally installed on the client device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising instructions stored in said storage medium to generate a local data-type association ruleset defining one or more local relationships between two or more independent applications installed on the client device to supplement the global data-type association ruleset.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions to generate a local data-type association ruleset further comprise instructions to perform a first data-type association scan of the client device to identify one or more data associations between at least one originating application and at least one target application installed on the client device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising instructions stored in said storage medium to periodically perform additional data-type association scans to determine whether any additional local applications have been installed on the client device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least a subset of the identified one or more data associations are dynamically modified as a result of one or more of the additional data-type association scans determining that at least one additional local application has been installed on the client device.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions to generate a local data-type association ruleset further comprise instructions to automatically associate one or more data-types with one or more applications installed locally on the client without user confirmation.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions to generate a local data-type association ruleset further comprise instructions to associate one or more data-types with one or more applications installed locally on the client after explicit user confirmation.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the updated global data-type association ruleset is obtained from a remote device.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the updated global data-type association ruleset prospectively reserves at least one new data-type for use by a preferred application independent of whether the preferred application is installed on the client device.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the updated global data-type association ruleset is obtained as a result of a comparison performed between the first global data-type association ruleset and the updated global data-type association ruleset.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a data-type comprises one or more file extension and mime-type combinations.

23. A computer system comprising:

means for providing a first global data-type association ruleset, the global data-type association ruleset including one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications;

means for determining whether an updated global data-type association ruleset is available; and

means for dynamically obtaining the updated global data-type association ruleset to facilitate modification of one or more predefined operational relationships between two or more applications locally installed on the client device.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said means for dynamically obtaining the updated global data-type association ruleset comprise network interface means for communicating across a communications network.

25. The computer system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for generating a local data-type association ruleset defining one or more local relationships between two or more independent applications installed on the client device to supplement the global data-type association ruleset.