Plug-in model

• US 20040098733A1
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hansson, Jonas, Danielsson, Mikael, Svensson, Henrik, Bjare, Bjorn, Le, Chi Thu
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Method and system for extending and/or modifying functionality of a platform for a product, such as a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system. The system includes a platform domain having a software services component for providing functionality, and an interface component having at least one interface for providing access to the software services component for enabling application software to be installed, loaded and run in said platform via the at least one interface. The system also includes plug-in software for use together with the application software for extending and/or modifying the functionality of the software services component of the platform domain via the at least one interface.

Claims

1. A system for extending and/or modifying functionality of a platform for a product, comprising:

a platform domain having a software services component for providing functionality, and an interface component having at least one interface for providing access to the functionality of the software services component for enabling application domain software to be installed, loaded and run in said platform via said at least one interface; and

plug-in software for use by the application software for extending and/or modifying the functionality of the software services component of the platform domain via the at least one interface.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one interface comprises an application programming interface.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plug-in software comprises software residing in a domain of said application software and that uses the functionality of at least one of the platform domain and other plug-in software.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said plug-in software complies with a same paradigm as provided services exported by said application programming interface.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said provided services include one or more of component model compliance, naming convention compliance, undesired-event handling compliance and message model compliance.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said message model includes a callback mode and a full message mode.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plug-in software includes a plurality of plug-in software modules.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plug-in software includes plug-in software defining a set of graphical objects and utilities for defining a look and feel of said platform.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said platform domain comprises a platform for a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system.

10. A method for extending and/or modifying functionality of a platform for a product, comprising:

providing a platform domain having a software services component for providing functionality, and an interface component having at least one interface for providing access to the functionality of the software services component for enabling application domain software to be installed, loaded and run in said platform via said at least one interface;

providing plug-in software together with the application software for extending and/or modifying the functionality of the software services component of the platform domain via the at least one interface; and

extending and/or modifying the functionality of the software services component via said plug-in software.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said plug-in software comprises software residing in a domain of said application software and that uses the functionality of the platform domain.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said at least one interface comprises an application programming interface, and wherein said plug-in software complies with a same paradigm as provided services exported by said application programming interface.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said provided services include one or more of component model compliance, naming convention compliance, exception handling compliance and message model compliance

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the message model includes a callback mode and a full message mode and the application domain software is adapted to switch between the callback mode and the full message mode.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein said plug-in software includes plug-in software defining a set of graphical objects and utilities for defining a look and feel of said platform, and wherein said step of extending and/or modifying the functionality includes changing the look and feel of said platform.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of extending and/or modifying the functionality is performed by a customer of a provider of said platform.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said customer comprises an end user product manufacturer.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of extending and/or modifying the functionality is performed by a third party contracted to change the functionality.

19. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of extending and/or modifying the functionality comprises adding or removing functionality to said software services component of said platform.

20. The method according to claim 10, wherein said platform domain comprises a platform for a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system.

21. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of modifying the functionality is performed by downloading an application and/or one to several plug-ins.