Method, system, and program product for retrieving file processing software

• US 20050097114A1
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Carro, Fernando Incertis
• Granted Patent: US 7,401,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

A system, method, and program product for accessing or retrieving on a computer network the required software to process a file is disclosed. According to the invention, it is determined, when accessing a file, whether or not software required to process this file is already installed on the user'"'"'s computing device, depending upon the type of the file. If the required software is not installed on the user'"'"'s device, the address of a server from which this software can be downloaded or accessed through the network is extracted and decoded from the filename of the accessed file. A browser or file transfer program is launched on the user'"'"'s computing device and a request for the required software package is sent from the user'"'"'s computing device to the server corresponding to the decoded address from which it is downloaded or accessed. The software is then unpacked, if necessary, and installed so as to process the accessed file.

Claims

1. A method for encoding in a filename of a file, an address from which software required to process said file can be accessed, said method comprising:

encoding said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed;

merging a primary filename of said file and the encoded address in a new filename, wherein said primary filename and the encoded address are separated by at least one control character; and

renaming said file with said new filename.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said encoding said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed comprises:

analyzing said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed to detect predetermined characters; and

replacing said predetermined characters by associated characters, wherein said predetermined and associated characters are stored in a lexicography table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded address is merged in said new filename by inserting the encoded address in front of an extension dot of said primary filename.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the encoded address so as to reduce the size of the encoded address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein information relative to the software required to process said file is encoded with the encoded address.

6. A method for processing a file having a filename in which an address is encoded for software required to process said file, said method comprising:

extracting the encoded address;

decoding the encoded address;

accessing said software required to process said file using the decoded address; and

processing said file using the accessed software.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising extracting and decoding encoded options relative to said software.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said accessing said software required to process said file comprises:

downloading said software required to process said file using the decoded address; and

installing said software required to process said file.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining if said software required to process said file is already locally installed.

10. A system for encoding in a filename of a file, an address from which software required to process said file can be accessed, said system comprising:

means for encoding said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed;

means for merging a primary filename of said file and the encoded address in a new filename, wherein said primary filename and the encoded address are separated by at least one control character; and

means for renaming said file with said new filename.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for encoding said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed comprises:

means for analyzing said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed to detect predetermined characters; and

means for replacing said predetermined characters by associated characters, wherein said predetermined and associated characters are stored in a lexicography table.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the encoded address is merged in said new filename by inserting the encoded address in front of an extension dot of said primary filename.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for compressing the encoded address so as to reduce the size of the encoded address.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein information relative to the software required to process said file is encoded with the encoded address.

15. A system for processing a file having a filename in which an address is encoded for software required to process said file, said system comprising:

means for extracting the encoded address;

means for decoding the encoded address;

means for accessing said software required to process said file using the decoded address; and

means for processing said file using the accessed software.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for extracting and decoding encoded options relative to said software.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for accessing said software required to process said file comprises:

means for downloading said software required to process said file using the decoded address; and

means for installing said software required to process said file.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for determining if said software required to process said file is already locally installed.

19. A program product stored on a recordable medium for encoding in a filename of a file, an address from which software required to process said file can be accessed, which when executed, comprises:

program code for encoding said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed;

program code for merging a primary filename of said file and the encoded address in a new filename, wherein said primary filename and the encoded address are separated by at least one control character; and

program code for renaming said file with said new filename.

20. The program product of claim 19, wherein said program code for encoding said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed comprises:

program code for analyzing said address from which said software required to process said file can be accessed to detect predetermined characters; and

program code for replacing said predetermined characters by associated characters, wherein said predetermined and associated characters are stored in a lexicography table.

21. The program product of claim 19, wherein the encoded address is merged in said new filename by inserting the encoded address in front of an extension dot of said primary filename.

22. The program product of claim 19, further comprising program code for compressing the encoded address so as to reduce the size of the encoded address.

23. The program product of claim 19, wherein information relative to the software required to process said file is encoded with the encoded address.

24. A program product stored on a recordable medium for processing a file having a filename in which an address is encoded for software required to process said file, which when executed, comprises:

program code for extracting the encoded address;

program code for decoding the encoded address;

program code for accessing said software required to process said file using the decoded address; and

program code for processing said file using the accessed software.

25. The program product of claim 24, further comprising program code for extracting and decoding encoded options relative to said software.

26. The program product of claim 24, wherein said program code for accessing said software required to process said file comprises:

program code for downloading said software required to process said file using the decoded address; and

program code for installing said software required to process said file.

27. The program product of claim 24, further comprising program code for determining if said software required to process said file is already locally installed.