Method, software and apparatus for using application state history information when re-launching applications

• US 20050268301A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Walker, Robert, Kelley, Brian Harold, Nijdam, Marc Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A system for saving application state history information, containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with execution of a first application on a computing device. The application state history information is saved for use in a subsequent re-launch of the first application.

Claims

1. A method of executing applications on a computing device, comprising:

saving application state history information, containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with execution of a first application on a computing device, for use in a subsequent re-launch of the first application; and

launching a second application on the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of launching a second application selectively excludes initiating execution of an application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of launching a second application further includes the step of selectively maintaining execution of the first application on the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of selectively maintaining the execution of the first application further includes the step of detecting matching information between the application state history information associated with the first application and information associated with the second application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the matching information is application identification information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of saving application state history information is dependent on the step of launching the second application.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of launching the second application is dependent on a step of detecting an upcoming loss of a running status for the first application.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the application state history information includes mode information containing an historical snap-shot of unique functional mode related information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the application state history information includes user interface data information containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic user interface data related information.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the application state history information indicates a sequential order of the associated application with respect to other applications.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the launching of the second application is initiated by the first application.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a wireless device.

13. A method of executing applications on a computing device, comprising:

retrieving saved application state history information containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with a previous first application previously executing on a computing device; and

re-launching the previous first application on the computing device using the retrieved application state history information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of re-launching the previous first application excludes initiating execution of any application.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of re-launching the previous first application further includes the step of selectively maintaining the application currently executing on the computing device as the previous first application.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of selectively maintaining the application currently executing on the computing device as the previous second application further includes the step of detecting matching information between the dynamic application state information associated with the application currently executing and the retrieved application state history information associated with the previous second application.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the matching information is application identification information.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of re-launching the previous first application further comprises the step of using application state history information to re-initialize dynamic application state information.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the application state history information includes mode information containing an historical snap-shot of unique functional mode related information.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of using the mode information to re-initialize the dynamic application state information.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the application state history information includes application user interface data information containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic user interface data related information.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of using the application user interface data information to re-initialize the dynamic application state information.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the computing device is a wireless device.

24. A method of executing applications on a computing device, comprising:

exiting a first application executing on a computing device;

saving application state history information associated with the first application;

launching a second application in response to exiting the first application;

exiting the second application;

retrieving the saved application state history information associated with the first application; and

re-launching the first application on the computing device, in response to exiting the second application, using the retrieved application state history information.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of launching a second application further includes the step of selectively maintaining execution of the first application in response to detecting matching application identification information between the first application and the second application.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of re-launching the first application further includes the step of selectively maintaining execution of the second application in response to detecting matching application identification information between the first application and the second application.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the step of re-launching the first application further comprises the step of using application state history information to re-initialize the first application with previous state history information associated with the previously exited first application.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the computing device is a wireless device.

29. A method of executing applications on a computing device, comprising:

executing a first application on a computing device;

generating a call to a second application from the first application;

exiting the first application in response to detecting the call to the second application;

saving application state history information associated with the first application in response to the call to the second application;

launching the second application in response to the call to the second application;

detecting termination of the second application;

retrieving the saved application state history information associated with the first application in response to detecting the termination of the second application; and

re-launching the first application, in response to detecting the termination of the second application, using the retrieved application state history information.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of launching the second application further includes the step of selectively maintaining execution of the first application in response to detecting matching application identification information between the first application and the second application.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of re-launching the first application further includes the step of selectively maintaining execution of the second application in response to detecting matching application identification information between the first application and the second application.

32. The method of claim 32 wherein the computing device is a wireless device.)

33. A computing device comprising:

a memory;

an application stored in the memory and operable to generate the dynamic application state information;

a runtime environment stored in the memory from which the application executes; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to execute code to save application state history information, containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with an application currently executing on a computing device, for use in a subsequent re-launch of the currently running application on the computing device.

34. The computing device of claim 33 wherein the code to save application state history information is located in at least one of the following:

the application and the runtime environment.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the computing device is a wireless device.

36. A computing device comprising:

a memory;

an application stored in the memory and operable to generate the dynamic application state information; and

a runtime environment from which the application executes; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to execute code to retrieve saved application state history information containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with an application previously executing on a computing device.

37. The computing device of claim 36 wherein the code to retrieve application state history information is located in at least one of the following:

the application and the runtime environment.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the computing device is a wireless device.

39. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program capable of saving application history information, the computer program comprising:

code operable to save application state history information, containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with execution of a first application on a computing device, for use in a subsequent re-launch of the first application; and

code operable to launch a second application on the computing device.

40. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program capable of retreiving application history information, the computer program comprising:

code operable to retrieve saved application state history information containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with a previous first application previously executing on a computing device; and

code operable to re-launch the previous first application on the computing device using the retrieved application state history information.

41. A computing device, comprising:

means for saving application state history information, containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with execution of a first application on a computing device, for use in a subsequent re-launch of the first application; and

means for launching a second application on the computing device.

42. A computing device, comprising:

means for retrieving saved application state history information containing an historical snap-shot of dynamic application state information associated with a previous first application previously executing on a computing device; and

means for re-launching the previous first application on the computing device using the retrieved application state history information.