System and method for providing a communications client on a host device

• US 20060026281A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor, Bells, Matthew, Yach, David Paul, Hodgson, John Stuart, Wilson, Sean Elliott, Willis, Edward Snow II
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A system and a method (100, 500) for integrating an uncertified client (104) with a certified host device (102) are provided. The integration system (100) is configured to integrate the uncertified client (104), which has a plurality of client applications (106), with the certified host device (102), and has a client virtual machine (108), host applications (142), and an abstraction layer (138, 156). The client virtual machine (108) is coupled to the uncertified client (104) and is configured to execute the plurality of client applications (106). The host applications (142) are coupled to the certified host device (102) and are configured to control host dependent features on the certified host device (102). The abstraction layer (138, 156) are coupled to the host applications (142) and to the client virtual machine (108), and are configured to translate feature calls from the plurality of client applications (106) to function calls for the host applications (142).

Claims

1. An integration system configured to integrate an uncertified client having a plurality of client applications with a certified host device, the integration system comprising:

a client virtual machine coupled to the uncertified client, the client virtual machine configured to execute the plurality of client applications;

at least one host application coupled to the certified host device, the at least one host application configured to control host dependent features on the certified host device; and

an abstraction layer coupled to the at least one host application and to the client virtual machine, the abstraction layer configured to translate feature calls from the plurality of client applications to function calls for the at least one host application.

2. The integration system of claim 1, wherein:

the abstraction layer is further configured to accept a request from the at least one host application to activate a particular client application of the plurality of client applications and to translate the request into a feature call, and

the client virtual machine is further configured to activate the particular client application based upon the feature call.

3. The integration system of claim 2, wherein the abstraction layer is further configured to inject an operating system of the uncertified client into the client virtual machine to activate the particular client application.

4. A method in a host device having a client for accessing host dependent features from the client, the host device having a host application controlling the host dependent feature, the method comprising:

making a request for the host dependent feature from a client application of the client;

sending the request for the host dependent feature to an abstraction layer;

translating the request for the host dependent feature into a translated request in the abstraction layer; and

forwarding the translated request to the host application controlling the host dependent feature.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the client application from the host application includes:

creating an activation message; and

transmitting the activation message from the host application to the client virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the activation message from the host application to the client virtual machine includes:

transferring the activation message to a client abstraction layer;

translating the activation message in the client abstraction layer using a native interface; and

transmitting the translated activation message to the client virtual machine.

5. A method in a host device having a host application for running a client application from the host application, the method comprising:

selecting the client application from the host application;

activating the client application from a client virtual machine;

running the client application in the host device using a user interface of the host device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein activating the client application from the client virtual machine includes:

requesting access to the user interface on the host device from the client application to the host application.

9. An application executing system configured to run a client application in a client loaded on a host device, the application executing system comprising:

a host application configured to select the client application and to transmit a function call associated with the client application;

a client abstraction layer coupled to the host application, the client abstraction layer configured to accept the function call;

a reverse native interface coupled to the client abstraction layer, the reverse native interface configured to translate the function call for the client; and

a client virtual machine coupled to the reverse native interface, the client virtual machine configured to accept the translated function call and to run the client application.

10. The application executing system of claim 9, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the host application,

wherein the host application is further configured to control the user interface and the client application is further configured to gain access to the user interface using the host application.