System and method for invocation of streaming application

• US 20060136389A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Endeavors Technologies, Inc. (DivestCap Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Endeavors Technologies, Inc. (DivestCap Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Huy, Bolcer, Gregory Alan, Cover, Clay H.
• Application Number:
  US11/021,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136389A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

A system that initiates streaming of a remotely stored application in response to a data file selection. In one example, in response to a user selection of a data file, a streaming application module determines if a remotely stored published application is available that is capable of opening the data file. If the published application is available, the streaming application module requests that a portion of the published application be streamed to the user system. In addition, the streaming application module may determine if the user is subscribed to the published application. In another example, the streaming application module is invoked if there is not a locally stored application associated with the file type of the selected data file.

Claims

1. A method for responding to a data file selection, the method comprising:

receiving a request to open a data file, wherein the data file comprises a file extension;

searching a registry on a first computer to determine if a first association exists between the file extension and an identification of a locally installed application capable of opening the data file;

invoking a streaming application module if the first association does not exist;

searching a database to determine if a second association exists between the file extension and an identification of a remotely located published application capable of opening the data file, wherein the published application is stored on a remote server;

determining if a valid subscription exists for the published application if the second association exists;

requesting that at least a portion of the published application be streamed to the first computer if a valid subscription exists; and

receiving at the first computer the streamed portion of the published application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of requesting is performed with the streaming application module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to open the data file is received from a user application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to open the data file is received by an operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored remote to the first computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored on the first computer.

7. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising prompting the user for further action if neither the first association nor the second association exists.

8. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising updating the registry with association information between the file extension and the published application if the second association exists.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of invoking a streaming application module is transparent to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising executing on the first computer the streamed portion of the published application.

11. A method for opening a data file, the method comprising:

receiving first information indicative of a request to open a data file, wherein the data file comprises a file type that is not associated with the identification of a locally installed application capable of opening said file type;

determining if there is stored on a remote server a published application capable of opening said file type; and

requesting at least a streamed portion of the published application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said file type is identified by a file extension.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said file type is associated with an identification of said published application.

14. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising loading, on a client computer storing said data file, an association between the file type of said data file and an identification of said published application prior to said act of requesting.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said act of loading is performed prior to said act of receiving.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising loading, on a client computer storing said data file, icon association information associated with said file type.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said act of loading is performed prior to said act of receiving.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said act of determining is performed with a streaming application manager.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said first information is sent from an operating system to the streaming application manager.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said act of determining comprises querying a database for an association between the file type of the data file and an identification of the published application.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the database is located on a different server than the streaming application manager.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the database is locally stored with the streaming application manager.

23. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising determining if a valid subscription exists for the published application.

24. The method of claim 23, additionally comprising prompting the user for further action if a valid subscription does not exist.

25. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising updating a registry with association information between the file type and the published application capable of opening the file type.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein said acts of determining and requesting are transparent to a user.

27. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising receiving the streamed portion of the published application.

28. The method of claim 11, wherein the streamed portion comprises a file structure of the published application.

29. A method for opening a data file with a streaming application, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal indicative of a request to open a data file, wherein the data file is associated with a file type;

determining if there is stored on a remote server a published application capable of opening files of said file type; and

requesting at least a streamed portion of the published application.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said file type is identified by a file extension.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said acts of receiving, determining and requesting are performed by a streaming application module.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said act of determining includes querying a database for an association between the file type of the data file and an identification of the published application.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the database is located on a different server than the streaming application module.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the database is locally stored with the streaming application module.

35. The method of claim 29, additionally comprising prompting the user for further action if the published application is not stored on the remote server.

36. The method of claim 29, additionally comprising determining if a valid subscription exists for the published application.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said acts of determining if there is stored, requesting at least a streamed portion, and determining if a valid subscription exists, are performed by a streaming application module.

38. The method of claim 36, additionally comprising prompting a user for further action if a valid subscription does not exist.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said further action comprises establishing a valid subscription for the published application.

40. The method of claim 29, additionally comprising updating a registry with association information between the file type and the published application capable of opening the file type.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein said acts of determining and requesting are transparent to a user.

42. The method of claim 29, additionally comprising receiving the streamed portion of the published application.

43. The method of claim 29, wherein the streamed portion comprises a file structure of the published application.

44. The method of claim 29, wherein the data file is stored locally on a client computer.

45. The method of claim 29, wherein the data file is included as an attachment to an electronic communication.

46. The method of claim 29, wherein the data file is stored on a Web server.

47. A computer system for invoking a streaming application in response to a data file selection, the computer system comprising:

a data file having a file extension;

a first database capable of storing first associations between a first plurality of file extensions and a plurality of locally installed applications;

an operating system capable of receiving a user selection of the data file, the operating system further configured to generate a first signal if the data file file extension is not identified in the first associations;

a second database capable of storing second associations between a second plurality of file extensions and a plurality of published applications stored on a remote server; and

a streaming application module configured to receive the first signal and, in response to receiving the first signal, determine if a valid subscription exists for an identified published application if a second association exists between the data file file extension and the identified published application, wherein the streaming application module is further configured to request that at least a portion of the identified published application be streamed from the remote server if a valid subscription exists.

48. The computer system of claim 47, wherein the first database comprises a registry database.

49. The computer system of claim 47, wherein the second database is stored remote to the first database.

50. The computer system of claim 47, wherein operating system is further configured to prompt the user for further action if the second association does not exist.

51. The computer system of claim 47, wherein the streaming application module is configured to operate transparent to the user.

52. A system for opening a data file with a streaming application, the system comprising:

a streaming application module configured to receive first information indicative of a selection of a data file, wherein the streaming application module is further configured to determine if an association exists between the data file file type and a remotely stored published application,

and wherein the streaming application module is configured to request that a portion of the published application be streamed from the remote server if the association exists.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the file type of the data file is not associated with a locally installed application.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the file type is identified by a file extension.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the streaming application module is configured to receive the first information from an operating system.

56. The system of claim 52, wherein the streaming application module is further configured to determine if a valid subscription exists for the published application.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the streaming application module is further configured to prompt a user for further action if a valid subscription does not exist.

58. The system of claim 52, wherein the streaming application module is further configured to receive the streamed portion of the published application.

59. A computer module for opening a data file with a streaming application, the computer module comprising:

a streaming application module capable of receiving first information indicative of a selection of a data file having a file type, wherein the streaming application module is capable of determining if an association exists between the file type and a published application stored on a remote server,

and wherein the streaming application module is capable of requesting at least a streamed portion of the published application if the association exists.

60. The computer module of claim 59, wherein said file type is identified by a file extension.

61. The computer module of claim 59, wherein determining if the association exists includes querying a database.

62. The computer module of claim 61, wherein the database is located remotely to the streaming application module.

63. The computer module of claim 61, wherein the database is locally stored with the streaming application module.

64. The computer module of claim 59, wherein the streaming application module is capable of determining if a valid subscription exists for the published application.

65. The computer module of claim 59, wherein the streaming application module is further configured to receive the streamed portion of the published application.

66. The computer module of claim 59, wherein the streamed portion comprises a file structure of the published application.

67. A system for opening a data file with a streaming application, the system comprising:

means for receiving a first signal indicative of a request to open a data file, wherein the data file is associated with a file type;

means for determining if there is stored on a remote server a published application capable of opening data files with said file type; and

means for requesting at least a streamed portion of the published application.

68. A machine loadable software program capable of instructing a processor to open a data file with a streaming application, the software program comprising:

first software instructions capable of determining if there is stored on a remote server a published application capable of opening a selected file having a file type; and

second software instructions capable of requesting at least a streamed portion of the published application.

69. A method of providing a search result to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a search request from a user;

reviewing a file type of a search result;

determining if an association exists between the search result file type and an identification of a published application;

providing the search result to the user; and

providing an option to the user to stream at least a portion of the published application if said association exists.