Method and apparatus for running different types of applications on a wireless mobile device

• US 20060143622A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruner, John D., Sharma, Rahul, Zhao, Jianliang, Prabandham, Harish
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A method and wireless mobile device runs different types of applications and groups a set of common application interfaces (APIs) that are associated with an application type to produce an application container (902). The wireless mobile device and method translates calls between at least one of the linked or grouped common APIs of the application container and a shared API that is shared for example among applications of different types (904). If desired the method and device also groups a set of common application interfaces associated with another application type to produce another application container. The applications of different types use APIs from the multiple application containers. In one embodiment, the translating of calls is accomplished by employing a class loading structure using, for example, a class loader that looks at certain path locations to obtain resources.

Claims

1. A method for running different types of applications in a wireless mobile device comprising:

grouping a set of common application interfaces (API'"'"'s) associated with an application type to produce an application container; and

translating calls between the grouped common API'"'"'s of an application container and a shared API.

2. The method of claim 1 further including grouping security polices common to a given application type to define the application container.

3. The method of claim 1 including using a JAVA virtual machine to run the different types of applications that are accessing the shared API'"'"'s through a common API in an application container.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the application container includes:

an API to communicate with an application manager;

a runtime environment for the application; and

an API call translator.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared API'"'"'s are API'"'"'s that are used to interface with hardware elements in a wireless mobile device and wherein the step of translating calls between at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and a shared API that is shared among application containers includes employing a hierarchical class loader operation to effect translation of the calls between the at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and the shared API that is shared among applications of different types.

6. The method of claim 1 including grouping a set of common application interfaces (API'"'"'s) associated with another application type to produce another application container.

7. A method for running different types of applications in a wireless mobile unit comprising:

providing an application environment for an application;

receiving an API call from an API that is linked in an application container that defines common API'"'"'s for the application; and

translating calls between at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and a shared API that is shared among applications of different types.

8. The method of claim 7 including employing a hierarchical class loader operation to effect translation of the calls between the at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and the shared API that is shared among applications of different types.

9. A wireless mobile device for running different types of applications comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor operatively coupled to the wireless transceiver and operative to;

group a set of common application interfaces (API'"'"'s) associated with an application type to produce an application container; and

translate calls between at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and a shared API that is shared among applications.

10. The wireless mobile device of claim 9 wherein the processor is operative to group a set of common application interfaces (API'"'"'s) associated with another application type to produce another application container.

11. The wireless mobile device of claim 9 wherein the processor is operative to group security polices common to a given application type to define the application container.

12. The wireless mobile device of claim 9 wherein the processor is operative to use a JAVA virtual machine to run different types of applications that are accessing the shared API'"'"'s through a common API provided within an application container.

13. The wireless mobile device of claim 9 wherein the application container includes:

an API to communicate with an application manager;

a runtime environment for the application; and

an API call translator.

14. The wireless mobile device of claim 9 wherein the shared API'"'"'s are API'"'"'s that are used to interface with hardware elements in a wireless mobile device and wherein the processor is operative to translate calls between at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and a shared API that is shared among multiple application containers by employing a hierarchical class loader operation to effect translation of the calls between the at least one of the linked common API'"'"'s of the application container and the shared API that is shared among applications of different types.