Workflow widgets

• US 20070266093A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John, Chaudhri, Imran, Forstall, Scott, Peyton, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer-readable mediums, user interfaces and other implementations are disclosed for workflow widgets. In some implementations, a widget workflow method includes: launching a widget at a first device; and updating the widget with content created at a second device.

Claims

1. A widget workflow method, comprising:

launching a widget at a first device; and

updating the widget with content created at a second device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the widget with content created at the first device; and

making the updated content available to the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the widget from the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, furthering comprising:

receiving the widget from a third device in communication with the first and second device.

5. The method of claim 1, where launching a widget further comprises:

receiving a link at the first device;

receiving input associated with the link; and

launching the widget in response to the input.

6. The method of claim 5, where receiving a link further comprises:

receiving an email containing the link.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating an application residing on the first device with content created at the second device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

populating the widget with data contained in the link.

9. The method of claim 3, where receiving the widget includes receiving the widget as an attachment to an email.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the widget in a folder of a file system at the first device; and

providing access to the widget through a user interface for the file system.

11. The method of claim 3, where receiving a widget includes:

receiving notification that a widget has been received;

determining if the widget can be installed;

installing the widget in a display environment;

determining if the widget can be launched; and

launching the widget in the display environment.

12. The method of claim 11, where the display environment is a dashboard layer.

13. The method of claim 11, where installing the widget includes:

previewing the widget;

determining whether to install the widget; and

installing the widget in a display environment.

14. The method of claim 11, where installing the widget includes:

authenticating the widget; and

if the widget is authenticated, installing the widget in a display environment.

15. A widget workflow method, comprising:

making a widget available to one or more subscribing devices, where the widget includes content at least some of which can be modified;

receiving content updates from the one or more subscribing devices;

if more than one content update is received,

aggregating the content updates; and

making the aggregated content updates available to at least one of the one or more subscribing devices.

16. The method of claim 15, where making a widget available includes:

creating a widget including content; and

sending the widget to one or more subscribing devices as an attachment to an email.

17. The method claim 15, where receiving content updates includes:

requesting content update reports from the one or more subscribing devices; and

receiving content update reports in response to the request.

18. The method of claim 17, where the content update report is requested after a period of time has expired in which the one or more subscribing devices have not provided a content update.

19. The method of claim 15, where aggregating the content updates includes:

receiving the content update reports;

comparing the content update reports to the current state of the content; and

aggregating the content based on the results of the comparisons.

20. The method of claim 19, where comparing the content update reports to the current state of the content includes:

determining differences between the updated content and the current state of the content; and

preparing an aggregate content update for the one or more subscribing devices that includes the differences.

21. The method of claim 15, where making the aggregated content updates available to one or more subscribing devices includes:

storing the aggregated content updates in a storage location that can be accessed by the one or more subscribing devices; and

notifying the one or more subscribing devices that aggregated content updates are available.

22. The method of claim 15, where making the aggregated content updates available to subscribing devices includes:

determining if the one or more subscribing devices are available to receive updates; and

pushing the aggregated content updates to the one or more subscribing devices that are available to receive updates.

23. A widget workflow method, comprising:

receiving a request associated with a widget, the request including one or more commands and data; and

executing the commands using at least some of the data.

24. The method of claim 23, where receiving a request includes:

receiving a Universal Resource Locator (URL) request.

25. The method of claim 23, where executing the commands includes:

determining if an instance of the widget exists; and

if an instance does not exist, instantiating the widget.

26. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:

launching a widget at a first device; and

updating the widget with content created at a second device.

27. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:

making a widget available to one or more subscribing devices, where the widget includes content at least some of which can be modified;

receiving content updates from the one or more subscribing devices;

if more than one content update is received,

aggregating the content updates; and

making the aggregated content updates available to at least one of the one or more subscribing devices.

28. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:

receiving a request associated with a widget, the request including one or more commands and data; and

executing the commands using at least some of the data.

29. A widget workflow system, comprising:

a workflow communication manager configured to facilitate workflow communications between a plurality of devices; and

a repository coupled to the workflow communication manager and configured to store workflow information received from devices.

30. The widget workflow system of claim 29, where the devices pull the workflow information stored in the repository.

31. The widget workflow system of claim 29, where the workflow information stored in the repository is pushed to the devices.