Context-Based Data Pre-Fetching and Notification for Mobile Applications

• US 20090036102A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ho, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,009,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for context-based data pre-fetching and notification for applications are described herein. In an embodiment, the method operates by creating a context model that includes context variables and events. The method populates context variables based upon the context of an application and instantiates a context based upon the context model. The method determines whether the context is active or inactive and infers a likely set of data needed by the application. The method executes a data selection function to generate a dataset for the application. In an embodiment, the system includes a module to create and maintain a context model. The system includes modules to: populate context variables within the context model; calculate a dataset for the application; maintain an inference engine; subscribe to changes in the context variables; and generate notifications including a dataset with associated metadata that assists with display of the dataset.

Claims

1. A method for context-based data pre-fetching for an application, the method comprising:

creating a context model, wherein the context model comprises at least context variables and events;

populating the context variables based upon a context of the application;

instantiating the context based upon the context model;

determining whether the context is active or inactive;

when the determining step determines that the context is active, inferring a likely set of data needed by the application based upon values of the context variables; and

executing a data selection function to generate a dataset for the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the events comprise notification events, input events, and state events.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a notification creation function to generate a notification for the application, wherein the notification comprises at least a non-modifiable dataset and associated metadata describing data contained within the non-modifiable dataset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification further comprises a variable indicating whether the notification is actionable or informational.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein executing the notification creation further comprises packaging the notification with metadata that assists with display, by the application, of data contained within the non-modifiable dataset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the populating step further comprises populating context variables with values representing situational information of the application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the situational information includes information about user(s) running the application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the context model is shared by multiple applications running on one or more computational devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the computational devices include one or more mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the situational information includes information about the mobile devices where the application is executing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing step further comprises packaging the dataset with metadata describing data contained within the dataset.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the executing step further comprises packaging the dataset with metadata that assists with display, by the application, of data contained within the dataset.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing step further comprises including at least a unique identifier in the dataset.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the executing step further comprises including at least a timestamp, a dataset name, and dataset version in the unique identifier in the dataset.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the dataset cannot be modified by the application.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing step further comprises including structured and unstructured data in the dataset.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein each mobile device includes at least a client side container, wherein the client side container interprets the dataset.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the client side container displays the dataset in a manner appropriate for the application.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the client side container is aware of an environment that the application is executing within.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the environment includes characteristics of said each mobile device where the application is executing.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the client side container can render the data in a fashion that is most suitable for said each mobile device.

22. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

acknowledging, on the computational devices, the dataset generated during the executing step.

23. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

discarding the dataset, on the computational devices after a predetermined time.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the predetermined time is based on a policy on the computational devices.

25. The method of claim 8, wherein users of the computational devices subscribe to the context variables.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the dataset can be reviewed and deleted by a user of the application.

27. A system capable of context-based data pre-fetching and notification for an application, comprising:

a context modeling module configured to create and maintain a context model;

a context variable module configured to populate and update context variables within the context model;

a data selection module configured to calculate a dataset for the application, wherein the dataset calculation is based upon values of the context variables;

an inference module configured to maintain an inference engine used by the data selection module to arrive at the likely set of data needed by the application;

an event engine module configured to subscribe to changes in the context variables; and

a notification module configured to generate a notification for the application, wherein the notification comprises at least a non-modifiable dataset and associated metadata describing data contained within the non-modifiable dataset.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the notification module is further configured to populate a variable indicating whether the notification is actionable or informational.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the notification module is further configured to package the notification with metadata that assists with display, by the application, of data contained within the notification.

30. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to perform context-based data pre-fetching and notification for an application, the computer program logic comprising:

modeling means for enabling a processor to create and maintain a context model;

variable populating means for enabling a processor to populate and update context variables within the context model created by the modeling means;

data selection means for enabling a processor to calculate a dataset for the application, wherein the dataset calculation is based upon values of the context variables;

inference means for enabling a processor to maintain an inference engine used by the data selection means to arrive at the likely set of data needed by the application; and

subscription means for enabling a processor to subscribe to changes in the context variables.