APPLICATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR WEB APPLICATIONS

• US 20090055749A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Manjirnath, Simon, Gregory R., Swift, Roderick
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to an application management framework for web applications that may provide speed improvements, capability improvements, user experience improvements, increased advertising profit opportunities, and simplified application development to wide range of network devices. The described embodiments may employ techniques for containing, controlling, and presenting multiple web-based applications in a shared web browser application management framework. Sharing a web browser application management framework provides the capability for rapidly switching between applications, allows for multitasking, facilitates using a common set of input controls for applications, and makes it possible for applications to be available with little perceived startup (“boot”) time. The described embodiments also provide incentives for web application users, web application developers, web application portal providers, and web advertising providers to share in transactions between one another.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a web browser;

an application management framework implemented within the browser, the application management framework encapsulating multiple web applications; and

an application management framework user interface comprising a set of icons corresponding to a plurality of active web applications running within the application management framework.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application management framework user interface allows switching between the web applications of the application management framework in a single browser instance.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application management framework user interface provides a common set of input controls for the web applications of the application management framework.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the application management framework user interface advances through the set of icons in response to one or more events.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the events comprise one of a touchscreen input, button input, mouse click, stylus click, keyboard input, jog wheel input, and voice input.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the web applications of the application management framework comprise a widget.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the web applications are active when the mobile device is not connected to an active network.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the web applications of the application management framework comprise an advertisement.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the advertisement comprises an actionable banner ad.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the advertisement comprises the entire web application.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a web virtual machine communicatively linked to the application management framework, the web virtual machine comprising a local web server host on the mobile device.

13. A method comprising:

installing an application management framework within a web browser;

installing multiple web applications within the application management framework; and

displaying an application management framework user interface comprising a set of icons corresponding to a plurality of active web applications running within the application management framework.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising provisioning one or more of the web applications for use on one more computing devices.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising installing a web virtual machine to communicate with the application management framework, the web virtual machine comprising a local web server host on the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the web virtual machine comprises a web services manager in communication with the application management framework over a direct message passing interface.

17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program instructions that if executed cause a computing system to perform the method of claim 13.

18. A method comprising:

receiving web applications from web application developers;

providing the web applications to computing devices of users;

inserting an advertisement into a particular web application for a particular developer; and

sharing advertising revenue from advertising impressions generated by the particular web application on the computing device of a user with the particular web application developer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the web advertisement is inserted into the particular web application regardless of the online or offline network status of the computing device of the user.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the advertising impressions occur within the particular web application regardless of the online or offline network status of the computing device of the user.

21. A computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program instructions that if executed cause a computing system to perform the method of claim 18.