File Access Via Conduit Application

• US 20090240654A1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Richard C. III, Limber, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A computer-implemented data access method includes executing a file manager application in a container application, wherein the file manager application does not have direct access to a computer file system, executing a native application that does have direct access to the computer file system, and communicating between the file manager application and the native application, and between the native application and the computer file system to simulate direct file system access by the file manager application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented data access method, comprising:

executing a file manager application in a container application, wherein the file manager application does not have direct access to a computer file system;

executing a native application that does have direct access to the computer file system; and

communicating between the file manager application and the native application, and between the native application and the computer file system to simulate direct file system access by the file manager application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the file manager application comprises a web page and the container application comprises a commercially-available web browser.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a user interface with the file manager application, wherein the interface simulates a file directory dialog box.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interface comprises file directory icons, and textual directory labels corresponding to directories in the computer file system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the file manager application is executed using JavaScript acting on HTML and CSS mark up code.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a directory, communicating a first identifier for the directory from the file manager application to the native application, determining with the native application a second identifier for the directory corresponding to the first identifier, and passing the second identifier to the file system along with a request for a list of one or more subdirectories under the directory.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving at the native application first identifiers for the list of subdirectories, determining with the native application second identifiers for the list of subdirectories, and passing the second identifiers for the list of subdirectories to the file manager application.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, with the file manager application, the list of subdirectories visually under the directory, and changing an icon associated with the directory from a closed status to an open status.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeatedly communicating between the file manager application and the native application, and between the native application and the file system, in response to user selections with respect to file directories.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing one or more files corresponding to the file manager application to be saved in a directory on the file system selected via the file manager application.

11. An article comprising one or more tangible computer-readable data storage media containing program code operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations, the operations comprising:

executing a file manager application in a container application, wherein the file manager application does not have direct access to a computer file system;

executing a native application that does have direct access to the computer file system; and

communicating between the file manager application and the native application, and between the native application and the computer file system to simulate direct file system access by the file manager application.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the file manager application comprises a web page and the container application comprises a commercially-available web browser.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise generating a user interface with the file manager application, wherein the interface simulates a file directory dialog box.

14. The article of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprising

receiving a selection of a directory, communicating a first identifier for the directory from the file manager application to the native application, determining with the native application a second identifier for the directory corresponding to the first identifier, and passing the second identifier to the file system along with a request for a list of one or more subdirectories under the directory;

receiving at the native application first identifiers for the list of subdirectories, determining with the native application second identifiers for the list of subdirectories, and passing the second identifiers for the list of subdirectories to the file manager application; and

displaying, with the file manager application, the list of subdirectories visually under the directory, and changing an icon associated with the directory from a closed status to an open status.

15. A computer-implemented file access system, comprising:

a file storage system provided by an computer operating system;

a contained application for operating in a standard web browser and displaying a file manager interface; and

a native application programmed to receive file-related requests from the contained application, to translate the requests, and to submit corresponding requests to the file storage system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the contained application is programmed to generate a user interface that simulates a file manager user interface, for interaction with a user in performing actions for saving files by the native application.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface comprises file directory icons, and textual directory labels corresponding to directories in the file storage system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the contained application is programmed to receive a selection of a directory and communicate a first identifier for the directory to the native application, and the native application is programmed to transform the first identifier into a second identifier for passing to the file storage system to interact with the directory in a manner specified by a user of the contained application.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the native application is programmed to receive a communication from the file storage system and to transform the communication into a different communication for the contained application, so as to cause the contained application to display information about directories in the file storage system.

20. A file access system, comprising:

a file storage system provided by an computer operating system;

a web browser operating on a computer corresponding to the file storage system; and

means for managing interactions between an application running in the web browser and the file storage system.