WEB-HOSTED FRAMEWORK FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS

• US 20100184422A1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahrens, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards providing a web-based framework for access and use of mobile device applications within an application stack. The mobile device includes a mobile web framework application (MWFA) that, when the mobile device boots up, seeks to connect online to a remote web-based interface manager. The remote interface manager provides a display of an application user interface to the mobile device, from which a user may access various applications that may be configured to execute at a remote device rather than on the mobile device. The user may also add to or otherwise modify the applications within the application stack.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, including;

receiving a request from a mobile device that is configured to employ web-hosted applications;

enabling the mobile device to select at least one web-hosted application from a plurality of applications as part of a web-hosted application stack;

providing access for use by the mobile device of the selected web-hosted application, wherein the web-hosted application is configured to operate remote on the network device rather than on the mobile device;

downloading at least a portion of the selected web-hosted application local to the mobile device, such that if the mobile device is determined to be offline from the network device, the local portion of the selected application provides at least one function of the selected web-hosted application on the mobile device until the mobile device is determined to be online with the network device, wherein the web-hosted application resumes functionality on the network device.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein if the mobile device is determined to be offline, at least some data is stored local to the mobile device, and when the mobile device is determined to be online, the stored local data is sent to the network device over the network.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of applications includes at least a calendar application, a contact list application, or a multimedia application.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured such that the when the mobile device is turned-on, a network address to the network device is obtained from a SIM card, such that the mobile device can automatically establish a network connection with the network device for access to at least one web-hosted application.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein when the mobile device is online to the network device, the downloaded selected web-hosted application is inactive, such that functionality is provided to the mobile device through the web-hosted application on the network device.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is further configured to update a configuration of at least one web-hosted application.

7. A system that is operative to manage applications, comprising:

A network device that is configured to provide access to a plurality of web-hosted applications over a network; and

a mobile device that is configured with an operating system and a web framework application, the web framework application being configured to perform actions, including;

establishing a network connection with the network device;

receiving an interface over the network connection from the network device for display on the mobile device, the interface providing access to one or more of the plurality of web-hosted applications;

enabling a user to access at least one of the plurality of web-hosted applications for execution on the network device;

downloading at least a portion of at least one web-hosted application as a local portion of the web-hosted application;

if it is determined that the mobile device is offline from the network device, enabling the downloaded local portion of the web-hosted application to provide at least one function of the network device web-hosted application; and

if it is determined that the mobile device is transitioned to online with the network device, using the network device web-hosted application instead of the downloaded local portion of the web-hosted application.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein if it is determined that the mobile device is transitioned to online further providing any data stored local to the mobile device for the downloaded application to be sent over the network to the network device web-hosted application.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the network device provides another interface to the user of the mobile device that enables the user to select a configuration of applications from the plurality of web-hosted applications.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is configured to automatically attempt to establish the network connection with the network device during a bootstrap sequence on the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one other function of the network device web-hosted application is inaccessible through the local portion of the web-hosted application.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions when installed onto a computing device enable the computing device to perform actions, comprising:

establishing a network connection with a network device;

receiving an interface over the network connection from the network device for display on the mobile device, the interface providing access to a plurality of web-hosted applications;

enabling a user to access at least one of the plurality of web-hosted applications for execution on the network device;

downloading at least a portion of at least one web-hosted application as a local portion of the web-hosted application;

if it is determined that the mobile device is offline from the network device, enabling the downloaded local portion of the web-hosted application to provide at least one function of the network device web-hosted application; and

if it is determined that the mobile device is transitioned to online with the network device, using the network device web-hosted application instead of the downloaded local portion of the web-hosted application.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein downloading of at least the portion is performed in a background mode, such that the user is enabled to execute at least another web-hosted application on the network device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein if it is determined that the mobile device is transitioned to online further providing any data stored local to the mobile device for the downloaded application to be sent over the network to the network device web-hosted application.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the network device provides another interface to the user of the mobile device that enables the user to select a configuration of applications from the plurality of web-hosted applications.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the mobile device is configured to automatically attempt to establish the network connection with the network device during a bootstrap sequence on the mobile device.

17. A method that modifies a mobile client device such that the mobile client device is enabled to manage actions, comprising:

establishing a network connection with a network device;

receiving an interface over the network connection from the network device for display on the mobile device, the interface providing access to a plurality of web-hosted applications on the network device;

enabling a user to access at least one of the plurality of web-hosted applications for execution on the network device;

downloading at least a portion of at least one web-hosted application as a local portion of the web-hosted application;

if it is determined that the mobile device is offline from the network device, enabling the downloaded local portion to provide at least one function of the network device web-hosted application; and

if it is determined that the mobile device is transitioned to online with the network device, using the network device web-hosted application instead of the downloaded local portion of the web-hosted application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if it is determined that the mobile device is transitioned to online further providing any data stored local to the mobile device for the downloaded application to be sent over the network to the network device web-hosted application.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is configured to automatically attempt to establish the network connection with the network device during a boot-strap sequence on the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one function of the network device web-hosted application is illustrated as being inaccessible on the local portion of the web-hosted application.