CHAINED DATA PROCESSING AND APPLICATION UTILIZATION

• US 20120110565A1
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Marquez, Ricardo, Graves, Michael J., O'Sullivan, Joseph J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,409,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates application usage. During operation, the system obtains a user context associated with a first user, wherein the user context includes at least one of a location of the first user, profile data for the first user, device data associated with a computing device for the first user, and data types associated with existing applications on the computing device. Next, the system obtains a first set of new applications matching the user context. Finally, the system provides the first set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating application usage, comprising:

obtaining a user context associated with a first user, wherein the user context includes at least one of a location of the first user, profile data for the first user, device data associated with a computing device for the first user, and data types associated with existing applications on the computing device;

obtaining a first set of new applications matching the user context; and

providing the first set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an update to the user context;

obtaining a second set of new applications matching the update; and

providing the second set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

facilitating use of the second set of new applications by enabling access to data generated by the first set of new applications from the second set of new applications.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the data generated by the first set of new applications is stored in at least one of a centralized repository and the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the update includes at least one of a new location of the first user, new profile data for the first user, and new data types associated with the first set of new applications.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing one or more of the second set of new applications to a second user for installation and use by the second user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of new applications is configured for use with the computing device or another computing device associated with the first user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is at least one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a portable media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

9. A system for facilitating application usage, comprising:

an analysis apparatus configured to;

obtain a user context associated with a first user, wherein the user context includes at least one of a location of the first user, profile data for the first user, device data associated with a computing device for the first user, and data types associated with existing applications on the computing device; and

match the user context with a first set of new applications; and

a recommendation apparatus configured to provide the first set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the analysis apparatus is further configured to:

obtain an update to the user context; and

obtain a second set of new applications matching the update; and

wherein the recommendation apparatus is further configured to provide the second set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a data-exchange apparatus configured to facilitate use of the second set of new applications by enabling access to data generated by the first set of new applications from the second set of new applications.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the data generated by the first set of new applications is stored in at least one of a centralized repository and the computing device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the update includes at least one of a new location of the first user, new profile data for the first user, and new data types associated with the first set of new applications.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the recommendation apparatus is further configured to:

provide one or more of the second set of new applications to a second user for installation and use by the second user.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the first set of new applications is configured for use with the computing device or another computing device associated with the first user.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is at least one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a portable media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating application usage, the method comprising:

obtaining a user context associated with a first user, wherein the user context includes at least one of a location of the first user, profile data for the first user, device data associated with a computing device for the first user, and data types associated with existing applications on the computing device;

obtaining a first set of new applications matching the user context; and

providing the first set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

obtaining an update to the user context;

obtaining a second set of new applications matching the update; and

providing the second set of new applications to the first user for installation and use by the first user.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

facilitating use of the second set of new applications by enabling access to data generated by the first set of new applications from the second set of new applications.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the data generated by the first set of new applications is stored in at least one of a centralized repository and the computing device.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the update includes at least one of a new location of the first user, new profile data for the first user, and new data types associated with the first set of new applications.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the method further comprising:

providing one or more of the second set of new applications to a second user for installation and use by the second user.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein each of the first set of new applications is configured for use with the computing device or another computing device associated with the first user.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computing device is at least one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a portable media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.