Integrated Application Feature Store

• US 20120131470A1
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wessling, Cynthia D., Macbeth, Steven William, Lange, Danny, Jiang, Zhaowei (Charlie)
• Granted Patent: US 10,102,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

An application feature store may be integrated with an application. The feature store may be accessed by a user through a feature storefront hosted within the application. The user may search the feature store for additional desired features available for the augmentation of the productivity application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions;

presenting a user interface of a productivity application;

the user interface of the productivity application including an application storefront of an application feature store;

the application storefront displaying one or more controls corresponding to one or more applications available for selection;

receiving a selection of one of the controls corresponding to an application available within the application feature store; and

integrating the selected application with the productivity application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising searching the contents of the application feature store to determine the one or more applications to display on the application storefront in response to the search.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications displayed on the application storefront are determined by the productivity application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the selected application is accessible from a local area network prior to accessing the application feature store, and accessing the selected application from the local area network.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the selected application from the application feature store.

6. The computer-implemented method claim 1, further comprising displaying a representation of the selected application within the productivity application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the representation of the selected application is a tabular representation and is indistinguishable from another application representation within the productivity application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the representation of the selected application is an icon usable to initiate the selected application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application storefront is further configured to display a “

buy it”

option usable to purchase the selected application, a “

try it”

option usable to try the selected application, and/or a “

get it”

option usable to access the selected application for free.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the application store comprises one or more features compatible with the application.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the application is a base productivity application comprising a limited number of original features.

10. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors coupled to the memory;

an application stored in the memory and operable on the one or more processors, the application comprising;

an integrated portal configured to access an application store, the application store comprising one or more application features compatible with the application; and

a representation of an application feature selected from the application store, the representation consistent with one or more application features previously installed on the application; and

a security module configured to determine whether one or more boundaries are associated with the application and limiting the selected application features access within the application according to the one or more boundaries.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated portal is further configured to present the one or more features compatible with the application and to facilitate selection of a desired feature.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated portal is further configured to include a search option enabling a search of available features within the feature store.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the integrated portal is disposed within a tab, the tab representing an original application feature.

16. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

presenting a user interface usable to interact with a feature storefront;

receiving a selection of an available feature from the feature storefront;

presenting the available feature from an application feature store; and

integrating the available feature with a base application.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, further comprising:

determining that the base application comprises one or more security boundaries; and

limiting the integration of the available feature based upon the one or more security boundaries.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein integrating presents the available feature such that the available feature is identified in a similar format to one or more original application features.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying a feature store search option on the feature storefront;

receiving one or more natural language search terms in the search option; and

presenting search results comprising one or more available features corresponding to the search terms.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein each of the one or more available features presented comprise an individual application available for purchase, an individual application available for free, and/or a bundle of applications available for purchase as a group.