Customization of Mobile Applications Using Web-Based Technology

• US 20120159308A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick, Fung, Phillip, Sadan, Yariv
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

In one embodiment, receiving, at a first computing device from a second computing device, a request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second computing device, wherein the view includes one or more first user interface components; determining, by the first computing device, a user agent type of the second computing device; selecting, by the first computing device, one or more second user-interface components to be included in the view based on the user agent type of the second computing device; generating, by the first computing device, code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components and the one or more second user-interface components; and transmitting, from the first computing device to the second computing device, the code.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first computing device from a second computing device, a request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second computing device, wherein the view includes one or more first user interface components;

determining, by the first computing device, a user agent type of the second computing device;

selecting, by the first computing device, one or more second user-interface components to be included in the view based on the user agent type of the second computing device;

generating, by the first computing device, code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components and the one or more second user-interface components; and

transmitting, from the first computing device to the second computing device, the code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the second computing device to the first computing device, the request;

receiving, at the second computing device from the first computing device, the code implementing the structured document that represents the view; and

loading, by the second computing device, the code in a web browser executing on the second computing device and within a context of the native application to render and display the structured document.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, at the second computing device, a user input through the structured document;

determining, by the second computing device, whether processing the user input requires any native feature at the first computing device;

if the processing the user input requires one or more native features at the first computing device, then processing, by the second computing device, the user input; and

if the processing the user input does not require any native feature at the first computing device, then transmitting, from the second computing device to the first computing device, the user input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a user of the native application interacting with each first user-interface component or each second user-interface component results in a user input to the native application; and

processing the user input resulted from the user interacting with each first user-interface component does not require any feature available at the first computing device; and

processing the user input resulted from the user interacting with each second user-interface component requires one or more features available at the first computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, at the second computing device, a first user input through the structured document;

determining, by the second computing device, whether the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more first user-interface components or one of the one or more second user-interface components;

if the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more first user-interface components, then transmitting, from the second computing device to the first computing device, the user input; and

if the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more second user-interface components, then processing, by the second computing device, the user input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

each second user-interface component is associated with a customized uniform resource locator (URL) that referring to a resource residing on the first computing device; and

the user input transmitted from the second computing device to the first computing device comprises the customized URL associated with the one of the one or more second user-interface components with which the user has interacted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

8. A system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

receive, at a first system and from a second system, a request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second system, wherein the view includes one or more first user interface components;

determine a user agent type of the second system;

select one or more second user-interface components to be included in the view based on the user agent type of the second system;

generate code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components and the one or more second user-interface components; and

transmit, from the first system to the second system, the code.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

transmit, from the second system to the first system, the request;

receive, at the second system from the first system, the code implementing the structured document that represents the view; and

load, by the second system, the code in a web browser executing on the second system and within a context of the native application to render and display the structured document.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive, at the second system, a user input through the structured document;

determine, by the second system, whether processing the user input requires any native feature at the first system;

if the processing the user input requires one or more native features at the first system, then process, by the second system, the user input; and

if the processing the user input does not require any native feature at the first system, then transmit, from the second system to the first system, the user input.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

a user of the native application interacting with each first user-interface component or each second user-interface component results in a user input to the native application; and

processing the user input resulted from the user interacting with each first user-interface component does not require any feature available at the first system; and

processing the user input resulted from the user interacting with each second user-interface component requires one or more features available at the first system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

receive, at the second system, a first user input through the structured document;

determine, by the second system, whether the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more first user-interface components or one of the one or more second user-interface components;

if the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more first user-interface components, then transmit, from the second system to the first system, the user input; and

if the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more second user-interface components, then process, by the second system, the user input.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

each second user-interface component is associated with a customized uniform resource locator (URL) that referring to a resource residing on the first system; and

the user input transmitted from the second system to the first system comprises the customized URL associated with the one of the one or more second user-interface components with which the user has interacted.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the code is in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

receive, at a first system and from a second system, a request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second system, wherein the view includes one or more first user interface components;

determine a user agent type of the second system;

select one or more second user-interface components to be included in the view based on the user agent type of the second system;

generate code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components and the one or more second user-interface components; and

transmit, from the first system to the second system, the code.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the software is further operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

transmit, from the second system to the first system, the request;

receive, at the second system from the first system, the code implementing the structured document that represents the view; and

load, by the second system, the code in a web browser executing on the second system and within a context of the native application to render and display the structured document.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the software is further operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

receive, at the second system, a user input through the structured document;

determine, by the second system, whether processing the user input requires any native feature at the first system;

if the processing the user input requires one or more native features at the first system, then process, by the second system, the user input; and

if the processing the user input does not require any native feature at the first system, then transmit, from the second system to the first system, the user input.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein:

a user of the native application interacting with each first user-interface component or each second user-interface component results in a user input to the native application; and

processing the user input resulted from the user interacting with each first user-interface component does not require any feature available at the first system; and

processing the user input resulted from the user interacting with each second user-interface component requires one or more features available at the first system.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the software is further operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

receive, at the second system, a first user input through the structured document;

determine, by the second system, whether the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more first user-interface components or one of the one or more second user-interface components;

if the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more first user-interface components, then transmit, from the second system to the first system, the user input; and

if the first user input resulted from the user interacting with one of the one or more second user-interface components, then process, by the second system, the user input.

20. The media of claim 19, wherein:

each second user-interface component is associated with a customized uniform resource locator (URL) that referring to a resource residing on the first system; and

the user input transmitted from the second system to the first system comprises the customized URL associated with the one of the one or more second user-interface components with which the user has interacted.