Integrating An Application Into Operating System Components Of A Mobile Computing Platform

• US 20130139182A1
• Filed: 11/25/2011
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ghotge, Vishal V., Howard, Gregory Alan, Sethuraman, Kaushik, Jaffri, Taqi, Chung, Edward C
• Granted Patent: US 10,147,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards integrating an application into an operating system component of a mobile computing platform. The application communicates registration information to an extension mechanism within the mobile computing platform. The extension mechanism registers the application and modifies the operating system component to provide interoperability with the application based on the registration information. The extension mechanism couples the operating system component with content from a counterpart application to the application, which corresponds to information presented on the operating system component.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor, comprising, integrating an application into an operating system component of a mobile computing platform, including processing registration information from the application, modifying the operating system component to provide interoperability with the application based on the registration information, and coupling the operating system component with content associated with an entity that uses a counterpart application to the application, wherein the content corresponds to information presented on the operating system component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the content further comprises comparing contact data with application information to identify one or more common contacts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein coupling the content further comprises inserting the content associated with the one or more common contacts into at least one of a contacts component and a places component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more operating system components further comprises permitting the application to access contact data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the content further comprises inserting a link to a function provided by the application into the operating system component.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising in response to interaction with the link, executing the function using one or more mobile device capabilities.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the content further comprises navigating to an operating system component page comprising the content in response to mobile user interaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the content further comprises requesting the content from the application using one or more parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the content further comprises inserting a link into the operating system component that, when activated, presents the content on an application page.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more operating system components further comprises providing an interface to manage the interoperability between the operating system component and the application.

11. In a computing environment, a system, comprising, an extension mechanism configured to enable interoperability between an application and an operating system component of a mobile computing platform, the extension mechanism comprising an interface configured to register the application, compare contact data with application information to identify one or more common contacts, and designate a portion of the operating system component for displaying content associated with the one or more common contacts.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the application runs in a background.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the extension mechanism is further configured to modify a view layout to include the portion.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile computing platform is configured to navigate to an application page comprising the content in response to mobile user interaction.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the extension mechanism inserts a link into the portion, wherein the link is corresponds to a function provided by the application, wherein the function is executed using one or more mobile device capabilities.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile computing platform configured to request the content from the application using one or more parameters.

17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

extending a representation of an operating system component to provide interoperability with an application based on registration information; and

when the application indicates an availability of content corresponding to information within the operating system component, coupling contact data on the operating system component with content from a social networking service associated with the application.

18. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

inserting a user interface control that embeds content on an operating system component page.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

in response to user interaction with the user interface control, requesting the content from the application using one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters comprise a portion of contact data.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 17 having further computer-executable instructions comprising:

inserting a user interface control referencing a function provided by the application into the operating system component, wherein the function corresponds with contact data presented on the operating system component.