Inference-Based Extension Activation

• US 20130151942A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ouliankine, Oleg, Henderson, Jason Todd, Claux, David, Salamatov, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Extension activation may be provided. A document may be opened within a software application associated with an extension. Upon determining that a data element associated with the document is associated with an activation condition of the extension, the extension may be activated.

Claims

1. A method for providing extension activation, the method comprising:

opening a document within a software application, wherein the software application is associated with at least one extension;

determining whether a data element associated with the document is associated with an activation condition of the at least one extension; and

in response to determining that the document is associated with the activation condition of the at least one extension, activating the at least one extension.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data element is stored in the document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data element is stored in a data source external to the application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the data element associated with the document is associated with the activation condition comprises determining whether a user of the software application is associated with a dynamic user group, wherein the dynamic user group comprises the data source external to the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the data element associated with the document is associated with the activation condition of the at least one extension comprises creating an inference related to the data element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the inference comprises applying a heuristically learned association between the data element and the at least one extension.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein creating the inference comprises associating a suggested task with the data element.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the data element comprises a proposed meeting time and the at least one extension comprises a calendar event creator.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the data element comprises an address and the at least one extension comprises a map display.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing the inference as meta-data in the document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the extension comprises displaying a new user interface element.

12. A system for providing extension activation, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operable to;

instantiate a software application, wherein the software application is associated with a plurality of extensions,

open a document comprising a plurality of data elements within the software application,

determine whether at least one of the plurality of data elements is associated with an activation condition of at least one of the plurality of extensions, and

in response to determining that the at least one of the plurality of data elements is associated with the activation condition of the at least one extension, activate the at least one extension, wherein the at least one extension provides a user interface element associated with the software application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further operative to associate a new extension with the software application.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the activation condition comprises a regular expression to be matched against the plurality of data elements.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the regular expression is matched against a data element comprising a format of the document.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the activation condition comprises a plurality of rules.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of rules comprise a hierarchy of rules, each of which must be satisfied before the at least one extension is activated.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further operative to assign at least one intent to the document.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

determine whether the assigned intent is associated with each of a subset of the plurality of extensions; and

in response to determining that the assigned intent is associated with each of a subset of the plurality of extensions, activate each of the subset of the plurality of extensions associated with the assigned intent.

20. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing extension activation, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

opening a document within a software application, wherein the software application is associated with a plurality of extensions operative to provide additional functionality to the software application;

creating an inference according to at least one data element associated with the document, wherein the at least one data element comprises at least one of the following;

a data element internal to the document and a data element external to the document and wherein the inference comprises at least one of the following;

an intent assigned to the document, a heuristically learned association between the at least one data element and a task, a regular expression match on the at least one data element, and a format of the document;

determining whether the inference satisfies an activation condition of at least one of the plurality of extensions, wherein determining whether the inference satisfies the activation condition comprises matching a criteria of the at least one extension and satisfying a trigger condition of the at least one extension; and

in response to determining that the inference satisfies the activation condition of at least one of the plurality of extensions, activating the at least one of the plurality of extensions, wherein activating the at least one of the plurality of extensions comprises displaying a user interface element associated with the software application operative to provide at least one new data element.