CONNECTION BETWEEN APP AND WEB SITE

• US 20130304718A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sadhukha, Shajib, Kumar, Amit, Jiang, Li, Van Snellenberg, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,489,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code

Abstract

An application (“app”) may be associated with a web site, so that an online service may use the connection between the app and the web site. In one example, the online service is an information provider, such as a search engine or advertising engine. The online service provides a web administrator portal, through which a webmaster provides or generates a secret code. The webmaster gives the secret code to an app developer, who gives the code to an app store when the app is published. If the service provides information about the web site (e.g., as a search result or ad impression), the service may also provide an indication of the app, since the use of the code represents confirmation by both the webmaster and app developer that a relationship exists between the web site and the app.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media that store executable instructions to associate an app with a web site, the executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform acts comprising:

receiving or generating a code at a web administrator portal of a service, said web administrator portal having verified a webmaster as being in control of said web site;

registering said code as identifying an app that said webmaster has agreed to associate with said web site, said code being provided by said webmaster to a developer of said app;

receiving, from an app store at which said app is published an indication that said developer provided said code to said app store in connection with said app;

using said service to provide information that identifies said web site; and

based on said developer having provided said code to said app store in connection with said app, using said service to provide an indication of said app together with said information that identifies said web site.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, said service being a search engine, said acts further comprising:

receiving a query; and

determining that said web site is responsive to said query, said service providing search results, one of said results comprising said information that identifies said web site and said indication of said app, said one of said results comprising said information that identifies said web site without said indication of said app in absence of a relationship between said app and said code.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, said service being an advertising engine, said acts further comprising:

determining that an ad impression of said web site is to be displayed to a user; and

providing an impression of said indication of said app said developer having provided said code to said app store in connection with said app.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, said code being received from said webmaster and being determined to conform to a constraint.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, said acts further comprising:

providing, on said web administrator portal, a generate button that allows said webmaster to generate said code;

receiving an activation of said generate button; and

generating said code in response to activation of said generate button.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, said acts further comprising:

determining that said app is not installed on a device to which said information that identifies said web site and said indication of said app are provided; and

providing, with said indication of said app, an activatable install button that, upon activation, installs said app on said device.

7. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, said acts further comprising:

receiving, from said webmaster, an indication that said code is to be revoked; and

based on said code having been revoked, ceasing to provide said indication of said app with said information that identifies said web site.

8. A method of associating an app with a web site, the method comprising:

receiving, from a webmaster, a code, said webmaster having been verified by a web administrator portal as being in control of a web site, a service using said web administrator portal to exchange information with said webmaster, said code being received by a developer of an app;

providing said app to an app store; and

providing said code to said app store with an indication that said code is to be associated with said app, said app and said code being provided to said app store by said developer, a relationship between said app and said code being communicated by said app store to said service, said service using said relationship between said app and said code as a basis to provide an indication of said app along with information that identifies said web site, said service providing said information that identifies said web site without said indication of said app in absence of said relationship between said app and said code.

9. The method of claim 8, said service detecting that said app is installed on a device to which said information that identifies said web site, and said indication of said app, are provided, said service providing, for display on said device, an indication that said app is installed.

10. The method of claim 8, said service detecting that said app is not installed on a device to which said information that identifies said web site, and said indication of said app, are provided, said service detecting whether a version of said app for use on said device exists.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, to said app store, an indication that said app is no longer to be associated with said code, said app store communicating to said service that said app is no longer associated with said code, said service ceasing to provide said indication of said app with said information identifying said web site based on said app no longer being associated with said code.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, to said app store, an indication that said app is to be withdrawn from said app store; and

republishing said app on said app store without said code, said service ceasing to provide said indication of said app with said information identifying said web site based on said app no longer being associated with said code.

13. The method of claim 8, said service being a search engine, said search engine providing said indication of said app with said information identifying said web site as a result to a query to which said search engine has determined that said web site is responsive.

14. The method of claim 8, said service being an advertising engine, said advertising engine providing said indication of said app in an ad impression for said web site.

15. A system for providing information that comprises an app associated with a web site, said system comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a web administrator portal component that is stored in said memory, that executes on said processor, and that receives or generates a code from a webmaster of a web site, said webmaster having been determined by said web administrator portal component to be in control of said web site, said web administrator portal component storing said code in a list of codes that identify apps that are legitimately associated with said web site, said code being given by said webmaster to a developer of an app; and

a service provider component that is stored in said memory, that executes on said processor, and that receives, from an app store an indication that said developer has provided, to said app store, said app and said code and an indication that there is a relationship between said app and said code, said service provider component providing information that identifies said web site, said service provider component also providing an indication of said app together with said indication of said web site, said service provider component providing said information that identifies said web site without said indication of said app in absence of said relationship between said app and said code.

16. The system of claim 15, said service provider component providing a search engine, said service provider component providing said indication of said app with said information that identifies said web site in response to a query, said web site having been determined by said search engine to be responsive to said query.

17. The system of claim 15, said code being received at said web administrator portal component from said webmaster and being determined to conform to a constraint.

18. The system of claim 15, said web administrator portal component providing a generate button that allows said webmaster to generate said code, said web administrator portal receiving an activation of said generate button, and said web administrator portal generating said code in response to activation of said generate button.

19. The system of claim 15, said service provider component determining whether a version of said app exists for use on a device to which said indication of said app and said information that identifies said web site are provider.

20. The system of claim 15, said web administrator portal component receiving, from said webmaster, an indication that said code is to be revoked, said service provider component ceasing to provide said indication of said app with said information identifying said web site based on said app no longer being associated with said code.