Method, an Apparatus and a Computer Program Product for Extending an Application in a Client Device

• US 20140007262A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: M-Files Oy
• Original Assignee: M-Files Oy
• Inventors: Metspelto, Ari, Nivala, Antti, Lepola, Juha, Harju, Timo
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for extending an application in a client device. The method comprises forming a connection from the client device to a server in order to access a document vault in the server; receiving one or more extension elements from the document vault wherein said one or more extension elements comprise software logic; executing the software logic in said client device in order to adapt a document management application as an extension of a file management system of the client device according to the one or more extension elements.

Claims

1. A method for extending an application in a client device, comprising:

forming a connection from the client device to a server in order to access a document vault in the server;

receiving one or more extension elements from the document vault, which extension elements are configured to further extend constantly installed extension elements in said client device dynamically and wherein said one or more extension elements comprise software logic;

executing the software logic in said client device in order to adapt the constantly installed extension elements of a document management application in the client device according to said one or more received extension elements.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the adapting of the document management application comprises affecting a part of the document management application that is an extension of a file management system of the operating system of the apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

adapting a user interface of the document management application according to the one or more extension elements.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

maintaining the adaptation of the document management application as long as the client device is using the document vault.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client device is capable of accessing more than one document vault, wherein at least two of the document vaults comprise individual extension elements, whereby a document management application of the client device is adapted according to one or more extension elements of such document vault which the client device is at that point accessing.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

requesting from a user of the client device a permission to execute the software logic in said client device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein an extension element further comprises a digital signature authenticating the origin of the extension element.

8. A client device comprising a processor, memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the client device to perform at least the following:

forming a connection to a server in order to access a document vault in the server;

receiving one or more extension elements from the document vault, which extension elements are configured to further extend constantly installed extension elements in said client device dynamically and wherein said one or more extension elements comprise software logic;

executing the software logic in said client device in order to adapt the constantly installed extension elements of a document management application in the client device according to said one or more received extension elements.

9. The client device according to claim 8, wherein the adapting of the document management application is configured to affect a part of the document management application that is an extension of a file management system of the operating system of the apparatus.

10. The client device according to claim 8, further comprising computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the client device to perform at least the following:

adapting a user interface of the document management application according to the one or more extension elements.

11. The client device according to claim 8, further comprising computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the client device to perform at least the following:

maintaining the adaptation of the document management application as long as the client device is using the document vault.

12. The client device according to claim 8, wherein the client device is capable of accessing more than one document vault, wherein at least two of the document vaults comprise individual extension elements, whereby a document management application of the client device is adapted according to one or more extension elements of such document vault which the client device is at that point accessing.

13. The client device according to claim 8, further comprising

receiving a permission from a user to execute the software logic in said client device.

14. The client device according to claim 8, wherein an extension element further comprises a digital signature authenticating the origin of the extension element.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable non-transitory medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for forming a connection from a client device to a server in order to access a document vault in the server;

code for receiving one or more extension elements from the document vault, which extension elements are configured to further extend constantly installed extension elements in said client device dynamically and wherein said one or more extension elements comprise software logic;

code for executing the software logic in said client device in order to Adapt the constantly installed extension elements of a document management application in the client device according to said one or more received extension elements.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the adapting of the document management application is configured to affect a part of the document management application that is an extension of a file management system of the operating system of the apparatus.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein an extension element further comprises a digital signature authenticating the origin of the extension element.