MOBILE DEVICE TOOLBAR ARCHITECTURE

• US 20140053107A1
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otello Corp. ASA
• Original Assignee: Skyfire Labs Inc. (Otello Corp. ASA)
• Inventors: Patel, Ronakkumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

A toolbar is integrated within an application or provided as a standalone component that interfaces with an existing application. The toolbar detects events corresponding to the application and generates a toolbar display corresponding to the event. On loading of a particular webpage in a browser, the toolbar may generate a toolbar display comprising a set of functions to be made available to the user for that webpage. The toolbar may generate different displays for different webpages and different events such as a page load event or a tab change event. Additionally, when provided as a standalone component, the toolbar may generate different displays for different applications. User experience at the toolbar may be controlled through a remote server without extensive modification of the application.

Claims

1. A method for generating a toolbar display on a mobile device overlaying an application comprising:

detecting a first event associated with the application, the event corresponding to the application visibly appearing on the screen;

loading a toolbar configuration defining at least one period for generating the toolbar display based on a second detected event;

transmitting, in response to detecting the second event, information describing the second event;

receiving an extension configuration specifying a set of extensions to provide in the toolbar display, each extension having a corresponding function, icon, and display area for the icon within the toolbar display;

creating, for an extension in the set, a button at the corresponding display area within the toolbar display; and

generating the toolbar display on the mobile device overlaying the application and detecting a user activity within the toolbar display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event corresponds to the launching of the application on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the toolbar configuration comprises receiving toolbar configuration code from a server, the toolbar configuration code specifying one or more global plugins for at least one of providing advertisements within the toolbar display and tracking user activity within the toolbar display, the plugin tracking user activity within the toolbar display transmitting information corresponding to the interactions of the user to the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the second event is transmitted to a server and receiving the extension configuration specifying the set of extensions further comprises:

parsing extension configuration information received from a server and comparing a signature of the parsed extension configuration with a signature of a same extension on the mobile device; and

retrieving, in response to determining a difference between the signatures, new extension object code for the same extension, the new extension object code loaded to provide extension functionality on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the extension object code is HTML or JavaScript code retrieved from a location specified in the extension configuration information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the extension configuration information identifies one or more plugins that support the functionality of the extension object code when loaded in the toolbar, the method further comprising:

retrieving a plugin not present on the mobile device; and

validating said plugins to ensure functionality of the extension object code when loaded in the toolbar.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a user activity within the toolbar display comprises detecting a selection of the button within the toolbar display, and executing the extension corresponding to the button.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second event corresponds to a tab change in a browser or loading of a new webpage in the browser, the extension retrieving content from a server based on a URL associated with the tab or new webpage loaded in the browser.

9. A system for generating a toolbar display on a mobile device overlaying an application, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program instructions that when executed causes the processor to;

detect a first event associated with the application, the event corresponding to the application visibly appearing on the screen;

load a toolbar configuration defining at least one period for generating the toolbar display based on a second detected event;

transmit, in response to detecting the second event, information describing the second event;

receive an extension configuration specifying a set of extensions to provide in the toolbar display, each extension having a corresponding function, icon, and display area for the icon within the toolbar display;

create, for an extension in the set, a button at the corresponding display area within the toolbar display; and

generate the toolbar display on the mobile device overlaying the application and detecting a user activity within the toolbar display.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first event corresponds to the launching of the application on the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein loading the toolbar configuration comprises receiving toolbar configuration code from a server, the toolbar configuration code specifying one or more global plugins for at least one of providing advertisements within the toolbar display and tracking user activity within the toolbar display, the plugin tracking user activity within the toolbar display transmitting information corresponding to the interactions of the user to the server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the information describing the second event is transmitted to a server and receiving the extension configuration specifying the set of extensions further comprises:

parsing extension configuration information received from a server and comparing a signature of the parsed extension configuration with a signature of a same extension on the mobile device; and

retrieving, in response to determining a difference between the signatures, new extension object code for the same extension, the new extension object code loaded to provide extension functionality on the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the extension object code is HTML or JavaScript code retrieved from a location specified in the extension configuration information.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the extension configuration information identifies one or more plugins that support the functionality of the extension object code when loaded in the toolbar, the method further comprising:

retrieving a plugin not present on the mobile device; and

validating said plugins to ensure functionality of the extension object code when loaded in the toolbar.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein detecting a user activity within the toolbar display comprises detecting a selection of the button within the toolbar display, and executing the extension corresponding to the button.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second event corresponds to a tab change in a browser or loading of a new webpage in the browser, the extension retrieving content from a server based on a URL associated with the tab or new webpage loaded in the browser.

17. A method for controlling a toolbar display generated on a mobile device overlaying an application, comprising:

providing a toolbar module to a mobile device associated with a network, the toolbar module configured to;

detect a first event associated with the application, the event corresponding to the application visibly appearing on the screen;

load a toolbar configuration defining at least one period for generating the toolbar display based on a second detected event;

transmit, in response to detecting the second event, information describing the second event;

receive an extension configuration specifying a set of extensions to provide in the toolbar display, each extension having a corresponding function, icon, and display area for the icon within the toolbar display;

create, for an extension in the set, a button at the corresponding display area within the toolbar display; and

generate the toolbar display on the mobile device overlaying the application and detecting a user activity within the toolbar display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first event corresponds to the launching of the application on the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein loading the toolbar configuration comprises receiving toolbar configuration code from a server, the toolbar configuration code specifying one or more global plugins for at least one of providing advertisements within the toolbar display and tracking user activity within the toolbar display, the plugin tracking user activity within the toolbar display transmitting information corresponding to the interactions of the user to the server.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the information describing the second event is transmitted to a server and receiving the extension configuration specifying the set of extensions further comprises:

parsing extension configuration information received from a server and comparing a signature of the parsed extension configuration with a signature of a same extension on the mobile device; and

retrieving, in response to determining a difference between the signatures, new extension object code for the same extension, the new extension object code loaded to provide extension functionality on the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting a user activity within the toolbar display comprises detecting a selection of the button within the toolbar display, and executing the extension corresponding to the button.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second event corresponds to a tab change in a browser or loading of a new webpage in the browser, the extension retrieving content from a server based on a URL associated with the tab or new webpage loaded in the browser.