SMART ENDPOINT ARCHITECTURE

• US 20140282357A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolters Kluwer United States Incorporated (Wolters Kluwer Nv)
• Original Assignee: Wolters Kluwer Nv
• Inventors: Padaliak, Yauheni, Katsnelson, Arkady, Gorelik, Benjamin, Oliveri, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A network-based application development and distribution platform allows application developers to build, modify, and configure dynamic content applications (especially mobile applications) remotely, and without requiring manual software coding. Smart endpoints facilitate creation of distributable applications for multiple operating systems, form factors, access methods, and/or device types, while creating only a single product and associating the product with the desired endpoints corresponding to the operating systems, form factors, access methods, and/or device types. The platform also facilitates software updates, as updates can be made to the product once, rather than once for each version of the application.

Claims

1. A software development and distribution platform, hosted on a server and comprising:

a library of configurable user interface components and functional components; and

an application hub hosting a developer interface accessible by an application developer via a network, the application interface allowing the application developer to;

select of one or more components from the library for inclusion in a product;

configure each of the user interface components and functional components in the product;

display a preliminary occurrence of the product; and

associate the product with any of a plurality of endpoints;

wherein the application hub is further operable to receive from the application developer a request for the product, and to provide the product to the application developer according to any one or more of the plurality of endpoints, according to an endpoint request received from the application developer.

2. The software development and distribution platform of claim 1, wherein the application hub is further operable to allow the application developer to promote the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications.

3. The software development and distribution platform of claim 2, wherein the multiple endpoint applications comprise at least some endpoint applications that differ in theme, branding, color patterning, language, or a combination thereof.

4. The software development and distribution platform of claim 1, the multiple endpoint applications comprise at least two endpoint applications targeted for use on different mobile operating systems.

5. The software development and distribution platform of claim 1, wherein the application hub is further operable to publish an application endpoint to an application distribution manager.

6. The software development and distribution platform of claim 1, wherein the application hub is further operable to wrap an endpoint application for distribution to clients.

7. The software development and distribution platform of claim 1, wherein the application hub is further operable to wrap an endpoint application for distribution to a mobile application marketplace.

8. The software development and distribution platform of claim 1, wherein the endpoint comprises a routing endpoint.

9. The software development and distribution platform of claim 8, wherein the routing endpoint routes a client request to an application endpoint.

10. The software development and distribution platform of claim 8, wherein the routing endpoint routes a client request to an application endpoint based on user-agent information contained in the client request.

11. A method comprising:

storing on a server a library of configurable user interface components and functional components;

providing, via the server, an application hub hosting a developer interface accessible by an application developer via a network;

receiving, via the developer interface, a selection of one or more components from the library, the components selected for inclusion in a product;

receiving configuration data for one or more of the selected components;

displaying, via the developer interface, a preliminary occurrence of the product;

associating the product with any of a plurality of endpoints;

receiving from the application developer a request for the product; and

providing the product to the application developer according to any one or more of the plurality of endpoints, according to an endpoint request received from the application developer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selectively promoting the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein promoting the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications comprises promoting the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications that differ in theme, branding, color patterning, language, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein promoting the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications comprises promoting the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications targeted for use on different mobile operating systems.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising publishing an endpoint application to an application distribution manager.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising wrapping an endpoint application for distribution to clients.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising wrapping an endpoint application for distribution to a mobile application marketplace.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the endpoint comprises a routing endpoint.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the routing endpoint routes a client request to an application endpoint.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the routing endpoint routes a client request to an application endpoint based on user-agent information contained in the client request.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, executable by a processor, the instructions operable to cause the processor to:

retrieve one or more components from a library of configurable user interface components and functional components;

provide to an application developer, via a network, a developer interface;

receive, via the developer interface, a selection of one or more components from the library, the components selected for inclusion in a product;

receive configuration data for one or more of the selected components;

display, via the developer interface, a preliminary occurrence of the product;

associate the product with any of a plurality of endpoints;

receive from the application developer a request for the product; and

provide the product to the application developer according to any one or more of the plurality of endpoints, according to an endpoint request received from the application developer.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processor to selectively promote the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processor to promote the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications that differ in theme, branding, color patterning, language, or a combination thereof.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processor to promote the preliminary occurrence of the product as multiple endpoint applications targeted for use on different mobile operating systems.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processor to publish an endpoint application to an application distribution manager.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processor to wrap an endpoint application for distribution to clients.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are further operable to cause the processor to wrap an endpoint application for distribution to a mobile application marketplace.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the endpoint comprises a routing endpoint.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the routing endpoint routes a client request to an application endpoint.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the routing endpoint routes a client request to an application endpoint based on user-agent information contained in the client request.

31. A software development and distribution platform, hosted on a server and comprising:

a library of configurable user interface components and functional components stored on a memory device coupled to the server;

wherein said configurable user interface components and functional components may be modified or extended to create multiple versions of said components;

one or more endpoints operable to serve products associated with one or more specific versions of said configurable user interface components and functional components;

wherein said memory device maintains storage of the one or more modified or extended versions of said user interface components and functional components such that the stored versions remain accessible to the said products with which they are associated.

32. The software development and distribution platform of claim 31, wherein the memory device is a cloud storage device.

33. The software development and distribution platform of claim 31, wherein the configurable user interface components and functional components are organized into packages;

wherein said packages may be modified or extended to create new versions of said packages; and

wherein said memory device maintains storage of the one or more versions of said modified or extended packages such that stored versions remain accessible to said products.