METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISPLAYING A NON-INSTALLED ANDROID APPLICATION AND FOR REQUESTING AN ACTION FROM A NON-INSTALLED ANDROID APPLICATION

• US 20150033219A1
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Einav Itamar, Gal Levinsky, Oded Haim Breiner
• Original Assignee: Oded Haim Breiner
• Inventors: BREINER, Oded Haim, Itamar, Einav, Levinsky, Gal
• Granted Patent: US 9,335,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method of operating an Android appliance in which code of a calling application is operative to send an Android operating system or other application an Intent object. The Intent object encapsulates a “Activity Action” string and optional auxiliary data relating to the Intent object. The user is presented with a user interface of comprising not currently installed applications capable of handling the Intent. Upon user selection of an application not currently installed on the Android appliance, the selected application is installed on the Android appliance. Subsequently the matching activity in the installed application is launched. Afterwards the Intent is passed to the Activity, capable of handling the aforementioned Intent, in the now launched application.

Claims

1. A method within a device operating an Android operating system, for requesting an action from a non installed app, the method comprising:

receiving a first request from a source application for operating an action;

said request comprising an Activity-Action,

as a result of said first request, querying for a list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications;

said list of identifiers comprises one or more identifiers of Android applications not being installed in said Android device and being associated with said Activity-Action;

providing to an Activity associated with said source application said list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications, said providing being for displaying said list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications to a user of said Android device;

receiving a second request for performing an action by a selected-Android application;

said selected-Android application being associated with a selected indentifier from said list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications;

said request being as a result of selecting said selected identifier by said user via said activity;

as a result of said second request installing said selected Android application in said Android device; and

sending an intent for activating said selected Android application for operating said action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said Activity action being one member of a group consisting of:

action_main,action_view,action_attach_data,action_edit,action_pick,action_chooser,action_get_content,action_diakaction_call,action_send,action_sendto,a ction_answer,action_insert,action_delete,action_run,action_sync,action_pick_a ctivity,action_search,action_web_search, and action_factory_test.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises an icon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifier comprises a title of said non-installed Android application.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

i. redirecting the user to a service, after the user selects an application not currently installed on the Android appliance and before the installation of said application, the service operative to;

ii. present to the user the option to download said application to the Android appliance;

iii. Present to the user an application store, the application store operable to provide download capabilities of the application related to claim 1.c.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an icon of a site as a result of said request;

said site being related to said action;

said displaying enabling said user to access said site via said icon.

5. A system within a Android device operating an Android operating system for requesting an action from a non installed app, the system comprising:

a selector module said selector module being configured for receiving a request from a source application for operating an action;

said request comprising an Activity-Action,as a result of said request, querying a data repository for a list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications;

said list of indentifies of non-installed Android applications comprises at least one identifier of an Android application not being installed in said Android device and being associated with said Activity-Action;

providing to an Activity associated with said source application said list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications, said providing being for displaying said list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications to a user of said Android device; and

receiving a request for performing an action by a selected-Android application;

said selected-Android application. being associated with a selected indentifier from said list of identifiers of non-installed Android applications;

said request being as a result of selecting said selected identifier by said user via said activity;

an operation module said operation module being configured for installing said selected Android application in said Android device; and

for sending an intent for activating said selected Android application for operating said action.

6. A method of operating an Android appliance in which code of a calling Activity and an Android OS code execute, the method comprising:

a. receiving, from the calling Activity, an Intent object encapsulating a “

Activity Action”

string of the Android operating system and auxiliary data relating to the Intent object;

b. presenting a user interface of not currently installed applications comprising each application having an activity capable of handling the intent;

c. if the user selects an application not currently installed on the Android appliance, in response to the user selection;

i. installing the selected application not currently installed on the Android appliance; and

ii. subsequent to the installation of the selected application, launching the Activity capable of handling the Intent

iii. passing the Intent object to the Activity capable of handling the Intent, the Activity associated with the, formerly not installed, currently installed application, the Activity supports the “

Activity Action”

of the Intent object.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

i. storing a local Activity list of local Android Activities, associated with installed applications, whose Manifest support the encapsulated “

Activity Action”

string;

ii. storing a remote Activity list of remote Android Activities, each Activity associated with an application not currently installed, the remote Activity capable of supporting the encapsulated “

Activity Action”

string;

iii. comparing the local and remote lists to determine a set of not currently installed applications associated with activities Activities capable of supporting the encapsulated “

Activity Action”

string.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the local Activity list, the Activities associated with installed applications, and the Manifest corresponding said Activities is cached on the Android appliance.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the local Activity list and/or the remote Activity list stored locally, with in memory of the Android appliance.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the local Activity list and/or the remote Activity list stored remotely in the cloud.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein a remote processing device, compare the local Activities list and remote Activities list and subsequently send the results to the Android appliance.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

a. initiating a background process, the background process operative to detect download and installation of the selected application not currently installed on the Android appliance;

b. redirecting the user to a service, after the user selects an application not currently installed on the Android appliance and before the installation of said application, the service operative to download the, not currently installed, selected application to the Android appliance;

c. upon detection of completion of download, by the background process, commencing installation of the downloaded application;

d. upon detection of completion of installation, by the background process, launching the Activity and passing the Intent.