COMPOSE APPLICATION EXTENSION ACTIVATION

• US 20150150028A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Salamatov, Andrew, Ouliankine, Oleg, Abraham, Pretish, Chan, Philip Yue-Leung, Pasupuleti, Sudhakar, Henderson, Jason, Park, Kee Hyuk, Chaturvedi, Shivani, Virag, Paul, So, Angela, Chang, Chia-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications

Abstract

Activating an extension includes opening a first compose application by a first computing device. A composed document is received, and an extension is activated in response to the document. The extension may be activated as the document is being composed.

Claims

1. A method of activating an extension, comprising:

opening a first compose application by a first computing device;

receiving a composed document created and entered into the first compose application by a user; and

activating an extension in response to the document as the document is being created and entered into the first compose application by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein opening a first compose application includes opening one of a plurality of compose forms configured to receive a respective plurality of documents.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of compose forms are configured to receive respective documents selected from a group including at least one of a message, an appointment, a contact, and a task.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing an application programming interface (API) for interfacing the extension with the plurality of compose forms.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing a plurality of application programming interfaces (API) associated respectively with the plurality of compose forms for interfacing the extension with the plurality of compose forms.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activating an extension in response to the document being composed includes activating the extension in response to content of the document being composed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein activating an extension in response to the document being composed includes activating the extension in response to the document including a predetermined property.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein activating an extension in response to the document being composed includes activating a first extension in response to a first property of the document and activating a second extension in response to a second property of the document.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing and schematizing data contained in the composed document.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending the composed document from the first computing device to a second computing device; and

sending the schematized data to the second computing device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the schematized data are sent to the second computing device by the extension.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the schematized data by a read application on the second computing device; and

activating an extension on the second computing device in response to the received schematized data.

13. A system for activating an extension, comprising:

a first computing device including a first processing unit and a memory, the first processing unit being operable to;

open a first software application including a compose form for receiving a document composed by a user;

activate a first extension in response to the received document, wherein the first extension is configured to;

extract data from the received document;

send the extracted data to a second computing device; and

activate a second extension on the second computing device in response to the received extracted data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first extension is configured to activate the second extension on the first computing device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second computing devices are implemented in different platforms.

15. (canceled)

17. A computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for activating an extension, comprising:

opening a first software application including a compose form on a first computing device, the compose form having a user interface;

determining a type of extension in response to data received by the compose form; and

activating a first extension in response to data received by the compose form, wherein the first extension is configured to modify the user interface of the compose form.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

extracting data received by the compose form; and

activating a second extension in response to the extracted data.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

extracting data received by the compose form; and

sending the extracted data to a second computing device.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, further comprising activating a second extension on the second computing device in response to the extracted data.