SYSTEM INTEGRATING A MOBILE DEVICE APPLICATION CREATION, EDITING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WITH A WEBSITE DESIGN SYSTEM

• US 20170032050A1
• Filed: 07/31/2016
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wix.com Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Wix.com Ltd.
• Inventors: KOL, Tal, COCOS, Noam, SHERWIN, Reuven J., ALMOG, Noam
• Granted Patent: US 10,769,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/40 Transformation of program code

Abstract

An application generating website building system (AGWBS) converts a website to an application which operates on a mobile device. The system includes a website building system (WBS) to enable a user to build a website, and to host the website, a database to store website data that includes at least a structure of the website, an application generator repository to store at least several per-vertical base apps, where each per-vertical base app is a template app for one type of business, and an application generator to determine the website type of business, to generate an initial extended application content file (XACF) at least from an associated per-vertical base app for the type of business, to analyze the structure of the website to generate a graph of elements of the website and to use the graph to modify the associated per-vertical base app into an XACF defining the mobile application.

Claims

1. An application generating website building system (AGWBS), implementable on a computing device, for converting a website to an application which operates on a mobile device, the system comprising:

a website building system (WBS) to enable a user to build a website, said WBS also hosting said website;

a database to store website data, said website data comprising at least a structure of said website,

an application generator repository to store at least a plurality of per-vertical base apps, wherein each per-vertical base app is a template app for one type of business; and

an application generator to determine a type of business for said website, to generate an initial extended application content file (XACF) at least from an associated per-vertical base app for said type of business, to analyze said structure of said website to generate a graph of elements of said website and to use said graph to modify said associated per-vertical base app into an XACF defining said mobile application.

2. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said structure of said website comprises at least WBS attributes and components.

3. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said website data comprising metadata about said website, business intelligence (BI) collected on said website and business information of said website.

4. The AGWBS of claim 3, wherein said application generator to analyze said metadata and to modify said XACF according to said analysis.

5. The AGWBS of claim 3, wherein said business information comprises at least one of editing history of said website by designer and WBS usage information.

6. The AGWBS of claim 3, wherein said metadata comprises at least one of:

attributes and hints including palettes, style guides, vertical type information and sub vertical type information.

7. The AGWBS of claim 3, wherein said application generator further comprises a site usage analyzer to analyze said BI.

8. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said application generator further comprises an app editor to edit said XACF.

9. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said application generator further comprises a complex component convertor to identify components in said structure of said website, to identify relationships between said components and to automatically create corresponding structures for said application.

10. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said application generator further comprises a backend elements handler to connect to a website operational database (ODB) and to use operational information stored in said ODB to modify said XACF.

11. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said application generator further comprises a color and themes setter to automatically assign colors to components and screens of said application according to pre-defined aesthetic rules.

12. The AGWBS of claim 11, wherein said color and themes setter further comprises:

a brand determiner to extract a set of brand colors from said website and to set an associated color theme for said brand colors;

a color assigner to assign multiple colors within said theme to a plurality of user interface elements of the said application; and

a background designer to create a background to said plurality of user interface elements within said theme.

13. The AGWBS of claim 12, wherein said color assigner to generate a plurality of color adjacency graphs (CAG) and a CAG analyzer to analyze said graphs.

14. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said application generator also comprises:

a main screen determiner to select a subset of screens of said application as main screens.

15. The AGWBS of claim 14, wherein said AGWBS also comprises a screen preview creator to render all screens or only said main screens of said application.

16. The AGWBS of claim 15, wherein said screen preview creator uses a client side rendering framework to render said user interface elements.

17. The AGWBS of claim 16, wherein said client side rendering framework is at least one of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), WebGL or HTML5 Canvas.

18. The AGWBS of claim 15, wherein said screen preview creator also comprises a field content determiner (FCD) to provide data for fields of said user interface elements.

19. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said AGWBS also comprises a mobile visualizer app (v-app) to provide a preview of user interface elements of said application on a mobile device.

20. The AGWBS of claim 19, wherein said v-app adds a watermark to said application to indicate that it is not a standard application.

21. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said AGWBS also comprises a mobile WBS gateway app (w-app) to provide a user interface to display a plurality of websites built by said WBS and to select one of said websites as input for said application generator.

22. The AGWBS of claim 1, wherein said AGWBS also comprises a mobile multi app (m-app) to execute a plurality of sub apps (s-apps), wherein each said s-app comprises said XACF for a different website.

23. The AGWBS of claim 22, wherein said m-app is operative for s-apps of a single type of business.

24. The AGWBS of claim 22, wherein said m-app also comprises a localized app store.

25. The AGWBS of claim 24, wherein said m-app also communicates with a recommender engine to recommend said s-apps.

26. The AGWBS of claim 22, wherein said AGWBS also comprises an s-app installer to install a selected one of said plurality of s-apps on said mobile device, and wherein a trigger to activate said installer is a location detected by said mobile device, wherein said location is associated with said s-app to be installed.

27. The AGWBS of claim 26 wherein said location is detected by one of satellite-based positioning system, Wifi, Beacon or inertial navigation.

28. The AGWBS of claim 1, also comprising a common app engine (CAE) to execute said XACF.

29. The AGWBS of claim 28, wherein said AGWBS also communicates with a plurality of external preview servers located on the cloud to preview said application.

30. The AGWBS of claim 29, wherein a server adapted CAE cloud server of said preview servers comprises a server-adapted CAE directly executable on top of its server operating system.

31. The AGWBS of claim 30, wherein said server adapted CAE cloud server comprises a server-adapted CAE to concurrently executes a plurality of XACFs.

32. The AGWBS of claim 14 and also comprising a communication unit to provide only said main screens to run on external preview servers.

33. The AGWBS of claim 14 and also comprising a communication unit to provide said XACF to external preview servers and to indicate to said preview servers to navigate to said main screens within said XACF.

34. The AGWBS of claim 14 and also comprising a communication unit to provide said XACF to external preview servers and a field content determiner to provide data for fields of said user interface elements of said XACF.

35. A method for converting a website to an application which operates on a mobile device, the method comprising:

in a WBS enabling a user to build a website, said WBS hosting said website;

storing website data, said website data comprising at least a structure of said website,

storing at least a plurality of per-vertical base apps, wherein each per-vertical base app is a template app for one type of business;

determining a type of business for said website;

generating an initial extended application content file (XACF) at least from an associated per-vertical base app for said type of business;

analyzing said structure of said website to generate a graph of elements of said website; and

according to said graph modifying said associated per-vertical base app into an XACF defining said mobile application.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said structure of said website comprises at least WBS attributes and components.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said website data comprises metadata about said website, business intelligence (BI) collected on said website and business information of said website.

38. The method of claim 37, and also comprising analyzing said metadata and modifying said XACF according to said analysis.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said business information comprises at least one of editing history of said website by designer and WBS usage information.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said metadata comprises at least one of:

attributes and hints including palettes, style guides, vertical type information and sub vertical type information.

41. The method of claim 37, and also comprising analyzing said BI.

42. The method of claim 35, and also comprising editing said XACF.

43. The method of claim 35, and also comprising identifying complex components in said structure of said website, identifying relationships between said components and automatically creating corresponding structures for said application.

44. The method of claim 35, and also comprising connecting to a website operational database (ODB) and using operational information stored in said ODB to modify said XACF.

45. The method of claim 35, and also comprising automatically assigning colors to components and screens of said application according to pre-defined aesthetic rules.

46. The method of claim 45, and also comprising:

extracting a set of brand colors from said website;

setting an associated color theme for said brand colors;

assigning multiple colors within said theme to a plurality of user interface elements of the said application; and

creating a background to said plurality of user interface elements within said theme.

47. The method of claim 46, and also comprising generating a plurality of color adjacency graphs (CAG) and analyzing said graphs.

48. The method of claim 35, and also comprising selecting a subset of screens of said application as main screens.

49. The method of claim 48, and also comprising rendering all screens or only said main screens of said application.

50. The method of claim 49, and also comprising using a client side rendering framework to render said user interface elements.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said client side rendering framework is at least one of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), WebGL or HTML5 Canvas.

52. The method of claim 49, and also comprising providing data for fields of said user interface elements.

53. The method of claim 35, and also comprising previewing of user interface elements of said application on a mobile device.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein said previewing comprises adding a watermark to said application to indicate that it is not a standard application.

55. The method of claim 35, and also comprising providing a user interface to display a plurality of websites built by said WBS and selecting one of said websites as input for said app generating.

56. The method of claim 35, and also comprising executing a plurality of sub apps (s-apps), wherein each said s-app comprises said XACF for a different website.

57. The method of claim 56, and also comprising executing a selected s-app for a single type of business.

58. The method of claim 56, and also comprising a localized app store.

59. The method of claim 58, and also comprising communicating with a recommender engine to recommend said s-apps.

60. The method of claim 56, and also comprising installing a selected one of said plurality of s-apps on said mobile device, and triggering said installing according to location detected by said mobile device, wherein said location is associated with said s-app to be installed.

61. The method of claim 60 and also comprising location detecting by one of satellite based position system, Wifi, Beacon, inertial navigation.

62. The method of claim 35, and also comprising a common app engine (CAE) to execute said XACF.

63. The method of claim 62, and also comprising communicating with a plurality of external preview servers located on the cloud to preview said application.

64. The method of claim 63, and also comprising executing a server adapted common app engine (CAE) directly on top of its server operating system.

65. The method of claim 64, and also comprising said CAE concurrently executing a plurality of XACFs.

66. The method of claim 48 and also comprising a running only said main screens on external preview servers.

67. The method of claim 48 and also comprising communicating with external preview servers and indicating to said preview servers to navigate to said main screens within said XACF.

68. The method of claim 48 and also comprising a communicating with external preview servers and providing data for fields of said user interface elements of said XACF.