Plug-in control including an independent plug-in process
First Claim
1. A method for invoking a plug-in body by a platform computer process which has a platform context, the method comprising:
- invoking a plug-in controller using a plug-in invocation mechanism; and
invoking the plug-in body as a separate computer process from the platform process such that the plug-in body has a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context by creating a duplicate platform process and replacing the duplicate platform process with the plug-in body to form the separate computer process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plug-in executes as a separate computer process from a platform process in which the plug-in is installed and which invokes execution of the plug-in. The plug-in therefore has a context which is independent of the context of the platform process. Specifically, the plug-in is separated into a plug-in controller and a plug-in body. The plug-in body is a collection of computer instructions execution of which perform the substantive task of the plug-in, i.e., the task by which the plug-in extends the functionality of the platform process. The plug-in controller is installed in the platform process as a plug-in using the plug-in installation mechanism of the platform process. Once invoked by the platform process, typically in response to user-generated signals received by the platform process, the plug-in controller invokes execution of the plug-in body as a separate computer process from the platform process. The platform process creates a window into which the plug-in can display images and information and passes to the plug-in controller a window identifier of the window to thereby grant the plug-in controller access to the window. The plug-in controller passes the window identifier to the plug-in body through an argument list in execution of the exec( ) system call. The plug-in body avoids deletion of the window by creating a sub-window of the window and manipulating the window hierarchy to prevent deletion of the sub-window as a consequence of deletion of the window provided by the platform process.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for invoking a plug-in body by a platform computer process which has a platform context, the method comprising:
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invoking a plug-in controller using a plug-in invocation mechanism; and invoking the plug-in body as a separate computer process from the platform process such that the plug-in body has a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context by creating a duplicate platform process and replacing the duplicate platform process with the plug-in body to form the separate computer process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 5, 6)
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3. A method for invoking a plug-in body by a platform computer process which has a platform context, the method comprising:
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invoking a plug-in controller using a plug-in invocation mechanism; invoking the plug-in body as a separate computer process from the platform process such that the plug-in body has a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context; and controlling operation of the separate computer process of the plug-in body through an inter-process communication mechanism between the separate computer process and the plug-in controller of the platform process.
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7. A computer system comprising:
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a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; a platform process which executes in the processor from the memory and which has a platform context; a plug-in controller stored in the memory and which is configured such that the platform process can invoke execution of the plug-in controller in the platform context, and which is further configured to invoke execution of a plug-in body as a separate computer process in a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context by creating a duplicate platform process and replacing the duplicate platform process with the plug-in body to form the separate computer process. - View Dependent Claims (8, 10, 11, 12)
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9. A computer system comprising:
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a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; a platform process which executes in the processor from the memory and which has a platform context; a plug-in controller stored in the memory and which is configured such that the platform process can invoke execution of the plug-in controller in the platform context, and which is further configured to invoke execution of a plug-in body as a separate computer process in a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context, wherein the plug-in controller is further configured to control operation of the separate computer process of the plug-in body through an inter-process communication mechanism between the separate computer process and the plug-in controller of the platform process.
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13. A computer readable medium which includes computer executable instructions which comprise:
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a plug-in body; and a plug-in controller which is configured such that a platform process can invoke execution of the plug-in controller in a platform context in which the platform process executes, and which is further configured to invoke execution of the plug-in body as a separate computer process in a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context by creating a duplicate platform process and replacing the duplicate platform process with the plug-in body to form the separate computer process. - View Dependent Claims (14, 16, 17, 18)
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15. A computer readable medium which includes computer executable instructions which comprise:
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a plug-in body; and a plug-in controller which is configured such that a platform process can invoke execution of the plug-in controller in a platform context in which the platform process executes, and which is further configured to invoke execution of the plug-in body as a separate computer process in a plug-in context which is independent of the platform context, wherein the plug-in controller is further configured to control operation of the separate computer process of the plug-in body through an inter-process communication mechanism between the separate computer process and the plug-in controller of the platform process.
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Specification