Dynamic object linking interface

• US 6,173,297 B1
• Filed: 09/12/1997
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Moon, Billy G., Bankler, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US08/938,012
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 707/515, 707/516, 707/103, 707/540, 707/517, 345/433, 345/326, 345/329, 345/335, 345/333, 345/339, 395/705, 395/683
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

An object-linking interface for a computer system dynamically links a selected target object within an host application with a second user application. The operating environment includes a plurality of means testers, each of which is associated with a specific user application, and an object mapper. The means tester is passed a copy of the target object and tests the suitability of the associated application for processing the target object and generates a corresponding likelihood score. The object mapper queries each means tester to obtain the likelihood score and identifies, based upon said likelihood score, one or more applications suitable for processing the target object. The object mapper may automatically launch the recruited application or may allow the user to select a recruited application from among a list of candidates. The target object is then passed to the recruited application for processing.

Claims

1. A process for dynamically linking a target object from a host application with another user application in a computer system having a plurality of user applications, comprising:

a) computing likelihood scores for a plurality of user applications, each likelihood score indicating the suitability of a corresponding user application for processing the target object;

b) identifying a recruited application based on said likelihood scores; and

c) passing said target object to said recruited application.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising starting an instance of said recruited application.

3. The process of claim 1 further comprising modifying the target object by said recruited application to create a return object.

4. The process of claim 3 further comprising thereafter passing said return object to the host application.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said identifying of a recruited application includes comparing a plurality of said likelihood scores to identify the highest of said likelihood scores.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein identifying a recruited application comprises identifying a plurality of candidate applications, prompting a user to select one of said candidate applications, and selecting one of said candidate applications as the recruited application based upon said user input.

7. A process for dynamically linking a target object from a host application with another user application in a computer system having a plurality of user applications, comprising:

a) acquiring a copy of the target object by an object mapper;

b) passing a copy of the target object from said object mapper to a plurality of means testers, each associated with a corresponding user application;

c) computing, by said means testers, of a plurality of likelihood scores, each likelihood score indicating the suitability of a corresponding user application for processing the target object;

d) identifying a recruited application based on said likelihood scores; and

e) passing a copy of the target object to the recruited application.

8. The process of claim 7 further including:

a) generating, by the recruited application, a return object based on the target object; and

b) passing said return object to the host application.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein said identifying of a recruited application includes comparing a plurality of said likelihood scores to identify the highest of said likelihood scores.

10. The process of claim 7 wherein identifying a recruited application comprises identifying a plurality of candidate applications, prompting a user to select one of said candidate applications, and selecting one of said candidate applications as the recruited application based upon said user input.

11. An object-linking interface implemented by a computer system having a plurality of user applications for dynamically linking a target object in a host application with a recruited application available on said computer, comprising:

a) one or more means testers, each of which is associated with a corresponding user application, for testing the target object and generating a likelihood score indicative of the associated user application'"'"'s suitability for processing the target object; and

b) an object mapper for querying said means testers, identifying a recruited application based upon said likelihood scores, and passing said target object to said recruited application.

12. The object linking interface according to claim 11 wherein said object mapper passes said target object to said means testers.

13. The object linking interface according to claim 12 further comprising a dynamic linking control actuated by a user for initiating the object mapper.

14. The object linking interface according to claim 13 wherein the dynamic linking control acquires said target object from the host application and passes said target object to said object mapper.

15. An object-linking interface implemented by a computer for dynamically linking a target object with a recruited application available on said computer, comprising:

a) a dynamic linking control actuated by a user fcr acquiring a copy of the target object;

b) an object mapper for receiving the target object from the dynamic linking control and recruiting a recruited application to process said target object;

c) one or more application wrappers, each of which is associated with a corresponding user application, to receive the target object from the object mapper, said application wrappers including a means tester for testing the target object and generating a likelihood score indicative of the associated user application'"'"'s suitability for processing the target object; and

d) wherein said object mapper is operative to query each said means tester to obtain said likelihood scores, to identify a recruited application for processing said target object, and passing the target object to said recruited application.

16. The object linking interface of claim 15 wherein the application wrapper controls the configuration, launching, and termination of the associated application.