System and method for providing a web-based operating system

• US 7,155,490 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2000
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Freewebs Incorporated (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Malmer, Fredrik, Arvidsson, Erik Viktor, Morris, Drew E., Pishevar, Shervin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US09/686,136
• Time in Patent Office: 2,267 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/203, 709/250, 719/328, 719/330, 719/228, 719/229, 719/230, 717/174, 717/176, 717/177, 717/178, 707/162, 707/163, 707/164, 707/174, 707176-178
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A system and method for providing a web-based operating system is disclosed. A web-based operating system is downloaded from a server to a network-enabled device. The web-based operating system provides a platform from which to run web-based computer applications. Web-based computer applications are downloaded from the server onto the network-enabled device, and executed in conjunction with the web-based operating system. Those portions of the web-based operating system software and web-based computer application software are downloaded to the network-enabled device as needed. A component-based environment for the development and deployment of a web-based operating system and web-based computer applications is also provided. Components are deployed within library files as part of a component-based development model. The web-based operating system downloads those library files needed to execute the web-based computer applications.

Claims

1. A method for executing a server-side application using a browser, comprising:

loading a top-level page into an existing context of the browser, said top-level page referencing a component library file;

loading said component library file, said component library file including an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;

transmitting a request for a server-side application from the browser;

loading an application library file corresponding to the server-side application in response to the request, said application library file referencing said application program interface; and

executing said application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said top-level page provides an execution context for said component library file and for said application library file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said top-level page includes a library manager for loading additional library files referenced by the application library file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said loading said component library file further comprises loading said component library file into a new context within said top-level page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said new context is an iframe.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said new context is a layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said loading said application library file further comprises loading said application library file into a new context within said top-level page.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said new context is a new iframe.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said new context is a new layer.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a sub-library file in response to a reference to said sub-library file in said component library file.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading a sub-library file in response to a reference to said sub-library file in said application library file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said application library file is loaded in response to user interaction with the browser.

13. A method for implementing a web-based application program interface, comprising:

loading a top-level page into a web-browser, said top-level page adapted to be processed within an existing context of the web-browser;

receiving a request to load a component library file, said component library file including an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;

determining if said component library file has been loaded;

when the component library file has not been loaded, transmitting a request for a server-side application from the browser;

loading said component library file into a new context in said top-level page if said component library file has not been loaded;

determining if said component library file references an application library file;

determining if said application library file has been loaded; and

loading said application library file into a new context in said top-level page if said application library file has not been loaded, wherein the application library file references the application program interface; and

executing the application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said top-level page includes a library manager for loading library files.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said request is included in said top-level page.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said request is generated by user interaction with the web-browser.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said request is generated by a web-based application executing in the web-browser.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said new context is an iframe.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said new context is a layer.

20. A computer program product for enabling a processor in a computer system to implement a system for executing a server-side application within a browser, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said computer usable medium for causing a program to execute on the computer system, said computer readable program code means comprising;

means for loading a top-level page into an existing context of the browser, said top-level page referencing a component library file;

means for loading said component library file, wherein said component library file includes an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;

means for transmitting a request for a server-side application from the browser;

means for loading an application library file, wherein said application library file references said application program interface; and

means for executing said application program interface referenced by said application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.

21. A system for enabling the execution of a server-side application within a browser, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in operative communication with the processor, the memory for executing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the processor to;

load a top-level page into an existing context of the browser, said top-level page referencing a component library file;

load said component library file, the component library file including an application program interface having web-based operating system components that are executed within the existing context of the browser;

transmit a request for a server-side application from the browser;

load an application library file corresponding to the server-side application in response to the request, said application library file referencing said application program interface; and

execute said application library file, wherein the web-based operating system components and the application library file provide functions of the server-side application within the browser.