Method and system for push launching applications with context on a mobile device

• US 7,469,140 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Papineau, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary; Erika A
• Application Number:
  US11/455,380
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability

Abstract

A mobile information device may execute a Java MIDlet or a non-MIDlet application. The mobile information device may further include an object-oriented application program interface that allows one or more object-oriented object classes to allow input and output data to be communicated between Java MIDlets in different MIDlet Suites and between non-MIDlet applications. The application program interface may be used to push launch applications with context on the mobile information device.

Claims

1. A method for push launching an application on a mobile information device, the method comprising:

executing a MIDlet on the mobile information device, the MIDlet including a first method-object available for passing output data from the MIDlet to an application manager on the mobile information device;

while the MIDlet is executing on the mobile information device, using the first method-object to pass the output data from the MIDlet to the application manager;

wherein the output data passed from the MIDlet to the application manager includes a first URI,

wherein the first URI includes a scheme, and

wherein upon termination of the MIDlet, the application manager makes the output data passed from the MIDlet to the application manager available to a non-MIDlet application on the mobile information device; and

at the application manager, (i) upon termination of the MIDlet, determining that the non-MIDlet application on the mobile information device is registered to handle the scheme of the first URI, and thereafter, (ii) launching the non-MIDlet application that is registered to handle the scheme of the first URI and then passing the output data from the application manager to the launched non-MIDlet application,

wherein launching the non-MIDlet application comprises prompting a user of the mobile information device for permission to launch the non-MIDlet application and receiving from the user permission to launch the non-MIDlet application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheme of the first URI is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) ams, (ii) http, (iii) https, (iv) tel, and (v) im.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first method-object comprises a setExitURI( ) method-object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the MIDlet comprises a Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) MIDlet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile information device comprises a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while the MIDlet is executing on the mobile information device, using the MIDlet to change the first URI one or more times.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the MIDlet includes a second method-object available for passing other output data from the MIDlet to the application manager, the method further comprising:

while the MIDlet is executing on the mobile information device, using the second method-object to pass the other output data from the MIDlet to the application manager,

wherein the other output data includes a second URI.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

before the MIDlet is terminated on the mobile information device, appending an identifier of the MIDlet to the second URI.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first method-object comprises an appendReferringURI( ) method-object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second URI comprises a referring URI.

11. A computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing a processor to execute method comprising:

executing a MIDlet on the mobile information device, the MIDlet including a first method-object available for passing output data from the MIDlet to an application manager on the mobile information device;

while the MIDlet is executing on the mobile information device, using the first method-object to pass the output data from the MIDlet to the application manager;

wherein the output data passed from the MIDlet to the application manager includes a first URI,

wherein the first URI includes a scheme, and

wherein upon termination of the MIDlet, the application manager makes the output data passed from the MIDlet to the application manager available to a non-MIDlet application on the mobile information device; and

at the application manager, (i) upon termination of the MIDlet, determining that the non-MIDlet application on the mobile information device is registered to handle the scheme of the first URI, and thereafter, (ii) launching the non-MIDlet application that is registered to handle the scheme of the first URI and then passing the output data from the application manager to the launched non-MIDlet application,

wherein launching the non-MIDlet application comprises prompting a user of the mobile information device for permission to launch the non-MIDlet application and receiving from the user permission to launch the non-MIDlet application.