Workflow widgets

• US 7,752,556 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Chaudhri, Imran A., Louch, John O., Peyton, Eric Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US11/432,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 715761-765, 715851-853, 715734-740, 715780-783, 715839-835
• US Class Current: 715/761
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer-readable mediums, user interfaces and other implementations are disclosed for workflow widgets. In some implementations, a widget workflow method includes: launching a widget at a first device; and updating the widget with content created at a second device.

Claims

1. A widget workflow method, comprising:

executing a first instance of a widget on a first device;

sending widget files, or a link to the widget files, to a second device;

updating the first instance of the widget at the first device with content created at the second device, where the content is created using a second instance of the widget on the second device, where the second instance of the widget is launched on the second device using the widget files or the link to the widget files received from the first device;

storing the widget files in one or more folders of a file system at the first device or the second device; and

providing access to the widget files through a user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, where sending a link further comprises:

sending an email containing the link.

3. The method of claim 1, where sending the widget files includes sending the widget files as an attachment to an email.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

installing the widget in a display environment of the first device.

5. The method of claim 4, where the display environment is a dashboard layer.

6. The method of claim 4, where installing the widget includes:

previewing the widget; and

determining whether to install the widget.

7. The method of claim 4, where installing the widget includes:

authenticating the widget; and

determining if the widget is authenticated.

8. A widget workflow method, comprising:

making a widget available to one or more subscribing devices participating in a work flow, where the widget includes content at least some of which is modifiable;

receiving content updates from instances of the widget residing on the one or more subscribing devices;

if more than one content update is received,

aggregating the content updates;

making the aggregated content updates available to at least one of the one or more widget instances residing on the subscribing devices, where the aggregated content updates are made available by storing the aggregated content updates in a storage location that can be accessed by the one or more subscribing devices; and

notifying the one or more subscribing devices that aggregated content updates are available.

9. The method of claim 8, where making a widget available includes:

creating widget files including content; and

sending the widget files, or a link to the widget files, to one or more subscribing devices as an attachment to an email.

10. The method claim 8, where receiving content updates includes:

requesting content update reports from the one or more subscribing devices; and

receiving content update reports in response to the request.

11. The method of claim 10, where the content update report is requested after a period of time has expired in which the one or more subscribing devices have not provided a content update.

12. The method of claim 8, where aggregating the content updates includes:

receiving the content update reports;

comparing the content update reports to the current state of the content; and

aggregating the content based on the results of the comparisons.

13. The method of claim 12, where comparing the content update reports to the current state of the content includes:

determining differences between the updated content and the current state of the content; and

preparing an aggregate content update for the one or more subscribing devices that includes the differences.

14. The method of claim 8, where making the aggregated content updates available to subscribing devices includes:

determining if the one or more subscribing devices are available to receive updates; and

pushing the aggregated content updates to the one or more subscribing devices that are available to receive updates.

15. A widget workflow method, comprising:

receiving on a second device a Universal Resource Locator (URL) associated with a widget instantiated on a first device;

determining if an instance of the widget exists on the second device;

if an instance does not exist, instantiating the widget on the second device; and

updating the widget instantiated on the first device with content generated using the widget instantiated on the second device, where files associated with the widget instantiated on the second device are stored in one or more folders of a file system of the second device; and

providing access to the files through a user interface.

16. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:

executing a first instance of a widget on a first device;

sending widget files, or a link to the widget files, to a second device;

updating the first instance of the widget at the first device with content created at the second device, where the content is created using a second instance of the widget on the second device, where the second instance of the widget is launched on the second device using the widget files or the link to the widget files received from the first device;

storing the widget files in one or more folders of a file system at the first device or the second device; and

providing access to the widget files through a user interface.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:

making a widget available to one or more subscribing devices participating in a work flow, where the widget includes content at least some of which is modifiable;

receiving content updates from instances of the widget residing on the one or more subscribing devices;

if more than one content update is received,

aggregating the content updates;

making the aggregated content updates available to at least one of the one or more widget instances residing on the subscribing devices, where the aggregated content updates are made available by storing the aggregated content updates in a storage location that can be accessed by the one or more subscribing devices; and

notifying the one or more subscribing devices that aggregated content updates are available.

18. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by processor, causes the processor to perform the operations of:

receiving on a second device a Universal Resource Locator (URL) associated with a widget instantiated on a first device;

determining if an instance of the widget exists on the second device;

if an instance does not exist, instantiating the widget on the second device; and

updating the widget instantiated on the first device with content generated using the widget instantiated on the second device, where files associated with the widget instantiated on the second device are stored in one or more folders of a file system of the second device; and

providing access to the files through a user interface.