Mechanism for downloading software components from a remote source for use by a local software application

• US 7,827,546 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Broman, Paul, Jones, Brian, Little, Robert, Reynar, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Qing
• Application Number:
  US10/731,899
• Time in Patent Office: 2,520 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 715/705, 715708-715, 434/322, 434/365
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for dynamically configuring document solutions and for obtaining desired or required components of such document solutions for use with computer-generated documents. If a document is associated with a document solution, a request for components of the solution is sent to a manifest of document solutions. Identification of a user of the document is also passed to the manifest. At the manifest, identification information for the user is used to query a user database to determine a profile of the user such as the user'"'"'s job description, location, security clearance, and the like. Based on the user'"'"'s profile, the document solution is configured dynamically to include solution components most helpful to the particular user. A manifest collection is provided for serving as a repository of document solution location information for many different namespaces (schemas) that may be associated with one or more user documents.

Claims

1. A method of downloading software components from a remote source to a software application for providing updates or additions to application or document functionality, comprising:

attaching a schema to a document defining permissible data content, data type and data structure for the document;

structuring the document to associate the document with the schema by annotating particular portions of the document with elements of the schema;

associating a document solution with the document structure, wherein at least one solution is associated with each element of the schema annotating the particular portions of the document, and wherein the document solution includes at least one from a set of a plurality of information tips to assist a user of the document and a plurality of document actions;

in response to initiation of editing of a particular portion of the document annotated with a schema element, calling on the document solution associated with the schema element;

determining whether the document solution associated with the schema element is present in a local library of software components;

if the document solution is not present in the local library of software components, assembling a plurality of software components comprising a plurality of document solutions at a location remote from the document;

if the document solution is present in the local library of software components, determining whether the document solution requires updating, and if the document solution requires updating, assembling the plurality of software components comprising the plurality of document solutions at the location remote from the document;

obtaining profile information associated with a user of the document, the profile information including at least one from a set of;

a job description, a location, and a security clearance;

generating a document solution tailored to the profile information associated with the user of the document; and

downloading the tailored document solution to the application for provision of functionality provided by the tailored document solution to the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the plurality of software components includes assembling the plurality of software components comprising the plurality of document solutions in a manifest of document solutions;

and

wherein prior to obtaining profile information associated with a user of the document, calling the manifest to request the tailored document solution, and passing an identification of the user of the document to the manifest with the request for the tailored document.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in response to the identification of the user of the document, calling a user information database from the manifest to obtain profile information associated with the user of the document;

and

wherein generating a document solution tailored to the profile information associated with the user of the document includes selecting at least one document solution component from a plurality of document solution components based on the profile information.

4. The method of claim 3, prior to downloading the software components to the application, further comprising:

if the plurality of software components is not present in the local library of software components, calling the manifest for obtaining the document solution.

5. A method of downloading software components from a remote source to a software application for providing a desired solution to a computer-generated document, comprising:

obtaining the computer-generated document;

determining whether the computer-generated document references a document solution associated with a schema element annotating a particular portion of the computer-generated document, wherein the schema element is part of a schema attached to the computer-generated document for defining permissible data content, data type, and data structure for the computer-generated document, and wherein the document solution includes at least one from a set of a plurality of information tips to assist a user of the computer-generated document and a plurality of document actions;

if the computer-generated document references a document solution, determining whether the referenced document solution is present in a local library of software components;

if the document solution is not present in the local library of software components, calling a manifest of document solutions for the document solution, wherein the manifest of document solutions includes another attached schema for associating the manifest of document solutions with a file, a document, and an application enabled to call the manifest of document solutions for downloading required components of the document solution;

if the document solution is present in the local library of software components determining whether the document solution requires an update, and if the document solution requires an update, calling the manifest of document solutions for the document solution;

passing an identification of a user of the computer-generated document to the manifest of document solutions;

at the manifest, calling a database of user information with the identification of the user for obtaining profile information for the user of the computer-generated document, the profile information including at least one from a set of;

a job description, a location, and a security clearance;

obtaining profile information associated with the user of the computer-generated document;

at the manifest, generating a tailored document solution with the required components customized for the profile information associated with the user of the computer-generated document; and

downloading the tailored document solution to the application for provision of functionality provided by the tailored document solution to the computer-generated document.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein if the computer-generated document does not reference a document solution, determining whether the computer-generated document references a namespace associated with structure applied to the computer-generated document;

if the computer-generated document references a namespace, calling a manifest collection, and determining whether the manifest collection contains a document solution identification associated with the referenced namespace;

if the manifest collection contains a document solution identification associated with the referenced namespace, obtaining a location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification;

calling the location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification; and

downloading the document solution identified by the document solution identification to the computer-generated document.

7. A method of downloading software components from a remote source to a software application for providing a desired solution to a computer-generated document, comprising:

obtaining the computer-generated document, wherein a schema is attached to the computer-generated document defining permissible data content, data type and data structure for the computer-generated document, and wherein the schema includes schema elements annotating particular portions of the computer-generated document;

determining whether the computer-generated document references a document namespace;

if the computer-generated document references a document namespace, determining whether a manifest collection contains a document solution identification associated with the document namespace identified by one of the schema elements;

if the manifest collection contains a document solution identification associated with the document namespace, obtaining a location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification, wherein the document solution includes at least one from a set of a plurality of information tips to assist a user of the computer-generated document and a plurality of document actions;

if the location includes a local library of software components in addition to the remote source, determining whether the document solution in the local library of software components requires an update, and if the document solution requires an update, calling the remote source location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification;

if the location does not include the local library of software components, calling the location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification;

passing an identification of a user of the computer-generated document to the manifest of document solutions identified by the document solution identification as the location of the document solution;

at the manifest of document solutions, calling a database of user information with the identification of the user for obtaining profile information for the user of the computer-generated document, the profile information including at least one from a set of;

a job description, a location, and a security clearance;

obtaining the profile information associated for the user of the computer-generated document;

at the manifest of document solutions, generating a document solution tailored to the profile information associated with the user of the computer-generated document; and

downloading the tailored document solution identified by the document solution identification to the computer-generated document for providing the functionality of the tailored document solution to the computer-generated document.

8. A computer-readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer perform a method of downloading software components from a remote source to a software application for providing updates or additions to application or document functionality, the method comprising:

attaching a schema to a document defining permissible data content, data type and data structure for the document;

structuring the document to associate the document with the schema by annotating particular portions of the document with elements of the schema;

associating a document solution with the document structure, wherein at least one solution is associated with each element of the schema annotating the particular portions of the document, and wherein the document solution includes at least one from a set of a plurality of information tips to assist a user of the document and a plurality of document actions;

in response to initiation of editing of a particular portion of the document annotated with a schema element, calling on the document solution associated with the schema element;

determining whether the document solution associated with the schema element is present in a local library of software components;

if the document solution is not present in the local library of software components, assembling a plurality of software components comprising a plurality of document solutions at a location remote from the document;

if the document solution is present in the local library of software components, determining whether the document solution requires updating, and if the document solution requires updating, assembling the plurality of software components comprising the plurality of document solutions at the location remote from the document;

obtaining profile information associated with a user of the document, the profile information including at least one from a set of;

a job description, a location, and a security clearance;

generating the document solution tailored to the profile information associated with the user of the document; and

downloading the tailored document solution to the application for provision of functionality provided by the tailored document solution to the document.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein assembling the plurality of software components includes assembling the plurality of software components comprising one or more document solutions in a manifest of document solutions;

and

wherein prior to obtaining profile information associated with a user of the document, calling the manifest to request the tailored document solution, and passing an identification of the user of the document to the manifest with the request for the tailored document.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein in response to the identification of the user of the document, calling a user information database from the manifest to obtain profile information associated with the user of the document;

and

wherein generating a document solution tailored to the profile information associated with the user of the document includes selecting one or more document solution components from a plurality of document solution components based on the profile information.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, prior to downloading the software components to the application, further comprising:

if the plurality of software components is not present in the local library of software components, calling the manifest for obtaining the document solution.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the manifest is an Active Server Page operative to call the user information database to obtain the profile information for the user of the document and to generate the tailored document solution by selecting one or more document solution components from a plurality of document solution components based on the profile information.

13. A computer-readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer perform a method of downloading software components from a remote source to a software application for providing a desired solution to a computer-generated document, comprising:

obtaining the computer-generated document, wherein a schema is attached to the computer-generated document defining permissible data content, data type and data structure for the computer-generated document, and wherein the schema includes schema elements annotating particular portions of the computer-generated document;

determining whether the computer-generated document references a document namespace;

if the computer-generated document references a document namespace, determining whether a manifest collection contains a document solution identification associated with the document namespace identified by one of the schema elements;

if the manifest collection contains a document solution identification associated with the document namespace, obtaining a location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification, wherein the document solution includes at least one from a set of a plurality of information tips to assist a user of the computer-generated document and a plurality of document actions;

if the location includes a local library of software components in addition to the remote source, determining whether the document solution in the local library of software components requires an update, and if the document solution requires an update, calling the remote source location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification;

if the location does not include the local library of software components, calling the location of the document solution identified by the document solution identification;

passing an identification of a user of the computer-generated document to the manifest of document solutions identified by the document solution identification as the location of the document solution;

at the manifest of document solutions, calling a database of user information with the identification of the user for obtaining profile information for the user of the computer-generated document, the profile information including at least one from a set of;

a job description, a location, and a security clearance;

obtaining the profile information associated for the user of the computer-generated document;

at the manifest of document solutions, generating a document solution tailored to the profile information associated with the user of the computer-generated document; and

downloading the tailored document solution identified by the document solution identification to the computer-generated document for providing the functionality of the tailored document solution to the computer-generated document.