System and method for extending a component-based application platform with custom services

• US 7,836,439 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Shenfield, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri; Anil
• Application Number:
  US11/346,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20070201654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 717140-143, 717162-166
• US Class Current: 717/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically associating an application with an extension service to generate an extended, dynamically linked version of the application. The application is configurable for deployment on an electronic device and for subsequent interaction with the extension service during execution through communication messages defined in a structured definition language. The system and method include a parser module configured for analyzing a set of service metadata descriptors to identify a communication interface associated with the extension service, such that the service metadata descriptors describe the communication interface including structure and type of parameters expected by the extension service for use in manipulation of the communication messages. The system and method also include a linking module coupled to the parser module for using the communication interface and a reference to the extension service in the code of the application to build a runtime dynamic link between the extension service and the application to produce the executable application.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically associating an application with an extension service to generate an extended, dynamically linked version of the application, the application configurable for deployment on a mobile device, the system comprising:

a parser module interpreting a service document, the service document including service metadata descriptors to identify a communication interface associated with the extension service, the application interacting with the extension service through communication messages defined in a structured definition language, the service metadata descriptors describing the communication interface including structure and type of parameters expected by the extension service for use in manipulation of the communication messages, the service metadata descriptors further being distinct from an application metadata descriptor of the application;

a linking module coupled to the parser module for using the communication interface and a reference to the extension service in the application to build a runtime link between the extension service and the application to produce the executable application;

a messaging engine processing the communication messages; and

a computer processor for executing the parser module,

wherein the extension service is selected from the group consisting of;

a local extension service configured for hosting on the mobile device, and a remote extension service configured for hosting on a network entity communicating with the mobile device via the network;

wherein the linking module is configured to generate the application as a client of a data source when the mobile device is coupled to the data source via a network; and

an application container for in a runtime environment for the application such that the extension service is external to the application container.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the service document is written in the structured definition language.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the service document is separate from the application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the structured definition language of the service document is different from the structured definition language of the defined communication messages used by the executable application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the parser module is further configured to identify a name and a respective URI of the extension service to be used in accessing the service metadata descriptors.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a document generator module coupled to the parser module for assembling the service document to include additional service metadata descriptors retrieved using the URI, the additional service metadata descriptors for use in messaging between the executable application of the mobile device and the extension service using the communication messages.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a host for at least one of the parser module and the linking module, the host selected from the group consisting of:

an application gateway, a network entity associated with a data source configured for interaction with the executable application, and the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the application is a component-based application having at least one of a message component, a data element, a presentation component, and a workflow component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the service document is configured to be modified separately from the application.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service metadata descriptors of the extension service comprises an API definition of the extension service.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication module of the messaging engine for sending and receiving the communication messages directed to the remote extension service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication module sends and receives the communication messages directed to the extension service, and manipulates the communication messages with respect to native function calls and structures utilized by the extension service.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an access module of the messaging engine for sending and receiving the communication messages directed to the local extension service.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a converter module for converting a format of the communication messages between an application format and a service format, the application format and the service format included in the service metadata descriptors of the service document.

15. A method for dynamically associating an application with an extension service to generate an extended, dynamically linked version of the application, the application configurable for deployment on a mobile device, the method comprising:

analyzing, in a computer processor, a service document, the service document including service metadata descriptors to identify a communication interface associated with the extension service, the application interacting with the extension service through communication messages defined in a structured definition language, the service metadata descriptors describing the communication interface including structure and type of parameters expected by the extension service for use in manipulation of the communication messages, the service metadata descriptors further being distinct from an application metadata descriptor of the application;

building a runtime link between the extension service and the application using the communication interface and a reference to the extension service in the code of the application to produce the executable application; and

processing the communication messages;

wherein the extension service is selected from the group consisting of;

a local extension service configured for hosting on the mobile device; and

a remote extension service configured for hosting on a network entity communicating with the mobile device via the network;

providing a runtime environment including an application container for the executable application such that the extension service is external to the application container.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the service document is written in the structured definition language.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the service document is separate from the application.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying a name and a respective URI of the extension service to be used in accessing the service metadata descriptors.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising assembling the service document to include additional service metadata descriptors retrieved using the URI, the additional service metadata descriptors for use in communications between the application and the extension service using the communication messages, the communications facilitated through a messaging engine.

20. A computer program product for dynamically associating an application with an extension service to generate an extended, dynamically linked version of the application, the application configurable for deployment on a mobile device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

a parser module stored on the computer readable storage medium for interpreting a service document, the service document including service metadata descriptors to identify a communication interface associated with the extension service, the application interacting with the extension service through communication messages defined in a structured definition language, the service metadata descriptors describing the communication interface including structure and type of parameters expected by the extension service for use in manipulation of the communication messages, the service metadata descriptors further being distinct from an application metadata descriptor of the application;

a linking module coupled to the parser module for using the communication interface and a reference to the extension service in the application to build a runtime link between the extension service and the application to produce the executable application; and

a messaging engine processing the communication messages;

wherein the extension service is selected from the group consisting of;

a local extension service configured for hosting on the mobile device; and

a remote extension service configured for hosting on a network entity communicating with the mobile device via the network;

providing a runtime environment including an application container for the executable application such that the extension service is external to the application container.