Local storage for web based native applications

• US 7,895,296 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dayan, Tal
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrao; Ranodhi N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cheema; Umar
• Application Number:
  US11/648,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine

Abstract

A container application is a native application that allows a web based application to access a computer'"'"'s system resources and windowing system. If a container application is associated with a window, then the web based application can alter or control many, or all, aspects of the container application'"'"'s content area and meta user interfaces (UIs). Web based applications are downloaded from application servers and run inside container applications. In one aspect, a container application is different from a web browser because browser applications can not control or alter meta UIs of the web browser. A container application can also reserve some of the computer'"'"'s non-volatile memory and use it as container memory. Web based applications can use the container memory to store persistent data. A web based application is different from browser extensions because browser extensions must be installed and they become part of the web browser.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first computer comprising at least one processor and memory;

an application server running on the first computer that serves a web based application to a container application running on a second computer, the container application configured to enable browsing of multiple web based applications,

wherein the web based application uses the container application to obtain access to at least one system resource,

wherein the web based application stores at least one persistent web based application datum in a container memory comprising a file system accessible by the web based application when executed within the container application; and

a database also included in the container memory,

wherein the container application is associated with a graphical user interface comprising a content area and at least one meta UI and wherein the web based application alters or controls the content area and the at least one meta UI,

wherein the at least one persistent web based application datum is associated with a user and wherein the web based application accesses the at least one persistent web based application datum based on whether the user is currently using the web based application, and

wherein the second computer includes at least one processor and memory.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security module that controls access to the at least one persistent web based application datum based on the user'"'"'s use of the web based application.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second container application running on the second computer and using the container memory; and

a second web based application running in the second container application.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second web based application running in a second container application running on the second computer;

wherein the second container uses a second container memory and cannot access the container memory; and

wherein the container application cannot access the second container memory.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a shared container memory, wherein the container application can access the shared container memory, and wherein the second container application can access the shared container memory.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second web based application wherein the at least one persistent web based application datum is associated with at least one of the web based application and the at least one additional web based application; and

a security module that controls access to the at least one persistent web based application datum based on which web based application is attempting access.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a non-volatile memory comprising the container memory.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one meta UI comprises a user interface element that enables a user to conduct browser navigation.

8. A system comprising:

a first computer comprising at least one processor and memory;

a repository comprising at least one repository datum; and

an application server running on the first computer that serves a web based application to a container application running on a second computer, the container application configured to enable browsing of multiple web based applications;

wherein the web based application uses the container application to obtain access to at least one system resource;

wherein the web based application stores at least one persistent web based application datum in a container memory and wherein a storage synchronization module synchronizes the at least one persistent web based application datum on the first computer with the at least one repository datum on the second computer,

wherein the container application is associated with a graphical user interface comprising a content area and at least one meta UI and wherein the web based application alters or controls the content area and the at least one meta UI,

wherein the at least one persistent web based application datum is associated with a first user and wherein a security module controls access to the at least one persistent web based application datum based on which user is currently using the web based application,

wherein the container memory stores a first database, and

wherein the second computer includes at least one processor and memory.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a second web based application running in a second container application running on the second computer wherein the second container uses a second container memory and cannot access the container memory and wherein the container application cannot access the second container memory;

wherein the container application and the second container application can access a shared container memory;

wherein the container memory, second container memory, or shared container memory store a file system; and

wherein the second container memory or shared container memory store a second database.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one meta UI comprises a user interface element that enables a user to conduct browser navigation.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

serving a web based application to a container application, the container application configured to enable browsing multiple web based applications and to maintain a meta UI area; and

controlling access to at least one persistent web based application datum based on whether at least one user is using the web based application,

wherein the web based application uses the container application to obtain access to at least one system resource and alters or controls the meta UI area when executed within the container application, and

wherein the persistent web based application datum is associated with the web based application and is stored within a container memory comprising a file system accessible by the web based application when executed within the container application,

wherein the at least one persistent web based application datum is associated with the at least one user,

wherein the container memory comprises a database.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising synchronizing at least one of the at least one persistent web based application datum with at least one repository datum wherein the at least one repository datum is stored in a repository.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the meta UI area comprises a user interface element that enables a user to conduct browser navigation.

12. A system comprising:

a means for obtaining a web based application from an application server;

a means for running the web based application within a container application, the container application configured to enable browsing of multiple web based applications and to maintain a meta UI area;

a means for presenting a graphical user interface associated with the container application to a user wherein the graphical user interface comprises a content area and at least one meta UI, wherein the web based application alters or controls the meta UI area when executed within the container application;

a means for persistently storing at least one persistent web based application datum that is associated with the web based application; and

at least one processor and memory,

wherein the at least one persistent web based application datum is associated with a user and wherein the web based application accesses the at least one persistent web based application datum based on whether the user is currently using the web based application.

16. A system for browsing web content, comprising:

a container application configured to download to a plurality of web-based applications to browse a computer network and configured to maintain a meta UI area, wherein the web-based applications are not implemented as native applications;

a container memory comprising a file system and a database associated with the container application;

a web based application downloaded by the container application that stores persistent data to the container memory and alters or controls the meta UI area when executed within the container application; and

at least one processor and memory to run the container application,

wherein the persistent data is associated with a user and wherein the web based application accesses the persistent data based on whether the user is currently using the web based application.