Arrangement for anonymous API downloaded resources for advanced content

• US 8,086,562 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Finger, James C., Torr, Peter J., Clinick, Andrew J., Davis, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US12/165,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 707/602, 707/913, 707/999.01
• US Class Current: 707/602
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

Provided are arrangements for downloading resources and managing downloaded resources. A file is requested from a HTTP server, the file associated with an original URI. The file is downloaded and assigned a handle. The file is then stored in a storage location such as a file cache or in a persistent storage location. Upon command of an advanced content playlist or sequence, the file is called by calling the handle of the file. The storing of the file may include storing the file in a location where the file is subject to an automatic removal operation. The file may be an image file or any other type of file, especially multimedia files. The automatic removal operation may occur upon a quitting or restarting of the application. If another request is made for another file, the prior downloaded file may be replaced.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of downloading resources and managing downloaded resources, the method comprising:

using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client on a computing device to employ one or more application program interfaces (APIs) for requesting a file to be downloaded from an HTTP server, the one or more APIs configured to;

request the file using an original Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the file,

specify a storage location on the computing device to which the file is to be downloaded,

retrieve a current handle assigned to a prior downloaded file to be replaced in the storage location on the computing device,

remove the prior downloaded filed from the storage location on the computing device using the current handle, and

download the file to the storage location on the computing device;

assigning the current handle to the downloaded file to enable the downloaded file to be called using the current handle instead of using a local URI for the downloaded file associated with the storage location on the computing device;

associating the current handle with the original URI of the file in a look-up table to enable the downloaded file to be called using the original URI of the file;

performing an operation upon the downloaded file according to a command of an advanced content playlist by calling the downloaded file using the current handle associated with the original URI of the file or using the original URI of the file; and

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device using the current handle according to an automatic removal operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the file is to be downloaded to a file cache on the computing device or in a protected storage location on the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the file is downloaded to the protected storage location without providing the downloaded file with an explicit file name that specifies the protected storage location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the file is downloaded to the file cache on the computing device without providing the downloaded file with an explicit file name that specifies the file cache.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic removal operation comprises:

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device upon quitting or restarting of an application that is running the advanced content playlist.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic removal operation comprises:

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device upon requesting and downloading a new file to be downloaded to the storage location on the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile phone executing an advanced content application program.

8. A computing device comprising:

a processor for executing computer-executable instructions; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions including a set of application program interfaces (APIs) for execution on the computer in conjunction with an advanced content application program that downloads and manages files, the set of APIs comprising;

one or more APIs configured to send a request to a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server for a file to be downloaded using an original Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the file;

one or more APIs configured to specify a storage location on the computing device to which the file is to be downloaded, retrieve a current handle assigned to a prior downloaded file to be replaced in the storage location on the computing device, remove the prior downloaded filed from the storage location on the computing device using the current handle, and download the file to the storage location on the computing device;

one or more APIs configured to assign the current handle to the downloaded file to enable the downloaded file to be called using the current handle instead of using a local URI for the downloaded file associated with the storage location on the computing device;

one or more APIs configured to associate the current handle with the original URI of the file in a look-up table to enable the downloaded file to be called using the original URI of the file; and

one or more APIs configured to remove the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device using the current according to an automatic removal operation,

wherein the advanced content application program can perform an operation upon the downloaded file according to a command of an advanced content playlist by calling the downloaded file using the current handle associated with the original URI of the file or using the original URI of the file.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the automatic removal operation comprises:

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device upon the request and download of a new file to be downloaded to the storage location on the computing device.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the file is downloaded to the storage location without providing an explicit file name that specifies a destination path to the downloaded file.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the file is downloaded to a protected storage location on the computing device without providing the downloaded file with an explicit file name that specifies the protected storage location.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the file is downloaded to a file cache on the computing device without providing the downloaded file with an explicit file name that specifies the file cache.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the automatic removal operation comprises:

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device upon quitting or restarting of the advanced content application program.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the computing device is a mobile phone executing the advanced content application program.

15. A computer-readable medium that does not consist of a signal, the computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when processed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method of downloading files and managing downloaded files, the method comprising:

using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) client on the computing device to employ one or more application program interfaces (APIs) for requesting a file to be downloaded from an HTTP server, the one or more APIs configured to;

request the file using an original Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the file,

specify a storage location on the computing device to which the file is to be downloaded,

retrieve a current handle assigned to a prior downloaded file to be replaced in the storage location on the computing device,

remove the prior downloaded filed from the storage location on the computing device using the current handle, and

download the file to the storage location on the computing device;

assigning the current handle to the downloaded file to enable the downloaded file to be called using the current handle instead of using a local URI for the downloaded file associated with the storage location on the computing device;

associating the current handle with the original URI of the file in a look-up table to enable the downloaded file to be called using the original URI of the file;

performing an operation upon the downloaded file according to a command of an advanced content playlist by calling the downloaded file using the current handle associated with the original URI of the file or using the original URI of the file; and

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device using the current handle according to an automatic removal operation.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15,

wherein the automatic removal operation comprises:

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device when an application that is running the advanced content playlist quits or restarts.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the file is downloaded to a protected storage location on the computing device without providing the downloaded file with an explicit file name that specifies the protected storage location.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the file is downloaded to a file cache on the computing device without providing the downloaded file with an explicit file name that specifies the file cache.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the automatic removal operation comprises:

removing the downloaded file from the storage location on the computing device upon requesting and downloading a new file to be downloaded to the storage location on the computing device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computing device is a mobile phone executing an advanced content application program.