System and method for providing a communications client on a host device

• US 8,180,861 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hodgson, John Stuart, Bells, Matthew, Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor, Willis, Edward Snow II, Wilson, Sean Elliott, Yach, David Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONAWAY, JAMES E
• Application Number:
  US11/102,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,591 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-205, 709/225, 709/220, 455/557, 455/556.1, 719/312, 719/313, 719/319, 719328-330, 718/1
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A system and a method (100, 500) for integrating an uncertified client (104) with a certified host device (102) are provided. The integration system (100) is configured to integrate the uncertified client (104), which has a plurality of client applications (106), with the certified host device (102), and has a client virtual machine (108), host applications (142), and an abstraction layer (138, 156). The client virtual machine (108) is coupled to the uncertified client (104) and is configured to execute the plurality of client applications (106). The host applications (142) are coupled to the certified host device (102) and are configured to control host dependent features on the certified host device (102). The abstraction layer (138, 156) are coupled to the host applications (142) and to the client virtual machine (108), and are configured to translate feature calls from the plurality of client applications (106) to function calls for the host applications (142).

Claims

1. A host wireless device comprising:

a processor for executing computer program code;

a memory connected to said processor for storing computer program, code;

an uncertified client stored in said memory of said host device and having a plurality of client applications, the uncertified client including a client operating system, and a client virtual machine configured to execute the plurality of client applications using the client operating system using said processor, the client operating system capable of sending client application commands and functions to directly invoke a host user interface of said host device;

at least one host application stored in said memory and coupled to the certified host device, the certified host device being certified for operation on a network by a certification body, the host application for execution in a host operating system to provide host dependent features, accessed through the host user interface on the certified host device;

an abstraction layer stored in said memory having a native interface for execution by said processor to communicate with said at least one host application, the abstraction layer configured to intercept said client application commands and functions from the client operating system and to translate said intercepted commands and functions to function calls through the native interface wherein the native interface invokes the at least one host application; and

wherein the abstraction layer is further configured to accept a request from the at least one host application to activate a particular client application of the plurality of client applications and to translate the request into a feature call, and the client virtual machine is further configured to activate the particular client application based upon the feature call.

2. The integration system of claim 1, wherein the abstraction layer is further configured to inject an operating system event of the uncertified client into the client virtual machine to activate the particular client application.

3. A method in a certified host device having an uncertified client for accessing a certified host dependent feature from the uncertified client, the certified host device having a host application controlling the host dependent feature, the uncertified client being located on the certified host device, the method comprising:

storing the uncertified client having a plurality of client applications in a memory of said host device;

making a request for the host dependent feature from a client application of the client, the client application executing on a client operating system of the uncertified client located on said host mobile device, the client operating system executing on a processor of the host device and capable of sending client application commands and functions to directly invoke a host user interface of said host device and the certified host device being certified for operation on a network by a certification body;

sending the request for the host dependent feature to an abstraction layer, the host dependent features, being provided by the host application executing in a host operating system accessed through the host user interface on the certified host device;

translating the request for the host dependent feature into a translated request in the abstraction layer;

forwarding the translated request through the native interface wherein the native interface invokes the host application controlling the host dependent feature; and

wherein the abstraction layer is further configured to accept a request from the host application to activate a particular client application of the plurality of client applications and translate the request into a feature call.

4. A method in a certified host device having a host application executing on a host operating system, the host application to provide host dependent features, accessed through the host user interface on the certified host device and for running an uncertified client application of an uncertified client from the host application, the method comprising:

storing the uncertified client having a plurality of client applications in a memory of said host device;

making a request for the host dependent feature from a client application of the client, the client application executing on a client operating system of the uncertified client located on said host mobile device, the client operating system executing on a processor of the host device and capable of sending client application commands and functions to directly invoke a host user interface of said host device and the certified host device being certified for operation on a network by a certification body;

selecting the uncertified client application from the host application, said selecting including creating a function call for running the client application on a client operating system of the uncertified client located on said certified host device, the certified host device being certified for operation on a network by a certification body;

sending the function call to a client abstraction layer;

translating the function call;

activating the uncertified client application from a client virtual machine communicating with said client abstraction layer; and

running the uncertified client application in the uncertified client using a user interface of the certified host device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the client application from the host application includes:

creating an activation message; and

transmitting the activation message from the host application to the client virtual machine.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the activation message from the host application to the client virtual machine includes:

transferring the activation message to a client abstraction layer;

translating the activation message in the client abstraction layer using a native interface; and

transmitting the translated activation message to the client virtual machine.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein activating the client application from the client virtual machine includes:

requesting access to the user interface on the host device from the client application to the host application.

8. An application executing system configured to run a plurality of uncertified client applications in an uncertified client loaded on a certified host device, the application executing system comprising:

a processor for executing computer program code;

a memory connected to said processor for storing computer program code and said uncertified client;

the plurality of uncertified client applications executing in a client operating system, the client operating system capable of sending client application commands and functions to directly invoke a host user interface of said host device;

a host application stored in said memory configured for execution by said processor to select a client application and to transmit a function call associated with the client application, the host application executing on a host operating system and providing host dependent features accessed through the host user interface on the certified host device and;

a client abstraction layer stored in said memory and coupled to the host application, the client abstraction layer configured for execution by said processor to accept the function call and configured to intercept said client application commands and functions from the client operating system and to translate said intercepted commands and functions to function calls through the native interface wherein the native interface invokes the host application;

a reverse native interface stored in said memory and coupled to the client abstraction layer, the reverse native interface configured for execution by said processor to translate the function call for the client; and

a client virtual machine stored in said memory and coupled to the reverse native interface, the client virtual machine configured for execution by said processor to accept the translated function call and to run the client application using the client operating system of the uncertified client located on the memory of the certified host device, the certified host device being certified for operation on a network by a certification body.

9. The application executing system of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the host application, wherein the host application is further configured to control the user interface and the client application is further configured to gain access to the user interface, using the host application.