Exposing resource capabilities to web applications

• US 8,239,490 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kroeger, Robert John, Yeung, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): BHATIA, AJAY M
• Application Number:
  US13/250,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120042078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

The subject matter of this document can be implemented in, among other things, a method that includes executing a web application within a web browser of a computing device. The method also includes executing a resource server with an interface for receiving HTTP messages from the web application and an interface for communicating with a system resource of the computing device. The method further includes receiving, at the web application, an input to affect an operation of the system resource. The method also includes transmitting, from the web application to the resource server, an HTTP message to affect the operation of the system resource. The method further includes processing the HTTP message into a resource control message that includes information about the operation. The method also includes transmitting the resource control message from the resource server to the system resource to affect the operation by the system resource.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a mobile computing device to:

execute a web application within a web browser of the mobile computing device;

execute a web server having a first interface for receiving HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) messages from the web application of the mobile computing device and a second interface for communicating with telephony hardware of the mobile computing device;

receive, at the web application of the mobile computing device, an input to affect an operation of the telephony hardware, wherein affecting the operation of the telephony hardware includes at least one of

     1) placing a telephone call,

     2) answering the telephone call, and

     3) disconnecting the telephone call, wherein the HTTP message comprises an HTTP GET message, and wherein the instructions to affect the operation of the telephony hardware further comprise instructions causing the one or more processors of the mobile computing device to;

request a status of the telephony hardware; and

receive, at the web server, an indication of the status of the telephony hardware;

transmit, from the web application of the mobile computing device to the web server, the HTTP GET message to affect the operation of the telephony hardware;

hold the HTTP GET message open between the web application and the web server until at least one of

     1) the web server responds with an indication of an updated status of the telephony hardware, and

     2) the HTTP GET message times out after a configurable amount of time;

process, at the web server, the HTTP message into a hardware control message that includes information about the operation; and

transmit the hardware control message from the web server to the telephony hardware of the mobile computing device to affect the operation by the telephony hardware.

2. The computer-readable storage medium device of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the mobile computing device to:

transmit a second HTTP message, wherein the second HTTP message comprises an HTTP POST message, and wherein the HTTP POST message comprises a command that corresponds to an application programming interface of the telephony hardware.

3. The computer-readable storage device of claim 2, wherein processing the HTTP message into a hardware control message comprises mapping the command in the HTTP POST message to the application programming interface of the telephony hardware.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the status includes a state of the telephony hardware, and wherein the state of the telephony hardware includes at least one of 1) an on Hook state that enables dialing, and 2) a connecting state that enables canceling the telephone call, the computer-readable storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

update the web browser to indicate at least one of the state of the telephony hardware and a possible action associated with the state of the telephony hardware.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the status includes an indication of whether affecting the operation was successful, the computer-readable storage device further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

update the web browser to indicate at least one of whether affecting the operation was successful and a possible action based at least in part on whether affecting the operation was successful.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

display, at the web browser, one or more buttons associated with the operation of the telephony hardware; and

receive a selection of at least one of the one or more buttons as the input to affect the operation of the telephony hardware.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage device further comprises instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to transmit, from the web application, a second HTTP GET message if the web server does not respond with the indication of the updated status of the telephony hardware within the period of time.

8. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein placing the telephone call includes at least one of a prepareTelephone procedure that prepares the telephony hardware to participate in the telephone call, and a dialTelephone procedure that enables the telephony hardware to place the telephone call.

9. A method comprising:

executing a web application within a web browser of a mobile computing device;

executing a resource server having a first interface for receiving HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) messages from the web application of the mobile computing device and a second interface for communicating with a telephony resource of the mobile computing device;

receiving, at the web application of the mobile computing device, an input to affect an operation of the telephony resource, wherein affecting the operation of the telephony resource includes at least one of

     1) placing a telephone call,

     2) answering the telephone call, and

     3) disconnecting the telephone call, wherein the HTTP message comprises an HTTP GET message, and wherein affecting the operation of the telephony resource further comprises;

requesting a status of the telephony resource; and

receiving, at the web server, an indication of the status of the telephony resource;

transmitting, from the web application to the resource server, the HTTP GET message to affect the operation of the telephony resource;

holding the HTTP GET message open between the web application and the web server until at least one of

     1) the web server responds with an indication of an updated status of the telephony resource, and

     2) the HTTP GET message times out after a configurable amount of time;

processing, at the resource server, the HTTP message into a resource control message that includes information about the operation; and

transmitting the resource control message from the resource server to the system telephony resource to affect the operation by the system telephony resource.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the status includes a state of the telephony hardware, and wherein the state of the telephony hardware includes at least one of 1) an on Hook state that enables dialing, and 2) a connecting state that enables canceling the telephone call, the method further comprising:

updating the web browser to indicate at least one of the state of the telephony hardware and a possible action associated with the state of the telephony hardware.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the telephony resource comprises telephony hardware of the mobile computing device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, from the web application a second HTTP message, wherein the HTTP message comprises an HTTP POST message, and wherein the HTTP POST message comprises a command that corresponds to an application programming interface of the telephony hardware.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein processing the HTTP message into a resource control message comprises mapping the command in the HTTP POST message to the application programming interface of the telephony resource.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the status includes an indication of whether affecting the operation was successful, the method further comprising:

updating the web browser to indicate at least one of whether affecting the operation was successful and a possible action based at least in part on whether affecting the operation was successful.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying, at the web browser, one or more buttons associated with the operation of the telephony hardware; and

receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more buttons as the input to affect an operation of the telephony hardware.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, from the web application, a second HTTP GET message if the web server does not respond with the indication of the updated status of the telephony resource within the period of time.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein placing the telephone call includes at least one of a prepareTelephone procedure that prepares the telephony hardware to participate in the telephone call, and a dialTelephone procedure that enables the telephony hardware to place the telephone call.

18. A system comprising:

a web application executable in a web browser of a mobile computing device;

a resource server configured to control a telephony resource of the mobile computing device, the resource server having a first interface for receiving HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) messages from the web application and a second interface for communicating with the telephony resource; and

a hardware controller for controlling the telephony resource using the web application via the resource server,

wherein the web application is configured to receive an input to affect an operation of the telephony resource by at least one of

     1) placing a telephone call,

     2) answering the telephone call, and

     3) disconnecting the telephone call,

wherein the web application affects the operation of the telephony resource at least in part by requesting a status of the telephony resource and receiving, at the web server, an indication of the status of the telephony resource, and

wherein the web application holds an HTTP GET message open between the web application and the web server until at least one of

     1) the web server responds with an indication of an updated status of the telephony resource, and

     2) the HTTP GET message times out after a configurable amount of time.