User scriptable server initiated user interface creation

• US 8,332,878 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Harm, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US13/353,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 719/328, 715/704
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of providing user interfaces in association with network hosted computer scripts is disclosed. A group of selectable user interface elements is provided to a macro author. The elements include behavior that, when controls generated by the elements are selected by a computing device user, cause a web-connected server separate from the computing device to perform one or more operations. A selection by the macro author of a user interface element and an identification of one or more parameters for the element is received. Macro code to generate controls associated with the author-selected elements to be associated with a first macro is executed, the first macro stored to be called from and execute on computing devices different from the device used by the macro author. The macro code is stored and the generated macro code is provided for access by users of a hosted computer system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing computer macros, the method comprising:

storing macro code at a location in an internet-accessible hosted computer system;

monitoring, by the hosted computer system, for an event that triggers invocation of the macro code;

executing the macro code on the hosted computer system in response to occurrence of the event; and

providing results of executing the macro code to an application that is running on a client device remote from the hosted computer system,

wherein the macro code is stored and accessed apart from files on which the macro code is programmed to operate, and

wherein the event that triggers invocation of the macro code occurs independently of whether a user is interacting with the application that is addressed by the macro code;

tracking, by the hosted computer system, particular events for a plurality of users registered in the hosted computer system;

executing the macro code upon occurrence of one of the particular events associated with a particular one of the users; and

providing results of the macro code to an application that is running on a client device associated with the particular one of the users.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 including correlating, in the hosted computer system, detection of the event with execution of the macro code.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 including providing results of the macro code to applications that are running on client devices associated with other ones of the users.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the event includes receiving an email message, a-text message, a blog entry or an incoming RSS feed.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein executing the macro code on the hosted computer system occurs only if one or more previously established conditions associated with the event are satisfied.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein executing the macro code on the hosted computer system occurs only if a combination of conditions based on information from a plurality of sources are satisfied.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is information obtained from a third-party source over the internet.

8. A computer-implemented system for executing macros on a hosted computer system, comprising:

a hosted computer system with one or more computers, comprising;

a macro data store storing a plurality of macros each of which is assigned to a respective user account on the hosted computer system and each of which defines a series of actions to be executed by at least one of a plurality of hosted applications, wherein access to the plurality of macros is defined so as to identify user accounts on behalf of which the system will execute each of the plurality of macros;

an event handler to monitor for events that trigger invocation of one of the macros; and

a computer server programmed to run a script manager that accesses and executes a particular one of the macros in response to occurrence of a particular one of the events, the computer server further programmed to provide results of executing the macro to an application that is running on a client device remote from the hosted computer system;

wherein the event that triggers invocation of the macro code occurs independently of whether a user is interacting with the application that is addressed by the particular macro;

wherein the event handler tracks particular events for a plurality of users registered with the event handler;

wherein the script manager executes a particular one of the macross upon occurrence of a particular one of the events associated with a particular one of the users; and

wherein the computer server is programmed to provide results of the macro executed by the script manager to an application that is running on a client device associated with the particular one of the users.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 8 wherein the computer server is programmed to provide results of the macro to applications that are running on client devices associated with other ones of the users.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 8 wherein the event handler monitors events that include receiving at least one of the following:

email messages, text messages, blog entries or incoming RSS feeds.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 8 wherein the script manager executes the particular macro only if one or more previously established conditions associated with the particular event are satisfied.

12. The computer-implemented system of claim 8 wherein the script manager executes the particular macro only if a combination of conditions based on information from a plurality of sources are satisfied.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the event is information obtained from a third-party source over the internet.

14. One or more tangible, non-transitory and computer-readable media having recorded thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, perform operations comprising:

storing macro code at a location in an internet-accessible hosted computer system;

monitoring, by the hosted computer system, for an event that triggers invocation of the macro code

executing the macro code in response to occurrence of the event; and

providing results of executing the macro code to an application that is running on a remote client device,

wherein the macro code is stored and accessed apart from files on which the macro code is programmed to operate, and

wherein the event that triggers invocation of the macro, code occurs independently of whether a user is interacting with the application that is addressed by the macro code.

tracking, by the hosted computer system, particular events for a plurality of users registered in the hosted computer system;

executing the macro code upon occurrence of one of the particular events associated with a particular one of the users; and

providing results of the macro code to an application that is running on a client device associated with the particular one of the users.

15. The tangible, non-transitory and computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the operations include correlating detection of the event with execution of the macro code.

16. The tangible, non-transitory and computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the operations include providing results of the macro code to applications that are running on remote client devices associated with other ones of the users.

17. The tangible, non-transitory and computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the event includes receiving an email message, a text message, a blog entry or an incoming RSS feed.

18. The tangible, non-transitory and computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the operations include executing the macro code only if one or more previously established conditions associated with the event are satisfied.

19. The tangible, non-transitory and computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein the operations include executing the macro code only if a combination of conditions based on information from a plurality of sources are satisfied.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the event is information obtained from a third-party source over the internet.