Intent fulfillment

• US 8,589,911 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharkey, Jeffrey A., Powell, Adam W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US13/559,338
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 726/15, 726/26, 715/730, 715/769, 715/788, 717/168, 717/170, 717/178, 717/173, 705/3, 705/14.58, 704/235, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 707/723
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving first user input, the first user input indicating a first intent; searching applications installed on the computing device based on the first intent; determining that none of the installed applications are capable of fulfilling the first intent; transmitting a request to a server system, the request requesting applications capable of fulfilling the first intent; receiving a list of one or more applications, each of the one or more applications being capable of fulfilling the first intent; downloading and installing a first application of the one or more applications; launching the first application; and fulfilling the first intent using the first application.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving first user input, the first user input indicating a first intent of an operation that is to be performed by an application, the first intent including one or more fields;

identifying one or more applications installed on the computing device, each respective application of the one or more applications configured to apply one or more respective filters, each respective filter of the one or more respective filters included in the respective application being associated with a respective field of the one or more fields of the first intent;

comparing, for each respective application, each respective field to the respective filter that is associated with the respective field of the first intent;

determining, for each respective application, based on the comparing, that at least one field of the intent fails a rule of the respective filter associated with the respective field of the application;

generating, based on the determining, a first list of one applications of the one or more applications installed on the computing device;

determining that the first list is empty; and

in response to determining that the first list is empty, transmitting a request to a server system for one or more additional applications that are capable of fulfilling the first intent, the one or more additional applications differing from the one or more applications installed on the computing device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving second user input, and wherein transmitting the request occurs in response to receiving the second user input.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second list of the one or more additional applications from the server system, each of the one or more additional applications capable of fulfilling the first intent;

downloading and installing a first application of the one or more additional applications;

launching the first application; and

fulfilling the first intent using the first application.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise receiving second user input, and wherein downloading and installing the first application occurs in response to receiving the second user input.

5. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise displaying the second list of the one or more additional applications on a display.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first intent comprises an action field, a data field and a category field and comparing comprises comparing, for each respective application, each respective field of the one or more fields in view of the action field, the data field and the category field.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the request conveys an action field, a data field and a category field of the first intent.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving second user input, the second user input indicating a second intent of an operation that is to be performed by an application;

comparing metadata of the one or more applications installed on the computing device with the second intent;

generating, based on comparing the metadata of the one or more applications installed on the computing device with the second intent, a third list of applications of the one or more applications installed on the computing device that are capable of fulfilling the first intent; and

determining that the third list includes at least one application installed on the computing device capable of fulfilling the second intent.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving third user input, the third user input specifying a second application of the one or more applications installed on the computing device;

launching the second application; and

fulfilling the second intent using the second application.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving third user input;

in response to receiving the third user input, transmitting a second request to the server system, the second request requesting applications capable of fulfilling the second intent;

receiving a fourth list of applications of the one or more applications that are capable of fulfilling the second intent;

downloading and installing a second application of the applications of the fourth list;

launching the second application; and

fulfilling the second intent using the second application.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a mobile smartphone or a tablet computing device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving first user input, the first user input indicating a first intent of an operation that is to be performed by an application, the first intent including one or more fields;

identifying one or more applications installed on the computing device, each respective application of the one or more applications configured to apply one or more respective filters, each respective filter of the one or more respective filters included in the respective application being associated with a respective field of the one or more fields of the first intent;

comparing, for each respective application, each respective field to the respective filter that is associated with the respective field of the first intent;

determining, for each respective application, based on the comparing, that at least one field of the intent fails a rule of the respective filter associated with the respective field of the first intent;

generating, based on the determining, a first list of applications of the one or more applications installed on the computing device;

determining that the first list is empty; and

in response to determining that the first list is empty, transmitting a request to a server system for one or more additional applications that are capable of fulfilling the first intent, the one or more additional applications differing from the one or more applications installed on the computing device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise receiving second user input, and wherein transmitting the request occurs in response to receiving the second user input.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second list of the one or more additional applications from the server system, each of the one or more additional applications capable of fulfilling the first intent;

downloading and installing a first application of the one or more additional applications;

launching the first application; and

fulfilling the first intent using the first application.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving second user input, and wherein downloading and installing the first application occurs in response to receiving the second user input.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first intent comprises an action field, a data field and a category field and comparing comprises comparing, for each respective application of the one or more applications, each respective field of the one or more fields in view of the action field, the data field and the category field.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the request conveys an action field, a data field and a category field of the first intent.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving second user input, the second user input indicating a second intent of an operation that is to be performed by an application;

comparing metadata of the one or more applications installed on the computing device with the second intent;

generating, based on comparing the metadata of the one or more applications installed on the computing device with the second intent, a third list of applications of the one or more applications installed on the computing device that are capable of fulfilling the first intent; and

determining that the third list includes at least one application installed on the computing device capable of fulfilling the second intent.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving third user input, the third user input specifying a second application of the one or more applications installed on the computing device;

launching the second application; and

fulfilling the second intent using the second application.

20. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving first user input, the first user input indicating a first intent of an operation that is to be performed by an application, the first intent including one or more fields;

identifying one or more applications installed on the computing device, each respective application of the one or more applications configured to apply one or more respective filters, each respective filter of the one or more respective filters included in the respective application being associated with a respective field of the one or more fields of the first intent;

comparing, for each respective application, each respective field to the respective filter that is associated with the respective field of the first intent;

determining, for each respective application, based on the comparing, that at least one field of the intent fails a rule of the respective filter associated with the respective field of the first intent;

generating, based on the determining, a first list of applications of the one or more applications installed on the computing device;

determining, by one or more processors, the first list is empty; and

in response to determining that the first list is empty, transmitting a request to a server system for one or more additional applications that are capable of fulfilling the first intent, the one or more additional applications differing from the one or more applications installed on the computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving second user input, and wherein transmitting the request occurs in response to receiving the second user input.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a second list of the one or more additional applications from the server system, each of the one or more additional applications capable of fulfilling the first intent;

downloading and installing a first application of the one or more additional applications;

launching the first application; and

fulfilling the first intent using the first application.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving second user input, and wherein downloading and installing the first application occurs in response to receiving the second user input.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the first intent comprises an action field, a data field and a category field and comparing comprises comparing, for each respective application of the one or more application, each respective field of the one or more fields in view of the action field, the data field and the category field.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the request conveys an action field, a data field and a category field of the first intent.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving second user input, the second user input indicating a second intent of an operation that is to be performed by an application;

comparing metadata of the one or more applications installed on the computing device with the second intent;

generating, based on comparing the metadata of the one or more applications installed on the computing device with the second intent, a third list of applications of the one or more applications installed on the computing device that are capable of fulfilling the first intent; and

determining that the third list includes at least one application installed on the computing device capable of fulfilling the second intent.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving third user input, the third user input specifying a second application of the one or more applications installed on the computing device;

launching the second application; and

fulfilling the second intent using the second application.