Low-latency transition into embedded web view

• US 8,656,265 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Paulin, Alan, Tulchinksy, Ilia, Stinson, Charles Laurence, Wahbe, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US13/759,216
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 715/205, 715/200, 715/274, 715/273
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

To help reduce latency when an application presents an embedded web view, the application may provide to a web view controller not only a base uniform resource indicator of a web application defining the web view but also preview data for the web view controller to render for presentation together with a cached version of the web view. In accordance with script logic defined by the web application, the web view controller may then (i) incorporate the provided preview data into the cached version of the web view and render the result as a preview view for presentation at a user interface, (ii) download instance data for the web view while the preview view is presented, and (iii) upon receipt of the instance data, establish and render a full version of the web view based on the instance data, for presentation at the user interface.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a native application executable by a processing unit to carry out functions comprising:

caching a web page in data storage of a computing device;

causing the computing device to present a native application view at a user interface;

calling a web view controller while the computing device is presenting the native application view at the user interface;

providing preview data to the web view controller, when calling the web view controller, for incorporation of the preview data in a presentation of the web page at the user interface, wherein the web page as cached defines a web page presentation structure comprising general section placement and generic content; and

wherein calling the web view controller comprises passing to the web view controller a uniform resource identifier (URI) of the web page to cause the web view controller to retrieve the web page from the data storage and to render the retrieved web page, and wherein the web page includes script logic executable by the processing unit to incorporate the provided preview data into the presentation of the web page at the user interface;

wherein the script logic is further executable by the processing unit (i) to download, via a network interface of the computing device, instance data for the web page, while the web page with the incorporated preview data is presented at the user interface, and (ii) upon download of the instance data, to incorporate the instance data into the presentation of the web page at the user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein providing the preview data to the web view controller when calling the web view controller comprises including the preview data in the URI.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein providing the preview data to the web view controller when calling the web view controller comprises storing the preview data in the data storage and passing to the web view controller a reference to the stored preview data.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein passing to the web view controller the reference to the stored preview data comprises including the reference in the URI.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the functions further comprise pre-authenticating the web page before calling the web view controller, the pre-authenticating being done in response to detecting presence in the native application page of at least one object selectable to trigger presentation of the web page.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a first application and a second application,

the first application being executable by a processing unit to invoke the second application and, when invoking the second application, to provide the second application with preview content, and

the second application defining an application view renderable by the processing unit for presentation at a user interface and further defining script logic executable by the processing unit (i) to receive the preview content provided by the first application when invoking the second application, (ii) to incorporate the preview content into the application view to produce a preview view renderable by the processing unit for presentation at the user interface, (iii) to download instance data via a network from a network server while the preview view is being presented at the user interface, and (iv) upon receipt of the downloaded instance data, to establish, based on the instance data, an updated view renderable by the processing unit for presentation at the user interface.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein establishing the updated view based on the instance data comprises incorporating the instance data into the application view to establish the updated view, the updated view updating or replacing the preview view at the user interface.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium claim 6, wherein the first application incorporates a view controller, wherein invoking the second application comprises calling the view controller and, when calling the view controller, passing to the view controller a uniform resource identifier (URI) of the second application.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein providing the second application with the preview content comprises providing the preview content in the URI.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the URI includes a reference to the instance data, and wherein downloading the instance data comprises transmitting a web request specifying the reference and receiving in response to the web request the instance data.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first application is further executable by the processing unit to provide a first-application view for presentation at the user interface, wherein the preview view replaces the first-application view at the user interface.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first application is further executable by the processing unit to pre-authenticate the second application before invoking the second application, in response to presence in the first-application view of at least one object selectable to trigger invocation of the second application.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein providing the second application with the preview content when invoking the second application comprises:

storing the preview content in data storage, and providing the second application with a reference to the stored preview content, for retrieval of the preview content by the second application from the data storage.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first application is a native application and the second application is a web application.

15. A computing device comprising:

a network interface for communicating data to and from the computing device;

a user interface;

a processing unit;

data storage;

a web application cached in the data storage, wherein the web application defines a cached web page structure renderable by the processing unit for presentation at the user interface; and

an invoking application stored in the data storage and executable by the processing unit to invoke the web application and, when invoking the web application, to provide preview content to the web application, wherein the cached web page structure comprises general section placement and generic content,

wherein the web application further defines script logic executable by the processing unit upon the invocation of the web application (i) to receive the preview content provided by the invoking application, (ii) to incorporate the received preview content into the cached web page structure so as to establish a preview page renderable by the processing unit for presentation at the user interface, (iii) to download, via the network interface, instance content for the web application while the preview page is being presented at the user interface, and (iv) upon receipt of the downloaded instance data, to establish, based on the instance data, an updated page renderable by the processing unit for presentation at the user interface.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein establishing the updated page based on the instance data comprises incorporating the instance data into the cached web page structure.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the invoking application incorporates a web view controller for running the web application.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the invoking application comprises a native application.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the native application is further executable by the processing unit to provide a native application view for presentation at the user interface, and wherein invoking the web application causes the processing unit to render the preview page for presentation at the user interface in place of the native application view.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the native application is further executable by the processing unit to pre-authenticate the web application before invoking the web application, in response to presence in the native application view of at least one object selectable to trigger invocation of the web application.

21. The computing device of claim 17,

wherein invoking the web application comprises calling the web view controller with a program call that passes a uniform resource identifier (URI) of the web application, the web view controller being executable by the processing unit to run the web application in response to the call passing the URI of the web application, and

wherein providing the preview content to the web application when invoking the web application comprises including the preview content in a hash fragment of the URI passed to the web view controller.

22. The computing device of claim 21, wherein the URI includes a reference to the instance data, and wherein downloading the instance data comprises transmitting a web request specifying the reference and receiving in response to the web request the instance data.

23. The computing device of claim 15, wherein providing the preview content to the web application when invoking the web application comprises:

upon invoking the web application, receiving from the web application a request for the preview content, and providing the preview content to the web application in response to the request.

24. The computing device of claim 15, wherein providing the preview content to the web application when invoking the web application comprises:

storing the preview content in the data storage, and providing the web application with a reference to the stored preview content, for retrieval of the preview content by the web application from the data storage.

25. A method comprising:

caching a web page in data storage of a computing device, wherein the web page defines a presentation structure and script logic;

calling by a processing unit a web view control module and providing preview data to the web view control module when calling the web view control module, to trigger presentation of the web page incorporating the provided preview data, wherein the web page as cached defines a web page presentation structure comprising general section placement and generic content, wherein calling the web view control module includes passing to the web view control module a uniform resource identifier (URI) of the web page, to cause the web view control module to retrieve the web page from the data storage and to render the retrieved web page for presentation at a user interface of the computing device, and wherein the processing unit executes the script logic of the web page to incorporate the provided preview data into the presentation of the web page at the user interface; and

executing by the processing unit the script logic of the web page (i) to download, via a network interface of the computing device, instance data for the web page, while the web page with the incorporated preview data is presented at the user interface, and (ii) upon download of the instance data, to incorporate the instance data into the presentation of the web page at the user interface.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing by the processing unit a native application view for presentation at the user interface;

detecting by the processing unit that the native application view includes at least one object selectable by a user to trigger presentation of the web page;

responsive to the detecting, authenticating the web page before calling the web view control module to trigger presentation of the web page.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the presentation of the web page incorporating the instance data updates or replaces the presentation of the web page incorporating the preview data.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein providing the preview data to the web view control module when calling the web view control module comprises including the preview data in the URI.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein providing the preview data to the web view control module when calling the web view control module comprises locally storing the preview data and including in the URI a reference to the locally stored preview data.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising including in the URI a reference to the instance data to be downloaded.