Mobile application generator

• US 8,656,353 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: User-Friendly Phone Book, LLC (User- Friendly Holding LLC)
• Original Assignee: User-Friendly Phone Book, LLC (User- Friendly Holding LLC)
• Inventors: Brendza, Mary Beth, Howard, Bruce C.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US13/788,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 717/109
• US Class Current: 717/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for receiving a request to create a mobile application, the request comprising provider-specific application information and provider-specific content for the mobile application, generating, by a processing device, an application description based on the provider-specific application information, wherein the application description comprises a selection of one or more application features for the mobile application, retrieving, by the processing device, a base mobile application stored in a data store, wherein the base mobile application comprises previously generated base application software code, modifying, by the processing device, the base mobile application in view of the application description; and generating, by the processing device, binary mobile application code for the mobile application in view of the modified base mobile application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a request to create a mobile application, the request comprising provider-specific application information and provider-specific content for the mobile application;

generating, by the processing device, an application description based on the provider-specific application information, wherein the application description comprises a selection of one or more application features for the mobile application;

retrieving, by the processing device, a base mobile application stored in a data store, wherein the base mobile application comprises previously generated base application software code, and wherein the base mobile application is configured to display a first view to a provider and a second view to a consumer;

modifying, by the processing device, the base mobile application in view of the application description, wherein modified the base mobile application is configured to display the first view to the provider and the second view to the consumer;

generating, by the processing device, binary mobile application code for the mobile application in view of the modified base mobile application; and

uploading, by the processing device, the modified base mobile application to an application distribution platform.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the base mobile application comprises:

selecting one or more application modules from a plurality of application modules stored in the data store in view of the selection of one or more application features specified in the application description, wherein at least one of the plurality of application modules comprises additional previously-generated base application software code for an application feature to run in connection with the base mobile application;

integrating the selected one or more application modules to the base mobile application;

integrating the provider-specific content into a user interface of the base mobile application; and

integrating the base mobile application and the selected application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading the binary mobile application code to an application marketplace.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting the user interface to receive the request to create the mobile application, the provider-specific application information and the provider-specific content.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying, by the user interface, a mobile application form comprising fields for the provider-specific content;

receiving, by the user interface, the mobile application form comprising the provider-specific content; and

extracting the provider-specific content from the mobile application form.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying, by the user interface, fields to receive application-specific business information and graphics;

receiving, by the user interface, application-specific business information and graphics;

extracting the specific business information and graphics; and

populating content fields of the base mobile application with the application-specific business information and graphics.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying, by the user interface, a mobile application custom feature list in the user interface comprising one or more fields to customize the base mobile application, wherein the fields are associated with a respective application module stored in the data store;

receiving, by the user interface, the mobile application custom feature list comprising features to customize the base mobile application;

extracting the features; and

integrating the features with the base mobile application.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying, by the user interface, a mobile application design template in the user interface comprising fields to design the base mobile application;

receiving, by the user interface, the mobile application design template comprising input for the base mobile application;

extracting the input; and

integrating the input with the base mobile application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the one or more application features with one or more respective application modules; and

retrieving the one or more respective application modules from a data store.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile application has been updated; and

refreshing the user interface when the mobile application has been updated.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a first user interface display on a first mobile device and a first functionality of the mobile application to a provider; and

presenting a second user interface display on a second mobile device and a second functionality of the mobile application to a consumer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at an app server, login information from a user using an instance of a mobile application executing on a device;

determining, by the app server, whether the user is a consumer or a provider in view of the login information;

granting a provider access level to the mobile application when the user is the provider;

granting a consumer access level to the mobile application when the user is the consumer.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device communicably coupled to the memory and to;

receive a request to create a mobile application, the request comprising provider-specific application information and provider-specific content for the mobile application;

generate an application description based on the provider-specific application information, wherein the application description comprises a selection of one or more application features for the mobile application;

retrieve a base mobile application stored in a data store, wherein the base mobile application comprises previously generated base application software code, and wherein the base mobile application is configured to display a first view to a provider and a second view to a consumer;

modify the base mobile application in view of the application description, wherein the modified base mobile application is configured to display the first view to the provider and the second view to the consumer;

generate binary mobile application code for the mobile application in view of the modified base mobile application; and

upload the modified base mobile application to an application distribution platform.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein modify the base mobile application comprises:

select one or more application modules from a plurality of application modules stored in the data store in view of the selection of one or more application features specified in the application description, wherein at least one of the plurality of

application modules comprises additional previously-generated base application software code for an application feature to run in connection with the base mobile application;

integrate the selected one or more application modules to the base mobile application;

integrate the provider specific content into a user interface of the base mobile application; and

integrate the base mobile application and the selected application modules.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising upload the binary mobile application code to an application marketplace.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising present the user interface to receive the request to create the mobile application, the provider-specific application information and the provider-specific content.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

display, by the user interface, a mobile application form comprising fields for the provider-specific content;

receive, by the user interface, the mobile application form comprising the provider-specific content; and

extract the provider-specific content from the mobile application form.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

display, by the user interface, fields for application-specific business information and graphics;

receive, by the interface, application-specific business information and graphics;

extract the specific business information and graphics; and

populate the content fields of the base mobile application with the specific business information and graphics.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to execute operations comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a request to create a mobile application, the request comprising provider-specific application information and provider-specific content for the mobile application;

generating, by the processing device, an application description based on the provider-specific application information, wherein the application description comprises a selection of one or more application features for the mobile application;

retrieving, by the processing device, a base mobile application stored in a data store, wherein the base mobile application comprises previously generated base application software code, and wherein the base mobile application is configured to display a first view to a provider and a second view to a consumer;

modifying, by the processing device, the base mobile application in view of the application description, wherein the modified base mobile application is configured to display the first view to the provider and the second view to the consumer;

generating, by the processing device, binary mobile application code for the mobile application in view of the modified base mobile application; and

uploading, by the processing device, the modified base mobile application to an application distribution platform.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the modifying the base mobile application comprises:

selecting one or more application modules from a plurality of application modules stored in the data store in view of the selection of one or more application features specified in the application description, wherein at least one of the plurality of application modules comprises additional previously-generated base application software code for an application feature to run in connection with the base mobile application;

integrating the selected one or more application modules to the base mobile application;

integrating the provider-specific content into a user interface of the base mobile application; and

integrating the base mobile application and the selected application.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising uploading the binary mobile application code to an application marketplace.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, further comprising presenting the user interface to receive the request to create the mobile application, the provider-specific application information and the provider-specific content.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, further comprising:

displaying, by the user interface, a mobile application form comprising fields for the provider-specific content;

receiving, by the user interface, the mobile application form comprising the provider-specific content; and

extracting the provider-specific content from the mobile application form.