Automatically updating browser extensions, and applications thereof

• US 8,667,480 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Asgeirsson, Sigurdur, Barth, Adam, Sigurdsson, Johann Tomas, Tawa, Roger, Bailey, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US13/089,964
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-174, 709203-204
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Embodiments of invention relate to automatically updating browser extensions. In an embodiment, a method for updating browser extensions is provided. In the method, an input to execute a browser extension installed in a local browser extension database is received. In response to receipt of the input, a remote server is automatically communicated with to determine whether a portion of the browser extension should be updated. An updated portion of the browser extension is received if the browser extension should be updated. Finally, the updated portion of the browser extension is installed in the local browser extension database.

Claims

1. A method for updating browser extensions, comprising:

(a) in response to a user action, receiving, by a computing device, an input to execute a browser extension installed in a local browser extension database;

(b) in response to receipt of the input, automatically sending, by the computing device, a request to a remote server, wherein, based on the request, the remote server determines which portion of the browser extension requires an update;

(c) receiving, by the computing device, the portion of the browser extension that the remote server determined to require the update; and

(d) installing, by the computing device, the received portion of the browser extension in the local browser extension database; and

(e) also in response to receipt of the input (b), executing the browser extension installed in the local extension database,

wherein the executing (e) initiates prior to completion of the installing (d),

whereby the browser extension is executed in parallel with an update operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) after completion of the installing (d), receiving a second input to execute the browser extension installed in the local browser extension database; and

(e) in response to the second input, executing an updated browser extension.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a browser identifier unique to a browser installation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving (c) comprises receiving an updated browser extension selected according to the browser identifier.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving (c) comprises receiving an updated browser extension selected according to a command, wherein the command was generated according to a user'"'"'s behavior patterns of the browser, but does not indicate the user'"'"'s behavior patterns.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving (c) comprises receiving an updated browser extension selected according to each of:

a) a version of the browser;

b) a geographical position where the browser is located;

c) a language in which the browser is configured to display user interface messages;

d) a distribution partner which distributed at least a portion of the browser;

e) at least a portion of the personalization history of the browser;

f) a user selection to add the extension; and

g) a user'"'"'s behavior patterns of the browser.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the request includes an extension identifier indicating a type of the browser extension.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the browser extension is not represented in native machine instructions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the browser extension is represented in at least one of HTML, XML, JavaScript, or CSS.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) in response to receipt of the input, executing the browser extension installed in the local extension database in a sandboxed environment, wherein the browser extension has greater access to system resources than a JavaScript running within a native browser associated with the local browser extension database, but less access than the native browser itself.

11. A system for updating browser extensions, comprising:

a computing device comprising a processor and a memory;

a local browser extension database that stores browser extensions associated with a browser;

an extension execution module implemented on the computing device and configured to;

in response to a user action, receive an input to execute a browser extension installed in the local browser extension database, and

in response to receipt of the input, execute the browser extension installed in the local extension database; and

an extension update module implemented on the computing device and configured to;

also in response to receipt of the input, automatically send a request to a remote server, wherein, based on the request, the remote server determines which portion of the browser extension requires an update;

receive the portion of the browser extension that the remote server determined to require the update; and

install the received portion of the browser extension in the local browser extension database;

wherein the extension execution module executes the browser extension prior to completion of the extension update module installing the updated browser extension,

whereby the browser extension is executed in parallel with an update operation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the extension execution module is configured to receive a second input to execute the browser extension installed in the local browser extension database after completion of the extension update module installing an updated browser extension, and in response to the second input, execute the updated browser extension.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the request includes a browser identifier unique to a browser installation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the extension update module is configured to receive an updated browser extension selected according to the browser identifier.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request includes an extension identifier indicating a type of the browser extension.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the request includes a command, wherein the command was generated according to a user'"'"'s behavior patterns of the browser, but does not indicate the user'"'"'s behavior patterns.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the extension update module is configured to receive an updated browser extension selected according to each of:

a) a version of the browser;

b) a geographical position where the browser is located;

c) a language in which the browser is configured to display user interface messages;

d) a distribution partner which distributed at least a portion of the browser;

e) at least of a portion of the personalization history of the browser;

f) a user selection to add the extension; and

g) a user'"'"'s behavior patterns of the browser.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the browser extension is not represented in native machine instructions.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the browser extension is represented in at least one of HTML, XML, JavaScript, or CSS.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the extension execution module comprises:

an extension execution environment that allows the browser extension to have greater access to system resources than a JavaScript running within a native browser associated with the local browser extension database, but less access than the native browser itself.

21. A system for updating browser extensions, comprising:

a server computing device comprising a processor and a memory;

a remote extension database that stores a plurality of browser extensions; and

a feature update module, implemented on the server computing device, that;

in response to a user action, receives a request to update a browser extension from a client computing device, the request including a unique browser identifier and an extension identifier,

in response to the request and based on the unique browser identifier and the extension identifier, determines which portion of the browser extension requires an update and which portion of the browser extension in the remote extension database to send, and

sends the updated portion of the browser extension determined to require the update to the client computing device,

wherein the browser extension is also executed in response to the user action,

wherein the browser extension starts execution prior to completion of an installation of the updated portion of the browser extension, and

whereby the browser extension is executed in parallel with an update operation.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a management console module that enables a user to configure which native browsers as identified by their corresponding unique browser identifiers have extensions that will be updated on the next request.

23. A method for updating browser extensions, comprising:

(a) in response to a user action, receiving, by a computing device, an input to execute a browser extension installed in a local browser extension database comprising a plurality of files;

(b) in response to receipt of the input, automatically sending, by the computing device, a request to a remote server, wherein the remote server determines which portion of the browser extension requires an update;

(c) receiving, by the computing device, a file of the browser extension that the remote server determined to require the update in step (b);

(d) installing, on the computing device, the received file in the local browser extension database,

wherein at least another file in the browser extension is not updated in response to the receipt of the input to execute the browser extension in (a) and

(e) also in response to receipt of the input (b), executing the browser extension installed in the local browser extension database,

wherein the executing (e) initiates prior to completion of the installing (d),

whereby the browser extension is executed in parallel with an update operation.