Providing partner services within a host application

• US 8,819,589 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bensley, Ann-Mari, Jacobs, Lesley L., Giles, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, BENJAMIN J
• Application Number:
  US12/136,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/825
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

While a user interacts with a networked host application such as creating or editing documents, the user is enabled to invoke (or otherwise act on) a partner-selection user interface presentation to explore available partner services for carrying out a desired partner function that is complementary to the host application functionality. The user is further enabled to select one of the partner services listed in the partner-selection user interface presentation, in response which, the host application automatically instructs the partner service to perform the desired partner function complementing the host functions performed by the host application in an integrated and seamless manner.

Claims

1. A method for providing a service, the method being performed on electrical data processing equipment, comprising:

providing a host application executed on a server to a user, the host application provided by a network-accessible host system, the host application having a host user interface presentation that includes a control part and an item work area part, the item work area enabling the user to create and edit items;

interacting with the user through a user electronic device to perform a host function using the host application;

the control part of the host application providing a partner-selection user interface presentation as a persisting part of a control mechanism of the control part without requiring the user to invoke the partner-selection user interface presentation within a context of the host function being performed by the host system, the partner-selection user interface presentation identifying a plurality of operations and, for each operation, one or more partner services that can be called upon to perform the operation, the partner services selected among a plurality of partner services executed on another server based on one or more of;

a ranking, an assessment of a performed host function, an assessment of user behavior, a marketing program, and a geographic location of the user, the partner service being implemented by a partner system, the partner service providing a partner function which is not provided by the host application and complements the host function provided by the host application;

receiving a selection from the user of a partner service that is identified among the one or more partner services in the partner-selection user interface presentation; and

in response to receiving the user'"'"'s selection, contacting, by the host system, the partner system, instructing the partner system to perform the partner function, wherein a level of user interactivity associated with the partner system depends on the function performed by the partner system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the host system and the partner system are administered by two respective entities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the host function performed by the host application comprises electronically creating a document item.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the partner function comprises a function for professionally printing the document item.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the partner function comprises a function for converting the document item into a specified format.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the specified format is a markup language format that enables the document item to function as a network-accessible page.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the partner function comprises a function in which a manual action is performed on the document item.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the manual action that is performed is legal analysis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one operation in the partner-selection user interface presentation is a print operation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one operation in the partner-selection user interface presentation is a publish operation.

11. A network-accessible server providing a host system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled to the memory, the processing device executing;

a host application configured to provide a host service to a user, the host application having a host user interface presentation that includes a control part and an item work area part, the item work area enabling the user to interact with the host application through a user electronic device and to create and edit items;

a linking module configured to provide a partner-selection user interface presentation within a context of a host function being performed by the host system, the partner-selection user interface presentation identifying a plurality of operations and, for each operation, one or more partner services that can be called upon to perform the operation, the partner services selected among a plurality of partner services executed on another server based on one or more of;

a ranking, an assessment of a performed host function, an assessment of user behavior, a marketing program, and a geographic location of the user, the partner service being implemented by a partner system, the partner service providing a partner function which is not provided by the host application and complements the host function that the user is performing using the host application;

the control part of the host application configured to display the partner-selection user interface presentation as a persisting part of a control mechanism of the control part without requiring the user to invoke the partner-selection user interface presentation; and

a partner interface module configured to couple the host system with the partner system, allowing the host system to contact the partner system upon a selection from the user of the partner service in the partner-selection user interface presentation, the host system instructing the partner system to perform the partner function wherein a level of user interactivity associated with the partner system depends on the function performed by the partner system.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the host function performed by the host application comprises electronically creating a document item.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the partner function comprises a function for performing some action on the document item that the host application itself does not provide.

14. A server providing a host system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processing device coupled to the memory, the processing device executing;

a host application logic configured to provide;

a host application executed on the server to a user, the host application enabling the user to interact with the host application through a user electronic device and to create and edit items; and

a host user interface presentation that includes a control part and an item work area part, wherein the control part includes a control mechanism for invoking the partner-selection user interface presentation;

a linking logic executed on the server configured to provide a partner-selection user interface presentation to the user in a context of a host function being performed by the host application logic, the partner-selection user interface presentation identifying a plurality of operations and, for each operation, one or more partner services that can be called upon to perform the operation, the partner services selected among a plurality of partner services executed on one or more other servers based on one or more of;

a ranking, an assessment of a performed host function, an assessment of user behavior, a marketing program, and a geographic location of the user, the partner service being implemented by a partner system, each partner service providing a partner function which is not provided by the host application and complements the host function that the user is performing using the host application logic, wherein the partner-selection user interface further presents at least one from a set of;

a rating score, a sample customer comment, a command for providing additional information, and a marketing offer associated with each partner service;

the control part of the host application configured to display the partner-selection user interface presentation as a persisting part of a control mechanism of the control part without requiring the user to invoke the partner-selection user interface presentation; and

a partner interface logic executed on the server configured to couple the host system with each partner system, allowing the host system to contact any partner system upon a selection from the user of a corresponding partner service in the partner-selection user interface presentation, wherein the partner function performed by one or more of the partner systems precedes the host function wherein a level of user interactivity associated with the partner system depends on the function performed by the partner system.