Associating file types with web-based applications for automatically launching the associated application
First Claim
1. A set of machine readable instructions stored in a non-transitory machine readable medium, said set of machine readable instructions comprising;
- a launching engine configured to automatically launch a Web site and load an electronic document responsive to a launching event for the electronic document, wherein said launching engine utilizes associations based upon file extensions to determine a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the Web site; and
a file manager configured to present a pop-up menu on a graphical representation of the electronic document, the electronic document being selected and activated by a user as the launching event, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first user-selectable option to open the electronic document locally with a client side application and a second user-selectable option to open the electronic document remotely with a web browser side application, and wherein presentation of the first user-selectable option and the second user-selectable option within the pop-up menu is available only when a file extension of the electronic document is associated with both local applications and web-based applications within at least one file association table that is used by the launching engine.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention discloses a launching engine configured to automatically launch a Web site and load an electronic document responsive to a launching event for the electronic document. The launching engine can be a component of a computer operating system (e.g., MAC OS, OS/2, WINDOWS XP, etc.) or a graphics management component (e.g., KDE, GNOME, etc.) of a computer. A launching event can be initiated by user selection of a document icon, a user selection of an electronic document from a file management application, a launching script for the electronic document triggered by a media insertion action, and the like.
24 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A set of machine readable instructions stored in a non-transitory machine readable medium, said set of machine readable instructions comprising;
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a launching engine configured to automatically launch a Web site and load an electronic document responsive to a launching event for the electronic document, wherein said launching engine utilizes associations based upon file extensions to determine a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the Web site; and a file manager configured to present a pop-up menu on a graphical representation of the electronic document, the electronic document being selected and activated by a user as the launching event, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first user-selectable option to open the electronic document locally with a client side application and a second user-selectable option to open the electronic document remotely with a web browser side application, and wherein presentation of the first user-selectable option and the second user-selectable option within the pop-up menu is available only when a file extension of the electronic document is associated with both local applications and web-based applications within at least one file association table that is used by the launching engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for launching applications comprising:
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detecting a user selection of an electronic document having a file extension; ascertaining an association type for the electronic document by looking up the file extension in a table that indexes file extensions against local applications and different Web applications; determining from the file extension and entries of the table that a Web application that is one of the different Web applications is associated with the electronic document, said Web application having a corresponding remote Web site; instantiating a browser; directing the browser to the remote Web site; the remote Web site loading the electronic document into the Web application automatically performed by a machine in accordance with a set of programmatic instructions stored in a non-transitory machine readable medium; and
presenting a pop-up menu on a graphical representation of the electronic document, the electronic document being selected and activated by a user as the launching event, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first user-selectable option to open the electronic document locally with a client side application and a second user-selectable option to open the electronic document remotely with a web browser side application, and wherein presentation of the first user-selectable option and the second user-selectable option within the pop-up menu is available only when a file extension of the electronic document is associated with both local applications and web-based applications within at least one file association table that is used by the launching engine. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory tangible storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause a graphical user interface to be presented, wherein when said computer program product is executed, the presented graphical user interface comprises:
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at least one user selectable item presented upon the graphical user interface, said user selectable item representing a corresponding electronic document having a file extension, wherein a selection of the user selectable item initiates a launching event, wherein the extension type is stored in at least one association table and corresponds to a previously designated Web site; a Web browser interface configured to be automatically presented and to automatically display the Web site in a state in which a selected electronic document has been loaded responsive to an occurrence of the launching event, which utilizes the file extension of the association table to determine the Web site is to be presented responsive to the launching event for the electronic document having the file extension; and a file manager configured to present a pop-up menu on a graphical representation of the electronic document, the electronic document being selected and activated by a user as the launching event, wherein the pop-up menu includes a first user-selectable option to open the electronic document locally with a client side application and a second user-selectable option to open the electronic document remotely with a web browser side application, and wherein presentation of the first user-selectable option and the second user-selectable option within the pop-up menu is available only when a file extension of the electronic document is associated with both local applications and web-based applications within at least one file association table that is used by the launching engine. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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Specification