Customization of mobile applications using web-based technology

• US 9,026,905 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick, Fung, Philip, Sadan, Yariv
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBERI, MOHAMMED H
• Application Number:
  US12/972,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/238, 715/744, 715/746
• US Class Current: 715/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

In one embodiment, receiving, at a first computing device from a second computing device, a request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second computing device, wherein the view includes one or more first user interface components; determining, by the first computing device, a user agent type of the second computing device; selecting, by the first computing device, one or more second user-interface components to be included in the view based on the user agent type of the second computing device; generating, by the first computing device, code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components and the one or more second user-interface components; and transmitting, from the first computing device to the second computing device, the code.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, to a first computing device from a second computing device, a first request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second computing device, wherein the view includes one or more first user-interface components, and wherein the native application is an application installed locally on the second computing device;

receiving, by the second computing device from the first computing device, code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components as selected by the first computing device and one or more second user-interface components selected by the first computing device based on a user agent type of the second computing device, the second user-interface components associated with a native feature of the second computing device, the native feature comprising a hardware component of the second computing device;

receiving, by the second computing device, a first user input through the one or more first user-interface components and a second user input through the one or more second user-interface components;

sending, by the second computing device in response to the first user input, a second request to the first computing device without invoking utilization of the native feature, the second request comprising an application programming interface call to the first computing device; and

invoking, by the second computing device in response to the second user input, utilization of the native feature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

loading, by the second computing device, the code in a web browser executing on the second computing device and within a context of the native application to render and display the structured document.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining, by the second computing device, whether processing the first user input does not require the native feature; and

determining, by the second computing device, whether processing the second user input requires the native feature.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

processing the first user input does not require the native feature; and

processing the second user input requires the native feature.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each second user-interface component is associated with a customized uniform resource locator (URL) referring to the native feature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the code is in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

7. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

send, to a first computing device from a second computing device, a first request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second computing device, wherein the view includes one or more first user-interface components, and wherein the native application is an application installed locally on the second computing device;

receiving, by the second computing device from the first computing device, code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components as selected by the first computing device and one or more second user-interface components selected by the first computing device based on a user agent type of the second computing device, the second user-interface components associated with a native feature of the second computing device, the native feature comprising a hardware component of the second computing device;

receive, by the second computing device, a first user input through the one or more first user-interface components and a second user input through the one or more second user-interface components;

send, by the second computing device in response to the first user input, a second request to the first computing device without invoking utilization of the native feature, the second request comprising an application programming interface call to the first computing device; and

invoke, by the second computing device in response to the second user input, utilization of the native feature.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

load, by the second computing device, the code in a web browser executing on the second computing device and within a context of the native application to render and display the structured document.

9. The media of claim 8, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

determine, by the second computing device, whether processing the first user input does not require the native feature; and

determine, by the second computing device, whether processing the second user input requires the native feature.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein:

processing the first user input does not require the native feature; and

processing the second user input requires the native feature.

11. The media of claim 7, wherein:

each second user-interface component is associated with a customized uniform resource locator (URL) referring to the native feature.

12. The media of claim 7, wherein the code is in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

13. A system comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying instructions;

one or more processors coupled to the media and operable to execute the instructions to;

send, to a first computing device from a second computing device, a first request for a view of a user interface of a native application executing on the second computing device, wherein the view includes one or more first user-interface components, and wherein the native application is an application installed locally on the second computing device;

receiving, by the second computing device from the first computing device, code implementing a structured document that represents the view, wherein the structured document comprises the one or more first user-interface components as selected by the first computing device and one or more second user-interface components selected by the first computing device based on a user agent type of the second computing device, the second user-interface components associated with a native feature of the second computing device, the native feature comprising a hardware component of the second computing device;

receive, by the second computing device, a first user input through the one or more first user-interface components and a second user input through the one or more second user-interface components;

send, by the second computing device in response to the first user input, a second request to the first computing device without invoking utilization of the native feature, the second request comprising an application programming interface call to the first computing device; and

invoke, by the second computing device in response to the second user input, utilization of the native feature.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processors are further operable to execute the instructions to:

load, by the second computing device, the code in a web browser executing on the second computing device and within a context of the native application to render and display the structured document.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processors are further operable to execute the instructions to:

determine, by the second computing device, whether processing the first user input does not require the native feature; and

determine, by the second computing device, whether processing the second user input requires the native feature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

processing the first user input does not require the native feature; and

processing the second user input requires the native feature.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein:

each second user-interface component is associated with a customized uniform resource locator (URL) referring to the native feature.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the code is in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).