Extensible system action for sharing while remaining in context

• US 9,110,743 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Messerly, Katie, Clark, Christopher, Zhao, Feng, Kabir, Ahsan, Tritschler, Olivier, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Gloystein, Ginger, Chafins, Billie Sue, Lundberg, Patrik, Raghupathy, Sashi, Biswas, Manoj, Thakker, Devang, Harris, Jensen
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIAU, SHEN C
• Application Number:
  US12/974,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20120159334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,701 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• 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 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference

Abstract

An operating system provides an extensible share action to broker content sharing between applications executing on a computing platform such as a personal computer, tablet computer, or smartphone. The share action enables a consistent user experience for content sharing to be implemented across all applications and eliminates users having to switch from the current application they are using to some other functionality in order to share content. Applications can participate with the operating system share action as source applications and/or target applications. Source applications may describe what content is shareable given the current state of their application when the user chooses to invoke the share action. Target applications can be configured to receive the shared content from the source application according to content type, and will expose a companion view of their application to the user that is specifically tailored to facilitate sharing.

Claims

1. At least one computer-readable storage media that is an article of manufacture and that stores instructions that, when executed by a computing device that includes an operating system, a source application, and a target application, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising:

executing, by the computing device, the operating system;

receiving, by the executing operating system, an indication of a share action, where the share action eliminates a requirement for switching from the source application to some other functionality for sharing content with the target application, where the operating system is configured for brokering, via the share action, the sharing of the content between the source application and the target application, and where the brokering by the operating system eliminates a need for the source application and the target application to have knowledge of each other;

uploading, as a background process subsequent to receiving the indication, a data bundle associated with the share action; and

identifying, subsequent to receiving the indication and until the uploading is completed, the source application and the target application as exempt from shutdown via action of the operating system.

2. The at least one computer-readable storage media of claim 1, the actions further comprising registering a sharable content type of the content.

3. The at least one computer-readable storage media of claim 1 where the share action is native to the computing device via the operating system.

4. The at least one computer-readable storage media of claim 1 where the sharing comprises receiving, by the operating system, a reference from the source application, where the reference refers to the content.

5. The at least one computer-readable storage media of claim 4 where the reference further refers to properties or metadata associated with the content.

6. The at least one computer-readable storage media of claim 4 where the sharing further comprises passing, by the operating system, the received reference to the target application.

7. The at least one computer-readable storage media of claim 1 where the computing device is configured for coupling to social networking sites.

8. A method performed on a computing device that includes an operating system, a source application, and a target application, the method comprising:

executing, by the computing device, the operating system;

receiving, by the executing operating system, an indication of a share action, where the share action eliminates a requirement for switching from the source application to some other functionality for sharing content with the target application, where the operating system is configured for brokering, via the share action, the sharing of the content between the source application and the target application, and where the brokering by the operating system eliminates a need for the source application and the target application to have knowledge of each other;

uploading, as a background process subsequent to receiving the indication, a data bundle associated with the share action; and

identifying, subsequent to receiving the indication and until the uploading is completed, the source application and the target application as exempt from shutdown via action of the operating system.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising registering a sharable content type of the content.

10. The method of claim 8 where the share action is native to the computing device via the operating system.

11. The method of claim 8 where the sharing comprises receiving, by the operating system, a reference from the source application, where the reference refers to the content.

12. The method of claim 11 where the reference further refers to properties or metadata associated with the content.

13. The method of claim 11 where the sharing further comprises passing, by the operating system, the received reference to the target application.

14. A system comprising a computing device and at least one program that includes an operating system, a source application, and a target application, where the computing device and the at least one program module that are together configured for performing actions comprising:

executing, by the computing device, the operating system;

receiving, by the executing operating system, an indication of a share action, where the share action eliminates a requirement for switching from the source application to some other functionality for sharing content with the target application, where the operating system is configured for brokering, via the share action, the sharing of the content between the source application and the target application, and where the brokering by the operating system eliminates a need for the source application and the target application to have knowledge of each other;

uploading, as a background process subsequent to receiving the indication, a data bundle associated with the share action; and

identifying, subsequent to receiving the indication and until the uploading is completed, the source application and the target application as exempt from shutdown via action of the operating system.

15. The system of claim 14, the actions further comprising registering a sharable content type of the content.

16. The system of claim 14 where the share action is native to the computing device via the operating system.

17. The system of claim 14 where the sharing comprises receiving, by the operating system, a reference from the source application, where the reference refers to the content.

18. The system of claim 17 where the reference further refers to properties or metadata associated with the content.

19. The system of claim 17 where the sharing further comprises passing, by the operating system, the received reference to the target application.

20. The system of claim 14 where the computing device is configured for coupling to social networking sites.