Interaction with partially constructed mobile device applications

• US 9,170,784 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US13/707,729
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for creating mobile device applications. In one aspect, a method includes determining that a user has entered one or more user inputs into an integrated development environment, to select or arrange a component that defines a portion of an application, and transmitting interpreter code that corresponds to the component to a mobile device, where the interpreter code, when interpreted by a command interpreter on the mobile device, causes the mobile device to generate a mock-up of the portion of the application defined by the component.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing communication between at least one computing device and a mobile device;

receiving, at the at least one computing device, a series of user input signals to select or arrange one or more components that define a portion of an application;

in response to receiving each user input signal from the series of user input signals;

iteratively transmitting, from the at least one computing device to the mobile device, interpreter code portions that each correspond to a respective user input signal from the series of user input signals, wherein the interpreter code portions, when interpreted by a command interpreter on the mobile device, cause the mobile device to output, for display, the one or more components that define the portion of the application,

wherein the series of user input signals includes at least a first user input selecting or arranging the one or more components that define the portion of the application and a second user input selecting or arranging the one or more components that define the portion of the application, and

wherein iteratively transmitting the interpreter code portions includes;

transmitting a first transmission that includes a first interpreter code portion corresponding to the first user input;

determining that the application is not complete; and

transmitting a second transmission that includes a second interpreter code portion corresponding to the second user input;

receiving a signal indicating that executable code for the application is to be transmitted to the mobile device; and

in response to receiving the signal indicating that the executable code for the application is to be transmitted to the mobile device;

generating the executable code for the application; and

transmitting the executable code for the application to the mobile device, the executable code including code corresponding to the one or more components that correspond to the portion of the application, wherein the executable code is not the interpreter code.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the at least one computing device, whether the application is complete, wherein iteratively transmitting the interpreter code portions is performed continuously in response to receiving each user input signal from the series of user input signals until it is determined that the application is complete.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is determined to be completed in response to receiving a user input signal indicating that the application is complete.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communication between at least one computing device and the mobile device includes establishing communication via a wired connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communication between at least one computing device and the mobile device includes establishing communication via a wireless connection.

6. A non-transitory storage device including program instructions executable by one or more processors that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

establish communication with a mobile device;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a series of user input signals to select or arrange one or more components that define a portion of an application;

in response to receiving each user input signal from the series of user input signals;

iteratively transmitting, to the mobile device, interpreter code portions that each correspond to a respective user input signal from the series of user input signals, wherein the interpreter code portions, when interpreted by a command interpreter on the mobile device, cause the mobile device to output, for display, the one or more components that define the portion of the application,

wherein the series of user input signals includes at least a first user input selecting or arranging the one or more components that define the portion of the application and a second user input selecting or arranging the one or more components that define the portion of the application, and

wherein iteratively transmitting the interpreter code portions includes;

transmitting a first transmission that includes a first interpreter code portion corresponding to the first user input;

determining that the application is not complete; and

transmitting a second transmission that includes a second interpreter code portion corresponding to the second user input;

receiving a signal indicating that executable code for the application is to be transmitted to the mobile device; and

in response to receiving the signal indicating that the executable code for the application is to be transmitted to the mobile device;

generating the executable code for the application; and

transmitting the executable code for the application to the mobile device, the executable code including code corresponding to the one or more components that correspond to the portion of the application, wherein the executable code is not the interpreter code.

7. The non-transitory storage device of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

determining whether the application is complete, wherein iteratively transmitting the interpreter code portions is performed continuously in response to receiving each user input signal from the series of user input signals until it is determined that the application is complete.

8. The non-transitory storage device of claim 6, wherein the application is determined to be completed in response to receiving a user input signal indicating that the application is complete.

9. The non-transitory storage device of claim 6, wherein establishing communication with the mobile device includes establishing communication via a wired connection.

10. The non-transitory storage device of claim 6, wherein establishing communication with the mobile device includes establishing communication via a wireless connection.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memory devices for storing program instructions used by the one or more processors, wherein the program instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

establish communication with a mobile device;

receive, by the one or more processors, a series of user input signals to select or arrange one or more components that define a portion of an application;

in response to receiving each user input signal from the series of user input signals;

iteratively transmit, to the mobile device, interpreter code portions that each correspond to a respective user input signal from the series of user input signals, wherein the interpreter code portions, when interpreted by a command interpreter on the mobile device, cause the mobile device to output, for display, the one or more components that define the portion of the application,

wherein the series of user input signals includes at least a first user input to select or arrange the one or more components that define the portion of the application and a second user input to select or arrange the one or more components that define the portion of the application, and

wherein the program instructions that cause the one or more processors to iteratively transmit the interpreter code portions include program instructions that cause the one or more processors to;

transmit a first transmission that includes a first interpreter code portion corresponding to the first user input;

determine that the application is not complete; and

transmit a second transmission that includes a second interpreter code portion corresponding to the second user input;

receive a signal indicating that executable code for the application is to be transmitted to the mobile device; and

in response to a receipt of the signal indicating that the executable code for the application is to be transmitted to the mobile device;

generate the executable code for the application; and

transmit the executable code for the application to the mobile device, the executable code including code corresponding to the one or more components that correspond to the portion of the application, wherein the executable code is not the interpreter code.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the application is complete, wherein the program instructions that cause the one or more processors to iteratively transmit the interpreter code portions include program instructions that cause the one or more processors to iteratively transmit the interpreter code portions continuously in response to receiving each user input signal from the series of user input signals until it is determined that the application is complete.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the application is determined to be completed in response to receiving a user input signal indicating that the application is complete.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the program instructions that cause the one or more processors to establish communication with the mobile device include program instructions that cause the one or more processors to establish communication via at least one of a wired connection or a wireless connection.