System and methods for loading an application and its modules in a client device

• US 9,727,354 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyland Switzerland, Sarl
• Original Assignee: Kofax International Switzerland Sàrl (Kofax Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blazek, Shane Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANCO, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US14/268,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method of dynamically loading a module into an application that includes receiving from a configuration file a list of available modules; retrieving for each available module, a mapping of a URL pattern to a callback function associated with the available module; and adding the mapping of the URL pattern to a collection of URL patterns associated with the application.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically loading a module into an application, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to access the application; and

upon receiving the request, creating the application at runtime by;

receiving from a configuration file a list of available modules to be loaded to the application upon execution of the application; and

loading each available module in the list of available modules into the application by;

retrieving a mapping of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) pattern to a callback function associated with each of the available modules; and

adding the mapping of the URL pattern to a collection of URL patterns associated with the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving at least one of a caption and an image associated with each available module.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in a user interface a component linking to each available module.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a module interface associated with one of the available modules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a location of the module is a location of an initial user interface element of the module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection of URL patterns is a data structure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data structure is a hash.

8. A method for dynamically loading one or more modules into an application, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to run the application; and

upon receiving the request, initializing the application at runtime by;

determining, based upon an identifier, the one or more modules to be loaded into the application running on a client device; and

loading each of the one or more modules into the application by;

retrieving a mapping of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) pattern to a callback function associated with the one or more modules; and

adding the mapping of the URL pattern to a collection of URL patterns associated with the application.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising requesting the identifier from the user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a user-selectable module list to the user, the user-selectable module list containing at least one of an image and caption associated with each of the loaded modules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user-selectable module list is a drop down menu.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a module interface associated with at least one of the loaded modules.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the displayed module interface is an initial rendered state of the at least one of the loaded modules.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the displayed module interface is a last rendered state of the at least one of the loaded modules.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving an icon for each of the one or more modules.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining the one or more modules to be loaded for the application is performed when the application is requested by the user.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier identifies the device.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier identifies the user.

19. A method for accessing modules in an application, comprising:

while executing a first module, receiving, from a user, a request to execute a second module;

determining if the second module has been previously executed by the user;

if the second module is determined to have been previously executed by the user, retrieving a last rendered state of the second module, the last rendered state referring to a last state of the second module displayed to the user;

updating a user interface with the last rendered state of the second module;

receiving from the user a request for access to the first module while executing the second module;

saving a most recent rendered state of second module;

retrieving a last rendered state of the first module; and

updating the user interface with the last rendered state of the first module.