DYNAMIC CUSTOMIZATION OF CLIENT BEHAVIOR

• US 20170168657A1
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mortensen, Joern Lindhard, Drollinger, Robert Aron, Argutin, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,558,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles

Abstract

A dynamic customization system provides custom behavior for an application that has client code with an extensibility point and that has server code. An entity that uses the application provides a specification of custom behavior for the extensibility point to an extensibility server. The specification specifies an operation to perform after an occurrence of an extensibility event of the extensibility point during execution of the client code. A client executing the client code retrieves an indication of an extensibility server. The client then retrieves from the extensibility server a specification of the custom behavior for the extensibility point. After the occurrence of the extensibility event, the client sends to an operation server a request to perform the operation. The client may then receive from the operation server a response indicating the status of the request.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device for providing custom behavior for an application having client code, the application having an extensibility point, the method comprising:

during execution of the client code by the computing device,

receiving an indication of an extensibility server;

retrieving from the extensibility server a specification of custom behavior for the extensibility point, the specification specifying an operation to perform after an occurrence of an extensibility event of the extensibility point during execution of the client code; and

after the occurrence of the extensibility event,

sending to an operation server a request to perform the operation; and

receiving from the operation server a response indicating status of the request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the application includes server code and an entity that uses the application provides the specification of custom behavior for the application so that users associated with the entity that uses the client code have access to the custom behavior.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein different entities that use the application provide different specifications of custom behavior so that users associated with different entities use the same client code but have different custom behavior.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein different applications of the entity use the same extensibility server and specifications of custom behavior so that users associated with the entity have access to the same custom behavior with different applications.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to execution of the client code, downloading the client code from an application server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the client code does not support plug-ins.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of custom behavior further specifies a parameter that the client code is to provide when sending the request to perform the operation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of custom behavior further specifies a user interface to display for the extensibility point.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the extensibility event occurs when a user has a certain interaction with the user interface.

10. A server for providing custom behavior for an application having client code and server code, the client code having an extensibility point, the server comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium storing;

computer-executable instructions that receive from a client executing the client code a request for a specification of custom behavior for the extensibility point;

computer-executable instructions that access the specification of custom behavior for the extensibility point, the specification of custom behavior specifying an operation that the client code is to perform after an occurrence of an extensibility event of the extensibility point during execution of the client code; and

computer-executable instructions that, in response to receiving the request for the specification of custom behavior, send to the client the specification of custom behavior; and

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions.

11. The server of claim 10 further comprising:

computer-executable instructions that, after the extensibility event occurs during execution of the client code, receive from the client a request to perform the operation; and

computer-executable instructions that, in response to receiving the request to perform the operation, perform the operation.

12. The server of claim 11 wherein the operation is performed by the server code.

13. The server of claim 11 wherein the operation is performed by code that is not part of the application.

14. The server of claim 11 wherein the specification of custom behavior further specifies a parameter that the client code is to provide when sending the request to perform the operation.

15. The server of claim 10 wherein the specification of custom behavior identifies that the operation is to be performed by another server.

16. The server of claim 10 wherein the specification of custom behavior further specifies a user interface to display for the extensibility point.

17. The server of claim 11 wherein the extensibility event occurs when a user has a certain interaction with the user interface.

18. One or more computer-readable mediums storing computer-executable instructions of an application having an extensibility point, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions of client code that, when executed by a client,

receive an indication of an extensibility server;

retrieve from a server a specification of custom behavior for the extensibility point, the specification of custom behavior specifying an operation to perform after an occurrence of an extensibility event of the extensibility point during execution of the client code; and

after the occurrence of the extensibility event, send to the server a request to perform the operation; and

instructions of server code that, when executed by the server,

provide to the client the specification of custom behavior for the extensibility point;

after the extensibility event occurs during execution of the client code at the client, receive from the client a request to perform the operation; and

in response to receiving the request to perform the operation, perform the operation.

19. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 18 wherein the specification of custom behavior further specifies a parameter that the client code is to provide when sending the request to perform the operation.

20. The one or more computer-readable mediums of claim 18 wherein the specification of custom behavior further specifies a user interface to display for the extensibility point.