Asynchronous queued messaging for web applications

• US 8,949,344 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lawrence, Eric M., Dutta, Sunava, Ananthanarayanan, Ganesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US12/210,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,332 Days
• Field of Search: 709206-207, 709/224, 709/227, 709/234, 709204-205, 370/408, 719/314, 719311-312, 719328-329, 715/736, 715/802, 715804-805
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Various embodiments enable local web applications to communicate asynchronously with web based services and applications based on a local device'"'"'s current state and a user'"'"'s communications preferences. In at least some embodiments, a synchronization engine receives a message in a “Web Inbox” from a web based service or application. In at least some embodiments, the synchronization engine notifies a local web application of the message, sends the message to the web application, and/or loads the web application if it is not in session. The web application'"'"'s response to the message may be transferred to a “Web Outbox” where it resides until being sent to the web service. The synchronization engine then determines a time to transmit the response to the web service by querying the local device for its current state and a user'"'"'s communication preferences.

Claims

1. A method of asynchronously communicating with a web application, comprising:

receiving one or more messages from one or more web applications residing on a local device at a first box that facilitates communication for the local device between the one or more web applications and one or more local applications that also reside on the local device and that are intended recipients of the one or more messages from the one or more web applications;

determining whether the one or more local applications are in session and whether to load the one or more local applications responsive to determining that the one or more local applications are not in session, wherein the determining is performed to ascertain a message-related action to be performed;

responsive to performing the message-related action, receiving one or more responses to the one or more messages from one or more local applications residing on the local device at a second box of the local device, wherein the first and second boxes facilitate communication for the local device of the one or more responses to one or more web services when the one or more web applications are not in session;

transferring the one or more responses from the second box to a third box of the local device for transmission to the one or more web services, wherein the transferring to the third box is performed through the one or more web applications when those applications are in session;

determining a time to transmit the one or more responses to the one or more web services; and

transmitting the one or more responses from the third box to the one or more web services at a determined time.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more web applications comprise a web browser application.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the time is determined based on at least one of a network connection, a processor usage, or a user'"'"'s communication preferences.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the network connection is evaluated based on at least one of a type of network connection, a transmission rate, or a stability of the network connection.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises transferring the one or more messages from the first box to the one or more local applications.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises notifying the one or more local applications of the one or more messages in the first box.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are not in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises loading the one or more local applications.

8. A system for asynchronously communicating with a web application and embodied in a computing device, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

computer-readable storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform operations comprising;

receiving one or more messages from one or more web applications residing on a local device at a first box that facilitates communication for the local device between the one or more web applications and one or more local applications that also reside on the local device and that are intended recipients of the one or more messages from the one or more web applications;

determining whether the one or more local applications are in session and whether to load the one or more local applications responsive to determining that the one or more local applications are not in session, wherein the determining is performed to ascertain a message-related action to be performed;

responsive to performing the message-related action, receiving one or more responses to the one or more messages from one or more local applications residing on the local device at a second box of the local device, wherein the first and second boxes facilitate communication for the local device of the one or more responses to one or more web services when the one or more web applications are not in session;

transferring the one or more responses from the second box to a third box of the local device for transmission to the one or more web services, wherein the transferring to the third box is performed through the one or more web applications when those applications are in session;

determining a time to transmit the one or more responses to the one or more web services; and

transmitting the one or more responses from the third box to the one or more web services at a determined time.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the one or more web applications comprise a web browser application.

10. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the time is determined based on at least one of a network connection, a processor usage, or a user'"'"'s communication preferences.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the network connection is evaluated based on at least one of a type of network connection, a transmission rate, or a stability of the network connection.

12. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises transferring the one or more messages from the first box to the one or more local applications.

13. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises notifying the one or more local applications of the one or more messages in the first box.

14. A system as recited in claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are not in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises loading the one or more local applications.

15. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more messages from one or more web applications residing on a local device at a first box that facilitates communication for the local device between the one or more web applications and one or more local applications that also reside on the local device and that are intended recipients of the one or more messages from the one or more web applications;

determining whether the one or more local applications are in session and whether to load the one or more local applications responsive to determining that the one or more local applications are not in session, wherein the determining is performed to ascertain a message-related action to be performed;

responsive to performing the message-related action, receiving one or more responses to the one or more messages from one or more local applications residing on the local device at a second box of the local device, wherein the first and second boxes facilitate communication for the local device of the one or more responses to one or more web services when the one or more web applications are not in session;

transferring the one or more responses from the second box to a third box of the local device for transmission to the one or more web services, wherein the transferring to the third box is performed through the one or more web applications when those applications are in session;

determining a time to transmit the one or more responses to the one or more web services, and

transmitting the one or more responses from the third box to the one or more web services at a determined time.

16. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the time is determined based on at least one of a network connection, a processor usage, or a user'"'"'s communication preferences.

17. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device as recited in claim 16, wherein the network connection is evaluated based on at least one of a type of network connection, a transmission rate, or a stability of the network connection.

18. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises transferring the one or more messages from the first box to the one or more local applications.

19. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message-related action comprises notifying the one or more local applications of the one or more messages in the first box.

20. One or more computer-readable hardware storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the operation further comprise:

responsive to determining the one or more local applications are not in session, performing the message-related action, wherein the message related action comprises loading the one or more local applications.