Method and system for invoking an application in response to a trigger event

• US 8,978,047 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hill, Seth, Patil, Abhishek, Balasubramanian, Guru, Baurmann, Travis, Mohapatra, Bibhudendu, Saha, Dipendu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, H S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Onat, Umut
• Application Number:
  US13/296,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for invoking a software application comprising: executing a first application on a user device; detecting a trigger event on the user device, the trigger event is non-specific and external to the first application and a second application; invoking the second application in response to the trigger event; sending metadata from the first application to the second application; and performing an action in the second application based at least partially on the metadata received from the first application, wherein, the first application and the second application are not operating system processes, and the second application is separate and independent from the first application.

Claims

1. A method for invoking a software application, the method comprising:

executing a first media player application on a user device;

receiving, by the first media player application, a media stream from a media source connected to the user device;

detecting a disconnection of the media source event on the user device while the first media player application is an active application displayed on a display screen of the user device, the disconnection of the media source event is non-specific and external to the first media player application and a second media player application;

invoking the second media player application in response to the disconnection of the media source event;

sending metadata from the first media player application to the second media player application in response to the disconnection of the media source event, the metadata comprising at least one of;

program summary, cast names, and genre of the media content being played in the first media player application; and

performing an action in the second media player application based at least partially on the metadata received from the first media player application,

wherein, the first media player application and the second media player application are not operating system processes, and the second media player application is separate and independent from the first media player application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the metadata further comprises program name of the media content being played in the first media player application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein,

the first media player application and the second media player application share a display screen on the user device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing a pinch gesture on a touch input device of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the action performed in the second media player application is retrieving information from a remote server using at least part of a content of the metadata.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a reverse trigger event on the user device; and

minimizing or terminating the second media player application in response to the reverse trigger event.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending metadata from the second media player application to the first media player application; and

performing an action in the first media player application based at least partially on the metadata received from the second media player application.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

causing a display device to display of a list of application for user selection; and

receiving a user application selection prior to invoking the second media player application.

9. A user device for running multiple software applications comprising:

a processor;

a trigger sensor; and

a memory;

wherein, upon execution of executable program instructions by the processor, the user device is configured to;

run a first media player application;

receive, by the first media player application, a media stream from a media source connected to the user device;

receive a disconnection of the media source signal from the trigger sensor while the first media player application is an active application displayed on a display screen of the user device, the trigger sensor sensing a disconnection of the media source that is non-specific and external to the first media player application;

invoke a second media player application stored on the memory in response to the disconnection of the media source signal;

transfer metadata from the first media player application to the second media player application in response to the disconnection of the media source signal, the metadata comprising at least one of;

program summary, cast names, and genre of the media content being played in the first media player application; and

perform an action in the second media player application based at least partially on the metadata,

wherein, the first media player application and the second media player application are not operating system processes, and the second media player application is separate and independent from the first media player application.

10. The user device of claim 9 further comprising:

a network interface,

wherein the second media player application communicates with a remote server through the network interface based at least partially on the metadata.

11. The user device of claim 9 further comprising:

a port for connecting the user device to a physical connection,

wherein the trigger sensor outputs the disconnection of the media source signal when the trigger sensor detects a disconnection at the port.

12. The user device of claim 9 further comprising:

a touch input device,

wherein, the trigger sensor outputs a trigger signal when a pinch gesture is performed on the touch input device.

13. The user device of claim 9 further comprising:

the display screen,

wherein, prior to the disconnection of the media source signal, the processor causes the first media player application to be displayed on the display screen, and

after the receiving of the disconnection of the media source signal, the processor causes the first media player application and the second media player application to be both displayed on the display screen.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining the action to be performed in the second media player application based on a content of the metadata from the first media player application.

14. A method for running multiple software applications with an application manager on a user device, the method comprising:

receiving a media stream from a media source connected to the user device;

detecting a disconnection of the media source event on the user device, the disconnection of the media source event being non-specific and external to each one of one or more other media player applications running on the user device;

identifying one of the one or more other media player applications running on the user device to be a first media player application recognized by the application manager, wherein the first media player application is an active application displayed on a display screen of the user device;

causing metadata to be transferred between the first media player application and a second media player application in response to the disconnection of the media source event, the metadata comprising at least one of;

program summary, cast names, and genre of the media content being played in the first media player application; and

causing the media player second application to perform an action based at least partially on metadata from the first media player application,

wherein the first media player application and the second media player application are not operating system processes, and the first media player application, the second media player application, and the application manager are each separate processes.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

performing a look up for base applications associated with the disconnection of the media source event in response to detecting the disconnection of the media source event;

identifying the first media player application as one of the base applications associated with the disconnection of the media source event;

performing a look up for triggered applications associated with the first media player application; and

identifying the second media player application as a triggered application associated with the first media player application.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

causing the first media player application to perform an action based at least partially on metadata from the second media player application.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

detecting a reverse trigger even on the user device; and

terminating the metadata transfer between the first media player application and the second media player application.