Dynamic containerization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9170808-B2
Application number	US-201314074579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2013
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 27, 2015
Grant date	Oct 27, 2015

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a container is downloaded, the container being an application natively executable by a first operating system of the user device, the container including: a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system; a browser; container metadata defining functions of the application, the functions compatible with the container service for the first operating system and also compatible with a container service for a second operating system; and a plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system. Then, the container metadata can be executed using the browser, causing function calls to the container service and plug-in and thus controlling native functions of the user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a user device, the method comprising:
downloading, from a server to the user device, a container, the container being an application natively executable by a first operating system of the user device, the container including:
a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system;
a browser;
container metadata defining functions of the application, the functions compatible with the container service for the first operating system and also compatible with a container service for a second operating system; and
a plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system, the plug-in providing more simplified access to a native function of the user device than is provided by native function calls of the user device;

storing the container on the user device; and
executing, on the user device, the container metadata using the browser, causing function calls to the container service and plug-in and thus controlling native functions of the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in provides access to a camera of the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in provides access to an accelerometer of the user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in provides access to a contact list of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container metadata is designed in an open, standards-based protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in is a logon plugin that provides a login screen where a user can enter values needed to connect to a server, which stores those values in a secure data vault.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in is a settings plug-in that provides the ability to trigger an operation on a server to allow an application to store device and user settings on the client device for later use.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in is an application update plug-in that provides server-based updates to application content and manages processes of checking, downloading, and installing updates to the application.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in is an authorization proxy plug-in that automates a process of accepting certificates returned by a call to a web resource.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in is a logger plug-in allowing an application designer to log messages.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plug-in is a push notification plug-in that enables notification capability for applications.

12. A method for designing an application to be executed on user devices having different operating system, the method comprising:
downloading a container for a first operating system, the container for the first operating system including a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system, and a browser;
downloading a first plug-in, the first plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system the first plug-in providing more simplified access to a native function of a user device than is provided by native function calls of the user device;
defining container metadata specifying functions on the application and containing calls to the libraries in the container service for the first operating system and the first plug-in;
building a first version of the application from the container for the first operating system, the first plug-in, and the container metadata;
downloading a container for a second operating system, the container for the second operating system including a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by the container designer to natively operate on the second operating system, and a browser;
downloading a second plug-in, the second plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the second operating system; and
building a second version of the application from the container for the second operating system, the second plug-in, and the container metadata.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising registering the first version of the application and the second version of the application with an app store for distribution to user devices.

14. A user device comprising:
a processor;
a memory;
a first operating system;
a container, stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the container including
a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system;
a browser;
container metadata defining functions of an application, the functions compatible with the container service for the first operating system and also compatible with a container service for a second operating system; and
a plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system, the plug-in providing more simplified access to a native function of the user device than is provided by native function calls of the user device;

the processor configured to run the browser using the container metadata, causing function calls to the container service and plug-in and thus controlling native functions of the user device.

15. The user device of claim 14 , wherein the user device is a wireless mobile device.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines, cause the one or more machines to perform operations comprising:
downloading, from a server to the user device, a container, the container being an application natively executable by a first operating system of the user device, the container including:
a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system;
a browser;
container metadata defining functions of the application, the functions compatible with the container service for the first operating system and also compatible with a container service for a second operating system; and
a plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system, the plug-in providing more simplified access to a native function of the user device than is provided by native function calls of the user device;

storing the container on the user device; and
executing, on the user device, the container metadata using the browser, causing function calls to the container service and plug-in and thus controlling native functions of the user device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the plug-in provides more simplified access to a native function of the user device than is provided by native function calls of the user device.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein container metadata is designed in an open, standards-based protocol.

Assignees

• Sethi Raman
• Kueh Anthony Y
• Mall Sanjeet
• Pridham Marcus
• Waldthausen Marc
• Strobel Scott
• Li Jonathan
• Lee Andrew
• Sap Se

Inventors

• Sethi Raman
• Kueh Anthony Y
• Mall Sanjeet
• Pridham Marcus
• Waldthausen Marc
• Strobel Scott
• Li Jonathan
• Lee Andrew

Classifications

• G06F9/44521

  Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading · CPC title

• G06F8/30 Primary

  Creation or generation of source code · CPC title

• G06F8/61

  Installation · CPC title

• G06F8/36

  Software reuse · CPC title

• G06F9/44526

  Plug-ins; Add-ons · CPC title