Method, computer readable medium and system for using large data sets in virtual applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619496-B2
Application number	US-201113328246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2011
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and system are disclosed. The system includes one or more first interfaces communicatively coupled to a data storage device and one or more second interfaces communicatively coupled to a user interface, the control module being configured to share data, retrieved from the data storage device, across a plurality of virtual applications. The system further includes an application controller communicatively coupled to the control module, the application controller being configured to select at least one of the virtual applications based on information received via the at least one of the one or more second interfaces.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor including
a control module including one or more first interfaces communicatively coupled to a data storage device, and one or more second interfaces communicatively coupled to a user interface, the control module being configured to retrieve data from the data storage device and share the data across a plurality of virtual applications of a single device, such that the plurality of virtual applications use a single instance of the shared data; and
an application controller communicatively coupled to the control module, the application controller being configured to select one or more of the plurality of virtual applications based on information received via at least one of the one or more second interfaces,

wherein the control module is configured to
receive the information from the user interface, the information including a selection of one or more virtual applications displayed on the user interface,
send a first message to the application controller based on the received information,
receive a second message from the application controller, the second message including an activation notification and a deactivation notification,
based on the activation notification, preload and associate the shared data with the selected one or more virtual applications by hosting ports for the selected one or more virtual applications to the shared data, and
based on the deactivation notification, save the shared data and disassociate a de-selected one or more other virtual applications from the shared data by removing ports for the de-selected one or more other virtual applications to the shared data; and

wherein, in response to receiving the first message, the application controller is configured to
determine, based on the first message, the one or more virtual applications to be selected and activated and the one or more other virtual applications to be de-selected and deactivated,
activate the determined one or more virtual applications,
deactivate the determined one or more other virtual applications,
send the second message to the control module, the second message indicating the activated one or more virtual applications and the de-activated one or more other virtual applications,
re-configure the activated one or more virtual applications with a pluggable extension code associated with a configuration file to configure a display format of the shared data,
and
send a third message to each of the determined one or more virtual applications to configure the shared data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor further comprises:
a hosting module, communicatively coupled to the control module and each of the plurality of virtual applications, the hosting module being configured to de-couple the plurality of virtual applications from at least one of the processor and an operating system associated with the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the hosting module is further configured to:
provide one or more mechanisms for at least one of editing, merge-back and providing an availability of editing of the shared data, and
reuse instances of the plurality of virtual applications if the processor receives an instruction to switch between the plurality of virtual applications without closing the plurality of virtual applications.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control module is further configured to associate the shared data by enabling the one or more virtual applications to modify the shared data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store a plurality of configuration files, the plurality of configuration files being associated with the control module and including information about virtual applications accessible using the user interface; wherein
the plurality of configuration files include the configuration file associated with the pluggable extension code.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of configuration files are dedicated files in a directory tree and include at least one of application name, position in a control area on the user interface and a link to a virtual application configuration file for each of the virtual applications accessible using the user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store a plurality of configuration files, each of the plurality of configuration files being associated with one of the plurality of virtual applications, such that one of the plurality of configuration files is processed when an associated virtual application is selected by the application controller; wherein
the plurality of configuration files include the configuration file associated with the pluggable extension code.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more second interfaces includes one or more user triggers for selecting one or more of the plurality of virtual applications.

9. A system, comprising:
a plurality of apparatuses, each of the plurality of apparatuses including at least one processor, and the plurality of apparatuses including
a plurality of control modules, at least a first of the plurality of control modules including one or more first interfaces communicatively coupled to a data storage device and one or more second interfaces communicatively coupled to a user interface, the first control module being configured to retrieve data from the data storage device and share the data across a plurality of virtual applications such that the plurality of virtual applications use a single instance of the shared data, and
a plurality of application controllers, at least a first of the plurality of application controllers being communicatively coupled to the first control module and configured to select one or more of the plurality of virtual applications based on information received via at least one of the one or more second interfaces;

a third interface configured to communicatively couple the plurality of control modules associated with the plurality of apparatuses;
a fourth interface configured to communicatively couple the plurality of application controllers associated with the plurality of apparatuses; and
a plurality of fifth interfaces, each of the plurality of fifth interfaces configured to communicatively couple two or more of the plurality of virtual applications associated with the plurality of apparatuses, each of the two or more virtual applications being associated with a different one of the plurality of apparatuses;
wherein at least the first of the plurality of control modules is configured to
receive the information from the user interface, the information including a selection of one or more virtual applications displayed on the user interface, and a de-selection of one or more other virtual applications,
send, based on the received information, a first message to the first application controller,
receive a second message from the first application controller, the second message including an activation notification and a deactivation notification,
based on the activation notification, preload and associate the shared data with the selected one or more virtual applications by hosting ports for the selected one or more virtual applications to the shared data, and
based on the deactivation notification, save the shared data and disassociate the de-selected one or more other virtual applications from the shared data by removing ports for the de-selected one or more other virtual applications to the shared data; and

wherein, in response to receiving the first message, the first application controller is configured to
determine, based on the first message, the one or more virt

Assignees

• Dominick Lutz
• Charrad Chiheb
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Dominick Lutz
• Charrad Chiheb

Classifications

• G06F17/30312 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F19/321

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F19/32

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F9/445

  Program loading or initiating (bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F19/30

  Physics · mapped topic