Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
  • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
  • G06F9/46—Multiprogramming arrangements
  • G06F9/54—Interprogram communication
  • G06F9/544—Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
  • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
  • G06F9/44—Arrangements for executing specific programs
  • G06F9/451—Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for arranging application interworking in an electronic device, and to an electronic device, and to a computer program product, and to an arrangement.
• Computing devices include a number of applications for various purposes.
• a laptop computer or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) device typically includes a browsing application, a word processing appli- cation, an email application, and a calendar application.
• Some very basic interworking features involving multiple applications are available: A second application may be launched from a first application.
• a word processing application may be launched in response to a user opening an email attachment file.
• Another example of an action involving two applications is the copy-paste operation provided by an operating system, in which a content item copied in a working area of a first application may be pasted in a working area of a second application.
• US 5,535,323 discloses a method and system for displaying context-sensitive and application-independent help information.
• the process is application-independent and provides context-sensitive help information for a particular subject selected by the user.
• the help information is customized to the needs of an individual user.
• the process also automatically provides help information for the particular subject matter selected by the user from other contexts without having the user select the other contexts or even know about the existence of the other contexts.
• a content item associated with a first operation in a first application is automatically defined as a candidate for use in another application.
• a user is provided with a possibility to carry out a second operation associated with the content item for a second application.
• the term "application” is to be understood broadly. For instance, separate states or sub-programs of application software or an operating sys- tern could be considered as separate applications in the present application interworking context.
• the first application may be a first application instance or entity and the second application may be a second application instance or entity of application software.
• the definition of the content item does not necessarily refer to the definition of a specific con- tent item but may refer to a selection or definition of a group of content items, for instance on the basis of a content item type.
• a record indicative of the content item is stored in response to detecting the first operation, and the content item is defined as a candidate for use in another application on the basis of the stored record.
• the first operation is a selection or addition of a data file, such as an image file
• the second operation is a submission of content of the data file to a working area of the second application.
• the data file content is submitted to the working area of the second application in response to detecting a user input for selecting the data file.
• the possibility to provide the content item for the user is arranged if the second application or the current state of the second application supports the data file type or in re- sponse to the second application entering a predetermined state.
• Embodiments of the invention provide several advantages.
• a content item, such as an edited file, in use in one application may be automatically provided for use in another application. This enhances usability in comparison with a conventional scenario in which a user needs to go through several steps before a file is opened in a newly entered application.
• By utilizing prior knowledge obtained from a previously used application or content it is possible to offer to a user content or functions that may be useful in another application.
• Usage scenarios and tasks involving the use of more than one application are becoming more common, and there are more situations in which the present functionality makes it easier for the user to perform desired tasks related to a content item.
• a newly captured image file may need to be further edited in an image editor application, attached to a contact card in a contacts application, and attached to an email message in an email editor.
• Figure 2 illustrates the usage of a virtual file storage
• FIG. 3 illustrates a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention
• Figure 4 illustrates a supplementary method according to an em- bodiment of the invention
• Figure 6 illustrates a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• the electronic device may be a mobile station used as a terminal in telecommunication systems comprising one or more base stations.
• the device could be used for short-range communication, such as one implemented with a Bluetooth chip, an infrared or WLAN connection.
• the portable electronic device could be a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) device including the necessary telecommunication means for establishing a network connection, or a PDA device that can be coupled to a mobile telephone, for instance, for a network connection.
• the present features could be implemented in a laptop or desktop computer, an accessory device, or a com- puting device including no telecommunication means.
• the electronic device could be a browsing device, a digital entertainment device, such as a personal or a domestic single or multimedia player, or a game console.
• FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the structure of an electronic de- vice to which the present invention is applicable.
• a control unit 100 typically implemented by means of a microprocessor and software or separate components, controls at least some functions of the device.
• a user interface of the device comprises an input device 104, in this embodiment a touch sensitive detector, audio output means including a loudspeaker 110, and a display 102.
• the user interface of the device may include other parts, such as a microphone, a speech recognizer, a speech synthesizer, and/or a keypad part.
• the device of Figure 1 such as a mobile station, also includes communication means 108 that implement the functions of a mobile station and include speech and channel coders, modulators, and RF parts.
• the device may also comprise an antenna and a memory 106.
• Inputs from the user of the electronic device are received by means of the input device 104.
• the control unit 100 is connected to the display 102 and configured to control different application views on the display 102.
• the control unit 100 receives user input commands from the input device 104.
• the input device 104 receives user inputs for selecting available options in application specific views and for navigating in different operating modes of the electronic device, such as navigating in menu structures, in application views, or between applications.
• the control unit 100 interprets the detected selections to the user input device 104, performs given software functions based thereon and, as a result of the performed software functions, defines and displays an updated view on the display 104.
• Computer program codes executed in a processing unit of the electronic device may be used for arranging the electronic device to implement the control unit 100 and in particular cause the control unit 100 to provide inventive functions relating to arranging interworking between applications in the electronic device, some embodiments of the inventive functions being illustrated below.
• Hardware modules for the electronic device may, in one embodiment, cause the device to perform the inventive features illustrated below.
• the hard- ware module comprises connecting means for connecting the electronic device mechanically and/or functionally.
• the hardware module may form part of the device and could be removable. For instance, such a hardware module could be a sub-assembly or an accessory.
• Computer program codes can be received via a network and/or be stored in memory means, for instance on a disk, a CD-ROM disk, or other external memory means, from which they can be loaded into the memory 106 of the electronic device.
• the computer pro- gram can also be loaded through a network by using a TCP/IP protocol stack, for instance.
• Hardware solutions or a combination of hardware and software solutions may be used to implement the inventive functions.
• control unit 100 may be distributed among a plurality of units.
• the functions of the control unit 100 may be implemented as a program modification to the application software, operating system software, and/or as a separate program controlling the operation of the processing unit 100.
• a first operation or an action to a first application in the electronic device is directly or indirectly associated with a content item, such as an image file.
• the first operation may be the edition of a message or capturing of an image.
• the content item is automati- cally selected for offer to one or more other applications, and the user is provided with a possibility to carry out a second operation associated with the content item when operating in a second application.
• the use of content items for multiple applications is easy for the user.
• there are shortcut buttons or icons enabling direct change between applications instead of needing first to go to an applications menu. Especially in such devices it is likely that a user wishes to use a content item in multiple applications, in which the present embodiments provide substantial advantages.
• Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment in which a first application 202 and a second application 204 use a virtual file storage 210.
• Information on the offered content is stored in the virtual file storage 210.
• an identifier and/or locator of a content item is stored in the virtual file storage 210.
• Property information on the content may also be stored, for instance the MIME (multi-purpose Internet mail extensions) type of a content item.
• the virtual file storage 210 may be implemented by temporarily storing content item informa- tion in a specific storage position in the memory 106.
• An application 202, 204 may function as an information provider to or as an information retriever from the virtual file storage 210.
• the first operation is carried out in the first application 202, in response to which the first application 202 automatically selects a file, which may be an object of the first operation, for offer and stores at least identification information on the file in the virtual file storage 210.
• application in- stances for instance separate modes or sub-processes of an application, may be considered as separate applications 202, 204 in the present context.
• Figure 3 illustrates a method applying the virtual file storage 210 according to an embodiment.
• a first operation or an input for the first operation is detected in a first, currently actively used, application 202.
• the first operation is performed in the first application 202 in response to the user input.
• a content item associated with the first operation is selected or determined.
• a record comprising content item information is stored 306 in the virtual file storage 210. It is to be noted that steps 304 and 306 may be carried out immediately after step 302 or later, for instance when the first application is being closed or an input for changing the second application 206 has been detected. Later the second application 204 may be selected 308 as the currently actively used application. This typically means that a second application- specific view, for instance a message editor view, is displayed and application- specific inputs are available.
• the second application 204 may be started or it may already be running and activated from the background in step 308.
• the virtual file storage 210 is checked for any or appropriate content for offer to the second application 204 in step 310, i.e. the routine checks whether any appropriate content items exist. If there is an appropriate content item available, at least an indication of such a content item is retrieved 310 from the virtual file storage 210.
• the content item is offered for user selection in step 312, for in- stance by prompting the user to select whether the content item is to be opened for the second application or by providing a user selectable icon or other display element representing the content item on the display 102.
• a button may be associated with the action to confirm the selection, or the user may, by some other input method, indicate that the content item is selected.
• the process waits for any user response and in step 314 checks if an input is received for selecting the offered content item. If so, a second operation associated with the content item is carried out 316.
• the second operation may be an attachment or inclusion of the content item to the working area of the second application 204 or to an object in the second application 204, but is not limited to these actions.
• the content item may be retrieved from the memory 106 through a pointer from the virtual file storage 210, or the content item may be directly available from the virtual file storage 210.
• the second action may be provided only by using an identifier of the content item.
• the indication of the available content item may also be removed in step 316, for instance the selectable icon is removed from the display view.
• step 318 may in step 318 either return to wait for further user input or end the provision of the available content item.
• a timer is started in step 312 and the process monitors user inputs for selecting the content item until the timer expires.
• the content item information may be removed 320 from the virtual file storage 210.
• the first application 202 may be arranged to perform steps 302 to 306, and the second application 204 may be arranged to perform steps 308 to 320.
• a specific control process may be arranged to perform the above-mentioned steps.
• the content should be clearly selected in the first application 202.
• step 304 or 306 there may be an additional checking step in connection with step 304 or 306, on the basis of which it is determined whether information is stored in the virtual file storage 210. For instance, the user may be prompted to select whether the content items is offered for use in other applications. Alternatively, there may be a user definable setting, on the basis of which the process automatically determines whether information on the content item is stored to the virtual file storage 210. This embodiment enables the user to determine which content is made available across application boundaries. As regards the provision of the content item for user selection (step
• step 312 is initiated in response to receiving an input from the user selecting a specific mode or a field for which the content item is suitable. For instance, an image is provided for user selection in an MMS editor only after the user has activated an image field or menu in the MMS editor.
• an image is not provided for user selection in an initial text field view of a contact management application, but the image may be provided for selection after the user enters a specific field of a selected contact card in which an image may be attached.
• a field may be predefined as a trigger for initiating step in the control unit 100 or the application.
• step 310 or 312 may be re-initiated in a specific state of the second application 204.
• the second action for the user-selected content item may be the submission of the contents of a data file (being the content item) to a working area of the second application 204 in step 316.
• the content item is attached to an object, such as another file, selected in, available in, or processed by the second application 204.
• the sec- ond action may be arranged on the basis of the current state or context of the second application 204.
• the second operation is determined application-specifically, whereby predefined settings may define the action for the user-selected content item.
• the second application 204 is used before the first application 202.
• contents of the application here the first application 202
• the definition and storage of the content item information in steps 304 and 306 may be arranged on the basis of an application used earlier.
• the content item information may be intended spe- cifically for the second application 204 on the basis of the prior actions in the second application.
• Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment according to which a further check for the type of the content item is performed.
• the features of Figure 4 may be carried out in connection with step 308 or 310.
• step 402 the type of the content item available in the virtual file storage 210 is checked.
• steps 404 and 406 the process determines whether the content item is ap- intestinalte for the application and/or the current state thereof. If not, the content item is not provided for the user and the process ends 410. It should be noted that there may be a plurality of offered content items in the virtual file storage 210, whereby the process of Figure 4 (as well as steps 310 to 320 of Figure 3) may be carried out for each content item.
• the process may provide 308 an appropriate content item available for selection by the user, for instance it may display an icon or prompt for the user to select.
• This embodiment makes it possible to provide the content item for the user only if the content item may be appropriately displayed or otherwise processed in the second application 204. For instance, the suitability of a content item may be determined on the basis of MIME types supported by the application.
• different applications are provided with different actions as regards the available offered content items (in the virtual file storage 210). For instance, if a user goes to a notes application after capturing an im- age, the control unit 100 may in this context provide only the image(s) in the virtual data storage 210 available for user selection, i.e. carry out steps 312 to 320 of Figure 3. There are many alternatives for how different procedures may be selected for separate applications.
• an application- specific rule and/or binding information is stored in the electronic device. The control unit 100 is configured to select an application-specific procedure on the basis of this information in connection with storing the content item information and/or after changing to the second application.
• application-specific content types may be specified, and the procedure may be selected on the basis of the type of the offered content item. Since there may be content items of different media types in the virtual file storage 210, the second application 204 may be arranged to selectively retrieve only information on the content items of a media type supported by the second application 204.
• binding information between alternative procedures and content item types may be stored in the electronic device. If the application supports the content item type, there may be a further check (in step 416), in which the procedure for providing the content item for user selection is defined. In addition to the already illustrated menu option procedure, other procedures may also be applied, for instance the provision of the content item is arranged for a third application activated later or already active.
• the content item is already bound to one or more applications on the basis of the information in the virtual file storage 210.
• an application identifier may be stored with the content item information to indicate appropriate applications. On the basis of the application information, the content item information is retrieved and provided for user selection only for those applications with which the content item is associated in the virtual file storage 210.
• information in the virtual file storage 210 is utilized for defining one or more further operations for the content item in the sec- ond application.
• Specific information for defining the second operation in step 316 may be stored in the storage 210 or the content item information from the storage may define the second operation.
• An operation appropriate for the content item may be defined after retrieving 310 the information from the virtual file storage 210.
• the defined operation may be displayed for the user in step 312. This embodiment makes it possible to specify and offer for user selection an action for the content item.
• the second operation is defined on the basis of the content item type. There may be predefined settings defining the definition of the operation. For instance, for image files the second operation may be predefined as an attachment operation.
• Figure 5 illustrates some exemplary transitions between certain applications or views in an electronic device.
• the Notes application is first used and then the Images application is activated.
• the contents of the Notes application cannot be used 500 in the Images application.
• the content of the Images application may be offered 502 for user selection. If a specific image has been clearly identified or selected in the Images application, a possibility to attach the image to a note edited in the Notes application may be provided for the user.
• a wallpaper may be set to a basic view (idle view) of the device.
• the user selects 510 a Camera application from the Idle view and then captures 512 an image.
• the user may be provided with an option to set 514 the captured image as the wallpaper of the Idle view.
• control unit 100 may be configured to proceed with another option.
• control unit 100 is arranged to add the possibility as a menu option.
• the features illustrated above may be applied for storing information on offered content items and for arranging the offering of content items between applications.
• General prerequisites for offering content items to the second application 204 are that a content item to be offered can be identified in the first application 202 and that the second application 204 is in a state in which the second action (in step 316 of Figure 3) may be provided.
• the second application 204 needs to be in a state in which the content item may be submitted to the working area of the second application 204.
• a content item may be associated with diverse information in the virtual file storage 210 that can be utilized in the above embodiments.
• the content item may be a contact card including information on multiple MIME types.
• Such a content item may be associated with multiple MIME types in the virtual file storage 210, or alternatively multiple en- tries relating to the content item are stored.
• multiple pointers or addresses may be stored for a content item in the virtual file storage 210.
• there may be application-specific portions in the virtual file storage 210, and/or the applications 202, 204 (or the control process providing the above illustrated interworking) are arranged to retrieve only some information from the virtual file storage 210.
• the second application 204 may be arranged to retrieve only information having a specific MIME type, in which case the checking procedure of Figure 4 would not be necessary.
• the application entities 202, 204 are configured to directly communicate with each other.
• the first application 202 is configured to submit the content item or at least identification of the content item (associated with a first function in the first application) to the second application 204.
• a third entity for instance a specific control process or an operating system feature, detects the need to deliver information on the content item and delivers at least an indication of the content item to the second application 204. For instance, the indication of the content item may be delivered when the user activates the second application 204.
• the content item is made avail- able to a user already during the use of the first application 202.
• the second application 204 is first used and during the usage of the first application, it may be noticed that a specific content item associated with the first action in the first application may be provided for the second application.
• the user may be given, even during the operation in the first appli- cation, the possibility to select the content item for the second application.
• the second application used earlier may even be already closed when the user is given the option of selecting the content item for the second application: If the user decides to select the content item for (an object processed by) the second application, the second application may again be activated.
• information is stored on a content item that is desired by an application 202, 204.
• a specific storage herein referred to as virtual requirements storage, in which indications of the desired or required contents are stored.
• the virtual requirements storage can be used by the applications 202, 204 in a similar fashion as the virtual file storage 210.
• information on specific content items, content item groups, and/or content item types (or other content item properties) may be stored in the virtual requirements storage.
• This embodiment allows applications to indicate to other applications what kind of contents they could utilize and which content would be desirable.
• Such a virtual requirements storage may be applied to the above embodiment where on the basis of an indication provided by the second application the first application detects that a content item in the first applica- tion should be made available to the user.
• Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment that utilizes the virtual requirements storage.
• content item information on a desired content item(s) or content item type(s) is specified in step 604. This information may be defined on the basis of capabilities and/or the current status or context of the first application. For instance, the first application may define that content items of a specific image MIME type would be desirable.
• the content item information is stored in the virtual requirements storage, in which case the content item information establishes a requirement. This requirement is associated with an identifier of the first application.
• the second application checks 610 the information in the virtual requirements storage to determine if it can serve the content item requirements of other applications. This step may be carried out immediately after step 608 or at a specific operation context of the second application 204, directly or indirectly on the basis of a user input to the second application. For instance, step 610 may be carried out after a specific context item has been created or selected. In another embodiment, preliminary checking steps are automatically performed and step 616 is initiated only after such a trigger. In steps 612 and 614, routine checks if there is an appropriate content item matching the requirement retrieved from the virtual requirements storage. The features illustrated above in connection with Figure 4 may also be applied to steps 612, 614.
• the properties of one or more content items available or selected in the second application may be compared with the content item information of the requirement. If there is no matching context item, the process may end or return to step 612. If there is a matching content item, the content item may be made available for user selection. Features already illustrated in steps 312 to 320 may be applied.
• the second action carried out in response to the user se- lecting the content item affects the first application 202 or an object of the first application 202 that has requested the content item.
• the second application may be the Imaging application and initiate the attachment of an image to a note of the Notes application (which is the first application).
• the content item information may be removed from the storage.
• an example in which the virtual requirements storage could further be applied is illustrated in the following.
• an initial application view (of the Messaging application) is a message list view and an image gallery is ac- Waitd
• the image gallery cannot provide the possibility to attach an image to the functions of the previous application (since a message to which the image should be attached is not known).
• the Messaging application was in a multimedia message editing state prior to changing to the Imaging application, the image could be attached to the multimedia message.
• the Messaging application could store a requirement on the basis of the multimedia messaging state indicating the desirability of an image.
• the image may be attached to the multimedia message by the second application 204 (if it is capable of doing so) on the basis of a multimedia message identifier, such as a pointer to the multimedia message file.
• the first application 202 arranges the attachment of the image on the basis of the submission of the image by the second application 204 after user selection.
• control unit 100 is automatically arranged to indicate to the user an application for which a content item is provided and/or an application for which a content item is desired. Such an indica- tion may be arranged in connection with step 312, 604, 606, or 616. This indication may be displayed by a specific information element for the application. For instance, the control unit 100 may be arranged to display a specific icon for the application in a desktop view or start-up menu, or a specific icon or other selectable indication is specifically brought out for the user's attention. The user may then select to access the suggested application and select a content item for the application.
• the first application 202 illustrated above may reside in one device and the second application 204 in another device.
• Both devices comprise a transceiver and communicate directly over a local wired or wireless connection or via one or more intermediate networks, such as a mobile communications network.
• Such communication could be arranged by Bluetooth or another local area wireless networking technique, via the Internet, and/or via a public mobile communications network system (PLMN).
• PLMN public mobile communications network system
• This embodiment fa- cilitates content offering between devices and, according to another aspect, informing other devices of the desired content.
• the devices are thus arranged to exchange information on offered content items and/or desired content items by specific messages and/or via a common storage 210.
• Such a storage for multiple devices may reside in a separate server or in one or more of the elec- tronic devices.
• a messaging application in a personal wireless communications handset, a laptop, or a PDA is active or activated, an image captured or stored in a connected digital camera device is provided for a user to select for the messaging application.

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=38048320

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2005
  • 2005-11-17 WO PCT/FI2005/050420 patent/WO2007057499A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2005-11-17 EP EP05812725A patent/EP1949264A4/de not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events