Transparent virtual machine for mobile applications
View Patent ↗The inclusion of metadata within an application description file allows a virtual machine to create an application descriptor file that may be registered with the mobile device operating system so that an icon associated with the application description file may be displayed in the main ribbon. Execution of an application defined by the application definition file may then be initiated by the selection, by the user, of the icon that is associated with the application definition file. This improves over the situation wherein execution of the application defined by the application definition file would require a selection of the runtime environment for the application and then the selection of the application.
1. A method of creating and executing an application on a wireless mobile device having an operating system and a virtual machine executed by said operating system, said virtual machine for interpreting application definition files defining applications in a markup language, said method comprising:
at said mobile device:
receiving an application definition file with metadata, said application definition file comprising said markup language and including:
a format of a user interface for said application at said mobile device;
a format of network messages for exchange of data generated by said application; and
a format for storing data related to said application at said mobile device, said metadata including:
a location at said mobile device for said application definition file; and
a reference to an image file representing an icon to be displayed at said mobile device and whose selection shall initiate execution of said application;
receiving said image file in association with said application definition file;
creating an application descriptor file based on said metadata, said creating comprising:
assigning, to a variable of said application descriptor file, said reference to said image file; and
specifying in said application descriptor file said location at said mobile device for said application definition file;
registering said application descriptor file with said operating system that is executing said virtual machine;
at said operating system:
responsive to said registering, presenting said icon based on said variable of said application descriptor file;
receiving an indication of selection of said icon;
indicating said selection to said virtual machine;
at said virtual machine:
responsive to said indicating, interpreting said application definition file to create an application; and
executing said application,
such that said virtual machine for executing said application is rendered transparent to a user of said mobile device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said registering includes storing said application descriptor file such that said application descriptor file may be read by said operating system.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said indication of a location for said application definition file at said computing device includes a uniform resource locator.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said application definition file is received associated with said image file in an archive file.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising decompressing said archive file.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said interpreting said application definition file to create an application presents a user interface to a server-side application.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, at said virtual machine, processing said application definition file to form a processed application definition file and wherein said interpreting interprets said processed application definition file.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving an application definition file, said creating, and said registering occur at said virtual machine.
9. A wireless mobile computing device comprising:
a processor;
memory in communication with said processor, storing software adapting said device to:
receive an application definition file with metadata, said application definition file comprising a markup language and including:
a format of a user interface for said application at said mobile device;
a format of network messages for exchange of data generated by said application; and
a format for storing data related to said application at said mobile device,
said metadata including:
a location at said mobile device for said application definition file; and
a reference to an image file representing an icon to be displayed at said mobile device and whose selection shall initiate execution of said application;
receive said image file in association with said application definition file;
create an application descriptor file based on said metadata, said creating comprising:
assigning, to a variable of said application descriptor file, said reference to said image file; and
specifying in said application descriptor file said location at said mobile device for said application definition file;
register said application descriptor file with an operating system that is executing a virtual machine for interpreting application definition files defining applications in said markup language;
execute said operating system to:
responsive to registration of said application descriptor file, present said icon based on said variable of said application descriptor file;
receive an indication of selection of said icon;
indicate said selection to said virtual machine;
execute said virtual machine to:
interpret, responsive to receiving an indication of said selection, said application definition file to create an application; and
execute said application,
such that said virtual machine for executing said application is rendered transparent to a user of said mobile device.
10. The computing device of claim 9 wherein said software further adapts said device to: store, as part of registering, said application descriptor file such that said application descriptor file may be read by said operating system.
11. The computing device of claim 9 wherein said indication of a location for said application definition file at said computing device includes a uniform resource locator.
12. The computing device of claim 9 wherein said software further adapts said device to receive an archive file including said application definition file and said image file.
13. The computing device of claim 12 wherein said software further adapts said device to decompress said archive file.
14. A computer-readable medium storing software that, upon execution by a processor of a wireless mobile device having an operating system and a virtual machine executed by said operating system, said virtual machine for interpreting application definition files defining applications in a markup language, configures said device to:
receive an application definition file with metadata, said application definition file comprising said markup language and including:
a format of a user interface for said application at said mobile device;
a format of network messages for exchange of data generated by said application; and
a format for storing data related to said application at said mobile device,
said metadata including:
a location at said mobile device for said application definition file; and
a reference to an image file representing an icon to be displayed at said mobile device and whose selection shall initiate execution of said application;
receive said image file in association with said application definition file;
create an application descriptor file based on said metadata, said creating comprising:
assigning, to a variable of said application descriptor file, said reference to said image file; and
specifying in said application descriptor file said location at said mobile device for said application definition file;
register said application descriptor file with said operating system that is executing said virtual machine;
at said operating system:
responsive to registration of said application descriptor file, present said icon based on said variable of said application descriptor file;
receive an indication of selection of said icon;
indicate said selection to said virtual machine;
at said virtual machine:
responsive to receiving an indication of said selection, interpret said application
definition file to create an application; and
execute said application,
such that said virtual machine for executing said application is rendered transparent to a user of said mobile device.