Application communication
An external application is loaded by an electronic device. The external application loads one or more internal applications. The internal application loads a player application, such as a video player. At least one communication channel is configured between the external application and the player application. Subsequently, the player application may provide signals to the external application via the communication connection when one or more events occur. In response, the external application may perform one or more actions and/or may provide reply signals to the player application. Additionally, the player application may provide instructions to the external application and/or the external application may provide instructions to the player application.
1. A method, comprising:
loading an external application from a remote computing device utilizing at least one processing unit such that the external application executes locally on a user computing device;
loading at least one internal application in response to a command from the external application executed by the at least one processing unit, wherein the internal application is a component of the external application and is loaded as part of the external application loading from the remote computing device;
loading at least one player application from a remote computing device in response to a command from the at least one internal application executed by the at least one processing unit; and
configuring, through an operation of the internal application that is executed as part of the external application loading from the remote computing device, at least one communication channel between the external application executing locally on the user computing device and the at least one player application;
wherein once the communication channel is configured, the external application and the at least one player application communicate across the communication channel without further involvement of the internal application.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one signal from the at least one player application to the external application across the at least one communication channel that indicates occurrence of at least one event in the at least one player application.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one event comprises at least one of a transition, a user interaction, an interface selection, a video transition, a portion complete, a time reached.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising performing at least one action utilizing the external application in response to receiving the at least one signal.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least one action comprises at least one of recording the occurrence of the at least one event, changing an aspect of a web page presented by the external application, transmitting at least one instruction to the at least one player application, adding at least one item to at least one shopping cart, utilizing at least one hardware component of at least one device incorporating the at least one processing unit, changing the content of the at least one player application, enabling at least one form, requiring at least one form, or presenting a different web page utilizing the external application.
6. The method of claim 2 , further comprising providing at least one reply signal from the external application to the player application across the at least one communication channel responsive to the at least one signal sent from the player application to the external application.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one instruction from the at least one player application to the external application across the at least one communication channel.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one instruction comprises at least one instruction to perform at least one of change an aspect of a web page presented by the external application, add at least one item to at least one shopping cart, utilize at least one hardware component of at least one device incorporating the at least one processing unit, enable at least one form, require at least one form, or present a different web page utilizing the external application.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one instruction from the external application to the at least one player application across the at least one communication channel.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one instruction comprises at least one of an instruction to switch content being played, an instruction to pause play, an instruction to stop play, an instruction to fast forward play, an instruction to rewind play, an instruction to alter volume, or an instruction concerning an event for which the at least one player application is to monitor and report regarding.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the external application comprises a web page.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one internal application comprises at least one component of the web page.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said configuring at least one communication channel between the external application and the at least one player application further comprises including code for configuring the at least one communication channel in the web page.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising executing the code for configuring the at least one communication channel.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the code comprises at least one scripting language instruction.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said configuring at least one communication channel between the external application and the at least one player application is performed utilizing at least one application programming interface.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said configuring at least one communication channel between the external application and the at least one player application comprises negotiating at least one trusted connection.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said configuring at least one communication channel between the external application and the at least one player application is performed by the at least one internal application.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one player application comprises a video player application.
20. A system, comprising:
at least one processing unit;
at least one a non-transitory computer readable storage medium connected to the at least one processor;
wherein the at least one processing unit executes instructions stored in the at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium to:
load an external application from a remote computing device such that the external application executes locally on a user computing device;
load at least one internal application in response to a command from the external application, wherein the internal application is a component of the external application and is loaded as part of the external application loading from the remote computing device;
load at least one player application from a remote computing device in response to a command from the at least one internal application; and
configure, through an operation of the internal application that is executed as part of the external application loading from the remote computing device, at least one communication channel between the external application executing locally on the user computing device and the at least one player application;
wherein once the communication channel is configured, the external application and the at least one player application communicate across the communication channel without further involvement of the internal application.
21. A computer program product comprising:
a first set of instructions, stored in at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by at least one processing unit to load an external application from a remote computing device such that the external application executes locally on a user computing device;
a second set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to load at least one internal application in response to a command from the external application, wherein the internal application is a component of the external application and is loaded as part of the external application loading from the remote computing device;
a third set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to load at least one player application from a remote computing device in response to a command from the at least one internal application; and
a fourth set of instructions, stored in the at least one non-transitory machine readable medium, executable by the at least one processing unit to configure, through an operation of the internal application that is executed as part of the external application loading from the remote computing device, at least one communication channel between the external application executing locally on the user computing device and the at least one player application;
wherein once the communication channel is configured, the external application and the at least one player application communicate across the communication channel without further involvement of the internal application.