IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,318,338
Granted Patent B2
US 10,318,338 · App. 14/592,075 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

Re-launching contextually related application sets

Inventors: Lisa Seacat DeLuca (Baltimore, MD); Geetika T. Lakshmanan (Winchester, MA); Dana L. Price (Surf City, NC); Shelbee D. Smith-Eigenbrode (Thorton, CO)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
G06F9/461G06F9/48G06F9/485H04L67/1097H04L67/30H04L67/145
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,318,338
App. No.
14/592,075
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for re-launching contextually related application sets. In one embodiment, applications which are contextually-related are saved to a profile, along with the state of each application and data associated with each application. The set of applications, along with saved state and data, can be re-launched responsive to a trigger.

Claims (60)

1. A method for re-launching contextually related applications, comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, one or more contextually-related applications based on receiving an indication from the user to save a current state of the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the indication comprises one of: a time-out period, an automatic preference, and a manual selection;

grouping, by one or more processors, the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the identified contextually-related applications specifies applications required for an end to end task;

automatically saving, by one or more processors, state information associated with the one or more contextually-related applications as a first profile, wherein the saved state information includes data shared or transferred between each application of the one or more grouped contextually-related applications;

identifying, by one or more processors, input in an application to be related to a group of the grouping of the one or more contextually-related applications;

identifying input in an application outside of the group to be related to the group of the grouping of the one or more applications; and

in response to identifying input in an application outside of the group to be related to a group of the grouping of the one or more contextually-related applications, launching, by one or more processors, the group of the one or more contextually-related applications with each data field of the applications of the one or more contextually-related applications populated with the saved stated information in the first profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after saving the group of one or more contextually-related applications as the first profile, detecting, by one or more processors, a context of an executed first application;

determining, by one or more processors, whether the detected context of the executed first application is related to a context of the group of one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the context refers to a shared end-to end task based, at least in part on the first profile; and

in response to determining that the detected context of the executed first application is related to the context of the group of one or more contextually-related applications of the first profile, launching, by one or more processors, the group of the one or more contextually-related applications of the first profile.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more contextually-related applications comprise information detailing: a webpage, a text message, an e-mail, a document, and user settings.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein a trigger to launch the group of the one or more contextually-related applications comprises: an automatic trigger in response to the execution of the first application, which is determined to be contextually-related to the group of the one or more contextually-related applications.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein saving, by one or more processors, the group of the one or more contextually-related applications as a first profile comprises:

receiving, by one or more processors, a user selection to exclude at least one application from the indication to save the state of the one or more contextually-related applications.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein launching the group of the one or more contextually-related applications comprises:

accessing, by one or more processors, data associated with the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the data associated with the one or more contextually-related applications comprises search criteria, keywords, and input data;

retrieving, by one or more processors, updates to the one or more contextually-related applications from a source of the one or more contextually-related applications; and

displaying, simultaneously, by one or more processors, the saved state of the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the saved state of the one or more contextually-related applications is updated at a time of the launching of the group of the one or more contextually-related applications, using the retrieved updates to the one or more contextually-related applications from the source, and wherein saving the group of one or more contextually-related applications as the first profile occurs before the launching of the group of the one or more contextually-related applications.

7. A computer program product for re-launching contextually related applications, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium and program instructions, executable by a processor, stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to identify one or more contextually-related applications based on receiving an indication from the user to save a current state of the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the indication comprises one of: a time-out period, an automatic preference, and a manual selection;

program instructions to group the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the identified contextually-related applications specifies applications required for an end to end task;

program instructions to automatically save state information associated with the one or more contextually-related applications as a first profile, wherein the saved state information includes data shared or transferred between each application of the one or more grouped contextually-related applications;

program instructions to identify input in an application to be related to a group of the grouping of the one or more contextually-related applications;

program instructions to identify input in an application outside of the group to be related to the group of the grouping of the one or more applications; and

program instructions to, in response to identifying input in an application outside of the group to be related to a group of the grouping of the one or more contextually-related applications, launching, by one or more processors, the group of the one or more contextually-related applications with each data field of the applications of the one or more contextually-related applications populated with the saved stated information in the first profile.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , further comprising:

after saving the group of one or more contextually-related applications as the first profile, program instructions to detect a context of an executed first application;

program instructions to determine whether the detected context of the executed first application is related to a context of the group of one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the context refers to a shared end-to end task based, at least in part on the first profile; and

program instructions to, in response to determining that the detected context of the executed first application is related to the context of the group of one or more contextually-related applications of the first profile, launch the group of the one or more contextually-related applications of the first profile.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the one or more contextually-related applications comprise information detailing: a webpage, a text message, an e-mail, a document, and user settings.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein a trigger to launch the group of the one or more contextually-related applications comprises: an automatic trigger in response to the execution of the first application, which is determined to be contextually-related to the group of the one or more contextually-related applications.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions to save the group of the one or more contextually-related applications as a first profile comprises:

program instructions to receive a user selection to exclude at least one application from the indication to save the state of the one or more contextually-related applications.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions to launch the group of the one or more contextually-related applications, comprises:

program instructions to access data associated with the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the data associated with the one or more contextually-related applications comprises search criteria, keywords, and input data;

program instructions to retrieve updates to the one or more contextually-related applications from a source of the one or more contextually-related applications; and

program instructions to display, simultaneously, the saved state of the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the saved state of the one or more contextually-related applications is updated at a time of the launching of the group of the one or more contextually-related applications, using the retrieved updates to the one or more contextually-related applications from the source, and wherein the program instructions to save the group of one or more contextually-related applications as the first profile are executed before the program instructions to launch of the group of the one or more contextually-related applications.

13. A computer system for re-launching contextually related applications, comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to identify one or more contextually-related applications based on receiving an indication from the user to save a current state of the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the indication comprises one of: a time-out period, an automatic preference, and a manual selection;

program instructions to group the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the identified contextually-related applications specifies applications required for an end to end task;

program instructions to automatically save state information associated with the one or more contextually-related applications as a first profile, wherein the saved state information includes data shared or transferred between each application of the one or more grouped contextually-related applications;

program instructions to identify input in an application to be related to a group of the grouping of the one or more contextually-related applications;

program instructions to identify input in an application outside of the group to be related to the group of the grouping of the one or more applications; and

program instructions to, in response to identifying input in an application outside of the group to be related to a group of the grouping of the one or more contextually-related applications, launching, by one or more processors, the group of the one or more contextually-related applications with each data field of the applications of the one or more contextually-related applications populated with the saved stated information in the first profile.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , further comprising:

after saving the group of one or more contextually-related applications as the first profile, program instructions to detect a context of an executed first application;

program instructions to determine whether the detected context of the executed first application is related to a context of the group of one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the context refers to a shared end-to end task based, at least in part on the first profile; and

program instructions to, in response to determining that the detected context of the executed first application is related to the context of the group of one or more contextually-related applications of the first profile, launch the group of the one or more contextually-related applications of the first profile.

15. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more contextually-related applications comprise information detailing: a webpage, a text message, an e-mail, a document, and user settings.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions to save the group of the one or more contextually-related applications as a first profile comprises:

program instructions to receive a user selection to exclude at least one application from the indication to save the state of the one or more contextually-related applications.

17. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the program instructions to launch the group of the one or more contextually-related applications, comprises:

program instructions to access data associated with the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the data associated with the one or more contextually-related applications comprises search criteria, keywords, and input data;

program instructions to retrieve updates to the one or more contextually-related applications from a source of the one or more contextually-related applications; and

program instructions to display, simultaneously, the saved state of the one or more contextually-related applications, wherein the saved state of the one or more contextually-related applications is updated at a time of the launching of the first set of the one or more contextually-related applications, using the retrieved updates to the one or more contextually-related applications from the source, and wherein the program instructions to save the group of one or more contextually-related applications as the first profile are executed before the program instructions to launch of the group of the one or more contextually-related applications.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2015
From: DELUCA, LISA SEACAT; LAKSHMANAN, GEETIKA T.; PRICE, DANA L.; SMITH-EIGENBRODE, SHELBEE D.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034662/0852 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160203018A1 · Jul 14, 2016