Cross-System Web App Installation via Runtime Environment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web applications have limitations in accessing local system resources and are restricted by a more secure but less flexible security model, requiring separate development for different operating systems and lacking native-like capabilities, which hinders cross-platform compatibility and resource access.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for cross-system installation of applications using a single runtime environment that allows natively operating applications coded with web technologies to access computer system-level services, operate independently of web browsers, and provide access to local machine resources, enabling installation on any operating system from any browser.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If web applications use a restrictive security model to access local system resources, then system security is improved, but application functionality and resource access are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a runtime environment as an intermediary layer between web applications and the local system. This runtime environment acts as a mediator that provides controlled access to system resources, allowing web applications to function with native-like capabilities while maintaining security boundaries. The runtime environment translates web application requests into system-level operations with appropriate security checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct layers: the web application layer, the runtime environment layer, and the operating system layer. This segmentation allows each layer to have specific responsibilities and security boundaries. The runtime environment layer provides the necessary system access while keeping the web application layer secure and sandboxed.
2Manufacturing precision
If developers create separate versions of applications for different operating systems, then platform-specific optimization is improved, but development complexity and maintenance burden are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal runtime environment that can execute web applications across multiple operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.). This single runtime environment provides multi-functionality by adapting to different OS platforms while maintaining consistent application behavior. Developers write code once in web technologies, and the runtime environment handles platform-specific adaptations.
Solution Approach 2:
The runtime environment serves as an intermediary that abstracts away operating system differences from web applications. It provides a consistent interface and execution environment across different platforms, eliminating the need for developers to create separate versions for each OS while still allowing platform-specific optimizations when needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If web applications run within a web browser, then cross-platform compatibility is improved, but access to native system resources and windows is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the execution environment based on needs. The runtime environment can operate in different modes: within a web browser for maximum compatibility, or as a standalone native application for enhanced resource access. This dynamic behavior allows the application to switch between web-based and native-based execution depending on the required functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the advantages of web applications (cross-platform compatibility, ease of distribution) with the advantages of native applications (access to system resources, windows, and hardware). The runtime environment combines web technology execution with native system integration, creating a hybrid execution model that provides both broad compatibility and full system access.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system for providing cross system installation of applications, include providing for installation, via a server, a natively operating application coded only with web technologies, and providing for installation a single runtime environment that provides the natively operating application access to computer system-level services that are not available to web applications. The single runtime environment controls the installation and uninstallation of the natively operating application, and the natively operating application is configured to execute independent of a web browser.