Integrated Application Store for User Device File System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern data processing systems often fail to launch applications due to unknown file types, as they lack the necessary application to handle specific documents, leading to usability issues.
Innovation Solution
An integrated application store is embedded within the file system, allowing users to purchase and install required applications seamlessly when encountering unsupported documents, by communicating with an application store server to determine available applications based on file extensions and capabilities, and presenting a navigable path to the user for selection and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the operating system uses a traditional file system without integrated application store, then the system structure remains simple, but the user cannot easily obtain and install applications for unknown file types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the application store functionality with the existing file system by integrating an application store interface into the file system structure. This allows users to access and purchase applications directly from the file system when encountering unknown file types, eliminating the need for separate application installation processes while maintaining system coherence.
Solution Approach 2:
The file system is enhanced to serve multiple functions: it not only stores documents but also provides application installation and management capabilities through the integrated application store interface. This multi-functional approach allows the same system component to handle both data storage and application distribution, improving ease of operation without requiring entirely separate systems.
2Ease of operation
If the operating system automatically determines application availability, then the user experience is improved, but the system requires complex communication with application store servers
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects when a user attempts to open an unknown file type and initiates the application search process without requiring manual user intervention. The background process automatically communicates with the application store server, queries available applications, and presents options to the user, making the system serve itself in the detection and presentation phases while maintaining simple user interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
A background process acts as an intermediary between the user's file opening request and the application store server. This intermediary component handles the complex communication tasks, including querying the application store, filtering available applications, and preparing presentation data, thereby simplifying the user experience while managing the underlying complexity through a dedicated intermediary layer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system presents multiple application options to the user, then the user can select the appropriate application, but the interface becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The application presentation interface is segmented into distinct components: a list of available applications, detailed information about each application, and selection controls. This segmentation allows the system to present multiple application options in an organized manner, making the interface more manageable and less complex while maintaining the ability to provide comprehensive application information and selection flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and machine readable tangible storage media that integrate an application store in a user device. In one embodiment, a selected document that cannot be used as selected triggers a request to an application store server to determine an availability of applications to use the document as selected. The user device enhances the display of the document selection interface to allow the user to display an application store interface to purchase the application. The purchased application is downloaded and installed on the user device, and the user is optionally apprised of the progress of the purchase with an animated icon representing the application “flying” from the application store interface and “landing” in a dock area within the display on the user device when ready for subsequent launch. Other embodiments are also described.