Object Reference Data Structure for Cross-Application Task Continuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in automatically reengaging with tasks across different applications and devices with varying operating systems, leading to inefficiencies and user frustration due to the lack of a standardized method for exchanging and reactivating user-specific data structures.
Innovation Solution
An object reference system that generates a data structure comprising an activation uniform resource identifier and metadata, allowing source applications to provide encapsulated information to operating system components, which can be visually represented and shared across disparate applications and devices, enabling seamless task continuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different applications on different devices with varying operating systems manage user data independently, then each application can maintain its own data structure and functionality, but users cannot automatically reengage with tasks across applications and devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal object reference data structure that can represent and transfer task state information across different applications, devices, and operating systems. The standardized format with fields like activation URI, visual representation information, and metadata enables a single data structure to serve multiple purposes and platforms, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The object reference acts as an intermediary data structure that mediates between different applications and the user. It encapsulates the essential information needed to reengage with a task (activation URI, visual representation, metadata) and transfers this information across application boundaries and device boundaries, enabling cross-application task reengagement without requiring direct integration between applications.
2Ease of operation
If user task data is managed within individual applications, then data integrity within each application is maintained, but users experience frustration and inefficiency due to inability to continue tasks across applications
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transferring the actual task data or application state between applications, the patent creates a copy in the form of an object reference that contains the essential information (activation URI, visual representation, metadata). This lightweight copy enables task continuation without losing the necessary task state information, while maintaining data integrity within the source application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-packaging all necessary task state information into the object reference data structure at the time of task creation or suspension. The activation URI, visual representation information, and metadata are prepared in advance, enabling immediate task reengagement without information loss or additional data retrieval steps.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a system and method for using object references as a data type. In response to a request for an object reference for an object by a consuming application, the object reference is generated by a source application. The object reference comprises a data structure comprising an activation uniform resource identifier for activating the referenced object, information for visually representing the object reference, and, optionally, metadata that describes the referenced object. The generated object reference is provided to an operating system component by the source application which provides the object reference to a consuming application. The consuming application can display information regard the object reference in accordance with the information for visually representing the object reference included in the object reference. The user can request reactivation of the object referenced by the object reference.