Shared Sandbox Mapping for Secure Inter-App Data Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing operating systems restrict inter-application data sharing through application sandboxes, leading to data redundancy, resource waste, and poor efficiency in data synchronization between applications.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a shared sandbox and mapping relationships between application sandboxes to enable data sharing between applications, using sharing identifiers for security and efficiency, and allowing direct interface jumps for seamless user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If application sandboxes are used to isolate data between applications, then data security is improved, but inter-application data sharing is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidinter-application data sharing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the sandbox space into application-specific sandboxes and a shared sandbox. Each application has its own sandbox for private data storage, while the shared sandbox is segmented by sharing identifiers to enable controlled data sharing between applications with identical functionality. This segmentation allows data isolation for security while creating designated sharing zones for controlled access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The shared sandbox acts as an intermediary mechanism between different application sandboxes. It provides a controlled intermediate space where data can be exchanged between applications through sharing identifiers, without requiring direct access between application sandboxes. This intermediary enables data sharing while maintaining the security isolation of individual application sandboxes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If cloud communication or local inter-process communication is used for data synchronization, then inter-application data sharing is enabled, but data redundancy and resource waste increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinter-application data sharingVSAvoiddata redundancy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges data storage functions by introducing a shared sandbox that consolidates common data across multiple applications. Instead of each application maintaining separate copies of shared data (which causes redundancy), the shared sandbox stores a single copy of common data that can be accessed by multiple applications through sharing identifiers, thereby eliminating data redundancy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The shared sandbox serves multiple applications simultaneously through the sharing identifier mechanism. A single data structure in the shared sandbox can be universally accessed by any application with the corresponding sharing identifier, making the data storage system multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate data storage in each application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If separate data storage is implemented for each application, then data isolation and security are maintained, but data sharing efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata isolationVSAvoiddata sharing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments data storage into two types: application-specific sandboxes for isolated data and a shared sandbox for common data. This segmentation allows the system to maintain data isolation for security while creating an efficient shared storage space that improves data sharing performance between applications with identical functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of physically copying data between application sandboxes for sharing, the patent uses sharing identifiers to create virtual copies or references to the same data in the shared sandbox. This allows multiple applications to access the same data without actual data copying, significantly improving data sharing efficiency while maintaining data isolation in individual application sandboxes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4650998A1Inter-application data sharing method and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4650998A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4650998A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4650998A1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

Disclosed are an inter-application data sharing method and an electronic device, and the method is applied to an electronic device, to reduce resource waste and improve efficiency of data sharing between a plurality of applications. The method includes: running a first application in response to a first operation of a user; determining a shared sandbox corresponding to the first application, and writing first data of the first application to the shared sandbox, where the first data is used for sharing with a second application; and running the second application in response to a second operation of the user, and reading the first data from the shared sandbox. The first application and the second application may separately write and read the data in the shared sandbox. Therefore, this can reduce storage resources and resource waste that are caused by partial data overlap between applications, and improve efficiency of data sharing.