Patent · US Expired

System and method for directly accessing functionality provided by an application

US7543238B2 · kind B2 · utility

25Cited by
4References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 21, 2003
Grant dateJun 2, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 7, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/451
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Described is a system and method for directly accessing functionality provided by an application, such as via the Web or an operating system Shell. The functionality of an application is separated into unique tasks. Each task has an associated entry point into the application. The associated entry point allows a computer user to invoke the specified task directly rather than to invoke the application and then navigate within the application to locate the specified task. Each task may be exposed to an operating system, such as by having an icon associated with the task appear in an activity center on the desktop. The present invention may operate within a desktop environment, a web-based environment, a browser environment, and others.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.