Discovering alternative user experiences for websites

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for discovering alternative user experiences for Websites. Embodiments of the invention permit a user to navigate to a Web page that has an alternative application for a Web site. In response to a Web browser detecting the alternative application a user-interface control at the Web browser can be activated. A user can then select the user-interface control to install the alternative application in am alternative application control center. Through the alternative application control center, a user activates alternative applications to interact with Web sites having alternative user experiences.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 using an application at a computer system to access a portion of content from a Web site;   determining that the accessed portion of content identifies an alternate application for accessing content from the Web site, the alternate application providing an alternative user experience for accessing content from the Web site;   receiving user input at the computer system indicating a desire to retain the alternate application;   downloading components associated with the alternate application to the computer system in response to the received user input;   storing the downloaded components at the computer system to retain the alternate application for subsequent use in accessing content from the Web site; and   indicating that the alternate application is available at the computer system to access content from the Web site.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a user selection of the alternate application;   activating the alternate application for use from the stored components; and   providing an alternative user experience for content from the Web site, including:
 the alternate application submitting a request for content to the Web site; 
 the alternate application receiving a second portion of content back from the Web site; and 
 the alternate application presenting the received content. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein determining that the accessed portion of content identifies an alternate application for accessing content from the Web site comprises determining that links to the alternate application are contained in an HTML header. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein downloading components associated with the alternate application to the computer system comprises downloading an application manifest. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein indicating that the alternate application is available at the computer system to access content from the Web site comprises lighting up a user-interface control of the application. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising updating the downloaded components subsequent to storing the downloaded components to make an updated version of the alternate application available at the alternative application center. 
     
     
         7 . A mobile device including one or more processors and system memory, the mobile device having stored computer executable instructions that when executed by the mobile device perform operations comprising:
 using an application to access a portion of content from the Web site;   determining that the accessed portion of content identifies an alternate application for accessing content from the Web site, the alternate application providing an alternative user experience for accessing content from the Web site;   receiving user input indicating a desire to retain the alternate application;   downloading components associated with the alternate application to the mobile device in response to the received user input;   storing the downloaded components at the mobile device to retain the alternate application for subsequent use in accessing content from the Web site; and   indicating that the alternate application is available at the mobile device to access content from the Web site, the alternate application indicated in an alternative application center that provides a common location for accessing alternative user experiences for different Web sites.   
     
     
         8 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 7 , the mobile device having computer executable instructions that when executed by the mobile device perform operations further comprising:
 receiving a user selection of the alternate application;   activating the alternate application for use from the stored components; and   providing an alternative user experience for content from the Web site, including:
 the alternate application submitting a request for content to the Web site; 
 the alternate application receiving a second portion of content back from the Web site; and 
 the alternate application presenting the received content. 
   
     
     
         9 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein using the application to access a portion of content from the Web site comprises accessing an HTML document, the HTML document including a header and a body, the header containing links to the alternate application. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein determining that the accessed portion of content identifies the alternate application for accessing content from the Web site comprises determining that links to the alternate application are contained in an HTML header. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein determining that links to the alternate application are contained in an HTML header comprises determining that URLs are contained in the HTML header. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 11 , wherein downloading components associated with the alternate application to the mobile device comprises submitting a URL to the Web site. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein downloading components associated with the alternate application to the mobile device comprises downloading an application manifest. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein indicating that the alternate application is available at the mobile device to access content from the Web site comprises lighting up a user-interface control of the application. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile device as recited in  claim 7 , the mobile device having computer executable instructions that when executed by the mobile device perform operations further comprising updating the downloaded components subsequent to storing the downloaded components to make an updated version of the alternate application available at the alternative application center. 
     
     
         16 . A computer system including one or more processors and system memory having stored computer executable instructions that when executed by the computer system perform operations comprising:
 consume a portion of content from the Web site by the computer system;   determining from the consumed portion of content that an alternate mechanism for consuming content from the Web site is available, the alternate mechanism providing a corresponding alternate user experience for consuming content from the Web site;   indicating that the alternate mechanism for consuming content from the Web site is available;   receiving user input indicating a desire to use the alternate mechanism for consuming content from the Web site;   configuring the computer system to use the alternate mechanism for consuming content from the Web site; and   using the alternate mechanism to consume a second portion of content from the Web site to provide the corresponding alternate user experience to a user.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the consuming a portion of content from the Web site comprises consuming an HTML document, the HTML document including a header and a body, the header containing links to the one or more alternate applications. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein determining from the consumed portion of content that an alternate mechanism for consuming content from the Web site is available comprises determining that links to the one or more alternate portions of content are contained in an HTML header. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein determining that links to the one or more alternate portions of content are contained in an HTML header comprises determining that URLs are contained in the HTML header. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein indicating that alternate mechanism for consuming content from the Web site is available comprises lighting up a user-interface control displayed at the computer system.