Leveraging Collaborative Cloud Services to Build and Share Apps

Abstract

The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive multi-prefix, multi-tier and dynamic menu information retrieval techniques (including predictive text techniques to facilitate the generation of targeted ads) that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth. Applications are built by leveraging existing collaborative cloud services that enable the maintenance and sharing of user content.

1 . A system for facilitating the development of client applications that enable users to interact with shared user content maintained on an existing cloud platform, the system comprising:
 (a) a service interface that provides access to the shared user content and to cloud services relating to that shared user content;   (b) a service extractor that utilizes the cloud services, via the service interface, to extract current information relating to the shared user content from the cloud platform, enabling the system to reflect changes over time relating to the shared user content;   (c) a content repurposer that interprets the shared user content and current information to ascertain the desired functionality to be implemented for a particular content domain, and repurposes the shared user content to that content domain by generating data structures to facilitate the implementation of the desired functionality; and   (d) a client application interface that provides access to one or more client applications to provide the client applications with the repurposed shared user content so as to enable the client applications to implement the desired functionality.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an application builder that automatically generates one or more client applications. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the application builder automatically deploys the generated client applications. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shared user content includes data and metadata, and wherein the content repurposer interprets the metadata and repurposes the shared user content in accordance with that interpretation. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the metadata controls the presentation format of the shared user content by the client applications. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the metadata controls the branding of the client applications. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the metadata controls dynamic menus that enable users of the client applications to invoke a particular function. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the existing cloud platform is Google Docs. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the existing cloud platform is Microsoft Live. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cloud services provide indications of a recent modification of the shared user content or of access control settings relating to the shared user content. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the service extractor periodically polls the cloud platform to extract current information relating to the shared user content. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the cloud platform notifies the service extractor when the shared user content, or access control settings relating to the shared user content, has been modified. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shared user content can be modified directly by users of the client applications. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shared user content includes a table of contents. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the client applications can be accessed only by authorized users of the shared user content. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the shared user content is maintained on the cloud platform in a tabular format. 
     
     
         17 . A method for facilitating the development of client applications that enable users to interact with shared user content maintained on an existing cloud platform, the method including the following steps:
 (a) providing access to the shared user content and to cloud services relating to that shared user content;   (b) utilizing the cloud services to extract current information relating to the shared user content from the cloud platform, enabling changes relating to the shared user content to be reflected over time;   (c) interpreting the shared user content and current information to ascertain the desired functionality to be implemented for a particular content domain, and repurposing the shared user content to that content domain by generating data structures to facilitate the implementation of the desired functionality; and