Browser-based Discovery and Application Switching

Abstract

Various embodiments enable a web browser to promote the availability of an installable application that is associated with a website to which the web browser has been navigated. The web browser is configured to discover the availability of these applications and, responsively, provide a user experience through which the user can acquire and install such applications, as well as switch to applications that have previously been installed. Thus, through the various embodiments, a user is relieved of the burden of having to navigate to a particular application store and periodically search for applications associated with sites to which they browse.

1 . A method comprising:
 navigating, via a web browser, to a website;   ascertaining, via the web browser, whether the web site has any information associated with an installable application;   responsive to ascertaining said information, ascertaining, via the web browser, whether the installable application has been installed;   responsive to the installable application not being installed, displaying, via the web browser, an application store button sufficient to enable a user to navigate to an application store to acquire the installable application; and   responsive to the installable application being installed, displaying, via the web browser, a switching user interface configured to enable the user to opt to switch to an installed application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information comprises a unique identifier. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information comprises a unique identifier provided in HTML associated with the website. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information is included in an HTTP header. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising responsive to the installable application being installed, ascertaining whether an installed version of the application is acceptable and, if so, performing said displaying a switching user interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising responsive to the installable application being installed, ascertaining whether an installed version of the application is acceptable and, if not, performing said displaying an application store button. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, responsive to the application not being installed and after performing said displaying an application store button, receiving selection of the application store button and activating an application store page to expose the user to an acquisition experience in which they can acquire the installable application. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving a switch selection via the switching user interface and, responsively, activating the application with contextual information associated with the user's current context. 
     
     
         9 . One or more computer readable storage media embodying computer readable instructions which, when executed, implement a web browser configured to:
 ascertain whether a webpage to which the web browser has been navigated has an associated application; and   responsive to the webpage having an associated application, enable a user to switch from the web browser to the associated application using a switching user interface displayed by the web browser.   
     
     
         10 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to ascertain whether the webpage has an associated application by identifying a unique identifier associated with the application. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to ascertain whether the webpage has an associated application by identifying, in HTML associated with the webpage, a unique identifier associated with the application. 
     
     
         12 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to ascertain, in an HTTP header associated with the webpage, whether the webpage has an associated application by identifying a unique identifier associated with the application. 
     
     
         13 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to enable a user to acquire a newer version of the associated application. 
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to enable a user to acquire the associated application. 
     
     
         15 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to enable a user to acquire the associated application by navigating to an application store page. 
     
     
         16 . A computing device comprising:
 one or more processors;   one or more computer readable media;   a web browser embodied on the one or more computer readable media and executable under the influence of the one or more processors, the web browser being configured to:
 ascertain whether a webpage to which the web browser has been navigated has an associated application; 
 responsive to the webpage having an associated application, enable a user to at least:
 acquire the application and 
 switch from the web browser to the associated application in a manner that preserves the user's webpage context. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the web browser is configured to ascertain whether the webpage has an associated application by identifying a unique identifier associated with the application and acquire the associated application by using the unique identifier. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the web browser is configured to ascertain whether the webpage has an associated application by identifying, in HTML associated with the webpage, a unique identifier associated with the application and acquire the associated application by using the unique identifier. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the web browser is configured to ascertain, in an HTTP header associated with the webpage, whether the webpage has an associated application by identifying a unique identifier associated with the application and acquire the associated application by using the unique identifier. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the web browser is configured to enable a user to acquire a newer version of the associated application. 
     
     
         21 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to provide information to the associated application so that the application can tailor a user's experience to an experience associated with the web page to which the web browser was navigated. 
     
     
         22 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to provide information to the associated application in association with switching from the web browser to the associated application. 
     
     
         23 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 9 , wherein the web browser is configured to provide a URL to the associated application, the URL being associated with the web page to which the web browser was navigated. 
     
     
         24 . One or more computer readable storage media embodying computer readable instructions which, when executed, implement a web browser configured to:
 navigate to a website;   display a user interface that is configured to enable a user to acquire an installable application associated with the website; and   display a user interface that is configured to enable a user to switch to an acquired installable application.   
     
     
         25 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 24 , wherein the web browser is configured to enable a user to acquire the installable application by, at least, causing a web browser navigation to an associated application store. 
     
     
         26 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of  claim 24 , wherein the web browser is configured to enable acquisition of the installable application from an associated application store. 
     
     
         27 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 24 , wherein the web browser is configured to provide information to the acquired installable application so that the application can tailor a user's experience to an experience associated with the web site to which the web browser was navigated. 
     
     
         28 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 24 , wherein the web browser is configured to provide information to the acquired installable application in association with switching from the web browser to the acquired installable application. 
     
     
         29 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 24 , wherein the web browser is configured to provide a URL to the acquired installable application, the URL being associated with the web site to which the web browser was navigated. 
     
     
         30 . The one or more computer readable storage media of  claim 24 , wherein the user interface that is configured to enable a user to acquire the installable application comprises:
 a replaceable icon associated with the website; and   a user-selectable button configured to replace the replaceable icon, the user-selectable button being configured to initiate an acquisition process through which information associated with the installable application can be displayed and the installable application can be acquired.