Centralized application resource manager

Abstract

An application resource manager is provided to organize, prioritize, and optimize data transmissions from several connected applications. Through inter-process communication, the several connected applications may pass all transmission requests to the centralized manager, which will perform all transmissions according to priority. When the transmission includes a download (e.g., file, email, etc.), the manager will pass the complete file (or a pointer to the same) to the originally requesting application. The original application may perform post-processing and then use the downloaded data, including making the data available to the user. If however, the requesting application is offline, the manager may also perform, e.g., the essential post-processing, via a plug-in given to the manager by the application when the application initially connected to the manager. A full sized user interface and a smaller user interface may be provided for un-intrusive execution.

1 . A computer implemented method for managing computer applications, comprising:
 receiving from a first computer application a first download request, the first download request being based on user input received by the first computer application;   receiving from a second computer application a second download request, the second download request being based on user input received by the second computer application, wherein the first and the second computer applications are independent of each other;   prioritizing the first download request and the second download request, according to at least user priority input;   downloading data associated with the download requests, according to the prioritization; upon completion of a data download, passing information regarding the downloaded data to whichever application passed the associated request to the application manager;   upon completion of a data download, removing the completed download from the prioritization, and for all remaining data download requests: downloading data associated with the remaining data download requests, according to the prioritization.   
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving application updates from an update server and passing ; the updates along to whichever application of a plurality of applications indicated by a particular update. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a particular received application update was requested after receiving a message from a particular application requesting the particular update. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving from a plurality of applications, a plug-in, configured to perform a sub-set of functions associated with a particular application that provided the plug-in. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising upon completion of a download, modifying the download based on functions defined by the plug-in provided by an application that requested the completed download. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising first checking to see if the application that requested the completed download is running, and if running, passing the completed download to the application for modifying the download, in substitute to performing the modifying at the application manager. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method includes providing a user interface to control aspects of a computer system upon which the method executes, the method further comprising:
 minimizing the user interface; and   providing a reduced user interface including at least the following functions:
 functions to pause all uploads, downloads, or both, 
 functions to display at least part of a newly received notification. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prioritizing is based on a priority score derived from a combination of default settings, stored user settings, and other user input, including at least one of: an origination application, a request type, and a request context. 
     
     
         12 . A device for managing computer applications, comprising:
 a processor including an application management module configured to:
 receive from a first computer application a first download request, the first download request being based on user input received by the first computer application; 
 receive from a second computer application a second download request, the second download request being based on user input received by the second computer application, wherein the first and the second computer applications are independent of each other; 
 prioritize the first download request and the second download request; 
 download data associated with the download requests, according to the prioritization; 
 upon completion of a data download, pass information regarding the downloaded data to whichever application passed the associated request to the application manager; 
 upon completion of a data download, remove the completed download from the prioritization, and for all remaining data download requests: downloading data associated with the remaining data download requests, according to the prioritization. 
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the receiving and passing are performed between the application manager and at least a third application and third download request. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the prioritization is based on a priority score comprising a plurality of factors, including default settings, user settings and other user input. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein performance metrics of the application manager are recorded by the application manager. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the application manager is configured to receive application updates from an update server; wherein the application manager is configured to pass the updates along to whichever application of a plurality of applications indicated by a particular update. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the application manager requested a particular received application update, after receiving a message from a particular application, requesting the particular update. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the application manager is configured to receive from each of a plurality of applications, a plug-in, configured to perform a sub-set of functions associated with a particular application that provided the plug-in to the application manager. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the application manager is configured to modify, upon completion of a download, the download based on functions defined by the plug-in provided by an application that requested the completed download. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the application manager is configured to first check to see if the application that requested the completed download is running, and if running, pass the completed download to the application for modifying the download, in substitute to performing the modifying at the application manager. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the application manager module is configured to present a user interface on a computer system, the application manager module further configured to:
 minimize the user interface; and   provide a reduced user interface including at least the following functions:
 functions to pause all uploads, downloads, or both, 
 functions to display at least part of a newly received notification. 
   
     
     
         22 . A computer implemented method for managing computer applications, comprising:
 receiving from a first computer application a first resource request, the first resource request being based on user input received by the first computer application;   receiving from a second computer application a second resource request, the second resource request being based on user input received by the second computer application, wherein the first and the second computer applications are independent of each other;   prioritizing the first resource request and the second resource request, according to at least user priority input;   scheduling the resource request with the resource in a queue, according to the prioritization;   upon satisfaction of the resource request, passing information regarding the satisfaction to whichever application passed the associated request to the application manager; and   removing the satisfied resource request from the queue, and for all remaining resource requests: satisfying the remaining resource requests, according to the prioritization.   
     
     
         23 . The computer implemented method of  claim 22 , wherein the prioritization is based on a priority score that includes a plurality of factors, including: default settings, user settings, and other user input, wherein the resource request includes at least one of: a request to use network bandwidth resource, a request to present an image on an output resource, and a request to execute a task on a processor resource.