Google Inc.

Matthew Perry

Aaron Boodman

Erik Kay

Rafael Weinstein

Glen Murphy

Antony John Sargent

Adam Barth

Sergey Yurevich Ulanov

Mihai Parparita

Jochen Mathias Eisinger

Andrew T Wilson

Justin Schuh

Tessa MacDuff

According to one general aspect, a method of executing a web application installed on an apparatus may include executing, via a processor included by the apparatus, a web browser. The method may include loading, via the web browser, the web application. In some embodiments, the web application may include a manifest and at least a portion of a web site and wherein the web application was packaged as an installable entity. The method may further include managing, by the web browser, the execution of the web application. The method may include accessing, via the web browser, from a local storage medium one or more portions of the web site included by the web application. In some embodiments, the one or more portions of the web site may have been stored in the local storage medium when the web application was installed.

Installable web applications

A computer-implemented method includes running a background element that is an invisible element in a browser application, where the background element includes a declared association with an application and includes instructions related to one or more visible elements of the application in the browser application and executing the instructions on the background element to perform a function related to the one or more visible elements of the application in the browser application.

Background element associated with an application installed in a browser application

A system for securely mediating messages between a native application and a browser application on a computing device includes running the browser application and a browser process that controls access by the browser-based application to the native resource. The browser process may use a data file distributed with the native application to allow or deny communications between the browser-based application and the native application. When communications are allowed the browser-based application accesses the native resource via the native application. In one implementation, the browser process may initiate a native messaging host and send communication requests to the native messaging host. The data file may be downloaded with the native application or separately from the native application from a site that distributes the native application or a site controlled by the developer of the native application. The data file identifies browser-based applications allowed to communicate with the native application.

Secure native application messaging with a browser application

According to one general aspect, a computer-implemented method may include implementing, in a web browser executing on a computing device, a first extension process. The first extension process may be functionally isolated from a second extension process that is implemented in the web browser. The method may also include presenting, by the first extension process, a public messaging interface. The method may further include receiving, by the first extension process via the public messaging interface, a messaging request from the second extension process, the messaging request including a unique extension ID of the second extension process. The method may also include determining, by the public messaging interface, whether to accept or reject the messaging request based on the first unique extension ID.

Inter-extension messaging

An extension schema validator may be executable within an extension process of an extension of a browser application, and may be configured to validate the extension with respect to an extension application program interface (API) that is provided in conjunction with the browser application for implementation of the extension. A browser schema validator may be executable within a browser process of the browser application, and may be configured to validate the extension with respect to the extension API. Successful validation of the extension by the extension schema validator prior to attempting validation of the extension by the browser schema validator may be required.

Schema validation for secure development of browser extensions

A method and system for monitoring events related to web browser extensions includes storing a set of events for which a browser extension integrated in a web browser application registers a listener. The browser extension integrated in the web browser application is executed. Upon the occurrence of an event related to the browser extension, an invisible event page associated with the browser extension is loaded if the event is one of the set of events. Using the invisible event page, a function related to a visible object of the browser extension is executed. The invisible event page is unloaded from the browser after receiving an acknowledgement from the browser extension.

Event pages for web applications and extensions

Methods and apparatus for installing browser extensions are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a browser extension installation package in a main browser process, validating a digital signature of the installation package and launching a sandboxed sub-process of the browser application. The example method includes, in the sandboxed sub-process: respectively transcoding or recoding at least one of the plurality of constituent files, where the transcoded and/or recoded files replace their corresponding original constituent files. The example method includes, after the transcoding and/or recoding, passing the constituent files from the sandboxed sub-process to the main browser process and installing the browser extension to the browser application using the transcoded and/or recoded files.

Safe installation of browser extensions

According to one general aspect, a method of managing a web browser extension by an apparatus may include executing, by a processor included by the apparatus, a web browser. The method may include installing on the apparatus, via the web browser, a web browser extension. In one embodiment, the web browser extension may include at least one web page configured to alter the functionality of the web browser, and a substantially unique identifier (UID) based upon a public encryption key. The method may further include launching, via the web browser, the web browser extension based upon the substantially unique identifier.

Web browser extensions

A rendering engine may be configured to execute, within a first execution environment, a page script of a page to be rendered within a browser interface, the page script configured to interact with a page model to implement the rendering. An extension manager may be configured to execute an extension file which modifies a functionality of a browser application in association with the rendering of the page, including detecting a content script associated with the extension file which, during execution, interacts with the page model. An environment manager may be configured to create a second execution environment for execution of the content script file therein by the rendering engine.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Matthew Perry