Patent ID: 8949737
Filing Date: 2015-02-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a processor, a request to open a file; determining that a type of the file is unrecognizable; in response to the determination that the type of the file is unrecognizable, sending a request to a remote server over a network for metadata, the metadata indicating an application program to open the file; downloading, from the remote server, the metadata; identifying, by a package installer executable by the processor, the application program to open the file in view of the metadata downloaded from the remote server; displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) to a user prompting whether the user desires to install the identified application program; in response to an input from the user via the GUI, downloading, by the package installer, a package comprising the identified application program from the remote server for local installation; scanning metadata associated with the package; determining a match between the metadata associated with the package and the metadata downloaded from the remote server; displaying an indication of the match between the metadata associated with the package and the metadata downloaded from the remote server; receiving, at a file handler, the request for opening the file from the application program operated by the user; attempting, by the file handler, to open the requested file; invoking the package installer to identify the application program if the file handler fails to open the requested file; installing locally, by the package installer, the application program downloaded from the remote server; and displaying a list of programs including the installed application program to enable the user to select the application program to open the file.