Patent ID: 8434157

Claim:
A method of operating a device, comprising: requesting, by a requesting application of an electronic device, permission to access a category of data from a hosting application of the electronic device, wherein the requesting includes: a requesting application identifier that identifies the requesting application and which corresponds to a requesting application package name, and a category identifier that identifies a category of data and which corresponds to a universal resource identifier; outputting, by the electronic device, an identity of the requesting application and the request for permission to access the category of data; detecting, by a processor of the electronic device, an input received at the electronic device, the input responsive to the displayed identity of the requesting application and the displayed request for permission to access the category of data; receiving, by the hosting application of the electronic device, an instruction corresponding to the detected input; retrieving, by the hosting application in response to the received instruction, the requesting application package name, wherein the retrieving includes retrieving, by the hosting application permission activity, the requesting application package name; determining, by the processor of the electronic device, that the received instruction permits the requesting application to access to the category of data, wherein the determining includes determining whether the requesting application package name is permitted to access the category of data corresponding to the universal resource identifier; permitting, by the hosting application of the electronic device, access to the category of data responsive to the determination by the processor to permit access, wherein the permitting includes permitting, by a hosting application permission activity, access to the category of data; communicating, by the electronic device, a result to the requesting application indicating that the requesting application is permitted to access the category of data; confirming, by an operating system, with the hosting application permission activity that the requesting application corresponding to the requesting application package name is permitted to access the category of data corresponding to the universal resource identifier; and requesting, by the requesting application in response to the result, data corresponding to the category of data.