Device, method, and system for installing and managing applications in a handheld device

• US 10,019,246 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kishimoto, Toyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chavis, John
• Application Number:
  US13/862,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20130239105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 717178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

The object of the invention is to provide the user with improved operatability of an information-processing apparatus and usability of application programs as well as to implement rendering of services to download the application programs from a server to the information-processing apparatus. If storage means employed in the information-processing apparatus does not contain a free area with a storage size large enough for accommodating a desired application program and a data file relevant thereto to be downloaded from the server, an information communication system comprising the information-processing apparatus and the server automatically transfers application programs and data files from the storage means to an external recording medium such as the server itself to be saved therein in order to secure a free storage area in the storage means. The free storage area is used for storing a desired application program and a relevant data file which are to be downloaded from the server.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication unit configured to (i) transmit a log-in ID, a password, and a serial ID of the portable apparatus to a server as authentication data, (ii) receive a list of downloadable applications from the server, and (iii) download an application selected by a user among the list of the downloadable applications from the server, wherein the log-in ID, the password, and the serial ID are cataloged in advance in a user database of the server;

a storage unit configured to store the downloaded application; and

a processor configured to run the downloaded application on an operating system (OS), control the storage unit to store an activation count for the downloaded application, and select an application from a plurality of downloaded applications based on the activation count,

wherein the server manages user data associated with the portable apparatus, and

wherein the server charges a fee for downloading the application, the fee being charged to a credit card of the user based on the user data that includes credit card information of the user.

2. The portable apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless communication unit communicates with an application server to obtain information related to the application.

3. The portable apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the application is a Map application, a web-browser, a mail application, image data editing application, version-up programs, or a trial pack.

4. The portable apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the application server retrieves internet information over an internet and transforms the retrieved information for the application.

5. The portable apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the server assigns predetermined storage volume of the server for the user who registers the user data, and

wherein the wireless communication unit communicates with the server to back up local data of the portable apparatus into the server.

6. The portable apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the user data includes name, birthday, gender, address, phone number, email address, and a password of the user.

7. The portable apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor controls a display to display a list of previously downloaded applications that are not stored in the storage unit, and

wherein the wireless communication unit transmits to the server a request to re-download a selected application from the list of previously downloaded applications.

8. The portable apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to store the re-downloaded application in the storage unit.