Local applications and local application distribution

• US 10,187,420 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pate, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Jhaveri, Jayesh M
• Application Number:
  US15/722,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for local applications and local application distribution. According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, an application authority system can receive a local application for distribution to a local router. The application authority system can perform an application approval process to approve the local application for distribution to the local router. The application authority system can cause the local application to be distributed to the local router. The local router can receive the local application and can distribute the local application to one or more devices via a local network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a local router, a local application from an application authority system, wherein the local application is programmed to automatically uninstall when outside of a local area served by the local router, and wherein dimensions of the local area are defined within the local application;

detecting, by the local router, a device within the local area served by the local router; and

when the device is detected, providing, by the local router, the local application to the device for use by the device while the device is located within the local area served by the local router, wherein the local application automatically uninstalls from the device when the device leaves the local area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting, by the local router, a service set identifier that the device can use to connect to the local router.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the device within the local area served by the local router comprises detecting the device within the local area served by the local router when the device attempts to connect to the local router via the service set identifier broadcast by the local router.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting unique authentication information from the device; and

using the unique authentication information to determine whether the device should receive the local application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the local application is approved via an application approval process prior to being received by the local router.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application approval process comprises an analysis of the local application to ensure the location application complies with a rule enforced by an application authority.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the analysis further ensures that the local application is reliable and free of malicious software.

8. A local router comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a local application from an application authority system, wherein the local application is programmed to automatically uninstall when outside of a local area served by the local router, and wherein dimensions of the local area are defined within the local application,

detecting a device within the local area served by the local router, and

when the device is detected, providing the local application to the device for use by the device while the device is located within the local area served by the local router, wherein the local application automatically uninstalls from the device when the device leaves the local area.

9. The local router of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise broadcasting a service set identifier that the device can use to connect to the local router.

10. The local router of claim 9, wherein detecting the device within the local area served by the local router comprises detecting the device within the local area served by the local router when the device attempts to connect to the local router via the service set identifier broadcast by the local router.

11. The local router of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

requesting unique authentication information from the device; and

using the unique authentication information to determine whether the device should receive the local application.

12. The local router of claim 8, wherein the local application is approved via an application approval process prior to being received by the local router.

13. The local router of claim 12, wherein the application approval process comprises an analysis of the local application to ensure the location application complies with a rule enforced by an application authority.

14. The local router of claim 13, wherein the analysis further ensures that the local application is reliable and free of malicious software.

15. A computer storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a local router, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a local application from an application authority system, wherein the local application is programmed to automatically uninstall when outside of a local area served by the local router, and wherein dimensions of the local area are defined within the local application;

detecting a device within the local area served by the local router; and

when the device is detected, providing the local application to the device for use by the device while the device is located within the local area served by the local router, wherein the local application automatically uninstalls from the device when the device leaves the local area.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise broadcasting a service set identifier that the device can use to connect to the local router.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein detecting the device within the local area served by the local router comprises detecting the device within the local area served by the local router when the device attempts to connect to the local router via the service set identifier broadcast by the local router.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

requesting unique authentication information from the device; and

using the unique authentication information to determine whether the device should receive the local application.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the local application is approved via an application approval process prior to being received by the local router.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein the application approval process comprises an analysis of the local application to ensure that the local application is reliable and free of malicious software.