Automated application installation

• US 10,209,976 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dropbox, Inc.
• Inventors: Cayre, Stefano, Hurwitz, Jacob, Contractor, Darius, Lu, Yuran, Harvey, James, Sarfani, Aadil, Nguyen, Huy, Embiricos, Alexander, Sheehan, Genevieve
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US14/983,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20170192764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/125 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

Abstract

An example computer implemented method to automatically download and install a second application can include a first application detecting that a condition has occurred. This first application can be preinstalled by the original equipment manufacturer. The first application can then present an interface for signing in to or signing up for a service. The first application can then download and install the second application. This downloading and installation can occur in the background without requiring user interaction. The second application can be a client application for the service and the first application can pass a token with login credentials to the second application. This can allow the second application to be authenticated with the service without requiring a user to reenter the user'"'"'s credentials.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

computer executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by a computer being effective to cause the computer to;

detect, by a first client application associated with a synchronized online content management system that comes preinstalled on the computer by an original equipment manufacturer, a condition that includes an initial computer boot up;

present, by the first client application, after the condition has been detected, an interface for signing in to or signing up for a service providing synchronization between the synchronized online content management system and a second client application associated with the synchronized online content management system on the computer;

receive, by the first client application, sign in credentials in the interface;

in response to receiving the sign in credentials, automatically download and install, by the first client application, the second client application, wherein the second client application synchronizes content items with the synchronized online content management system, wherein synchronization includes synchronizing changes in the content items between the second client application and the synchronized online content management system;

request, by the first client application from the second client application, a unique identifier for the second client application;

transmit, by the first client application to the synchronized online content management system, the unique identifier; and

upon receiving verification of the unique identifier from the synchronized online content management system, pass a token from the first client application, including the received sign in credentials, to the second client application, the token being effective to automatically sign into the service by the second client application.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the second client application requires sign in credentials to run.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising

after automatically signing into the service by the second client application, uninstall, by the second client application, the first client application.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the condition is a scheduled amount of time since the first client application has first launched.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the download of the second client application initiates in anticipation of the condition being detected.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the condition is detecting an event related to a content item manager.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 wherein the download of the second client application initiates after the condition has been detected.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first client application has limited functionality that does not include functionality for providing the service on the computer.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising:

the automatic sign in to the service by the second client application includes signing in to a first user account and the content items are stored within the first user account at the synchronized online content management system and the second client application.

9. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first client application associated with a synchronized online content management system that comes preinstalled on a computer by an original equipment manufacturer, a condition that includes an initial computer boot up;

presenting, by the first client application, after the condition has been detected, an interface for signing in to or signing up for a service providing synchronization between the synchronized online content management system and a second client application associated with the synchronized online content management system on the computer;

receiving, by the first client application, sign in credentials in the interface;

in response to receiving the sign in credentials, automatically downloading and installing, by the first client application, the second client application, wherein the second client application synchronizes content items with the synchronized online content management system and synchronization includes synchronizing changes in the content items between the second client application and the synchronized online content management system;

requesting, by the first client application from the second client application, a unique identifier for the second client application;

transmitting, by the first client application to the synchronized online content management system, the unique identifier; and

upon receiving verification of the unique identifier from the synchronized online content management system, pass a token from the first client application, including the received sign in credentials, to the second client application, the token being effective to automatically sign into the service by the second client application.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second client application requires sign in credentials to run.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the condition is a scheduled amount of time since the first client application has first launched.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the downloading of the second client application initiates in anticipation of the condition being detected.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the condition is detecting an event related to a content item manager.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the downloading of the second client application initiates after the condition has been detected.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the first client application has limited functionality that does not include functionality for providing the service on the computing device.

16. A system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium; and

non-transitory computer-readable instructions, stored on the computer readable medium, that when executed by the processor, cause a computer to;

detect, by a first client application associated with a synchronized online content management system that comes preinstalled on the computer by an original equipment manufacturer, a condition that includes an initial computer boot up;

present, by the first client application, after the condition has been detected, an interface for signing in to or signing up for a service providing synchronization between the synchronized online content management system and a second client application associated with the synchronized online content management system on the computer;

receive, by the first client application, sign in credentials in the interface;

in response to receiving the sign in credentials, automatically download and install, by the first client application, the second client application, wherein the second client application synchronizes content items with the synchronized online content management system and synchronization includes synchronizing changes in the content items between the second client application and the synchronized online content management system;

requesting, by the first client application from the second client application, a unique identifier for the second client application;

transmitting, by the first client application to the synchronized online content management system, the unique identifier; and

upon receiving verification of the unique identifier from the synchronized online content management system, pass a token from the first client application, including the received sign in credentials, to the second client application, the token being effective to automatically sign into the service by the second client application.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the condition is detecting an event related to a content item manager.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the download of the second client application initiates after the condition has been detected.