System and method for provisioning component applications

• US 20060168355A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Taylor, Sean, Shenfield, Michael, Fritsch, Brindusa
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data

Abstract

A system and method are provided for provisioning component applications for retrieval by a device. The system includes an application gateway server, which includes a message broker for communicating between the system and the device. The application gateway server is configured for communication with a provisioning server and a discovery server. The provisioning server includes a provisioning service for servicing a provisioning request and a provisioning depot for storing packaged component applications. The discovery server stores and manages component application bundles. The system further includes a packaging application in communication with application gateway for retrieving a component application bundle, selecting elements from the component application bundle in accordance with the device for which the component application is being provisioned, creating a component application package using the selected elements, and making the packaged component application available to the device.

Claims

1. A system for provisioning component applications for retrieval by a device, the system comprising:

(a) an application gateway server including a message broker for communicating between the system and the device, the application gateway server configured for communication with a provisioning server and a discovery server;

(i) the provisioning server including a provisioning service for servicing a provisioning request and a provisioning depot for storing packaged component applications;

(ii) the discovery server for storing and managing component application bundles; and

(iii) a packaging application in communication with application gateway for retrieving a component application bundle, selecting elements from the component application bundle in accordance with the device for which the component application is being provisioned, creating a component application package using the selected elements, and making the packaged component application available to the device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging application makes the packaged component application available to the device by storing it and transmitting its storage location to the device.

3. The system of claim 2, where the storage location of the packaged component application is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

4. The system of claim 2, wherein packaged component applications are retrieved by a runtime environment on the device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein packaged component applications are pushed to the runtime environment on the device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the packing application selects a presentation component from a plurality of available presentation components in accordance with the device'"'"'s capabilities.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the packing application selects localization information from a plurality of available information in accordance with device preferences.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the packing application selects resources from a plurality of available resources in accordance with the device'"'"'s capabilities.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging application is provided by the gateway application server.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging application is provided by the provisioning server.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging application is provided by a third party application server.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the component application bundle includes mapping information and the packaging application provides the mapping information to the message broker for facilitating messaging between the device and a backend server required by the component application.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the application gateway server further includes a lifecycle subsystem for managing the device and tracking which of a plurality of component applications are provisioned for each of a plurality of devices.

14. A method for provisioning a component application for a device by a gateway application server, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving, at the gateway application server, a request to provision a component application;

(b) determining whether or not the component application is packaged and, if so, making it available to the device;

(c) locating and retrieving a component application bundle, associated with the component application, from a component application depot for packaging;

(d) packaging the component application by selecting elements from the component application bundle in accordance with the device for which the component application is being provisioned, creating a component application package using the selected elements; and

(e) making the packaged component application available to the device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the packaged component application is made available to the device by storing it and transmitting its storage location to the device.

16. The method of claim 15, where the storage location of the packaged component application is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

17. The method of claim 15, wherein packaged component applications are retrieved by a runtime environment on the device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein packaged component applications are pushed to the runtime environment on the device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the component application request is initiated by the device'"'"'s user.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the component application request is initiated by an administrator.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the component application request is initiated by a third party.