Framework for agile mobile applications

• US 20070287482A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Inventors: Landsman, Seth M., Wolfe, Brandon T., Byrne, Richard, Wilson, John, Sleeper, Harry, Sonin, Juhan
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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

Abstract

A framework for enabling the usage of mobile devices in a remote sensing and reporting role are provided herein. Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for enabling the usage of mobile devices in a remote sensing and reporting role. Embodiments of the present invention use existing mobile network infrastructure to engage mobile users in remote sensing and reporting tasks. Further, embodiments of the present invention enable rapid set up of remote sensing and reporting applications with relatively little technical skills.

Claims

1. A method for deploying mobile reporting applications, comprising:

(a) generating a reporting application;

(b) pushing said reporting application to a plurality of mobile devices;

(c) receiving data reports from said mobile devices generated using said reporting application; and

(d) sending said data reports to a repository.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises generating said reporting application according to a reporting need.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises generating an application workflow for said reporting application, said workflow defining successive user input screens of said reporting application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said user input screens are designed using any combination of custom images, text, voice, video, and other modalities.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises generating said reporting application using pre-defined templates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises generating said reporting application using an application generating wizard.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises generating said reporting application according to specifiable rules, without user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises transmitting said reporting application to said plurality of mobile devices using a transport network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said transport network is a mobile telecommunications network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said reporting application is transmitted from an application provider to said plurality of mobile devices.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said transport network includes at least one of portable cell towers, aerostats, pico-cell network, nano-cell network, HAM radio-based network, and ad hoc wireless network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) processing said data reports; and

(f) generating actionable intelligence based on said processed data reports.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(e) modifying said reporting application using said application builder when said reporting need changes; and

(f) repeating steps (b)-(e).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of said mobile devices are operated by human users.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of said mobile devices require no human operators.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said data reports include any combination of text, images, voice, video, location information, and other modalities of information.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of generating actionable intelligence includes generating actionable intelligence based on data reports received from multiple reporting applications and/or from external systems.

29. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(g) sending messages to mobile devices based on the generated actionable intelligence.

30. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(g) modifying said reporting application based on the generated actionable intelligence; and

(h) pushing the modified reporting application to the mobile devices.

17. A method for generating data reports using a reporting application, comprising:

(e) executing the reporting application;

(f) processing an application workflow of the reporting application, wherein the application workflow defines successive user input screens of the reporting application;

(g) displaying user screens of the reporting application to a user; and

(h) collecting input from the user in response to said screens.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(i) extracting information from attached peripheral devices; and

(j) using said extracted information together with user input to generate said data reports.

19. A system for deploying mobile reporting applications, comprising:

means for generating a reporting application;

means for pushing said reporting application to a plurality of mobile devices;

means for storing data reports generated by said mobile devices; and

means for processing said data reports to generate actionable intelligence.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for generating includes an application builder.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for pushing includes a transport network.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for storing is accessible by said means for generating to store generated reporting applications.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for storing is accessible by said mobile devices to download said reporting applications.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for processing includes means for integrating information from external systems to generate said actionable intelligence.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for processing includes means for processing data reports generated by different reporting applications, thereby enabling synergy between applications.

26. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to deploy mobile reporting applications, the computer program logic comprising:

first generating means for enabling a processor to generate a reporting application;

pushing means for enabling a processor to push said reporting application to a plurality of mobile devices;

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive data reports from said mobile devices generated using said reporting application; and

sending means for enabling a processor to send said data reports to a repository.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer program logic further comprises:

second generating means for enabling a processor to generate actionable intelligence based on said data reports.