METHOD FOR MANAGING INTERNAL SOFTWARE OF TERMINAL THROUGH DEVICE MANAGEMENT SERVER

• US 20080046880A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Wuk, KEUM, Ji-Eun, JUN, Hae-Young
• Granted Patent: US 8,191,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A method for managing software of a terminal in a device management system is provided. The device management server identifies if the memory area required for downloading and installing software is ensured in the terminal when the device management server has the software to be downloaded to the terminal. Then, the device management server acquires at least one among a usage rate during a predetermined period of time, a last use time, and a total number of times of usage for each software installed in the terminal when the required memory area is not ensured in the terminal. Next, the device management server selects software to be removed based on the usage rate, the last use time, etc., and notifies the terminal of the selected removal-targeted software. Then, the terminal removes the removal-targeted software when the terminal receives a removal acceptance input of the removal-targeted software from the user, and notifies the device management server of a result of the removal. Thereafter, the device management server transmits the software to be downloaded to the terminal.

Claims

1. A method for managing internal software of a terminal by a device management server, the method comprising:

identifying if a memory area required for downloading and installing software is ensured in the terminal when the device management server is to download the software to the terminal;

acquiring, by the device management server, information about at least one of an available memory size, a usage rate, a last use time, a total number of times of usage and an installed-software size for each software installed in the terminal, when the required memory area is not ensured in the terminal;

selecting, by the device management server, software to be removed based on the at least one of the available memory size, the usage rate, the last use time, the total number of times of usage and the installed-software size, and notifying the terminal of the selected removal-targeted software;

removing, by the terminal, the selected removal-targeted software, when the terminal receives a removal acceptance input of the removal-targeted software from the user, and notifying the device management server of a result of the removal; and

transmitting, by the device management server, the software to be downloaded to the terminal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifying if the required memory area is ensured in the terminal comprises comparing, by the device management server, information about a size of an available memory space of the terminal, which has been received from the terminal, with a size of the software to be downloaded, thereby identifying if the memory area required for downloading and installing the software to be downloaded is ensured in the terminal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information about the size of the available memory space of the terminal is included in an available memory size node, which is a lower node of an inventory node in a software component management object (SCOMO).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifying if the required memory area is ensured in the terminal comprises receiving by the device management server, from the terminal, a result of comparison between a size of an available memory space of the terminal and a size of the software to be downloaded, thereby identifying if the memory area required for downloading and installing the software to be downloaded is ensured in the terminal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the size of the software to be downloaded is stored in a download software size node of a download software component node in a software component management object (SCOMO), and is transmitted to the terminal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting of the software to be removed and notifying the terminal of the selected removal-targeted software comprises selecting by the device management server the removal-targeted software in a sequence from a smallest usage rate to a greatest usage rate from among the software installed in the terminal.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting of the software to be removed and notifying the terminal of the selected removal-targeted software comprises:

identifying a usage rate of each installed software based on the total number of times of usage; and

selecting the removal-targeted software in a sequence from a smallest usage rate to a greatest usage rate.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting of the software to be removed and notifying the terminal of the selected removal-targeted software comprises selecting by the device management server the removal-targeted software in a sequence from an oldest use time to a latest use time in terms of last use time.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting of the software to be removed and notifying the terminal of the selected removal-targeted software comprises selecting by the device management server the removal-targeted software in ascending order of an importance level for each installed software.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the available memory size, the installed-software size, the usage rate, the last use time, and the total number of times of usage are respectively included in an available memory size node, an installed-software size node, a usage rate node, a last use time node, and a total execution number node of a deployed software component node in a software component management object (SCOMO), and are acquired.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the removing of the removal-targeted software and notifying the device management server of a result of the removal comprises:

providing a list of removal-targeted software, which has been received from the device management server, through a user interface; and

removing the removal-targeted software upon a user'"'"'s acceptance input.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising providing a size of a memory area ensured according to removal of removal-targeted software upon the user'"'"'s acceptance input, in comparison with a size of a memory capacity required for downloading/installing the software to be downloaded, when two or more pieces of removal-targeted software exist.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the size of the ensured memory area is provided in comparison with the size of the memory capacity required for downloading/installing the software to be downloaded, reference is made of an installed-software size node of a deployed software component node and an installed-software size node of a delivered software component node in a software component management object (SCOMO).

14. A method for managing internal software of a terminal by a device management server, the method comprising:

determining if sufficient memory is available for downloading and installing software in the terminal when the device management server is to download the software to the terminal;

acquiring information regarding software installed on the terminal when sufficient memory is not available in the terminal;

determining, by the device management server, installed software that may be removed based on the acquired information;

notifying the terminal of the selected software;

removing, by the terminal, the installed software determined as being removable when the terminal receives a removal acceptance input from the user;

notifying the device management server of a result of the removal; and

transmitting, by the device management server, the first software to be downloaded to the terminal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the information regarding the software installed on the terminal comprises at least one of an installed-software size, an available memory size, a usage rate, a last use time and a total number of times of usage of the software installed in the terminal and further wherein the at least one of the installed-software size, the available memory size, the usage rate, the last use time and the total number of times of usage are respectively included in an available memory size node, an installed-software size node, a usage rate node, a last use time node, and a total execution number node of a deployed software component node in a software component management object (SCOMO).

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the determining if sufficient memory is available comprises comparing, by the device management server, information regarding a size of an available memory space of the terminal, which has been received from the terminal, with a size of the software to be downloaded.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the information regarding the size of the available memory space of the terminal is included in an available memory size node, which is a lower node of an inventory node in a software component management object (SCOMO).

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the determining if sufficient memory is available comprises receiving, by the device management server from the terminal, a result of a comparison between a size of an available memory space of the terminal and a size of the software to be downloaded.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the size of the software to be downloaded is included in a download software size node of a download software component node in a software component management object (SCOMO), and is transmitted to the terminal.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the determining of the installed software that may be removed comprises:

identifying a usage rate of each installed software based on the total number of times of usage; and

determining the installed software that may be removed based on a sequence from a smallest usage rate to a greatest usage rate.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the determining of the installed software that may be removed comprises determining based on a sequence from an oldest use time to a latest use time in terms of last use time.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the determining of the installed software that may be removed comprises determining based on an ascending order of an importance level for each installed software.

23. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the removing by the terminal of the removable installed software comprises:

providing a list of the software determined as being removable, which has been received from the device management server, through a user interface;

removing at least some of the software determined as being removable upon a user'"'"'s acceptance input; and

providing a size of a memory area available if the removal of the removable software is accepted by the user, in comparison with a size of a memory capacity required for downloading/installing the software to be downloaded, when two or more pieces of removable software exist.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein when the size of the memory area available is provided in comparison with the size of the memory capacity required for downloading/installing the software to be downloaded, reference is made of an installed-software size node of a deployed software component node and an installed-software size node of a delivered software component node in a software component management object (SCOMO).