MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT

• US 20080070495A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: McHale, Thomas, Stricklen, Michael, Reddy, Venkat, Caminetsky, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods for managing mobile devices of supported by different platforms. In some embodiments, the invention provides this management capability by utilizing one or more agents or modules native to the platforms themselves to provide interaction with individual mobile. In some embodiments, the invention provides an abstraction layer by which management tasks or other functions relating to mobile devices of different types may be generally defined and translated for application to mobile devices supported by different platforms. In some embodiments, the invention utilizes existing organizational structure of an enterprise or organization to define management permission for mobile device administrators and end users as well as to define policy configuration schemes for mobile devices. In some embodiments, the invention tracks the lifecycle of mobile devices within an enterprise or organization as assets within the organization.

Claims

1. A system for managing a plurality of mobile devices of an organization via a common interface, the system comprising:

a registration module that receives an identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the identifier indicates a platform supporting each of the plurality of mobile devices; and

a management module that receives a management task definition for a management task to be performed on at least two of the plurality of mobile devices and determines, using identifiers from the at least two mobile devices, a first platform supporting at least a first of the at least two mobile devices and a second platform supporting at least a second of the at least two mobile devices,

wherein the management module provides instructions to one or more modules specific to the first platform for performing the management task on at least the first device and provides instructions to one or more modules specific to the second platform to perform the management task on at least the second device, and

wherein the one or more modules specific to the first platform perform the management task on at least the first device using, at least in part, wireless communication with at least the first device, and the one or more modules specific to the second platform perform the management task on at least the second device using, at least in part, wireless communication with at least the second device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the registration module receives end user information regarding at least one end user for one or more of the at least two mobile devices, wherein the end user information includes enterprise role information regarding the at least one end user'"'"'s association with the organization and wherein the management task definition is based at least in part on the enterprise role information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the registration module receives the end user information from an enterprise directory associated with the organization.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the management task includes applying a policy to the at least two mobile devices, the policy including one or more configuration sets specifying configuration information for the at least two mobile devices.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the number of configuration sets in the policy equals the number of different platforms supporting one or more of the at least two mobile devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the management task includes retrieving status information from the at least two mobile devices.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the status information includes at least a logical state of each of the at least two mobile devices, the logical state including an indication of the use of each of the at least two mobile devices as an asset within the organization.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the management module receives a response to the instructions to perform the management task from the one or more modules specific to the first platform and the one or more modules specific to the second platform, the response indicating a status of the management task.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the status of the management task includes an indication that the management task has been successfully performed, the management task has not been successfully performed, or device not reachable.

10. A method for managing a plurality of mobile devices of an organization via a common interface, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier for each of the plurality of mobile devices, wherein the identifier indicates a platform supporting each of the plurality of mobile devices;

receiving a management task definition for a management task to be performed on at least two of the plurality of mobile devices;

determining, using identifiers from the at least two mobile devices, a first platform supporting at least a first of the at least two mobile devices and a second platform supporting at least a second of the at least two mobile devices;

providing instructions to one or more modules specific to the first platform for performing the management task on at least the first device; and

providing instructions to one or more modules specific to the second platform to perform the management task on at least the second device, and

wherein the one or more modules specific to the first platform perform the management task on at least the first device using, at least in part, wireless communication with at least the first device, and the one or more modules specific to the second platform perform the management task on at least the second device using, at least in part, wireless communication with at least the second device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving end user information regarding at least one end user for one or more of the at least two mobile devices, wherein the end user information includes enterprise role information regarding the at least one end user'"'"'s association with the organization and wherein the management task definition is based at least in part on the enterprise role information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the registration module receives the end user information from an enterprise directory associated with the organization.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the management task includes applying a policy to the at least two mobile devices, the policy including one or more configuration sets specifying configuration information for the at least two mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the number of configuration sets in the policy equals the number of different platforms supporting one or more of the at least two mobile devices.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the management task includes retrieving status information from the at least two mobile devices.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the status information includes at least a logical state of each of the at least two mobile devices, the logical state including an indication of the use of each of the at least two mobile devices as an asset within the organization.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a response to the instructions to perform the management task from the one or more modules specific to the first platform and the one or more modules specific to the second platform, the response indicating a status of the management task.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the status of the management task includes an indication that the management task has been successfully performed, the management task has not been successfully performed, or device not reachable.

19. A system for managing a plurality of mobile devices of an organization via a common interface, comprising:

a registration module that receives location information regarding end user information within an enterprise directory and retrieves end user information regarding at least one of a plurality of end users from the enterprise directory using the location information, wherein the retrieved end user information includes information relating to one or more mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices associated with the at least one end user and enterprise role information regarding the at least one end user'"'"'s association with the organization; and

a management module that determines a management task definition for a management task to be performed on the one or more mobile devices, at least in part using the enterprise role information, and provides instructions to the one or more mobile devices for performing the management task using, at least in part, wireless communication.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the location information includes a path name for the enterprise directory.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the enterprise role information includes information that is used to determine the at least one end user'"'"'s data permissions within the organization.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein employees of the organization are associated with one or more departments of the organization and wherein enterprise role information includes information regarding one or more departments associated with the at least one end user.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the management task includes applying a policy to the one or more mobile devices, the policy including one or more configuration sets specifying configuration information for the at least two mobile devices.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the management module provides instructions to one or more modules specific to a platform of each of the one or more mobile devices, wherein the one or more modules specific to the platform perform the management task on the one or more mobile devices using, at least in part, wireless communication.

25. A method for managing a plurality of mobile devices of an organization via a common interface, comprising:

receiving location information regarding end user information within an enterprise directory;

retrieving end user information regarding at least one of a plurality of end users from the enterprise directory using the location information, wherein the retrieved end user information includes information relating to one or more mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices associated with the at least one end user and enterprise role information regarding the at least one end user'"'"'s association with the organization;

determining a management task definition for a management task to be performed on the one or more mobile devices, at least in part using the enterprise role information; and

providing instructions to the one or more mobile devices for performing the management task using, at least in part, wireless communication.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the location information includes a path name for the enterprise directory.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the enterprise role information includes information that is used to determine the at least one end user'"'"'s data permissions within the organization.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein employees of the organization are associated with one or more departments of the organization and wherein enterprise role information includes information regarding one or more departments associated with the at least one end user.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the management task includes applying a policy to the one or more mobile devices, the policy including one or more configuration sets specifying configuration information for the at least two mobile devices.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing instructions to one or more modules specific to a platform of each of the one or more mobile devices, wherein the one or more modules specific to the platform perform the management task on the one or more mobile devices using, at least in part, wireless communication.