SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CONFIGURATION SETTINGS FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES AND SERVICES

• US 20080089302A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gao, Wen, Chiu, Denny, Godfrey, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,134,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system for controlling configuration settings for mobile data communication devices and services includes a redirection server and a policy generation system. The redirection server detects a triggering event in a host system and in response to the triggering event continuously redirects data items from the host system to a wireless network. Each mobile data communication device receives data items from the wireless network and includes a device configuration stored in a memory location on the mobile data communication device. The device configuration of each mobile data communication device controls one or more functions of the mobile data communication device. The policy generation system receives a policy setting from a user interface and stores the policy setting in a user information record associated with a mobile data communication device. The redirection server detects the policy setting in the user information record and in response to detecting the policy setting transmits the policy setting over the wireless network to the mobile data communication device associated with the user information record. The mobile data communication device automatically modifies the device configuration to include the policy setting. Methods of controlling a configuration setting in mobile data communication devices are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a configuration setting in a mobile data communication device in a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a redirection system that detects a triggering event in a host system and in response to the triggering event continuously redirects data items from the host system over a wireless network to the mobile data communication device, comprising the steps of:

providing a device configuration for the mobile data communication device that controls one or more functions of the mobile data communication device;

receiving a policy setting for the mobile data communication device at a policy generation system;

generating an update message that corresponds to the policy setting;

transmitting the update message through the redirection system to the wireless network;

receiving the update message at the mobile data communication device; and

in response to the update message, automatically modifying the device configuration to include the policy setting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy setting included in the device configuration may only be modified by a new policy setting originating from the policy generation system.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

storing the policy setting in a user information record associated with the mobile data communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of:

detecting the policy setting stored in the user information record and generating the update message in response to detecting the policy setting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the update message is in the form of an electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising the further steps of:

encrypting the policy setting and generating the update message using the encrypted policy setting; and

decrypting the policy setting at the mobile data communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the update message comprises the steps of:

encapsulating the policy setting in a data packet; and

adding information to the data packet that identifies the mobile data communication device.

8. A method for controlling a configuration setting in a group of mobile data communication devices in a communication system, wherein the communication system includes a redirection system that detects a triggering event in a host system and in response to the triggering event continuously redirects data items from the host system over a wireless network to one or more of the mobile data communication devices, comprising the steps of:

defining the group of mobile data communication devices;

providing a device configuration for each of the mobile data communication devices that controls one or more functions of the mobile data communication device;

receiving a policy setting for the group of mobile data communication devices at a policy generation system;

generating an update message that corresponds to the policy setting;

transmitting the update message through the redirection system to the wireless network;

receiving the update message at each mobile data communication device in the group of mobile data communication devices; and

in response to the update message, each mobile data communication device in the group of mobile data communication devices automatically modifying the device configuration to include the policy setting.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the policy setting included in the device configuration may only be modified by a new policy setting originating from the policy generation system.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the group of mobile data communication devices is defined based on at least one common policy setting.

11. A system for controlling a configuration setting in a mobile communication device, comprising:

a redirection server that detects a triggering event in a host system and in response to the triggering event continuously redirects data items from the host system to a wireless network;

a mobile data communication device that receives data items from the wireless network and that includes a device configuration stored in a memory location on the mobile data communication device, wherein the device configuration controls one or more functions of the mobile data communication device; and

a policy generation system that receives a policy setting from a user interface and stores the policy setting in a user information record;

wherein the redirection server detects the policy setting in the user information record and in response to detecting the policy setting transmits the policy setting over the wireless network to the mobile data communication device, and wherein the mobile data communication device automatically modifies the device configuration to include the policy setting.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the policy generation system is a software application executing on the redirection server.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user information record is stored in a memory location in the redirection server.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user information record is stored in a memory location in a database coupled to the redirection server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the redirection server encapsulates the policy setting in an update message and transmits the update message over the wireless network to the mobile data communication device, and wherein the mobile data communication device retrieves the policy setting from the update message.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile data communication device includes a policy setting processing system that processes the policy setting received by the mobile data communication device and modifies the device configuration to include the policy setting.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the mobile data communication device includes a processing device that controls the functions of the mobile data communication device, and wherein the policy setting processing system is a software application that executes on the processing device.