OVER-THE-AIR DEVICE SERVICES AND MANAGEMENT

• US 20080114855A1
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Kevin T., Eisner, William, Prasad, Srikiran, Welingkar, Bharat
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

An over-the-air device services and management system includes a web applications server for providing a software download service, an account management server for providing an account maintenance service, and a synchronization server for providing a data management services. The suite of services offered by these servers may be wirelessly accessed from a client device.

Claims

1. A system for servicing a client device, comprising:

a web applications server arranged to provide a software download service;

an account management server arranged to provide an account maintenance service;

a synchronization server arranged to provide a data management service,

wherein said services are available to the client device over a wireless communications network operatively connecting the client device to the web applications server, the account management server, and the synchronization server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the web applications server is further arranged to issue a resource update to the client device over the wireless communications network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the web applications server is further arranged to issue a command to the client device over the wireless communications network to lock the client device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the web applications server is further arranged to issue a command to the client device over the wireless communications network to delete user data from the client device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the account management server is further arranged to issues a command to the client device over the wireless communications network to control a heartbeat of the client device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the account management server is further arranged to track a state of an account for the client device based on verification information transmitted to the account management server from the client device over the wireless communications network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a communication between the web applications server and the client device over the wireless communications network is dependent on the state of the account.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein a communication between the synchronization server and the client device over the wireless communications network is dependent on the state of the account.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronization server is further arranged to retrieve and store data received over the wireless communications network from the client device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the synchronization server is further arranged to restore data to the client device over the wireless communications network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable e-mail device, a desktop computer, and a laptop computer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications network is at least in part any one of a wide area network, a local area network, a cellular network, a radio network, a wireless mesh network, and an Internet-based network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the web applications server is further arranged to host a website accessible to the client device over the wireless communications network.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the client device is arranged to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the web applications server, the account management server, and the synchronization server via at least one of an HTTP request, an SMS message, a voice channel, and a data channel.

15. A method of providing a plurality of services to a client side computing device, the method comprising:

supporting a software download service on a server side;

supporting a centralized account maintenance service on the server side;

supporting a data management service on the server side; and

providing said services in relation to each other to the client side computing device over a wireless communications network.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

delivering a resource update to the client side computing device over the wireless communications network.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

delivering a command to the client side computing device over the wireless communications network to lock the client side computing device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

delivering a command to the client side computing device over the wireless communications network to delete user data from the client side computing device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

delivering a command to the client side computing device over the wireless communications network to control a heartbeat of the client side computing device.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving verification information from the client side computing device over the wireless communications network; and

transitioning a state of an account for the client side computing device dependent on the received verification information.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the software download service is dependent on the state of the account.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the data management service is dependent on the state of the account.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving and storing data over the wireless communications network from the client side computing device.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

restoring stored data to the client side computing device over the wireless communications network.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting and removing redundant data instances in user data stored on the server side.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

detecting and removing redundant data instances in user data stored on the client side computing device.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the client side computing device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable e-mail device, a desktop computer, and a laptop computer.

28. A mobile computing device, comprising:

an application program interface arranged to wirelessly communicate with a plurality of servers arranged to collectively provide a suite of services for the mobile computing device;

a first module arranged to request a software download via the application program interface;

a second module arranged to provide account verification information via the application program interface; and

a third module arranged to backup data from and restore data to the mobile computing device via the application program interface.

29. The mobile computing device of claim 28, wherein the mobile computing device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable e-mail device, and a laptop computer.

30. The mobile computing device of claim 28, further comprising:

a module arranged to lock the mobile computing device from use in response to a command received via the application program interface.

31. The mobile computing device of claim 28, further comprising:

a module arranged to delete user data on the mobile computing device in response to a command received via the application program interface.

32. The mobile computing device of claim 28, further comprising:

a module arranged to issue a heartbeat in response to a command received via the application program interface.