METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MANAGING THE DISTRIBUTION AND INSTALLATION OF APPLICATIONS

• US 20080168437A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Lei, Zhu, Min, Kangas, Chris, Knight, David, Chen, Weidong, Sheppard, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses request an installation of an application; detect a user requesting the application; detect a profile associated with the user; and grant permission to install the application based on an installation permission.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting an installation of an application;

detecting a user requesting the application;

detecting a profile associated with the user; and

granting permission to install the application based on an installation permission.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising storing the permission and associated reference to the application within a record that corresponds to the profile.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the installation permission excludes a reference to the application from a prohibited application list.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the installation permission excludes a reference to the application from a mandatory application list.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the installation permission includes a reference to the application from an approved application list.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising installing the application by the requester.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising updating the profile of the requester based on installing the application.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising purchasing the application by the requester.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising updating the profile of the requester based on purchasing the application.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein purchasing the application is based on a hierarchy of the requester.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the application is configured to operate with one of textual data, graphical data, audio data, and video data.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising rating the application based on installation by the requester.

13. A system, comprising:

a storage module configured to store a record containing a permission status associated with an application;

an application manager module configured to control installation of the application for a requester based on the permission status; and

a controller module configured to update the permission status within the record.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein storage module is configured to store the permission status with the record.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein the application manager module is further configured to modify the permission status to allow installation of the application by the requester.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the application manager module is configured to allow the requester to purchase a license to the application.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the requester purchases the license based on a hierarchy of the requester.

18. The system according to claim 13 wherein the application manager module is configured to allow another participant to install the application.

19. A system comprising:

means for requesting an installation of an application;

means for detecting a user requesting the application;

means for detecting a profile associated with the user; and

means for granting permission to install the application based on an installation permission.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein the means for granting permission includes allowing the user to install the application.

21. The system according to claim 19 wherein the means for granting permission includes allowing another participant to install the application.