Provisioning applications for a mobile device

• US 20090325565A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Backholm, Ari
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment

Abstract

Methods and systems for provisioning an application for a mobile device are provided. A user may request an application. A request concerning the application is sent to a provisioning device. The request includes information concerning the mobile device and/or the user of the mobile device. The information is used to determine the requirements for operating the requested application on the mobile device. A hyperlink for downloading the requirements information is sent to the user of the mobile device via text messaging and/or email. The requirements information may be provided directly to the mobile device, to a personal computing device associated with the user of the mobile device, or a combination.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning an application for a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving information from the mobile device associated with a user;

sending a communication accessible by a computing device associated with the user based on the received information;

determining requirements for the mobile device to operate the application based on information provided by the user using the computing device; and

providing the determined requirements information to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements include implementing at least one setting required for the mobile device to operate the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements include executing a downloadable component required for the mobile device to operate the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements include installing a downloadable component in the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements include setting up a network service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the determined requirements information comprises generating a hyperlink for downloading the determined requirements information, the hyperlink provided to the user of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the hyperlink comprises sending a text message to the mobile device based on the received information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the hyperlink comprises sending an email to the user of the mobile device based on the received information.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving confirmation that the application is provisioned for the mobile device and limiting operation of the application based on the received confirmation.

10. A method for provisioning an application for a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a user selection concerning the application;

providing information concerning the mobile device to a network server;

receiving information concerning requirements for operating an application on the mobile device, wherein the requirements are determined based on the received mobile device information; and

provisioning the mobile device based on the received requirements information.

11. A system for provisioning an application for a mobile device, the system comprising

a network server configured to

receive information from the mobile device associated with a user,

send a communication accessible by a computing device associated with the user based on the received information, and

determine requirements for operating the application on the mobile device based on information provided by the user using the computing device;

and

an outbound communication server configured to provide information concerning the determined requirements to the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an inbound communications server configured to provide the determined requirements information for download.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein at least some of the requirements information is downloaded to a personal computing device associated with the user of the mobile device

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least some of the requirements information is downloaded to a network service associated with the user of the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the network server is further configured to generate a hyperlink for downloading the determined requirements information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the outbound communication server is further configured to provide the requirements information by sending an email including the hyperlink to the user of the mobile device based on the received information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the outbound communication server is further configured to provide the requirements information by sending a text message including the hyperlink to the mobile device based on the received information.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the network server includes a device management module executable to confirm that the application is provisioned for the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein execution of the device management module also limits operation of the application based on the confirmation of the provisioning.

20. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computer processor to perform a method for provisioning a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving information from the mobile device associated with a user;

sending a communication accessible by a computing device associated with the user based on the received information;

determining requirements for the mobile device to operate the application based on information provided by the user using the computing device; and

providing the determined requirements information to the mobile device.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the program further comprises executable instructions for sending an email including the hyperlink to the user of the mobile device based on the received information.