SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A MOBILE CROSS-PLATFORM SOFTWARE SYSTEM

• US 20100100591A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Flexilis Incorporated (Lookout Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hering, John G., Burgess, James, MAHAFFEY, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for creating, developing and testing cross-platform software for mobile communications devices. The invention enables mobile device software that must be highly-integrated with the operating system on which it runs to be implemented in a cross-platform manner. Security software for mobile devices is a prime beneficiary of the present invention, as a substantial proportion of its functionality is identical between different platforms yet integrated very specifically into each platform it supports. The cross-platform system includes a core platform-independent component, a platform-specific component, and an abstraction layer component, each of which may communicate with each other using a common defined API. The present invention enables the platform-independent component to be completely re-used between platforms and allows the platform-specific and abstraction components to contain minimal amounts of code on each platform.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a cross-platform system on a mobile communications device that includes a platform-independent component, a platform-specific component and an abstraction layer, wherein the platform-independent component and the abstraction layer communicate utilizing a common API, and wherein the platform-independent component is capable of functioning on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

calling, by the platform-specific component of the mobile communications device, the platform-independent component to scan data stored on the mobile communications device to determine if the data contains a security threat;

performing, by the platform-independent component on the mobile communications device, a scan of the data; and

sending the results of the scan to the platform-specific component.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

gathering, by the abstraction layer on the mobile communications device information about the data stored on the mobile communications device; and

transmitting the gathered information to the platform-independent component before the platform-independent component performs a data scan.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of outputting the results of the data scan for display utilizing the platform-specific component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the security threat is selected from a group consisting of viruses, malware, software or hardware exploits, attempts to hijack the mobile communication device, denial of service attacks, spoofing, social engineering attacks, worms, and other computer contaminants.

5. A cross-platform system comprising:

a mobile communications device capable of receiving data;

on the mobile communications device, a platform-specific component for utilizing one or more functionalities specific to the mobile communications device;

on the mobile communications device, a platform-independent component for utilizing one or more functionalities common to any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices; and

on the mobile communications device, an abstraction layer component for abstracting platform-specific functionality for access by a common API;

wherein the platform-specific component, the platform-independent component and the abstraction layer component communicate with each other with the common API.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the platform-specific component on the mobile communications device is capable of being called by the platform-independent component using a dynamic extension.

7. A computer readable medium containing computer readable instructions comprising:

computer program code for calling a platform-independent component resident on a mobile communications device by an abstraction layer component;

computer program code for calling the abstraction layer component resident on the mobile communications device by the platform-independent component;

computer program code for calling the abstraction layer component by a platform-specific component resident on the mobile communications device;

computer program code for calling the platform-independent component resident on the mobile communications device by the platform-specific component;

wherein the combination of the platform-independent component and the abstraction layer component enables a function on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices; and

wherein calling is enabled by one or more APIs.

10. A method comprising:

providing a mobile communications device having a cross-platform system comprising a platform-specific component, a platform-independent component, and an abstraction layer component for communicating with the platform-independent component and for enabling functionality on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

providing computer program code for performing a function on the mobile communications device, wherein the computer program code comprises computer program code for calling the abstraction layer component, the platform-independent component and the platform-specific component resident on the mobile communications device; and

executing the computer program code to perform the function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the function includes monitoring/assessing the security state of the mobile communications device.

12. A method comprising:

providing a cross-platform system for installation on a mobile communications device that includes a platform-independent component and an abstraction layer, wherein the platform-independent component and the abstraction layer communicate utilizing a common API, and wherein the platform-independent component is capable of functioning on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

providing computer program code for testing the cross-platform system for functioning on a mobile communications device; and

testing the cross-platform system, wherein testing ensures that the platform-independent component and the abstraction layer will function on any of the plurality of different types of mobile communications devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cross-platform system further includes at least one dynamic extension, and testing further ensures that the at least one dynamic extension will function on any of the plurality of different types of mobile communications devices.