SYSTEM, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD, FOR DOWNLOADING AN APPLICATION

• US 20100185727A1
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: MITTAL, Gaurav
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for facilitating the downloading of an application from a server computer to a client device, whereby the client device generates to the server computer an initiation request for information describing available applications. In response to receipt of the initiation request, the server computer retrieves, for each available application, information describing the respective application, and a link to an application descriptor for the respective application. The server computer transmits the information and link to the client device, which in turn displays the information and stores the link. When the user selects an application, the link for the selected application is recalled and is reached on the server computer for retrieval of the application descriptor. From the application descriptor, the client device may determine whether the application fits the device profile and, hence, whether to download the application.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method comprising:

generating a request for information specifying one or more available applications;

causing, at least in part, transmission of the request;

causing, at least in part, reception of application information specifying a link to an application descriptor associated with one of the available applications in response to the request, the application descriptor including one or more attributes for determining whether the one available application is suitable for a mobile device;

causing, at least in part, storage of the link in a memory of the mobile device; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval of the link from the memory in response to selection of the one available application.

23. A method of claim 22, further comprising:

generating another request for the application descriptor of the selected application, the other request including the retrieved link; and

causing, at least in part, reception of the application descriptor independently from a browser application.

24. A method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining based upon the one or more attributes of the application descriptor whether the selected application is suitable for downloading; and

causing, at least in part, selective downloading of the suitable application independently from the browser application.

25. A method of claim 24, wherein the one or more attributes relate to either memory requirement for the selected application, display requirement for the selected application, operating environment for the selected application, or a combination thereof.

26. A method of claim 24, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, decompression and storage of the suitable application in the memory.

27. A method of claim 22, wherein the link is either a uniform resource locator or a uniform resource identifier.

28. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

generate a request for information specifying one or more available applications;

transmit the request;

receive application information specifying a link to an application descriptor associated with one of the available applications in response to the request, the application descriptor including one or more attributes for determining whether the one available application is suitable for a mobile device;

store the link in a memory of the mobile device; and

retrieve the link from the memory in response to selection of the one available application.

29. An apparatus of claim 28, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

generate another request for the application descriptor of the selected application, the other request including the retrieved link; and

receive the application descriptor independently from a browser application.

30. An apparatus of claim 29, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine based upon the one or more attributes of the application descriptor whether the selected application is suitable for downloading; and

selectively download the suitable application independently from the browser application.

31. An apparatus of claim 30, wherein the one or more attributes relate to either memory requirement for the selected application, display requirement for the selected application, operating environment for the selected application, or a combination thereof.

32. An apparatus of claim 30, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

decompress and store the suitable application in the memory.

33. An apparatus of claim 28, wherein the link is either a uniform resource locator or a uniform resource identifier.

34. A method comprising:

causing, at least in part, reception of a request for information specifying one or more available applications; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval and transmission of application information specifying a link to an application descriptor associated with one of the available applications, the application descriptor including one or more attributes for determining whether the one available application is suitable for a mobile device.

35. A method of claim 34, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, reception of another request for the application descriptor of the one available application, the other request including a link to the application descriptor of the one available application; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval of the application descriptor via the link and transmission of the application descriptor to the mobile device.

36. A method of claim 35, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, reception of, from the mobile device, a clarification request for the application descriptor of the one available application; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval and transmission of additional one or more attributes of the one available application for determining whether the one available application is suitable for the mobile device, in response to the clarification request.

37. A method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining that an additional application is required to execute the one available application;

causing, at least in part, transmission to the mobile device of a query of whether to proceed with transmission of the additional application; and

causing, at least in part, retrieval and transmission of the additional application to the mobile device in response to a positive reply to the query.

38. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive a request for information specifying one or more available applications; and

retrieve and transmit application information specifying a link to an application descriptor associated with one of the available applications, the application descriptor including one or more attributes for determining whether the one available application is suitable for a mobile device.

39. An apparatus of claim 38, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive another request for the application descriptor of the one available application, the other request including a link to the application descriptor of the one available application; and

retrieve the application descriptor via the link and transmit the application descriptor to the mobile device.

40. An apparatus of claim 39, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive, from the mobile device, a clarification request for the application descriptor of the one available application; and

retrieve and transmit additional one or more attributes of the one available application for determining whether the one available application is suitable for the mobile device, in response to the clarification request.

41. An apparatus of claim 39, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine that an additional application is required to execute the one available application;

transmit to the mobile device a query of whether to transmit the additional application; and

retrieve and transmit the additional application to the mobile device in response to a positive reply to the query.