Systems and Methods for Remotely Configuring a Mobile Device

• US 20100317335A1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 80/20 Group LLC (Square Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 80/20 Group LLC (Square Incorporated)
• Inventors: Knight, Gerard Thomas, Borovsky, Andrew, Lin, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/483,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20100317335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services

Abstract

In particular embodiments, a system is described that includes one or more management servers comprising instructions operable when executed to present a user interface displayable at a remote host computer, the user interface enabling a user at the remote host computer to input management information for managing a mobile device; receive the management information input by the user; update configuration information in a configuration database for the mobile device based on the management information; and send the configuration information to the mobile device for configuring the mobile device. In particular embodiments, the instructions are further operable when executed to access one or more third party servers; pull third party information from the third party servers; aggregate and reconcile the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database; and store the reconciled configuration information in the configuration information database.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more management servers comprising one or more processors and one or more tangible computer-readable storage media, the media comprising server instructions operable when executed by the processors to;

present a user interface displayable at a remote host computer, the user interface enabling a user at the remote host computer to input management information for managing a mobile device without requiring the mobile device to be physically connected with the remote host computer;

receive the management information input by the user;

update configuration information for the mobile device based on the management information; and

send the configuration information to the mobile device for configuring the mobile device; and

a configuration information database that stores the configuration information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server instructions are further operable when executed by the processors to:

receive configuration information from the mobile device; and

update the configuration information stored in the configuration information database based on the configuration information received from the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server instructions operable when executed by the processors to update the configuration information comprise instructions operable when executed by the processors to:

access one or more third party servers;

pull third party information from the third party servers;

aggregate and reconcile the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database; and

store the reconciled configuration information in the configuration information database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the third party information is pulled on a periodic basis, on a continuous basis, on a predetermined basis, or when the one or more management servers determine that particular third party information is added, deleted, or updated at the third party servers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein all or a portion of the updated configuration information is sent to the mobile device on a periodic basis, on a continuous basis, on a predetermined basis, or when configuration information is updated by the one or more management servers.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the configuration information comprises contact information for viewing or updating contacts of the user stored in the mobile device, wherein the management information includes contact management information, wherein the contact information is based on the contact management information, and wherein the user interface displayable at the remote host computer comprises a contacts interface that enables the user to enter the contact management information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the contacts interface enables the user to enter the contact management information by selecting one or more email accounts, social networking accounts, or instant messaging accounts of the user, wherein the third party servers comprise one or more email, social networking, or instant messaging servers corresponding to the one or more email, social networking, or instant messaging accounts, and wherein the third party information comprises contact information including one or more of;

names corresponding to contacts of the user, display names corresponding to contacts of the user, email addresses corresponding to contacts of the user, one phone numbers corresponding to contacts of the user, residential and other addresses corresponding to contacts of the user, photos corresponding to contacts of the user, and statuses corresponding to contacts of the user; and

the server instructions operable when executed by the processors to reconcile the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database comprise server instructions operable when executed by the processors to compare the contact information with contact information stored in the configuration information database and to update the contact information stored in the configuration information database based on the comparison.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the configuration information comprises multimedia information for viewing or updating multimedia content stored in the mobile device, wherein the management information includes multimedia management information, wherein the multimedia information is based on the multimedia management information, and wherein the user interface displayable at the remote host computer comprises a multimedia interface that enables the user to enter the multimedia management information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the multimedia interface enables the user to enter the multimedia management information by selecting one or more multimedia accounts of the user, wherein the third party servers comprise one or more multimedia servers corresponding to the one or more multimedia accounts, and wherein the third party information comprises third party multimedia information; and

the server instructions operable when executed by the processors to reconcile the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database comprise server instructions operable when executed by the processors to compare the third party multimedia information with multimedia information stored in the configuration information database and to update the multimedia information stored in the configuration information database based on the comparison.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the multimedia accounts comprise one or more online photo upload or online music upload accounts, and wherein the multimedia information comprises one or more of photos and music.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface displayable at the remote host computer comprises a messaging interface that enables the user to send messages, read messages, and delete messages associated with contacts from one or more email, social networking, text, or instant messaging accounts.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user interface enables the user to select the medium by which to send a message to a particular contact.

13. One or more tangible computer-readable storage media, the media comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more processors to:

present a user interface displayable at a remote host computer, the user interface enabling a user at the remote host computer to input management information for managing a mobile device without requiring the mobile device to be physically connected with the remote host computer;

receive the management information input by the user;

update configuration information in a configuration information database for the mobile device based on the management information; and

send the configuration information to the mobile device for configuring the mobile device.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein the instructions operable when executed by the processors to update the configuration information comprise instructions operable when executed by the processors to:

access one or more third party servers;

pull third party information from the third party servers;

aggregate and reconcile the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database; and

store the reconciled configuration information in the configuration information database.

15. The media of claim 13, wherein the configuration information comprises contact information for viewing or updating contacts of the user stored in the mobile device, wherein the management information includes contact management information, wherein the contact information is based on the contact management information, and wherein the user interface displayable at the remote host computer comprises a contacts interface that enables the user to enter the contact management information.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein:

the contacts interface enables the user to enter the contact management information by selecting one or more email accounts, social networking accounts, or instant messaging accounts of the user, wherein the third party servers comprise one or more email, social networking, or instant messaging servers corresponding to the one or more email, social networking, or instant messaging accounts, and wherein the third party information comprises contact information including one or more of;

names corresponding to contacts of the user, display names corresponding to contacts of the user, email addresses corresponding to contacts of the user, one phone numbers corresponding to contacts of the user, residential and other addresses corresponding to contacts of the user, photos corresponding to contacts of the user, and statuses corresponding to contacts of the user; and

the instructions operable when executed by the processors to reconcile the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database comprise server instructions operable when executed by the processors to compare the contact information with contact information stored in the configuration information database and to update the contact information stored in the configuration information database based on the comparison.

17. A method comprising:

presenting a user interface displayable at a remote host computer, the user interface enabling a user at the remote host computer to input management information for managing a mobile device without requiring the mobile device to be physically connected with the remote host computer;

receiving the management information input by the user;

updating configuration information in a configuration information database for the mobile device based on the management information; and

sending the configuration information to the mobile device for configuring the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein updating the configuration information comprises:

accessing one or more third party servers;

pulling third party information from the third party servers;

aggregating and reconciling the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database; and

storing the reconciled configuration information in the configuration information database.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration information comprises contact information for viewing or updating contacts of the user stored in the mobile device, wherein the management information includes contact management information, wherein the contact information is based on the contact management information, and wherein the user interface displayable at the remote host computer comprises a contacts interface that enables the user to enter the contact management information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the contacts interface enables the user to enter the contact management information by selecting one or more email accounts, social networking accounts, or instant messaging accounts of the user, wherein the third party servers comprise one or more email, social networking, or instant messaging servers corresponding to the one or more email, social networking, or instant messaging accounts, and wherein the third party information comprises contact information including one or more of;

names corresponding to contacts of the user, display names corresponding to contacts of the user, email addresses corresponding to contacts of the user, one phone numbers corresponding to contacts of the user, residential and other addresses corresponding to contacts of the user, photos corresponding to contacts of the user, and statuses corresponding to contacts of the user; and

reconciling the pulled third party information with the configuration information stored in the configuration information database comprises comparing the contact information with contact information stored in the configuration information database and updating the contact information stored in the configuration information database based on the comparison.