SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE APPLICATION ADVISEMENT

• US 20110047594A1
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Grubb, Jonathan Pantera, Lineberry, Anthony McKay, Wyatt, Timothy Micheal, Hering, John G., Burgess, James David, Golombek, David, Richardson, David Luke, Mahaffey, Kevin Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,367,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/171 Portable consumer electronics, e.g. mobile phone

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a system and method for providing advisement about applications on mobile communication devices such as smartphones, netbooks, and tablets. A server gathers data about mobile applications, analyzes the applications, and produces an assessment that may advise users on a variety of factors, including security, privacy, battery impact, performance impact, and network usage. The disclosure helps users understand the impact of applications to improve the experience in using their mobile device. The disclosure also enables a server to feed information about applications to other protection systems such as application policy systems and network infrastructure. The disclosure also enables advisement about applications to be presented in a variety of forms, such as through a mobile application, as part of a web application, or integrated into other services via an API.

Claims

1. A method for providing an assessment of a data object by a server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server from a plurality of mobile communication devices, data pertaining to the data object, the data generated by the plurality of mobile communication devices having accessed the data object;

processing, by the server, the data received from the plurality of mobile communication devices to determine an assessment for the data object; and

,

providing the assessment for the data object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is application data for the data object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is marketplace data for the data object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is characterization data for the data object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is categorization data for the data object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is trust data for the data object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is privacy data for the data object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is distribution data for the data object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is generated by the plurality of mobile communication devices having executed the data object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing comprises aggregating the received data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising applying a model to determine an assessment for the data object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment is selected from the group consisting of battery usage information, memory usage information, CPU usage information, application program interface (“

API”

) usage information, network usage information, privacy information, data usage information, and location query information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment comprises characterization data for the data object.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment comprises categorization data for the data object.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment comprises is trust data for the data object.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the assessment comprises is privacy data for the data object.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an assessment comprises calculating battery usage caused by the data object executing on a mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an assessment comprises calculating network usage caused by the data object executing on a mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an assessment comprises calculating of a battery rating for the data object executing on a mobile communication device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an assessment comprises calculating a risk rating for the data object executing on a mobile communication device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an assessment comprises calculating a privacy rating for the data object executing on a mobile communication device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an assessment comprises calculating a performance rating for the data object executing on a mobile communication device.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the assessment comprises publishing the assessment to a web interface.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the assessment comprises exposing an API.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the assessment comprises transmitting the assessment to one of the plurality of mobile communication devices.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices is configured to display the assessment as an icon.

27. The method claim 1, wherein providing the assessment comprises providing a response to a search query for the data object.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object includes a plurality of data files.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object is an application file.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the assessment comprises publishing the assessment to an application provider.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising dynamically configuring access to the data object by at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices based upon the assessment.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing a policy based upon the assessment.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy comprises dynamically configuring access to the data object.

34. A method for providing an assessment of a data object by a server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server from a plurality of mobile communication devices, application data for the data object;

processing, by the server, the received application data to determine an assessment for the data object; and

,

providing the assessment for the data object.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

prior to processing, receiving, at the server, device data for at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices having accessed the data object;

wherein processing includes processing the received device data to determine an assessment.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein processing includes processing marketplace data for the data object.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein processing includes processing characterization data for the data object.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein processing includes processing categorization data for the data object.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein processing includes processing trust data for the data object.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein processing includes processing privacy data for the data object.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein processing includes processing distribution data for the data object.

42. A method for providing an assessment of a data object by a server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server from a plurality of mobile communication devices, data pertaining to the data object, the data generated by the plurality of mobile communication devices having accessed the data object;

processing, by the server, the data received from the plurality of mobile communication devices to determine an assessment for the data object;

receiving, by the server, a request for the assessment from a computing device having a type; and

,

providing the assessment for the data object to the computing device, the assessment based upon the type of the computing device.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the type of computing device comprises a computing having access to a web interface, and providing the assessment comprises publishing the assessment to the web interface.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the type of computing device comprises a mobile communication device, and providing the assessment comprises transmitting the assessment to the mobile communication device.

45. A system comprising:

a server configured to receive data pertaining to a data object from a plurality of mobile communication devices, the server configured to determine an assessment of the data object based upon the data, the server further configured to provide the assessment, the assessment including a result of accessing the data object by at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the server is further configured to dynamically limit access to the data object by at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices based upon the assessment.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the server is further configured to receive a request for the assessment from a computing device having a type, and the server is further configured to transmit the assessment to the computing device, the assessment based upon the type of the computing device.