SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GLOBALLY AND SECURELY ACCESSING UNIFIED INFORMATION IN A COMPUTER NETWORK

• US 20110153779A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Bui, Hong Q., Quinlan, Sean Michael, Zuleeg, Christopher R., Wagle, Prasad, Mendez, Daniel J., Cowan, David J., Ng, Mason, Ying, Christine C., Bailes, R. Stanley, Aptekar-Strober, Joanna A., Riggins, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A smartphone that includes a communications interface to communicate via one or more Internet communications channels is provided. The smartphone also includes a service engine that communicates with a global server via an Internet channel using the communications interface to provide identification data to the global server. In response to providing the identification data, the service engine receives configuration data to configure the service engine with a selectable set of downloadable executables. The selectable set of downloadable executables include a selection of downloadable executables that is made at least in part by the global server using the identification data. A display presents at least some of the selectable set of downloadable executables on the smartphone, and an input device selects a downloadable executable from the selectable set. The service engine initiates a download of the selected downloadable executable using the communications interface.

Claims

1. A smartphone comprising:

a communications interface to communicate via one or more Internet communications channels;

a service engine configured to communicate with a global server via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface to;

provide identification data to the global server; and

in response to providing said identification data, receive configuration data to configure the service engine with a selectable set of downloadable executables, the selectable set of downloadable executables including a selection of downloadable executables, the selection being made at least in part by the global server dependent on said identification data;

a display to present at least some of the selectable set of downloadable executables on the smartphone; and

an input device to select a downloadable executable from the selectable set,

wherein the service engine is configured to initiate a download of the selected downloadable executable via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

2. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein said identification data comprises a user identity.

3. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is a user-specific selectable set of downloadable executables.

4. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the service engine is configured to provide authentication data to the global server in order to gain access to a downloadable executable.

5. The smartphone of claim 4, wherein the service engine is configured to selectively download the selected downloadable executable in dependence on said authentication data.

6. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the smartphone is arranged to communicate via the Internet to synchronize, with a locally stored workspace element, a workspace element of a selected type which has been transmitted from another computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

7. The smartphone of claim 6, wherein the smartphone is configured using the selected downloadable executable to access a service provided by the other computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

8. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the selected downloadable executable is downloaded from the global server.

9. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the smartphone is further configured to access a service server using the selected downloadable executable on the basis of further configuration data provided by said global server.

10. The smartphone of claim 9, wherein said service server is a component of the global server.

11. The smartphone of claim 9, wherein said service server is a component of a computing device remote from said global server.

12. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is presented as a list on said smartphone.

13. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the selection of the downloadable executables in said selectable set is based on user identity.

14. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the smartphone is further configured to access a service server and to receive responses from the service server using the selected downloadable executable via the global server acting as a proxy for the smartphone.

15. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the smartphone is configured to access a service server using the selected downloadable executable by retrieving a service address of said service server from the global server.

16. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the smartphone is configured to access a service server at a third site by sending service requests, and to receive responses to said service requests, using the selected downloadable executable, via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

17. The smartphone of claim 1, wherein the smartphone is configured to synchronize with a further computing device at a third site via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

18. The smartphone of claim 17, wherein the smartphone is configured to synchronize with the further computing device in relation to e-mail workspace data.

19. The smartphone of claim 17, wherein the smartphone is configured to synchronize with the further computing device at the third site in relation to calendar workspace data.

20. The smartphone of claim 17, wherein the smartphone is configured to access the further computing device in a LAN protected by a firewall when the smartphone is outside the protection of the firewall.

21. A method of accessing services using a smartphone, the method comprising:

communicating with a global server via one or more Internet communications channels using a communications interface to;

provide identification data to the global server; and

in response to providing said identification data, receive configuration data to configure the service engine with a selectable set of downloadable executables, the selectable set of downloadable executables including a selection of downloadable executables, the selection being made at least in part by the global server dependent on said identification data;

presenting at least some of the selectable set of downloadable executables on a display on the smartphone;

selecting a downloadable executable from the selectable set; and

initiating a download of the selected downloadable executable via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said identification data comprises a user identity.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is a user-specific selectable set of downloadable executables.

24. The method of claim 21, including configuring the service engine to provide authentication data to the global server in order to gain access to a downloadable executable.

25. The method of claim 24, including configuring the service engine to selectively download the selected downloadable executable in dependence on said authentication data.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising communicating via the Internet to synchronize, with a workspace element stored locally on the smartphone, a workspace element of a selected type which has been transmitted from another computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising using the selected downloadable executable to access a service provided by the other computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

28. The method of claim 21, comprising downloading the selected downloadable executable from the global server.

29. The method of claim 21, comprising accessing a service server using the selected downloadable executable on the basis of further configuration data provided by said global server.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said service server is comprised in said global server.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said service server is comprised in a computing device remote from said global server.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is presented as a list on said smartphone.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection of the downloadable executables in said selectable set is based on user identity.

34. The method of claim 21, comprising accessing a service server and receiving responses from the service server using the selected downloadable executable via the global server acting as a proxy for the smartphone.

35. The method of claim 21, comprising accessing a service server by retrieving a service address of the service server from the global server.

36. The method of claim 21, comprising sending service requests to a service server at a third site, and receiving responses to said service requests, using the selected downloadable executable, via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

37. The method of claim 21, further comprising conducting synchronization at said smartphone with respect to a further computing device at a third site via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

38. The method of claim 37, comprising conducting synchronization of e-mail workspace data on said smartphone with respect to said further computing device.

39. The method of claim 37, comprising conducting synchronization of calendar data with respect to said further computing device.

40. The method of claim 37, comprising the smartphone accessing the further computing device in a LAN protected by a firewall when the smartphone is outside the protection of the firewall.

41. A computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions thereon for execution on a smartphone computing device to implement a method of accessing services by the smartphone computing device, the computer readable instructions, when executed on a processor in the smartphone, causing the processor to perform the method comprising:

communicating with a global server via one or more Internet communications channels using a communications interface to;

provide identification data to the global server; and

in response to providing said identification data, receive configuration data to configure the service engine with a selectable set of downloadable executables, the selectable set of downloadable executables including a selection of downloadable executables, the selection being made at least in part by the global server dependent on said identification data;

presenting at least some of the selectable set of downloadable executables on a display on the smartphone;

selecting a downloadable executable from the selectable set; and

initiating a download of the selected downloadable executable via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein said identification data comprises a user identity.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is a user-specific selectable set of downloadable executables.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to configure the service engine to provide authentication data to the global server in order to gain access to a downloadable executable.

45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 44, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to configure the service engine to selectively download the selected downloadable executable in dependence on said authentication data.

46. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to communicate via the Internet to synchronize, with a workspace element stored locally on the smartphone, a workspace element of a selected type which has been transmitted from another computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

47. The computer readable storage medium of claim 46, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to use the selected downloadable executable to access a service provided by the other computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

48. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to download the selected downloadable executable from the global server.

49. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to access a service server using the selected downloadable executable on the basis of further configuration data provided by said global server.

50. The computer readable storage medium of claim 49, wherein said service server is comprised in said global server.

51. The computer readable storage medium of claim 49, wherein said service server is comprised in a computing device remote from said global server.

52. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is presented as a list on said smartphone.

53. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the selection of the downloadable executables in said selectable set is based on user identity.

54. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to access a service server and to receive responses from the service server using the selected downloadable executable via the global server acting as a proxy for the smartphone.

55. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to access a service server using the selected downloadable executable by retrieving a service address of the service server from the global server.

56. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to send service requests to a service server a third site, and receiving responses to said service requests, using the selected downloadable executable, via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

57. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to conduct synchronization at said smartphone with respect to a further computing device at a third site via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

58. The computer readable storage medium of claim 57, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to conduct synchronization of e-mail workspace data on said smartphone with respect to said further computing device.

59. The computer readable storage medium of claim 57, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to conduct synchronization of calendar data with respect to said further computing device.

60. The computer readable storage medium of claim 57, wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to access the further computing device in a LAN protected by a firewall when the smartphone is outside the protection of the firewall.

61. A service access system comprising a global server and one or more smartphones, the global server providing access to downloadable executables by each of said smartphones, wherein each of said smartphones comprises:

a communications interface to communicate via one or more Internet communications channels;

a service engine configured to communicate with the global server via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface to;

provide identification data to the global server; and

in response to providing said identification data, receive configuration data to configure the service engine with a selectable set of downloadable executables, the selectable set of downloadable executables including a selection of downloadable executables, the selection being made at least in part by the global server dependent on said identification data;

a display to present at least some of the selectable set of downloadable executables on the smartphone; and

an input device to select a downloadable executable from the selectable set from a user,

wherein the service engine is configured to initiate a download of the selected downloadable executable via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

62. The service access system of claim 61, wherein said identification data comprises a user identity.

63. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is a user-specific selectable set of downloadable executables.

64. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the service engine is configured to provide authentication data to the global server in order to gain access to a downloadable executable.

65. The service access system of claim 64, wherein the service engine is configured to selectively download the selected downloadable executable in dependence on said authentication data.

66. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the smartphone is arranged to communicate via the Internet to synchronize, with a locally stored workspace element, a workspace element of a selected type which has been transmitted from another computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

67. The service access system of claim 66, wherein the smartphone is configured using the selected downloadable executable to access a service provided by the other computing device via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

68. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the selected downloadable executable is downloaded from the global server.

69. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the smartphone is further configured to access a service server using the selected downloadable executable on the basis of further configuration data provided by said global server.

70. The service access system of claim 69, wherein said service server is a component of the global server.

71. The service access system of claim 69, wherein said service server is a component of a computing device remote from said global server.

72. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the selectable set of downloadable executables is presented as a list on said smartphone.

73. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the selection of the downloadable executables in said selectable set is based on user identity.

74. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the smartphone is configured to access a service server and to receive responses from the service server using the selected downloadable executable via the global server acting as a proxy for the smartphone.

75. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the smartphone is configured to access said service server using the selected downloadable executable by retrieving a service address of the service server from the global server.

76. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the smartphone is configured to access a service server at a third site by sending service requests, and to receive responses to said service requests, via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

77. The service access system of claim 61, wherein the smartphone is configured to synchronize with a further computing device at a third site via an Internet communications channel using the communications interface.

78. The service access system of claim 77, wherein the smartphone is configured to synchronize with the further computing device in relation to e-mail workspace data.

79. The service access system of claim 77, wherein the smartphone is configured to synchronize with the further computing device at the third site in relation to calendar workspace data.

80. The service access system of claim 77, wherein the smartphone is configured to access the further computing device in a LAN protected by a firewall when the smartphone is outside the protection of the firewall.