METHOD FOR UPDATING AN APPLICATION PROGRAMS ON WIRELESS TERMINALS IN A CONTROLLED MANNER

• US 20120084766A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaddam, Venkat, SHANMUGAM, Sankar, Ahmed, Shahid
• Granted Patent: US 9,313,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A method for updating an application program on a wireless terminal in a controlled manner is disclosed. When, a server receives an inquiry from a wireless terminal for updating an application program, the server determines whether there is an updated program available for updating the application program based on information included in the inquiry from the wireless terminal. The server also determines whether updating the application program of the wireless terminal which sent the inquiry is permitted or not at the time of receiving the inquiry based on the information included in the inquiry and criteria information stored in the server. When the server determines that updating the application for the wireless terminal is available and is permitted, the server sends information necessary for updating the application program to the wireless terminal. Then, the wireless terminal updates the application program.

Claims

1. A method for updating an application program on a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, by a server, an inquiry from a wireless terminal for updating an application program;

determining, by the server, whether there is an updated program available for updating the application program, based on information included in the inquiry;

determining, by the server, whether updating the application program of the wireless terminal which sent the inquiry is permitted or not at the time of receiving the inquiry, based on the information included in the inquiry and criteria information stored in the server; and

upon determining that updating the application for the wireless terminal which sent the inquiry is available and is permitted, sending information necessary for updating the application program from the server to the wireless terminal, wherein;

the information necessary for updating the application program includes information indicating a place from which the updated program is downloaded,

when the wireless terminal receives the information necessary for updating the application program, the user of the wireless terminal is prompted to update the application program, and

when the wireless terminal receives an input indicating that the user accepts the updating of the application program, the application program is updated by accessing the place and downloading the updated program for updating the application program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information included in the inquiry includes at least one of information of a manufacturer of the wireless terminal, information of a model of the wireless terminal, information of firmware version of the wireless terminal, information of current version of the application program, an IP address of the wireless terminal, a mobile directory number assigned to the wireless terminal, and date and time of the inquiry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the criteria information includes a database having plurality pieces of information about wireless terminals, in which the plurality pieces of information are divided into groups,

the server determines to which one of the groups the wireless terminal which sent the inquiry belongs based on the information included in the inquiry, and

the server determines that updating the application program for the wireless terminal which sent the inquiry with the updated program is permitted, when the determined one of the groups is permitted for updating the application program at the time of receiving the inquiry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information necessary for updating the application program further includes at least one of information indicating that updating the application program is available, a new version number of the updated program, information whether updating the application program is mandatory, and a maximum number of times that a user can skip the updating.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the place from which the updated program is downloaded is identified by a URL of a download server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the download server comprises a database storing at least one of information of a manufacture of the wireless terminal, information of a model of the wireless terminal, information of firmware version of the wireless terminal, information of current version of the application program, an IP address of the wireless terminal, a mobile directory number assigned to the wireless terminal, and time and date of last updating the application program by the wireless terminal, and

upon completing updating the application program, the download server updates a record in the database for the wireless terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when the wireless terminal receives an input indicating that the user declines the updating of the application program, the wireless terminal prompts the user to input a number of times the user wants to skip the update, and

the wireless terminal does not update the application program until the user inputs a request for updating the application program.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the information necessary for updating the application program further includes a maximum number of times that a user can skip the updating, and

the number of times the user wants to skip the update is allowed to be set not more than the maximum number of times.

9. A server, comprising a server program for implementing the method of claim 1, the server further comprising:

one or more processors;

a storage device accessible by the one or more processors, storing the server program and a database; and

a communication unit, controlled by the one or more processors, for communication through a network with a wireless terminal.

10. A system for updating an application program on a plurality of wireless terminals, the system comprising:

a router connectable to the plurality of wireless terminal via a wireless communication network; and

a plurality of servers, each of which is the server of claim 9 and is connected for communication through the router, wherein;

the router is configured to;

receive inquiries for updating the application program from the plurality of wireless terminals;

sort the inquiries; and

forward the inquiries to respective servers based on results of sorting.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the router is configured to sort the inquiries based on a manufacture of the wireless terminals, information of a model of the wireless terminals, information of firmware version of the wireless terminals, information of current version of the application program, an IP address of the wireless terminals, a mobile directory number assigned to the wireless terminals, and date and time of the inquiries.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the router is configured to sort the inquiries based on a mobile directory number assigned to the wireless terminals sending the inquiries.

13. A wireless terminal comprising:

a processor;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

a wireless communication unit controlled by the processor; and

a storage device accessible by the processor, storing a terminal program, wherein;

the terminal program includes instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the wireless terminal for performing functions of;

upon executing an application program on the wireless terminal, sending an inquiry whether updating the application program is available or not through a wireless communication network to a server;

receiving information necessary for updating the application program from the server;

prompting a user of the wireless terminal via the user interface to update the application program,

when the wireless terminal receives an input via the user interface indicating that the user declines the updating the application program, prompting the user to input a number of times the user wants to skip the update, and

the wireless terminal does not update the application program until the user inputs a request for updating the application program, wherein;

the information necessary for updating the application program includes information indicating a place from which the updated program is downloaded, and

when the wireless terminal receives an input indicating that the user accepts the updating of the application program, the instructions cause the wireless terminal to update the application program by accessing the place and downloading the updated program for updating the application program.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 13, wherein:

the information necessary for updating the application program includes a maximum number of times that a user can skip the updating, and

the number of times the user wants to skip the update is allowed to be set not more than the maximum number of times.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 14, wherein the instructions further configure the wireless terminal for performing a function of, when the user skips the updating the number of times the user sets, forcibly updating the application program.

16. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the inquiry includes at least one of information of a manufacture of the wireless terminal, information of a model of the wireless terminal, information of firmware version of the wireless terminal, information of current version of the application program, an IP address of the wireless terminal, a mobile directory number assigned to the wireless terminal, and date and time of the inquiry.

17. The wireless terminal of claim 13, wherein the place from which the updated program is downloaded is identified by a URL of a download server.

18. The wireless terminal of claim 17, wherein the instructions further configure the wireless terminal for performing a function of, upon completing updating the application program, sending notification of completion to the download server.

19. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a terminal program wherein:

the terminal program includes instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause a wireless terminal to perform functions of;

upon executing an application program on the wireless terminal, sending an inquiry whether updating the application program is available or not through a wireless communication network to a server;

receiving information necessary for updating the application program from the server;

prompting a user of the wireless terminal via a user interface to update the application program,

when the wireless terminal receives an input via the user interface indicating that the user declines the updating the application program, prompting the user to input a number of times the user wants to skip the update, and

the wireless terminal does not update the application program until the user inputs a request for updating the application program.

wherein;

the information necessary for updating the application program includes information indicating a place from which the updated program is downloaded, and

when the wireless terminal receives an input indicating that the user accepts the updating of the application program, the instructions cause the wireless terminal to update the application program by accessing the place and downloading the updated program for updating the application program.

20. A method of transferring electronic data, the method comprising steps of:

reading out the program stored in the non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 19; and

transferring the program over a network.