SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT PLATFORM

• US 20120260232A1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Media Direct Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Media Direct Incorporated
• Inventors: Hirsch, Scott, Rajpal, Sunny, Pereymer, Arsen
• Granted Patent: US 8,898,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only

Abstract

Systems and methods for developing, customizing, and deploying mobile device applications are provided through a mobile application development and deployment platform. Preferably, these systems and methods are implemented in an Internet based environment that allows non-technical users to build sophisticated, highly-customizable cross-platform mobile applications. The platform allows users to select, input, create, customize, and combine various content, design characteristics, and application components, such as modules, some of which make use of features and functionality associated with various mobile devices and mobile operating systems. In certain embodiments, the platform allows users to compile the mobile application for various mobile operating systems and generates a configuration file for the mobile application that can be distributed to end users for execution on various mobile devices. When the mobile application is installed on, or executed by the mobile device, the configuration file may enable the retrieval of various data associated with the mobile application.

Claims

1. A system for developing and customizing mobile applications that are compiled to run on a plurality of mobile operating systems, the system comprising:

a computing device having computer-readable media stored in physical memory therein configured to cause the computing device to;

grant a user access to a mobile application development platform adapted to assist users with the development and customization of mobile applications;

send information associated with a plurality of customizable components to be displayed to the user, the plurality of customizable components pertaining to a functionality, design and content of a mobile application to be customized by the user;

receive a plurality of user selections pertaining to the plurality of displayed customizable components;

associate application data with the mobile application based, at least in part, on the plurality of user selections pertaining to the plurality of customizable components, the application data representing user-defined functionality, design and content for the mobile application;

store the application data;

generate compiled data for the mobile application based on the application data using build tools associated with at least one mobile operating system; and

generate a configuration file comprising an identifier for the mobile application, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, a mobile device running the at least one mobile operating system;

wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled application data by the mobile device in response to the mobile application being installed on or executed by the mobile device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile application development platform includes a web based service accessed by the user through the Internet.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile application development platform is accessed through a software application installed on a computer associated with the user.

4. The system according to claim 1, the computer-readable media being further configured to receive from the user one or more identifying properties for the mobile application.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the one or more identifying properties are selected from the group consisting of a name, a type, a category, a description, a unique identifier, and a date

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the one or more identifying properties includes an application type property comprising an indicator of an application category associated with the mobile application, and the computer-readable media being further configured to:

receive a request from the user to create a new mobile application; and

determine, in response to receiving the one or more identifying properties from the user, the information associated with a plurality of customizable components based, at least in part, on the application type property.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the one or more identifying properties includes an application identifier property that uniquely identifies an existing mobile application, and the computer-readable media being further configured to:

receive a request from the user to modify an existing mobile application; and

determine, in response to receiving the one or more identifying properties from the user, the information associated with a plurality of customizable components based, at least in part, on the application identifier property.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the application data associated with the mobile application comprises:

an application component representing a user-defined functionality to be provided by the mobile application;

a design element representing a user-defined design characteristic associated with the presentation of the mobile application on mobile devices, and

a content element representing user-defined content to be accessed through the mobile application.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the user-defined functionality comprises device specific functionality associated with at least one set of mobile devices.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the device specific functionality is selected from the group consisting of a compass, GPS, a gyroscope, a touch screen, a camera, a speaker, a microphone, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB connectivity, and a proximity sensor.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the user-defined design characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a layout, a theme, an orientation, a font, and a style.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the user-defined content comprises data selected from the group consisting of an image, a video, a sound, a song, a link, an animation, a document, and text.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein one or more of the user-defined functionality, design characteristic and content are associated with data uploaded by the user from a computer associated with the user.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the application data further comprises one or more predefined components or elements, each of the one or more predefined components or elements representing a default functionality, design characteristic or content associated with the mobile application.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the one or more predefined components or elements are determined based, at least in part, on a category of applications associated with the mobile application.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the application data comprises storing the application data in the physical memory of the computing device.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computing device is a first computing device and the step of storing the application data comprises sending the application data to a second computing device for storage in a memory associated with the second computing device.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the second computing device comprises a remote database server and the application data is sent to the second computing device over a network.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the application data comprises storing the application data in an application database associated with the mobile application.

20. The system according to claim 19, the computer-readable media being further configured to cause the computing device to

receive a request from the user to modify an existing mobile application;

retrieve, in response to receiving the request to modify an existing mobile application, stored application data associated with the existing mobile application from the application database; and

determine the information associated with the plurality of customizable components based, at least in part, on the stored application data.

21. The system according to claim 1, the computer-readable media being further configured to cause the computing device to determine a set of target mobile devices associated with the mobile application, and wherein the at least one mobile operating system is based on the set of target mobile devices.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the step of determining a set of target mobile devices comprises receiving from the user a target device selection comprising an indicator associated with a set of target mobile devices on which to execute the mobile application.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the step of determining a set of target mobile devices comprises associating a default set of target mobile devices with the mobile application.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the set of target mobile devices is selected from the group consisting of a mobile device category, a mobile device type, and a mobile device model.

25. The system according to claim 1, the computer-readable media being further configured to cause the computing device to:

receive a request from the user to deploy the mobile application to end users;

submit the mobile application, in response to receiving the request to deploy the mobile application, to a digital distribution platform associated with the mobile operating system; and

transfer the configuration file to the digital distribution platform for distribution to end users.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the computer-readable media is further configured to cause the computing device to automatically manage a an approval process associated with the submission of the mobile application to the digital distribution platform.

27. The system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises at least a portion of the compiled application data.

28. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer-readable media is further configured to cause the computing device to:

receive a request from the user to update a deployed mobile application previously distributed to end users;

retrieve stored application data associated with the deployed mobile application;

send information associated with a user-defined customizable component to be displayed to the user, the user-defined customizable component based, at least in part, on the stored application data;

receive one or more user update selections pertaining to the displayed user-defined customizable component; and

update the stored application data associated with the mobile application based, at least in part, on the one or more user update selections pertaining to the user-defined customizable component.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the deployed mobile application is installed on the mobile device, and the computer-readable media is further configured to cause the computing device to:

receive, in response to the deployed mobile application being launched or executed on the mobile device, a request from the mobile device, the request including an identifier associated with the deployed mobile application; and

send at least a portion of the updated stored application data associated with the deployed mobile application to the mobile device.

30. A method for developing and customizing mobile applications that are compiled to run on a plurality of mobile operating systems, the method being implemented through instructions that cause a computing device to perform the steps of:

receiving at the computing device a request to access a mobile application development platform from a user through a user input device, the mobile development platform being adapted to assist users with the development and customization of mobile applications;

granting the user access to the mobile application development platform;

transmitting from the computing device information causing a plurality of customizable components to be presented to the user on a display associated with the user input device, the plurality of customizable components pertaining to a functionality, design and content of a mobile application to be customized by the user;

receiving at the computing device a plurality of user selections pertaining to the plurality of presented customizable elements;

associating application data with the mobile application based, at least in part, on the plurality of user selections pertaining to the plurality of customizable components, the application data being stored in a memory associated with the computing device;

generating at the computing device compiled data for the mobile application based on the application data using build tools associated with at least one mobile operating system; and

generating at the computing device a configuration file comprising an identifier for the mobile application, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, a mobile device running the at least one mobile operating system;

wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled application data by the mobile device in response to the mobile application being installed on or executed by the mobile device.

31. A system for developing and customizing mobile applications that are compiled to run on a plurality of mobile operating systems, the system comprising:

a first computer comprising a first processor, the first computer being configured to provide a mobile application development platform adapted to assist users with the development and customization of mobile applications; and

a second computer comprising a second processor and physical memory coupled to the second processor, the second computer being configured to communicate with the first computer;

wherein the first processor is adapted to;

grant a user access to the mobile application development platform through a user input device that includes display circuitry;

transmit to the user input device information associated with a plurality of customizable components for display on the user input device, the plurality of customizable components pertaining to a functionality, design and content of a mobile application to be customized by the user;

receive from the user input device a plurality of user selections pertaining to the plurality of transmitted customizable components;

transfer application data associated with the mobile application to the second computer, the application data based, at least in part, on the plurality of user selections pertaining to the plurality of customizable components;

generate compiled data for the mobile application based on the application data using build tools associated with at least one mobile operating system; and

generate a configuration file comprising an identifier for the mobile application, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, a mobile device running the at least one mobile operating system;

wherein the second processor is adapted to store the application data, in response to receiving the application data from the first computer, on the physical memory of the second computer; and

wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled data by the mobile device in response to the mobile application being installed on or executed by the mobile device.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the first computer and the second computer are integrated within a single computer.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the second processor is integrated within the first processor.

34. The system according to claim 31, wherein one or both of the functions of generating compiled data and generating a configuration file are performed by the second processor.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the second processor is further adapted to transmit, in response to receiving a request including an identifier associated with the mobile application from the mobile device, at least a portion of the compiled data to the mobile device.