MANAGING DATA ACCESS IN MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20120317228A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: GHEITH, AHMED, BOHRER, PATRICK JOSEPH, PETERSON, JAMES LYLE
• Granted Patent: US 10,469,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method for managing data access in a mobile device is provided in the illustrative embodiments. Using a data manager executing in the mobile device, a data item is configured in a data model. A value parameter of the data item is populated with data and a status parameter of the data item is populated with a status indication. A subscription to the data item is received from a mobile application executing in the mobile device. In response to the subscription, the data and the status of the data item are sent to the mobile application.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for managing data access in a mobile device, the method comprising:

configuring, using a data manager executing in the mobile device, a data item in a data model;

populating a value parameter of the data item with data and a status parameter of the data item with a status indication;

receiving a subscription to the data item from a mobile application executing in the mobile device; and

sending, responsive to the subscription, the data and the status of the data item to the mobile application.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an update for the data item;

updating the data in value parameter of the data item;

determining whether the status indication should be changed because of the update, forming a status determination;

adjusting the status parameter with a second status indication responsive to the status determination being affirmative;

pushing contents of the updated value parameter and the adjusted status parameter to the mobile application; and

causing a use of the value parameter to change in the mobile application due to the adjusted status parameter.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the data in the value parameter is computed using the update, further comprising:

repeating the receiving, the updating, the determining, and the adjusting responsive to an update frequency period specified for the data item elapsing.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile application executing in the mobile device, a request to unsubscribe from the data item;

unsubscribing the mobile application from the data item;

determining whether a second mobile application is subscribed to the data item;

receiving an update for the data item responsive to the second mobile application being subscribed to the data item; and

discontinuing the update for the data item responsive to no subscriptions remaining for the data item.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the mobile application and the second mobile application use the update at different frequencies, wherein the update is received at a source'"'"'s frequency, and wherein the update and a status indication from the data item are pushed to the mobile application and the second mobile application at their respective frequencies.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configuring configures a subset of a set of parameters of the data item, further comprising:

configuring, using the mobile application, another subset of the set of parameters of the data item, wherein the data item is not previously configured in the data model.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the configuring comprising:

identifying a source of data for the data item;

determining an update method for the data item; and

determining an update frequency for the data item, wherein the source, the update method, and the update frequency are provided to the data manager and not to the mobile application.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a policy to one of (i) adjust an update frequency of the data item, and (ii) prioritize an update of the data item.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a policy to determine the mobile application'"'"'s entitlement to the data item, wherein the policy is used for denying the mobile application from subscribing to the data item.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the policy uses a combination of an identity of the application, an identity of the mobile device, and a history of previous actions by the mobile application to determine the entitlement.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing a second mobile application executing in a second mobile device access to the data item by sending the date item to a second data manager in the second mobile device such that the second data manager does not have to receive an update to the data item from a designated source of the data item

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data manager uses a combination of subscriptions to the data item, parameters of the data item, and available memory at the mobile device to purge the data item.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing the provision of a cue at the mobile application based on a status indication in a status parameter of a data item, wherein the cue indicates in the mobile application that a value associated with the data item is out of date.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

pre-fetching an update for the data item, the pre-fetching being based on a subscription history of the data item.