DEVICE FOR DISTRIBUTION OF CONTENT

• US 20130042233A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kinsella, Alexander Scott, Timbeck, Trevor Jay, Mayerczak, Jeffrey Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for distributing content are provided. A request to provide content available to associated computing devices is received from a computing device. A list of the content available for installation at the associated computing devices is retrieved from a content database by comparing respective device attributes of each of the associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list further comprises indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the associated computing devices. An indication of the list is transmitted to the computing device. In response, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices is received from the first computing device. Respective installation data for installing respective selected content is caused to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

Claims

1. A server device comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor enabled to;

receive, from a first computing device via the communication interface, a request to provide content available to a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieve from a content database a list of the content available for installation at the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list further comprises indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices;

transmit, to the first computing device via the communication interface, an indication of the list;

in response,

receive, from the first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

cause respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

2. The server device of claim 1, wherein the list further comprises installed content already installed at the plurality of associated computing devices.

3. The server device of claim 2, wherein the list further comprises an indication that given content installed at a given device of the plurality of associated computing devices is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices based on the comparing.

4. The server device of claim 2, wherein the list further comprises an indication that given content installed at a given device of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices based on the comparing.

5. The server device of claim 1, further comprising a memory storing the content database.

6. The server device of claim 1, wherein the respective installation data is stored in the content database in association with the respective content attributes.

7. The server device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the respective selected devices is different from the first computing device such that the first computing device triggers installation of a given selected content at a different computing device via the selection data.

8. The server device of claim 1, wherein the list is sorted according to at least one of the respective content, the plurality of associated computing devices, and availability for installation of each of the respective content.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the list further comprises an indication that given content installed at a given device of the plurality of associated computing devices is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices based on the comparing.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the list further comprises an indication that given content installed at a given device of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices based on the comparing.

9. A server device comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor enabled to;

receive, from a first computing device via the communication interface, a request to provide content installed at a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieve from a content database a list of the content installed at each of the plurality of associated computing devices and an indication of whether the content is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content;

transmit, to the first computing device via the communication interface, an indication of the list;

in response,

receive, from the first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

cause respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

10. A method comprising:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content available to a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database a list of the content available for installation at the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list further comprises indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, an indication of the list;

in response,

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list further comprises installed content already installed at the plurality of associated computing devices.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the respective installation data is stored in the content database in association with the respective content attributes.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the respective selected devices is different from the first computing device such that the first computing device triggers installation of a given selected content at a different computing device via the selection data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the list is sorted according to at least one of the respective content, the plurality of associated computing devices, and availability for installation of each of the respective content.

17. A method comprising:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content installed at a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database a list of the content installed at each of the plurality of associated computing devices and an indication of whether the content is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, an indication of the list;

in response,

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

18. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content available to a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database a list of the content available for installation at the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list further comprises indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, an indication of the list;

in response,

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

19. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content installed at a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database a list of the content installed at each of the plurality of associated computing devices and an indication of whether the content is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, an indication of the list;

in response,

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.