Managing Mobile Device Applications in a Wireless Network

• US 20130078946A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pecen, Mark, Andersen, Niels Peter Skov, Periyalwar, Shalini Suresh, Campagna, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs for managing mobile device applications are described. In some aspects, a mobile device application is prevented from accessing resources of a wireless network. For example, a wireless network operator system can determine that one or more mobile device applications are disapproved for use in the wireless network. In some implementations, the wireless network operator denies the disapproved mobile device applications access to the wireless network resources. In some implementations, mobile devices disable access to the wireless network by the disapproved mobile device applications.

Claims

1. A method for managing a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining that a mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network; and

denying the mobile device application access to the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein denying the mobile device application access includes:

receiving, from a mobile device, a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, wherein the request includes an application identifier for the mobile device application; and

denying the mobile device the assignment of wireless network resources in response to receiving the request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending the mobile device a message indicating that the mobile device has been denied the assignment of wireless network resources; and

sending the mobile device a message indicating a reason that the mobile device has been denied the assignment of wireless network resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes:

accessing network usage data that identify wireless network resources accessed by the mobile device application;

comparing the wireless network resources accessed by the mobile device application to a network usage map for the mobile device application; and

disapproving the mobile device application based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes:

testing a performance characteristic of the mobile device application; and

disapproving the mobile device application based on the testing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes determining that the mobile device application exhibits characteristics that degrade performance of the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use during a time period, and the mobile device application is denied access to the wireless network during the time period.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein denying the mobile device application access includes sending, to a mobile device, information indicating that the mobile device application is disapproved for use in the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising accessing a database identifying multiple disapproved mobile device applications, wherein the information is sent to the mobile device in a message that includes a list of the disapproved mobile device applications.

10. A wireless network operator apparatus comprising:

a network application manager module operable to determine that a mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network; and

a computing system operable to deny the mobile device application access to the wireless network.

11. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 10, wherein the computing system is operable to communicate with mobile devices over the wireless network, and the wireless network includes a cellular telecommunications network.

12. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 10, wherein denying the mobile device application access includes:

receiving, from a mobile device, a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, wherein the request includes an application identifier for the mobile device application; and

denying the mobile device the assignment of wireless network resources in response to receiving the request.

13. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes:

accessing network usage data that identify wireless network resources accessed by the mobile device application;

comparing the wireless network resources accessed by the mobile device application to a network usage map for the mobile device application; and

disapproving the mobile device application based on the comparison.

14. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 10, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes determining that the mobile device application exhibits characteristics that degrade performance of the wireless network.

15. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 10, wherein denying the mobile device application access includes sending, to a mobile device, information indicating that the mobile device application is disapproved for use in the wireless network.

16. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 15, the operations further comprising accessing a database identifying multiple disapproved mobile device applications, wherein the information is sent to the mobile device in a message that includes a list of the disapproved mobile device applications.

17. The wireless network operator apparatus of claim 10, wherein denying the mobile device application access to the wireless network includes broadcasting a message that includes a list of disapproved mobile device applications.

18. A computer-readable medium of a wireless network operator storing instructions that are operable when executed to perform operations for managing mobile device applications, the operations comprising:

determining that a mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network; and

denying the mobile device application access to the wireless network.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the mobile device application is configured to request assignment of wireless network resources.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein denying the mobile device application access includes:

receiving, from a mobile device, a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, wherein the request includes an application identifier for the mobile device application; and

denying the mobile device the assignment of wireless network resources in response to receiving the request.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, the operations further comprising sending the mobile device at least one of:

a message indicating that the mobile device has been denied the assignment of wireless network resources;

or

a message indicating a reason that the mobile device has been denied the assignment of wireless network resources.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining that the mobile device application is disapproved for use on a wireless network includes:

accessing network usage data that identify wireless network resources accessed by the mobile device application;

comparing the wireless network resources accessed by the mobile device application to a network usage map for the mobile device application; and

disapproving the mobile device application based on the comparison.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein denying the mobile device application access includes sending, to a mobile device, information indicating that the mobile device application is disapproved for use in the wireless network.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, the operations further comprising accessing a database identifying multiple disapproved mobile device applications, wherein the information is sent to the mobile device in a message that includes a list of the disapproved mobile device applications.