FORCE UPGRADE OF A MOBILE APPLICATION VIA A SERVER SIDE CONFIGURATION FILE

• US 20140068588A1
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Tan, Simon, Maynard, David, Yao, Rico, Cung, Don
• Granted Patent: US 9,311,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

Systems and methods which forces or automatically upgrades a mobile application installed on a mobile device for security, stability or any other concerns via a server-side configuration file are disclosed. In one embodiment, a configuration file including a list of build identifiers that have been banned or flagged is placed on a server, which can be a server providing cloud-based collaboration or file sharing services, for access by associated mobile applications and/or devices. A mobile application installed on a mobile device can download the configuration file and determine whether a build identifier of the mobile application is listed on the configuration file. If so, the mobile application can shut down, prompt or force an upgrade, or restrict operation of the mobile application in other ways.

Claims

1. A method for forcing an upgrade of a mobile application on a mobile device, comprising:

downloading a configuration file including at least one build identifier, wherein each build identifier corresponds to a version of the mobile application;

determining whether a build identifier of the mobile application on the mobile device matches the at least one build identifier in the configuration file; and

if so, restricting operation of the mobile application on the mobile device to force upgrade of the mobile application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile application is a mobile application providing access to a cloud-based collaboration platform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the build identifier of the mobile application on the mobile device is not listed in the configuration file, the mobile application on the mobile device is allowed to operate normally.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a push notification broadcasted by a notification hub via a push notification service to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices having a version of the mobile application previously or currently installed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the push notification indicates an update to the configuration file, and the downloading is in response to receiving the push notification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein downloading of the configuration file is initiated according to a schedule or when the mobile application on the mobile device is started.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting the operation of the mobile application on the mobile device includes disabling one or more functions of the mobile application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more functions of the mobile application are identified in the configuration file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein restricting the operation of the mobile application on the mobile device includes shutting down the mobile application to prevent the mobile application from being operated.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

triggering download of another version of the mobile application based on a user setting to force upgrade of the mobile application on the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a user of the mobile device to upgrade the mobile application on the mobile device to another version of the mobile application.

12. A mobile device that automatically upgrades an application, comprising:

a processor;

a memory having instructions stored thereon which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

download a configuration file including build identifiers, wherein each build identifier corresponds to a version of the application;

determine whether a build identifier of the application corresponds to one of the build identifiers in the configuration file; and

if so, trigger an automatic upgrade of the application.

13. A system for upgrading a mobile application installed on a mobile device, comprising:

a download module for downloading a configuration file including at least one build identifier, wherein each build identifier corresponds to a version of the mobile application;

a build identifier verification module for determining whether a build identifier of the mobile application installed on the mobile device matches the at least one build identifier in the configuration file; and

an application disabling module for restricting operation of the mobile application installed on the mobile device, when the build identifier corresponding to the mobile application is listed in the configuration file.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile application provides access to a cloud-based collaboration platform.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a module for receiving a push notification broadcasted by a notification hub via a push notification service to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices having a version of the mobile application previously or currently installed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the push notification indicates an update to the configuration file and triggers the download module to download the configuration file.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the application disabling module restricts operation of the mobile application installed on the mobile device by shutting down the mobile application or disabling one or more functions of the mobile application identified in the configuration file.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an auto upgrade module for triggering download of another version of the mobile application based on a user setting to upgrade the mobile application installed on the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

an upgrade notification module for requesting a user of the mobile device to upgrade the mobile application installed on the mobile device to another version of the mobile application.

20. A system to upgrade a mobile application installed on a mobile device, comprising:

a host server configured to update a configuration file to include at least one build identifier,

wherein each build identifier in the configuration file corresponds to a version of the mobile application released for download and subject to operational restrictions; and

wherein the configuration file is stored on a data store for read access by the mobile application installed on the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a notification engine configured to send a push notification for broadcast to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices that have a version of the mobile application installed.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the push notification informs the mobile application of the update to the configuration file.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the push notification provides the configuration file to the mobile device.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the host server is further configured to:

receive a build identifier of the mobile application installed on the mobile device;

compare the build identifier of the mobile application installed on the mobile device to build identifiers in the configuration file;

if the build identifier of the mobile application is one of the build identifiers in the configuration file, instruct the mobile application to restrict operation of the mobile application and request a user of the mobile device to upgrade the mobile application.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein host server provides a cloud-based collaboration platform or a file sharing service.