APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A SERVICE

• US 20150215772A1
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: GATTU, Balasubrahmanyam, KHAN, Hashir
• Granted Patent: US 10,104,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing a Mobile Device Management (MDM) service are provided. The method includes transmitting a request for an MDM server to a gateway server, the request including identification information, receiving, in response to the request, information relating to an MDM server corresponding to the identification information, and enrolling a device with the MDM server.

Claims

1. A method to provide a Mobile Device Management (MDM) service comprising:

transmitting a request for an MDM server to a gateway server, the request including identification information;

receiving, in response to the request, information relating to an MDM server corresponding to the identification information; and

enrolling a device with the MDM server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the MDM server is stored in a profile that includes at least one of MDM server details, security certificates related to the MDM server, and user authentication information of users of the MDM server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises a domain included in an E-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enrolling of the device comprises:

invoking a security function of a universal MDM client module installed in the device according to instructions received from the MDM server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the enrolling of the device comprises:

installing, in the device, an MDM application received from the MDM server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enrolling of the device comprises:

transmitting authentication information to the MDM server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information received from the global gateway server includes information to invoke a universal MDM client on the device.

8. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform the method of claim 1.

9. A mobile device management (MDM) system, the system comprising:

an electronic device having a universal MDM client module installed therein;

a plurality of MDM servers; and

a Global Gateway Server configured to receive information from the plurality of MDM servers, to store the received information in profiles corresponding to each of the plurality of MDM servers, to search for a stored profile corresponding to identification information received from the electronic device, and to transmit the stored profile to the electronic device in response to the receipt of the identification information.

10. The MDM system of claim 9, wherein the electronic device is configured to connect to the MDM server specified in the stored profile and to transmit authentication information to the MDM server.

11. The MDM system of claim 10, wherein the MDM server is configured to authenticate the electronic device based on the received authentication information.

12. The MDM system of claim 9, wherein the information about the MDM server comprises at least one of MDM server details, security certificates related to the MDM server, and user authentication information of users of the MDM server.

13. The MDM system of claim 9, wherein the identification information comprises a domain included in an E-mail address.

14. The MDM system of claim 9, wherein the MDM server downloads an MDM application to the electronic device in response to authenticating the electronic device.

15. A mobile device, comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with a global gateway server and a Mobile Device Management (MDM) server;

a universal MDM client module configured to transmit identification information to the global gateway server, to receive an invocation instruction from the global gateway in response to the request, the invocation instruction related to the MDM server, and to enroll the mobile device in the MDM server; and

a controller configured to control operations of the communication unit and the universal MDM client module.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the universal MDM client module is accessible via a settings menu.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the identification information comprises a domain included in an E-mail address.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the universal MDM client module is further configured to control security policy according to instructions received from the MDM server.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the universal MDM client module is further configured to receive an MDM application from the MDM server and to install the MDM application in a storage module of the mobile device.