System and method for aggregation of user applications for limited-resource devices

• US 7,283,811 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Gidron, Yoad, Holder, Ophir, Teicholtz, Haim
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US09/987,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20020142760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 707/1, 717/173, 709/231, 379/88.12, 379/88.18, 379/88.23, 379/412.1, 379/411, 379/414.1, 379/414.2, 379/414.3, 379/414.4
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and a method for directed provisioning and management of user applications on limited resource devices by a content provider, through an integrated platform which handles all aspects of aggregation and management of such applications. By “content aggregation”, it is meant the procedure by which applications are introduced by a content provider, and are then aggregated into a service for provision by that content provider and/or service provider. Preferably, the collected applications may then be examined by the user according to a content directory, which is a hierarchical organization of different applications according to one or more categories and/or attributes. The service provider preferably controls access to the content or user applications by the user, for example according to a subscription of the user and/or capabilities of the limited resource device of the user.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning a user application by a content provider for delivery to a range of limited resource devices through an integrated platform, comprising:

creating the user application by the content provider;

submitting the user application to the integrated platform by the content provider;

examining the user application by the integrated platform to validate the user application against respective predefined requirements of limited resource devices of said range and thereby to determine which of said range of limited resource devices the user application is compatible with; and

if the user application is accepted, publishing the user application by the integrated platform, and enabling only those limited-resource devices found to be compatible with the user application, to download the user application;

wherein said range is greater than one, and publishing the user application includes adding the user application to a content directory, such that the user application forms a node of said content directory, and said content directory is divided into a plurality of categories, the user application being added to said content directory according to a plurality of said categories;

such that the user application is reached through a plurality of paths in said content directory, such that a user browses for the user application through a plurality of paths of said content directory, using one of said categories.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limited resource device is a wireless communication device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the limited resource device is a cellular telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a service package for determining whether the user application is retrievable by the limited resource device is associated with at least one category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said node features at least one attribute for performing at least one of delivering the user application to the limited resource device, searching for user applications through said content directory and filtering user applications.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said filtering is performed at least for determining whether the user application may be provided to the limited resource device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said filtering is performed according to at least one of supported types of limited-resource devices, languages and user eligibility for content.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said filtering is performed for personalizing said content directory for display to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user application is created in a plurality of flavors, each flavor being associated with a particular type of limited resource device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each flavor features at least one of an attribute for defining at least one supported type of limited resource devices and an attribute for defining at least one supported language of said flavor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said flavor is contained in a JAR (java archive) file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein examining the user application includes validating at least one characteristic of the user application.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein if the user application is validated, examining the user application further includes testing at least one function of the user application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user application is accepted only if said testing is successful.

15. A system for providing a user application to a range of limited resource devices, the system comprising:

(a) a limited resource device for receiving the user application;

(b) a content provider for creating the user application; and

(c) a service provider for examining the user application to validate the user application against respective predefined requirements of limited resource devices of said range, and thereby to determine usability of the user application by given limited resource devices of said range, and if the user application is accepted, publishing the user application, and enabling the downloading of the user application only by compatible limited resource devices belonging to said range;

wherein said range is greater than one, and wherein the service provider is further configured to publish the application by adding the user application to a content directory, such that the user application forms a node of said content directory, and said content directory is divided into a plurality of categories, the user application being added to said content directory according to a plurality of said categories;

such that the user application is reached through a plurality of paths in said content directory, such that a user browses for the user application through a plurality of paths of said content directory, using one of said categories.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said service provider further comprises a plurality of components, each component providing a service to at least one of said limited resource device and said content provider, wherein said plurality of components is organized according to at least one of a distributed manner and an integrated platform.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of components is organized in said integrated platform, the system further comprising at least one service provider component for providing a service to said limited resource device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said service provider further determines a “

flavor”

of said user application for a particular type of limited resource device.

19. A method for aggregating a user application for delivery to a range of limited resource devices by a service provider, the limited resource devices having at least one characteristic, the method comprising:

submitting the user application to the service provider;

determining at least one rule for controlling the user application;

validating the user application against respective predefined requirements of limited resource devices of said range;

altering at least one function of the user application according to at least one characteristic of the limited resource devices of said range;

customizing the user application according to at least one rule by the service provider, and

allowing said user application to be downloaded to a compatible limited resource device of said range;

wherein said range is greater than one and publishing the user application includes adding the user application to a content directory, such that the user application forms a node of said content directory, and said content directory is divided into a plurality of categories, the user application being added to said content directory according to a plurality of said categories;

such that the user application is reached through a plurality of paths in said content directory, such that user browses for the user application through a plurality of paths of said content directory, using one of said categories.

20. A method for provisioning a user application by a content provider for delivery to a range of limited resource devices, the method comprising:

providing a service provider for delivering the user application to the limited resource devices, said service provider being configured to validate the user application against respective predefined requirements of limited resource devices of said range;

creating the user application by the content provider;

determining at least one characteristic of the user application by the content provider;

submitting the user application to the service provider by the content provider, wherein at least one of creating the user application, determining the at least one characteristic of the user application, and submitting the user application is controlled by at least one rule determined by the service provider; and

aggregating the user application by the service provider, thereby to render said application downloadable from said aggregation specifically to a limited resource device, belonging to said range, able to execute said application;

wherein said range is greater than one and publishing the user application includes adding the user application to a content directory, such that the user application forms a node of said content directory, and said content directory is divided into a plurality of categories, the user application being added to said content directory according to a plurality of said categories;

such that the user application is reached through a plurality of paths in said content directory, such that a user browses for the user application through a plurality of paths of said content directory, using one of said categories.