Middleware services layer for platform system for mobile terminals

• US 7,415,270 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Bjäre, Björn, Hansson, Jonas, Le, Chi Thu, Weber, Sebastian, Wilhelmsson, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor; Barry W
• Application Number:
  US10/359,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20030181193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/418, 455/424, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/419, 709/218.1, 709/223, 709/217, 709/235, 370/254, 370/466
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/545 where tasks reside in different layers, e.g. user- and kernel-space

Abstract

A middleware services layer for a platform system for a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system, the platform system including a mobile terminal platform assembly having a software services component, and application software loaded, installed and run in said mobile terminal platform assembly. The middleware services layer comprises at least one application programming interface (API) for providing access to the mobile terminal platform assembly for loading, installing and running application software in said mobile terminal platform assembly; and, at the same time, isolates the platform assembly from the applications via the at least one API.

Claims

1. A middleware services layer for a platform system for a mobile terminal for a wireless telecommunications system, said platform system including a mobile terminal platform assembly having a software services component, and application software loaded, installed and run in said mobile terminal platform assembly, said middleware services layer comprising:

at least one application programming interface (API) for providing access to the mobile terminal platform assembly for loading, installing and running said application software in said mobile terminal platform assembly; and

an application framework for loading, installing and running said application software, wherein the organization of the software services component with the middleware services layer define a layered architecture.

2. The middleware services layer according to claim 1, wherein said middleware services layer comprises a component of said mobile terminal platform assembly.

3. The middleware services layer according to claim 2, wherein each of said at least one API comprises at least one software module.

4. The middleware services layer according to claim 2, wherein said at least one API includes a native API domain and a non-native API domain.

5. The middleware services layer according to claim 4, wherein said at least one API comprises at least one of a Java Execution Environment API domain, an Open Application Framework API domain, an Open Platform API domain and a UI Tool-kit API domain.

6. The middleware services layer according to claim 5, wherein said Java Execution Environment domain API includes a Java Environment Manager module, a Java Application module and a Java Support Layer module.

7. The middleware services layer according to claim 5, wherein said Open Application Framework API domain includes an Application Manager for intercepting Java applications, and a Secure Access Manager module for deciding whether the Java application should be permitted access to services of the mobile terminal platform assembly via the Java Execution Environment API domain.

8. The middleware services layer according to claim 5, wherein said Open Application Framework API domain includes an Application Manager module for handling registration, installation, start, stop, uninstall and removal of applications.

9. The middleware services layer according to claim 5, wherein said Open Platform API domain includes a Native Application Core module for hiding specific details of a start-up and shut-down phase of an application and in the handling of the messages of the mobile terminal platform assembly and for relieving applications from run-time complexities including message routing/filtering and message-related resource handling.

10. The middleware services layer according to claim 5, wherein said Open Platform API domain includes a Native Extension Plug-in module(s) to extend functionality of the mobile terminal platform assembly by providing higher level services which can be used by applications.

11. The middleware services layer according to claim 5, wherein the UI Tool-kit API domain provides a set of visual objects that can be used to build a user interface in the middleware services layer for a user application.

12. The middleware services layer according to claim 1, wherein said wireless telecommunications system comprises a cellular telecommunications system.

13. The middleware services layer according to claim 12, wherein said cellular telecommunications system comprises a third generation cellular telecommunications system.

14. A mobile terminal platform assembly for a platform system for a wireless telecommunications system, comprising:

a software services component;

a middleware services layer component, said middleware services layer component comprising at least one application programming interface (API) for providing application software with access to the mobile terminal platform assembly for loading, installing and running said application software in said mobile terminal platform assembly; and

an application framework for loading, installing and running said aplication software, wherein the organization of the software services component with the middleware services layer define a layered architecture.

15. The mobile terminal platform assembly according to claim 14, wherein said at least one API comprises a plurality of APIs.

16. The mobile terminal platform assembly according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of APIs include a native API domain and a non-native API domain.

17. The mobile terminal platform assembly according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of APIs include a Java Execution Environment API domain, an Open Application Framework API domain and an open Platform API domain.

18. A method for using a middleware services layer and an application framework of a mobile terminal platform assembly for a mobile terminal, comprising:

providing a mobile terminal platform assembly that includes a software services component, said middleware service layer, said middleware services layer including at least one application programming interface (API) for providing access to the mobile terminal platform assembly; and

loading, installing and running application software in said mobile terminal platform assembly via said middleware services layer and application framework, wherein the organization of the software services component with the middleware services layer define a layered architecture.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said application software is loaded, installed and run in said mobile terminal platform assembly via one of a native API domain and a non-native API domain.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein said application software is loaded, installed and run in said mobile terminal platform assembly by a manufacturer of said mobile terminal platform assembly.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein said application software is loaded, installed and run by a manufacturer of said mobile terminal.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein said application software is loaded, installed and run by an end user of said mobile terminal.