System and method for application management through threshold events

• US 7,502,610 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Maher, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US10/187,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 455423-425, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455418-420, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/456.3, 455517-519, 717/168, 463/29, 463 39- 42, 463/25, 709203-206, 709/223, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/052 software update
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1016 Telecontrol
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1066 Game playing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A system, method, and program for managing applications on remote communication devices, such as cellular telephones, on a wireless communications network. A server on the wireless network stores application threshold event data and manages communication device resident applications through device interaction, such as limiting access to server-side applications, updating the application, or recording the occurrence of the threshold event for other application uses.

Claims

1. A system for managing distributed applications comprising:

a server in communication with a wireless communications network, the server comprising a first portion of an application and a database, wherein the first portion of the application is operable to generate a response, and wherein the database comprises application usage data;

at least one communication device in selective communication with the server through the wireless communications network, each communication device comprising a second portion of the application operable to selectively execute based on at least one of the response and a user input received on the respective communication device, wherein the second portion of the application is operatively interactive with the first portion of the application during operation of the application by a respective user, wherein each communication device further comprises an output mechanism operable to generate an output which is modifiable based on the execution of the application, and wherein the selective execution of the second portion of the application generates at least a portion of the application usage data; and

wherein the server is further operable to obtain the application usage data from each communication device, automatically identify at least one of the respective user without requiring the user to sign in to the server and the respective communication device for which the application usage data is generated, determine if a threshold event has occurred based upon the content of the application usage data, and record the occurrence of the threshold event in association with the at least one of the respective user and the respective communication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the application and the second portion of the application comprise a multi-user game.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to determine if the threshold event has occurred with respect to operation of at least one of the first portion of the application and the second portion of the application based upon the content of the application usage data, and wherein the server is operable to limit access to at least a portion of the application based upon an occurrence of a specific threshold event.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the threshold event data comprises a score associated with an interactive operation of the application by the user of the at least one communication device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the threshold event comprises a predetermined duration of usage of the application by the user of the at least one communication device.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication device comprises a plurality of communication devices, wherein the first portion of the application comprises an applet associated with the second portion of the application, wherein the applet is operable to receive the portion of the application usage data from one of the plurality of communication devices, and wherein the applet is operable to initiate a broadcast of the portion of the application usage data to the other ones of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the portion of the application usage data is operable for execution on the other ones of the plurality of communication devices.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to determine if the application usage data is associated with a group of users, and wherein the server is further operable to determine the users for the group.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the application comprises an applet associated with the first portion of the application, wherein the applet is operable to forward the user input to the first portion of the application, wherein the first portion of the application is operable to execute the user input to generate the response and at least another portion of the application usage data, and wherein the applet is operable to execute the response to modify the output on the output mechanism.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the application usage data comprises a threshold event associated with interactive operation of the application by a user of the at least one communication device, and wherein the server is operable to restrict an operational functionality of the application based on the threshold event.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein each communication device comprises identification information, wherein the application usage data corresponds to at least one of the respective identification information, and wherein the server is operable to restrict an operational functionality of the application for the respective communication device based on the threshold event associated with the application usage data and corresponding to the identification information of the respective communication device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the identification information comprises at least one of an electronic serial number, a mobile identification number, and a personal identification number.

4. A system for managing distributed applications on wireless network through the monitoring of threshold events occurring in the application, comprising:

a server means comprising a first portion of an application and operable for sending and receiving data associated with execution of the application to the wireless network;

a remote communication means comprising a second portion of the application and operable for selectively sending and receiving data associated with execution of the application across the wireless network, the remote communication means comprising an input means operable to receive a user input responsive to an execution of the application, wherein the first portion of the application and the second portion of the application are interactive during operation of the application by the user, and wherein the remote communication means is further operable to generate application usage data based on at least one of the user input, the execution of the first portion of the application and the execution of the second portion of the application, wherein the application usage data represents a measure of a level of operation by the user of the application; and

wherein the server means automatically obtains the application usage data from the remote communication means and automatically identifies the user without requiring the user to sign in to the server and the remote communication means associated with the application usage data, determines if a threshold event has occurred at the remote communication means based upon a content of the application usage data, and records any occurrence of the threshold event in association with the user.

5. A method for managing distributed applications resident on a wireless communication device operable on a wireless network, the device in selective communication with at least one server across the network, the method comprising:

receiving identification information at the server, the identification information identifying the device and the user of the device without requiring the user to sign in to the server;

retrieving user information using the identification information, the user information comprising application usage data of an application interactively executed by the server and the device based on user inputs to the device in response to application outputs generated on the device;

determining, at the at least one server, an occurrence of a threshold event based upon the application usage data;

interacting with the device based upon the determined threshold event; and

wherein the receiving, the retrieving, the determining and the interacting are performed automatically.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the application usage data at the at least one server from the device; and

updating the user information with the received application usage data.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising recording the threshold event in a separate database on the network.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein interacting further comprises:

selecting the application from a plurality of applications for access by the user according to the user information; and

setting a level of access for the application according to the threshold event in the user information.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting the application from a plurality of applications according to the user information; and

sending the application to the device.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving identification information comprises receiving at least one of a mobile identification number, a personal identification number and an electronic serial identification number.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the application usage data comprises receiving the application usage data from a game executed on the device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the application usage data comprises receiving the application usage data from a multi-user game executed on a plurality of devices.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold event comprises a score for a game.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold event comprises a predetermined duration of usage of the application.

15. A method for managing distributed applications resident on a wireless communication device operable on a wireless network, the device in selective communication with at least one server across the network, the method comprising the steps of:

an identification step for automatically identifying at least one of the device and the user of the device without requiring the user to sign in to the server;

a data retrieval step for retrieving user information based on a result of the identification step, the user information comprising server-determined threshold event data associated with application usage data of an application interactively executed by the server and the device, the application usage data based on user inputs to the device in response to application outputs generated on the device; and

an interaction step for interacting with the device from the server, the interaction step based upon the threshold event data.

16. A computer readable medium comprising instructions, that when executed by a machine, directs the machine to manage distributed applications on one or more wireless communication devices, each operable on a wireless network, through performing the actions of:

automatically receiving identification information from a wireless communication device, the identification information identifying a user of the wireless communication device without requiring the user to sign in and the wireless communication device;

retrieving user information using the identification information, the user information comprising application usage data of an application interactively executed by the computer and the device based on user inputs to the device in response to application outputs generated on the device;

determining, at the computer, an occurrence of a threshold event based upon the application usage data;

interacting with the device based upon the determined threshold event; and

wherein the retrieving, the determining and the interacting are performed automatically.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further directing the computer to perform the actions of:

receiving the application usage data from the device; and

updating the user information with the received application usage data.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further directing the computer to perform the action of recording the threshold event in a separate database on the network.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further directing the computer to perform the actions of:

selecting the application from a plurality of applications according to the user information; and

setting a level of access for the application according to the threshold event in the user information.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further directing the computer to perform the actions of:

selecting the application from a plurality of applications according to the user information; and

sending the application to the device.

30. A server, comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of applications and a corresponding plurality of application usage data, each of the plurality of applications having at least a first application portion operable on the server and a second application portion operable on at least one of a plurality of wireless telecommunication devices operable for communication with the server, wherein each of the plurality of application usage data is associated with at least one of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices, and wherein each of the plurality of application usage data comprises a server-side determination of at least one threshold event determinative of operational access to the respective application; and

wherein each of the plurality of applications is executable by at least one of the server and the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices to present a modifiable output associated with competitive user interaction with the application on each respective wireless telecommunication device, wherein the execution of each of the plurality of applications automatically generates the respective application usage data, wherein the server is operable to identify at least one respective user without requiring the user to sign in to the server and at corresponding wireless telecommunication device, and determine at least one threshold event associated with the application usage data, wherein the at least one threshold event determines a functionality of the respective one of the plurality of applications.

31. The server of claim 30, wherein the server is operable to receive identification information from at least one of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices, wherein the identification information is associated with at least one of the plurality of applications, and wherein a selected one of the plurality of applications is executable by at least one of the server and the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices based on the identification information.

32. The server of claim 31, wherein the selected application comprises a plurality of executable levels, and wherein a selected one of the plurality of executable levels is based on the application usage data.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein each of the plurality of executable levels is associated with a different threshold event, wherein the server is operable to determine an occurrence of a respective threshold event based on a user input-related output forwarded to the server by the second application portion of at least one of the plurality of wireless telecommunication devices.