System and method for adaptable provisioning of generic application content

• US 7,509,658 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Shenfield, Michael, Goring, Bryan R., Bibr, Viera
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/767,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 719/328, 719/329
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• 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 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

The current state of art for over-the-air (OTA) provisioning typically consists of a rigid set of operations that are suited to deliver a fixed content type. The runtime environment on the terminal is designed to handle a limited set of predefined content types and incapable of any content-adaptive or customized provisioning by the content provider or publisher. Systems and methods are provided for adaptable provisioning of an application program on a runtime environment of a terminal. The application includes generic application content. One method comprises the steps of configuring a provisioning API set including a generic API, such that the generic API is addressable by at least two dissimilar content types of the generic application content; obtaining an enabler related to a selected content type of the generic application content, such that the enabler is configured for executing provisioning instruction requests for the generic application content according to the selected application content; and provisioning portions of the generic application content having the selected application content by using the enabler to access the generic API.

Claims

1. A method for providing adaptable provisioning of an application program for execution on a runtime environment of a terminal, the application including generic application content,

the terminal including a provisioning API set including a generic API, the generic API for being addressed by different content types of the generic application content wherein the generic API is unable to be accessed directly for the different content types of the generic application content;

the method comprising the steps of;

retrieving an enabler corresponding to a first content type of the generic application content; and

using the enabler to access the generic API for provision the first content type of the generic application content.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of employing a provisioning service to co-ordinate the provisioning API set.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving at least one further enabler corresponding to at least one further content type of the generic application content;

using the at least one retrieved further enabler for provisioning the generic application content corresponding to the further content types by providing access to the generic API.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the enabler is retrieved from a store of previously available enablers on the terminal.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the enabler is retrieved in a bundle in conjunction with a content descriptor of the application.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the enabler is retrieved from a location remote from the terminal.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the enabler is retrieved wirelessly.

8. The method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of obtaining a set of provisioning instructions related to the application content, the provisioning instructions coupled to the application for specifying a provisioning API set for provisioning the application content.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of executing the provisioning instructions for employing the API set to provision the application according to the selected content type.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein provisioning control of the application content is shared between the runtime environment and the application through the coupled provisioning instructions.

11. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of the service customizing the provisioning process and the associated provisioning API set according to the provisioning instructions.

12. The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of employing a standard API of the provisioning API set by the service.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of obtaining remotely a custom API via a network coupled to the terminal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the provisioning instructions comprise one or both of code or configuration data.

15. A terminal for providing adaptable provisioning of an application program for execution on a runtime environment, the application including generic application content, the terminal comprising:

a processing framework for obtaining application content;

a provisioning API set including a generic API included in the framework for being addressed by different content types of the generic application content, wherein the generic API is unable to be accessed directly for the different content types of the generic application content;

an enabler corresponding to a first content type of the generic application content; and

a provisioning service configured to use the enabler to access the generic API for provisioning the first content type of the generic application content.

16. The terminal according to claim 15 wherein the provisioning service is further configured to co-ordinate the provisioning API set.

17. The terminal according to claim 16 further comprising at least one further enabler corresponding to at least one further content type of the generic application content configured to provision the generic application content corresponding to the further content types by providing access to the generic API.

18. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein the enabler is stored locally on the terminal.

19. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein the enabler is retrieved in a bundle in conjunction with a content descriptor of the application content.

20. The terminal according to claim 17, wherein the enabler is retrieved from a location remote from the terminal.

21. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein the provisioning module is further configured to obtain a set of provisioning instructions related to the application content, the provisioning instructions coupled to the application for specifying a provisioning API set for provisioning the application content.

22. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the provisioning module is further configured to execute the provisioning instructions for employing the API set to provision the application according to the selected content type.

23. The terminal according to claim 22, wherein provisioning control of the application content is shared between the runtime environment and the application through the coupled provisioning instructions.

24. The terminal according to claim 23, wherein the terminal further includes a wireless transceiver configured for wireless communication with a wireless network.

25. The terminal according to claim 21 further comprising the step of the service customizing the provisioning process and the associated provisioning API set according to the provisioning instructions.

26. The terminal according to claim 21, wherein the provisioning service is configured to employ a standard API of the provisioning API.

27. The terminal according to claim 26 wherein the provisioning service is further configured to remotely obtain a custom API via a network coupled to the terminal.

28. The terminal according to claim 27, wherein the provisioning instructions comprise one or both of code or configuration data.

29. A computer readable medium comprising instructions for adaptable provisioning of an application program on a runtime environment of a terminal, the application program including generic application content,

the terminal including a provisioning API set including a generic API for being addressed by different content types of the generic application content, wherein the generic API is unable to be accessed directly for the different content types of the generic application content,

the instructions, which when executed by the terminal cause the terminal to implement the steps of:

retrieving an enabler corresponding to a first content type of the generic application content; and

using the enabler to access the generic API for provision the first content type of the generic application content.