Managing content synchronization between a data service and a data processing device

• US 7,710,912 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Myles, Philip, Theis, Ron L. A., Saunders, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/179,890
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 455412-414, 455418-420, 455/419, 455/550.1, 455/550, 455/414.1, 709211-220, 709/203, 709/232, 717/174, 370/328, 370/338, 370/310
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A system and method for tracking and managing applications and content between a wireless device and a service. For example, in one embodiment, an “uninstalled” field is used within records on a client device and identifying, whether each application on the client is installed or whether the application has been uninstalled. A corresponding set of records are provided on the data service for each individual client device, including the “uninstalled” field. When an application is uninstalled on any client device, the corresponding record for that client device is updated on the service so that the service and the wireless device remain in synch.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

assigning a wireless device to an assigned dispatcher among multiple dispatchers of a service and maintaining a connection between the wireless device and the service for communication over a wireless network;

responsive to a loss of the connection, maintaining both a pointer identifying the assigned dispatcher and an online status for the wireless device at the service for a specified period of time to enable the wireless device to reconnect to the service via the assigned dispatcher;

causing a first plurality of records to be maintained at the service, each of the first plurality of records associated with the wireless device and corresponding to applications for which authorization to install, uninstall and reinstall the applications on the wireless device has been previously purchased, each of the first plurality of records having an uninstalled field to indicate whether the applications were previously installed but are currently uninstalled or are currently installed on the wireless device;

causing a second plurality of records to be maintained on the wireless device, the second plurality of records also corresponding to the applications for which authorization to install, uninstall and reinstall the applications on the wireless device has been previously purchased, each of the second plurality of records including an uninstalled field to indicate whether the applications were previously installed but are currently uninstalled or are currently installed on the wireless device;

communicating with the wireless device to synchronize the first plurality of records that are maintained at the service with the second plurality of records that are maintained at the wireless device;

receiving a first indication that a first application is to be downloaded to the wireless device;

in response to the first indication, determining that storage space on the wireless device is insufficient to store the first application, wherein the wireless device is configured to display a selectable control to temporarily uninstall a second application that is stored on the wireless device;

receiving input from the wireless device via the wireless network to temporarily uninstall the second application from the wireless device to provide the storage space for the first application to be downloaded;

receiving a second indication that the second application has been temporarily uninstalled from the wireless device in response to the input, the uninstalled field within a record corresponding to the second application being modified within the second plurality of records on the wireless device;

causing the uninstalled field within the record corresponding to the second application within the first plurality of records on the service to be modified in response to the second indication;

causing the second application to be maintained for reinstallation onto the wireless device; and

in response to the second indication that the second application has been temporarily uninstalled, automatically causing the first application to be installed on the wireless device.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third indication from the wireless device to reinstall the second application; and

transmitting the second application from the service to the wireless device to cause the second application being reinstalled on the wireless device.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising causing the uninstalled field on the records corresponding to the second application on both the wireless device and the service to be updated to indicate that the second application is installed on the wireless device.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the applications comprise ringtones.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the applications comprise program code executable on the wireless device.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein each of the records includes a global ID code uniquely identifying an associated one of the applications, a service last modified field indicating the last time the record was modified at the service and a device last modified field indicating the last time the record was modified at the wireless device.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein the uninstalled field comprises a bit field with a first value representing an uninstalled state for the second application and a second value representing an installed state for the first application.

8. A system comprising:

a database on a service for storing data;

a service-side download manager configured to cause a first plurality of records to be maintained on the database, each of the first plurality of records associated with a wireless device and corresponding to applications for which authorization to install, uninstall and reinstall the applications on the wireless device has been previously purchased, each of the first plurality of records having an uninstalled field to indicate whether the applications were previously installed but are currently uninstalled or are currently installed on the wireless device;

the service-side download manager further configured to synchronize the first plurality of records with a second plurality of records that are caused to be maintained by a client-side download manager on the wireless device, the second plurality of records also corresponding to the applications for which authorization to install, uninstall and reinstall the applications on the wireless device has been previously purchased, the second plurality of records including an uninstalled field to indicate whether the applications were previously installed but are currently uninstalled or are currently installed on the wireless device;

the database configured to, responsive to a loss of the connection, maintain both a pointer identifying a dispatcher and an online status for the wireless device at the service for a specified period of time to enable the wireless device to reconnect via the dispatcher, the dispatcher being assigned to the wireless device from among multiple dispatchers of the service to maintain a connection between the wireless device and the service for communication over a wireless network;

the client-side download manager configured to determine whether sufficient storage space exists on the wireless device to download and install a first application;

in response to a determination of insufficient storage space, the wireless device is configured to display a selectable control to temporarily uninstall a second application that is stored on the wireless device to provide storage space for the first application;

the client-side download manager further configured to temporarily uninstall the second application, modify the uninstalled field within a record corresponding to the second application on the wireless device, transmit an indication to the service-side download manager that the second application has been uninstalled; and

the service-side download manager further configured to, upon receiving the indication, modify the uninstalled field within the record corresponding to the second application on the service, cause the second application to be maintained for reinstallation onto the wireless device, and automatically cause the first application to be installed on the wireless device.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein, in response to receiving an indication to reinstall the second application from the client-side download manager, the service-side download manager is further configured to cause the second application to be transmitted to the wireless device to be reinstalled by the client-side download manager on the wireless device.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein the service-side download manager and the client-side download manager are both further configured to update the uninstalled field on the records corresponding to the second application on both the wireless device and the service to indicate that the second application is installed on the wireless device.

11. The system as in claim 8 wherein the database is an SQL database and wherein the records are stored on the wireless device within a flash memory.

12. The system as in claim 8 wherein the applications comprise ringtones.

13. The system as in claim 8 wherein the applications comprise program code executable on the wireless device.

14. The system as in claim 8 wherein each of the records includes a global ID code uniquely identifying an associated one of the applications, a service last modified field indicating the last time the record was modified at the service and a device last modified field indicating the last time the record was modified at the wireless device.

15. The system as in claim 8 wherein the uninstalled field comprises a bit field with a first value representing an uninstalled state for the application and a second value representing an installed state for the application.

16. One or more computer readable storage media comprising instructions that are executable to implement a service that is configured to:

initiate records to be maintained on the service, each of the records being associated with a wireless device and corresponding to applications for which authorization to install, uninstall and reinstall the applications on the wireless device has been previously purchased;

assign the wireless device to an assigned dispatcher among multiple dispatchers of the service and maintain a connection between the wireless device and the service for communication over a wireless network;

responsive to a loss of the connection, maintain both a pointer identifying the assigned dispatcher and an online status for the wireless device at the service for a specified period of time to enable the wireless device to reconnect to the service via the assigned dispatcher;

synchronize the records with additional records maintained by the wireless device, the additional records corresponding to the applications for which the authorization to install, uninstall, and reinstall the applications on the wireless device has been previously purchased;

receive a request to download and install a first application onto the wireless device, wherein the wireless device is configured to display a selectable control to temporarily uninstall a second application that is stored on the wireless device in response to a determination of insufficient storage space for the first application;

receive an indication that the second application has been temporarily uninstalled from the wireless device to provide the storage space for the first application to be downloaded; and

in response to the indication received from the wireless device that the application has been uninstalled from the wireless device;

initiate the records to be modified to indicate that the second application has been uninstalled from the wireless;

cause the first application to be downloaded to the wireless device; and

initiate the second application to be maintained for reinstallation onto the wireless device.

17. One or more computer readable storage media as recited in claim 16, wherein the service is further configured to:

receive a third indication from the wireless device to reinstall the second application; and

transmit the second application to the wireless device to be reinstalled on the wireless device.

18. One or more computer readable storage media as recited in claim 16, wherein the applications comprise ringtones.

19. One or more computer readable storage media as recited in claim 16, wherein the applications comprise program code executable on the wireless device.