Network that supports user-initiated device management

• US 7,716,276 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ren, Kou, Rao, Bindu Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US10/989,628
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/226, 455/418, 455/419, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5029 Service quality level-based billing, e.g. dependent on measured service level customer is charged more or less
• 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: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A network supporting user-initiated management of updatable mobile electronic devices such as, for example, cellular phones, personal digital assistants, pagers, personal computers, and the like, permits a user to employ a personal computer (PC) or other device to browse information web portal in order to determine whether an update of firmware, software, and/or configuration information in the mobile electronic device is appropriate. If the user determines that an update is appropriate, or if a content server or a device management (DM) server determines that an update is appropriate, the user may schedule a download of one or more update packages. The update packages may comprise executable instructions for converting a first firmware/software version to a second firmware/software version, and may have associated multipurpose internet mail extension (mime) types. An update may be immediately executed, or an update may be scheduled and performed at a later time according to the user-selected schedule.

Claims

1. A device management network that facilitates user initiation of a device management task, the device management network comprising:

at least one mobile electronic device;

a web portal enabling selection of a device management task by a user using a web browser, wherein the device management task comprises at least one of a firmware update task, a software update task, a configuration update task, a user account setup task and a device provisioning task;

the web portal facilitating the user in the specification of a schedule for the device management task; and

the device management network performing the device management task in accordance with the schedule.

2. The device management network of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one device management server capable of performing the device management task on the at least one mobile electronic device;

the at least one mobile electronic device capable of receiving a notification from the device management task;

the at least one mobile electronic device capable of executing at least a portion of the device management task; and

the at least one mobile electronic device capable of notifying the at least one device management server after it has completed the at least a portion of the device management task.

3. The device management network of claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile electronic device is capable of facilitating browsing of the web portal and selection of the device management task.

4. The device management network of claim 1 wherein the at least one mobile electronic device comprises one of a cellular phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a personal computer.

5. The device management network of claim 1 further comprising:

a communication device communicatively coupled to the web portal;

the communication device capable of browsing the web portal; and

the web portal capable of accepting, via the communication device, user selections of device management tasks for managing the at least one mobile electronic device.

6. The device management network of claim 5 wherein the communication device comprises a personal computer (PC).

7. The device management network of claim 1 wherein the web portal authenticates the user before initiating execution of a device management task on the at least one mobile electronic device.

8. The device management network of claim 1 wherein a device management server authenticates the at least one mobile electronic device and the at least one mobile electronic device authenticates the device management server before executing a user-selected device management task.