Method and apparatus for network initiated uninstallation of application program over wireless network

• US 7,734,285 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jacobs, Paul, Kenagy, Jason, Minear, Brian, Chmaytelli, Mazen
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US09/825,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20020142762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,353 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/412.1, 455/414.2, 455/550.1, 455/551, 455/552.1, 455/466, 717168-178, 709/220, 709203-206
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Network-initiated uninstallation of programs on remote modules, such as wireless telephones, is performed over a wireless network to recall programs stored on the wireless telephone that are faulty or harmful to the wireless telephone, the wireless network, or a user of the wireless telephone. If one or more recall criteria are met for uninstallation of a targeted application program, a recall command source constructs a recall command. A program manager, using a database containing information about each program downloaded onto each wireless telephone in the network, identifies, for the recall command source, which wireless telephones carry the targeted application program. The recall command includes a unique application identification for the targeted application program and an instruction to the wireless telephone to uninstall the targeted application program. The recall command is broadcast over the wireless network to the wireless telephones. In response to the recall command, the wireless telephone automatically uninstalls the targeted application program by executing a recall program on the wireless telephone.

Claims

1. A method for a wireless device capable of communicating over a wireless network and having operating software for supporting a computer platform on said wireless device capable of executing applications, comprising:

booting-up the wireless device, said booting-up including initializing said wireless device for normal communications over the wireless network;

after said booting-up, remotely receiving a recall command including a unique application identification for a targeted application available for execution on said computer platform of said wireless device; and

responsive to said remote recall command, uninstalling said targeted application without requiring end-user interaction, wherein the uninstalling of said targeted application results in the application no longer functioning.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recall command comprises an identification of said specific application and an instruction for causing said wireless device to delete said targeted application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the recall command is sent to the wireless device via a short message service (SMS) message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said step of uninstalling comprises:

searching a database on said wireless device using said unique application identification to determine an address range corresponding to said targeted application; and

deleting contents of said address range.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein each recall command further comprises:

an uninstall application, which when executed by a wireless device, deletes said targeted application.

5. A server which recalls a targeted application installed on a subset of wireless devices selected from a set of wireless devices, said server capable of communicating with the set of wireless devices over a wireless network, the server comprising:

a database for identifying each application installed on each wireless device of said set;

a processor which searches said database to identify said subset of wireless devices having said targeted application installed; and

a communication interface which sends an application recall command including a unique application identification for the targeted application to each wireless device in said subset which initiates uninstalling said targeted application without requiring user interaction on the wireless devices, wherein the uninstalling of said targeted application results in the targeted application no longer functioning.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein each recall command comprises an instruction for causing one of said wireless devices from said subset of wireless devices to delete said targeted application.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the recall command is sent to the wireless device via a short message service (SMS) message.

9. The server of claim 5, wherein each recall command further comprises:

an uninstall application, which when executed by a wireless device, deletes said targeted application.

10. A method for a wireless device capable of communicating over a wireless network and having operating software for supporting a computer platform on said wireless device capable of executing applications, comprising:

booting-up the wireless device, said booting-up including initializing said wireless device for normal communications over the wireless network;

after said booting-up, remotely receiving a recall message including a unique application identification for a targeted application; and

responsive to said remote recall message, checking-in with a server on said wireless network to determine whether to uninstall the targeted application on said wireless device without requiring end-user interaction, wherein the uninstalling of said targeted application results in the application no longer functioning.

11. A wireless device capable of communicating over a wireless network and having operating software for supporting a computer platform on said wireless device capable of executing applications, comprising:

means for booting-up the wireless device, said means for booting-up configured to initialize said wireless device for normal communications over the wireless network;

means for remotely receiving, after the means for booting-up boots-up the wireless device, a recall command including a unique application identification for a targeted application available for execution on said computer platform of said wireless device; and

means for uninstalling, responsive to said remote recall command, said targeted application without requiring end-user interaction, wherein the uninstallation of the means for uninstalling results in the targeted application no longer functioning.