Management of service components installed in an electronic device in a mobile services network

• US 7,921,182 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gustafson, James P., Okkonen, Harri, Hamasaki, Glenn Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayard; Djenane M
• Application Number:
  US10/748,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,653 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 455/414, 455/411
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electronic device having a non-volatile memory including a plurality of memory sections. Each of the plurality of memory sections may be managed by a remote management server and an associated service and may participate in a mobile services network. The non-volatile memory may include manufacturer related content and data, such as firmware and an operating system. The non-volatile memory may also include operator related data and content, such as communication stacks for bearer communications. The non-volatile memory may also include corporation related data and content, such as confidential corporate information and software. The non-volatile memory may also include end user related data and content, such as gaming software and address book information. Each of the memory sections in the non-volatile memory may be managed by a different remote management server.

Claims

1. A mobile services network for management of service components in an electronic device, the mobile services network comprising:

a plurality of regions of data and content stored in non-volatile memory in the electronic device;

a plurality of server-side components, each of the server-side components remotely managing at least one associated region of the plurality of regions of data and content in the non-volatile memory of the electronic device; and

wherein remote access to each of the plurality of regions of data and content in the electronic device is controlled by an associated one of a plurality of security mechanisms which execute on the electronic device to enable a particular one of the plurality of server-side components to update code, data, service configuration information or other types of content in the at least one associated region in non-volatile memory of the plurality of regions of data and content.

2. The mobile services network according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of server-side components further comprise:

a plurality of repositories providing data and content for the electronic device, each of the plurality of repositories being capable of managing at least one region of data and content in the electronic device.

3. The mobile services network according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions of data and content in the electronic device comprise:

a corporation related data and content region being managed by a corporate server-side component;

an end-user related data and content region being managed by an end-user related server-side component;

an operator related data and content region being managed by an operator related server-side component; and

a manufacturer related data and content region being managed by a manufacturer related server-side component.

4. The mobile services network according to claim 1, further comprising:

a management server for managing the electronic device, wherein the plurality of server-side components manage the plurality of regions of data and content in the electronic device via the management server.

5. The mobile services network according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of server-side components are adapted to manage creating, updating, deleting, and configuring at least a corresponding one of the plurality of regions of data and content.

6. The mobile services network according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of server-side components is associated with a corresponding region of the plurality of regions of data and content and each of the plurality of server-side components is further adapted to manipulate and manage the corresponding region.

7. The mobile services network according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of regions of data and content further comprise:

a firmware region managed by a management server which is managed by a wireless operator;

an operating system region managed by the wireless operator;

a corporate logos region managed by a corporate user access management server;

a corporate confidential data and software region managed by the corporate user access management server; and

a user data region managed by the end-user.

8. The mobile services network according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of regions of data and content comprise at least one update agent associated therewith for updating data and content, and wherein the at least one update agent is adapted to add, delete, configure, update, and manage associated regions of the plurality of regions of data and content.

9. The mobile services network according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile cellular phone handset, personal digital assistant, pager, MP3 player, and a digital camera.

10. A mobile services network comprising an electronic device having access to a plurality of services, and wherein the electronic device being adapted to be managed remotely, the mobile services network comprising:

a management server for managing access to a plurality of services associated with the electronic device;

a plurality of service management repositories, each service management repository arranged to remotely manage at least one associated service component of a plurality of service components installed in non volatile memory of the electronic device; and

wherein secure access to each of the plurality of associated service components in the electronic device by a corresponding one of the plurality of service management repositories is controlled by an associated one of a plurality of security mechanisms which execute in the electronic device to enable a particular one of the plurality of server-side components to update code, data, service configuration information or other types of content in the at least one associated region in non-volatile memory of the plurality of regions of data and content.

11. The mobile services network according to claim 10, wherein the associated service components comprise:

at least one firmware and operating system layer;

a communication stack;

corporate data; and

end-user personal data, wherein each of the associated service components employ a corresponding security service available in the electronic device.

12. The mobile services network according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of service management repositories further comprise:

a corporate management server and repository for managing corporate data in the electronic device;

an operator management server and repository for managing the communication stack in the electronic device;

a manufacturer management server and repository for managing the at least one firmware and operating system layer in the electronic device; and

an end-user management server and repository for managing end-user personal data in the electronic device.

13. The mobile services network according to claim 10, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile cellular phone handset, personal digital assistant, pager, MP3 player, and a digital camera.

14. A mobile network for updating firmware and software in an electronic device, the mobile network comprising:

a management server facilitating management of firmware and software in the electronic device;

a corporate virtual user group management server for corporate virtual user group management;

a corporate software repository being employed for corporate virtual user group management and for securely distributing corporate software and corporate data to at least one of a plurality of separate segments of non-volatile memory in the electronic device, the at least one segment associated with a particular user group; and

wherein remote access to each of the plurality of segments of non-volatile memory by the management server is controlled by an associated one of a plurality of security mechanisms which execute in the electronic device to enable a particular one of the plurality of server-side components to update code, data, service configuration information or other types of content in the at least one associated region in non-volatile memory of the plurality of regions of data and content.

15. The mobile network according to claim 14, further comprising a digital rights management server for disseminating rights to use corporate software and corporate data disseminated by the corporate virtual user group management server.

16. The mobile network according to claim 15, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

non-volatile memory; and

a corporate data segment for storing and managing corporate software and corporate data in non-volatile memory, wherein management of the corporate data segment being conducted solely by the corporate virtual user group management server.

17. The mobile network according to claim 15, further comprising:

the corporate software repository being employed to update corporate software and corporate data in the corporate data segment in non-volatile memory of the electronic device; and

an update package repository being employed to retrieve update packages for updating firmware and software in the electronic device.

18. The mobile network according to claim 17, wherein software in the electronic device comprises:

an operating system; and

a plurality of applications updateable by the management server.

19. The mobile network according to claim 14, wherein the electronic device comprises one of mobile cellular phone handset, personal digital assistant, pager, MP3 player, and a digital camera.

20. A method of managing a corporate data segment in an electronic device, the method comprising:

retrieving corporate software and corporate data from a corporate data repository and facilitating retrieval via a corporate virtual user group management server;

storing retrieved corporate software and corporate data in a corporate data segment of the electronic device;

retrieving rights to access or execute corporate software and corporate data from a digital rights management server;

updating the corporate data segment;

wherein the electronic device comprises a plurality of logically separate data segments; and

wherein remote access to each of the plurality of data segments by a corresponding one of a plurality of data repositories is controlled by an associated one of a plurality of security mechanisms in the electronic device.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

incorporating verification information in corporate software and corporate data retrieved from the corporate data repository; and

updating the corporate data segment in the electronic device only after verification of the verification information.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

incorporating end-user authentication information in corporate software and corporate data during retrieval from the corporate data repository.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the electronic device comprises one of mobile cellular phone handset, personal digital assistant, pager, MP3 player, and a digital camera.

24. A mobile services network for managing firmware and software in an electronic device, the mobile services network comprising:

a plurality of management servers for managing different logical segments of non-volatile memory of the electronic device;

the electronic device comprising non-volatile memory segmented into a plurality of logical segments with a different one of the plurality of management servers associated with each of the plurality of logical segments; and

wherein remote access to each of the plurality of logical segments of non-volatile memory by a corresponding one of a plurality of management servers is controlled by an associated one of a plurality of security mechanisms in the electronic device to enable a particular one of the plurality of server-side components to update code, data, service configuration information or other types of content in the at least one associated region in non-volatile memory of the plurality of regions of data and content.

25. The mobile services network according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of management servers employing digital rights management for security and for authorizing access to an associated one of the plurality of logical segments in the electronic device.

26. The mobile services network according to claim 25, wherein the plurality of segments comprise a corporate data and software segment being associated with a corporate data management server being one of the plurality of management servers.

27. The mobile services network according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device comprises a corporate data and software segment, and the electronic device being associated with a corporate user membership for an employee of a corporation, wherein the corporate data management server being adapted to erase at least a portion of the corporate data and software segment on the electronic device when the employee of the corporation associated with the electronic device severs an employment relationship.

28. The mobile services network according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device comprises a corporate data and software segment, and the electronic device being associated with a corporate user membership for an employee of a corporation, the corporate data management server being adapted to disable the electronic device when the employee of the corporation associated with the electronic device severs an employment relationship.

29. The mobile services network according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device comprises a corporate data and software segment, and the electronic device being associated with a corporate user membership for an employee of a corporation, wherein the corporate data management server is adapted to disable access to the corporate data and software segment of the electronic device to prevent unauthorized access to the corporate data segment in the electronic device.

30. The mobile services network according to claim 26, wherein the electronic device is associated with end-user membership in a user group, and the electronic device comprises an end-user data and software segment, the end-user data and software segment comprising:

a plurality of gaming software and address book data; and

an end-user data and software management server, the end-user data and software management server facilitating management of the end-user data and software segment;

facilitating membership to the user group, and

authorizing access to the end-user data and software segment by at least one of a plurality of management servers.

31. The mobile services network according to claim 24, wherein the electronic device comprises one of mobile cellular phone handset, personal digital assistant, pager, MP3 player, and a digital camera.