System for managing program applications storable in a mobile terminal

• US 8,010,095 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawabata, Hiroshi, Yamamoto, Masaaki, Washio, Satoshi, Natsuno, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US12/117,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20080214167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/550.1, 455/412.1, 711/170, 714/42
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

Management server 16 may obtain application programs from content server 20 in response to requests of mobile terminal 11. Management server 16 may transmit the obtained application programs to mobile terminal 11 with information concerning reliabilities of the application programs. After mobile terminal 11 receives the application programs from management server 16, mobile terminal 11 manages operations of the application programs. Operations of the application programs are coordinated with operations of other programs using the information concerning the reliabilities corresponding to the application programs. Management of the coordinated operations of the application programs avoids problems concerning information security, where valuable information may be distributed unexpectedly because of operations of low reliable application programs. As a result, convenience of users of mobile terminals 11 can be improved without deteriorating the information security of mobile terminals 11.

Claims

1. An application delivery system for managing an application that is storable in a mobile terminal, the application delivery system comprising:

a mobile terminal configured to receive and store at least one application, wherein the application includes reliability information indicative of a coordinated operational relationship with other applications;

the mobile terminal comprising a memory controller, the memory controller configured to enable the execution of a first application storable in the mobile terminal;

the memory controller further configured to enable access to at least one of data and features associated with a second application storable in the mobile terminal in accordance with instructions of the first application, as a function of the reliability information of the first application.

2. The application delivery system of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a memory coupled with the memory controller, wherein the memory controller is configured to direct the storage and manipulation of applications that are storable in the memory as a function of the reliability information associated with each of the applications.

3. The application delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled with the memory controller, wherein the memory controller is configured to store in and delete from the memory at least one of an application and reliability information as a function of instructions wirelessly receivable by the mobile terminal.

4. The application delivery system of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a control unit configured to execute the first application as a function of enablement by the memory controller.

5. The application delivery system of claim 4, wherein the memory controller is configured to read, write and delete data associated with the second application in response to a request from the control unit as a function of the reliability information of the first application.

6. An application delivery system for managing an application that is storable in a mobile terminal, the application delivery system comprising:

a mobile terminal configured to store a first application and a second application, wherein each of the first application and the second application include reliability information indicative of a coordinated operational relationship with other applications;

the mobile terminal comprising a memory controller, the memory controller configured to enable execution of the first application; and

the memory controller further configured to selectively enable access by the first application to at least one of data or features associated with the second application as a function of consideration of the reliability information of the first application and the second application.

7. The application delivery system of claim 6, wherein the memory controller is configured to receive the first application or the second application over a wireless network, the memory controller further configured to read the reliability information of the first application or the second application and store the first application or the second application in a memory location selected based on the respective reliability information that is read.

8. The application delivery system of claim 6, wherein the memory controller is further configured to selectively enable access by the first application to at least one of data or features associated with the second application in response to receipt of a request to permit use of the second application by the first application, wherein the request is transmittable to the memory controller by the first application.

9. The application delivery system of claim 8, wherein the request comprises identification of a memory area included in the mobile terminal where the second application is stored.