Application management system for mobile devices

• US 8,020,028 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MicroPairing Technologies LLC (Micropairing Technologies Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Eagle Harbor Holdings, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Lutter, Robert Pierce
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US12/851,488
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 714/1, 714/2, 714/3, 714 10- 13, 718/1, 718/100, 718101-104, 718/106, 718/107
• US Class Current: 714/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

An application management system identifies a mobile device for use in a vehicle, home, or place of business, each of which includes a processor and is designed to function in a multiprocessor system. The mobile device is connected and configured into the multiprocessor system when a type of data used by the mobile device conforms to a type of data used in the multiprocessor system. A stored application in the multiprocessor system is identified that employs a same data type utilized on the mobile device. The stored application is run which includes taking over control and operation of the mobile device and process data received from the mobile device. Security is used to allowed to access the multiprocessor system.

Claims

1. An application management system for a multiprocessor system, comprising:

one or more processors coupled together into a multiprocessor system, wherein at least one of the processors in the multiprocessor system is configured to;

operate a transceiver configured to detect a new device within communication range of the multiprocessor system;

detect a protocol used by the new device;

configure the multiprocessor system to communicate with the new device when the protocol conforms with a protocol used in the multiprocessor system;

identify a particular type of data used in the new device and processed with a first software application controlled and operated by the new device;

identify a second software application from among multiple different software applications located in a memory in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is currently not loaded in or operated by any the on board processors in the multiprocessor system, and wherein the second software application is also configured to process the same particular type of data processed by the first software application controlled and operated by the new device;

download a copy of the second software application selected from the memory to one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system;

configure said processor to run the second software application moved from the memory, wherein running the second software application causes said processor to take over control and operation of the new device;

initiate transfer of the data from the new device to said processor and initiate processing of the particular type of data received from the new device with the second software application running on said processor; and

prevent at least one of an unauthorized device, unauthorized application, or unauthorized data from accessing at least some of the software applications or data in the multiprocessor system.

2. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the multiprocessor system is further configured to monitor for at least one of a failure in an application in a newly added device, a failure in a processor in the newly added device, or a failure in a communications link with the newly added device.

3. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the multiprocessor system is configured to:

detect a first and second one of the new devices that generate streaming audio data;

disconnect the streaming audio data generated from the first one of the detected new devices currently connected to the speakers; and

connect streaming audio data generating from the second one of the detected new devices to the speakers according to at least one of a priority level set in at least one of the processors and inputs received from a display coupled to the multiprocessor system.

4. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the detected new device has an integrated display screen.

5. The application management system of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of content displayed on the display screen of the detected new device is communicated to a display processor in the multiprocessor system for display and generation of information on a display processor display.

6. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the detected new device includes a data storage device selected from the group of a hard disk drive, solid state device, or compact disk.

7. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the detected new device is a wired or wireless audio output device.

8. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the detected new device includes wireless speakers or wireless headphones.

9. The application management system of claim 1 wherein a data storage coupled to the multiprocessor system includes a readable and writeable data storage media selected from the group of solid state device, hard disk drive, or compact disk.

10. The application management system of claim 1 wherein a display processor in the multiprocessor system is coupled to a multimedia system.

11. The application management system of claim 10 wherein the multimedia system receives signals from multiple sources.

12. The application management system of claim 11 wherein the multimedia system is wired to speakers.

13. The application management system of claim 1 wherein the detected new device runs a global positioning system application.

14. The application management system of claim 1 including an external memory, and wherein one of the multiple processors is configured to:

detect a data source when the new device is connected to one of the multiple processors;

identify the detected data source; and

communicate the identity of the detected data source to a display processor in the multiprocessor system for indication on the display.

15. The application management system of claim 1 wherein a display in the multiprocessor system includes a user interface that includes a touch screen.

16. The application management system of claim 15 wherein the user interface initiates control operations carried out by one or more of the processors in the multiprocessor system.

17. The application management system of claim 15 wherein the user interface generates feedback to a user, which feedback is derived from information displayed on the display.

18. A method for reconfiguring applications in a multiprocessor, comprising:

operating a wireless device manager in at least one processor in the multiprocessor system, the wireless device manager configured to;

a. monitor for wireless signals from a new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system, wherein the new device runs a first software application that processes a first type of data; and

b. wirelessly connect the new device to the multiprocessor system;

operating a configuration manager in one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system, the configuration manager configured to;

c. monitor operations of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system;

d. identify data codes in the wireless signals from the new device and use the data codes to identify the first type of data processed by the first software application running on the new device;

e. responsive to identifying the data codes from the new device, select a second software application from among multiple different software applications stored within memory in the multiprocessor system, wherein the second software application is associated with the first type of data processed by the new device and is not currently loaded into one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system;

f. download a copy of the second software application selected from the memory to one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system;

g. reconfigure one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system to run the second software application downloaded from the memory and take over control and operation of the new device; and

h. process data from the new device with the second software application operating in and controlled by the particular one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system; and

i. operating a security manager configured to determine authority to access at least some of the new devices, software applications or data used in the multiprocessor system.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the new device is an audio device, and further comprising receiving streaming audio data from the audio device with one of the multiple processors in the multiprocessor system.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the new device is at least one of a cellular telephone, navigation system and video system.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the new device is an audio device that includes an integrated display screen.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising a display, and communicating at least a portion of content displayed on the integrated display screen of the new device to the display.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the new device includes a data storage device selected from the group of a hard disk drive, solid state device, or compact disk, and further comprising wirelessly receiving data from the data storage device with one of the processors in the multiprocessor system.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the new device is a wired or wireless speaker, and further comprising communicating audio signals from one of the processors in the multiprocessor system to the speaker.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the display communicates with a multimedia system.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving at the multimedia system signals from multiple sources.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the new device comprises a global positioning device, and further comprising receiving with the global positioning device data from a satellite network.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein the multiprocessor system includes a plurality of speakers, and further comprising (i) displaying images representing at least some of the speakers on the display in the vehicle, and (ii) operating one of the multiple processors to route audio signals from the detected audio device to selected ones of the speakers represented on the display.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

operating the device manager to monitor for wireless signals from at least a second new device not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system;

determining whether a wireless communication interface used by the second new device is compatible with at least one protocol used in the multiprocessor system;

adding the second new device to the multiprocessor system; and

using the second new device in the multiprocessor system.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising operating the first and second new devices to communicate with the multiprocessor system using Bluetooth signals.

31. A multiprocessor system, comprising:

multiple processors operating together as a multiprocessor system, wherein the multiprocessor system is a distributed processing system configured to;

identify a new device that is not currently coupled to the multiprocessor system,

connect the new device to the multiprocessor system when signaling from the new device conforms to a communication protocol used in the multiprocessor system,

configure the new device into the multiprocessor system,

identify data codes in the signaling from the new device identifying an application running on the new device, a data type used on the new device, and a security attribute associated with at least one of data stored in the new device and the application running on the new device,

use the identified security attribute to prevent at least one of an unauthorized applications and unauthorized data from being processed by the multiprocessor system,

identify at least one of a stored application in memory accessible by the multiprocessor system, wherein the application processes the same type of data processed by the new device,

responsive to identifying the stored application, download the stored application from memory into at least one processor in the multiprocessor system, and

use the application to process data received from the new device, and

select an appropriate human machine interface to output the data.

32. The multiprocessor system of claim 31 wherein the multiprocessor system is positioned within proximity to, or located within a personal dwelling comprised at least one of:

a computer server, associated with the personal dwelling;

an appliance, wherein the appliance is an apparatus, or device for a particular purpose or use, and wherein the appliance is at least one of;

a washing machine,

a dryer,

a personal computer,

a cooking appliance,

a home security appliance,

a home lighting appliance,

a multimedia appliance,

an audio management appliance,

a network appliance,

a home environmental control appliance, and

a vehicle appliance.

33. The multiprocessor system of claim 31 wherein the security attribute prevents a corruption in the operation or execution of any task controlled by one or more of the multiple processors or identified software applications by any unauthorized application or software code.

34. The multiprocessor system of claim 33 wherein the security attribute allows for any two or more of the identified applications executing on the different processors to operate as one or more integrated systems.