System and method for provisioning a remote resource for an electronic device

• US 8,266,357 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Knowles, Michael, Quinn, Liam, Bocking, Andrew, Moser, Karen, Tiegs, Mark, Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALEY, CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US13/099,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 710/240, 709/217, 370/463
• US Class Current: 710/240
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/00 Accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures digital input from, or digital output to record carriers, e.g. to disk storage units, G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The disclosure recites a system and method for updating a resource to an electronic device. The system comprises: a resource providing information for the device; a server to maintain the resource; a communication link providing the device with access to the resource; a data transmission module for extracting and transmitting access information about the resource to the device; and a data processing module for processing the received information at the device. In the device, a GUI provides information on a topic retrieved from local storage on the device and additional information about the resource is incorporated into the GUI for that topic.

Claims

1. A system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device, comprising:

a resource providing information for the electronic device;

a server

providing maintenance for the resource;

accessing a device registry linking resources managed by the server with mobile electronic devices currently tracked by the server to determine whether the electronic device is in the device registry, after receiving a network registration request from the electronic device;

if the electronic device is in the device registry, determining whether a resource is approved to be provisioned to the electronic device from the server, otherwise, if the electronic device is not in the device registry, awaiting a request from the electronic device for the resource and evaluating the request; and

determining whether either the resource has already been provisioned to the electronic device or the electronic device has been designated to be provisioned with the resource from an alternative source from the server; and

if so, not approving the resource to be provisioned to the electronic device, otherwise providing a data transmission to the electronic device from the server, the data transmission containing text and a link to the resource that can be extracted by the electronic device and used to access the resource and if the resource is new to the electronic device, the data transmission contains an indicator that the resource is new;

a communication link providing the electronic device with access to the resource;

a data transmission module for extracting access information about the resource and selectively providing the access information to the electronic device in a data transmission through the communication link; and

a data processing module for receiving the data transmission and updating access information in the electronic device for the resource,

wherein

the electronic device provides a graphical user interface (GUI) providing information on a topic retrieved from local storage on the electronic device and additional information about the resource is incorporated into the GUI for that topic.

2. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data transmission further contains text information about the resource and the access information is a link to a web page associated with the resource.

3. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the text information is incorporated into the GUI operating on the electronic device, and the GUI provides an interface to access and activate the link through a web browser operating on the electronic device.

4. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electronic device also provides information that is stored locally on the electronic device that is provided in the GUI.

5. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the resource provides information relating to a wireless carrier associated with the electronic device.

6. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the resource provides information relating to a user'"'"'s account associated with the electronic device.

7. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein

a second resource is provided to the electronic device with access information and text information relating to the second resource provided to the electronic device;

and

the GUI prioritizes the presentation the text information for the resource and the second resource based on a ranking scheme.

8. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the data transmission module selectively builds and sends the data transmission upon a receipt of a triggering event relating to the status of the electronic device.

9. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the triggering event is based on a location of the electronic device.

10. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the triggering event is a status of the electronic device as known by the server.

11. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server does not approve the resource for provisioning if at least one of the following conditions exists:

(a) the resource has already been provisioned to the electronic device;

or (b) the electronic device has been designated to be provisioned with the resource from the alternative source.

12. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the GUI provides information about the electronic device that is stored locally on the electronic device.

13. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the resource provides information relating to a wireless carrier associated with the network and the electronic device.

14. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the resource provides information relating to a user'"'"'s account associated with the network and the electronic device.

15. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server provides a second resource to the electronic device with a second link and second text information relating to the second resource provided to the electronic device.

16. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resource relates to another application operating on the electronic device.

17. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access information is a HTML link.

18. The system for provisioning a resource to an electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the access information is an address to an FTP site.