System and method for a mobile cross-platform software system

• US 8,271,608 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahaffey, Kevin Patrick, Hering, John G., Burgess, James David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIAH, RAZU A
• Application Number:
  US13/313,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 286 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 705 1443- 1445, 370/217, 370/230
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for creating, developing and testing cross-platform software for mobile communications devices. The invention enables mobile device software that must be highly-integrated with the operating system on which it runs to be implemented in a cross-platform manner. Security software for mobile devices is a prime beneficiary of the present invention, as a substantial proportion of its functionality is identical between different platforms yet integrated very specifically into each platform it supports. The cross-platform system includes a core platform-independent component, a platform-specific component, and an abstraction layer component, each of which may communicate with each other using a common defined API. The present invention enables the platform-independent component to be completely re-used between platforms and allows the platform-specific and abstraction components to contain minimal amounts of code on each platform.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) providing a cross-platform system on a mobile communication device that includes a platform-independent component, a platform-specific component and an abstraction layer component, wherein the platform-independent component explicitly depends upon an application programming interface (API) exposed by the abstraction layer component and the abstraction layer component explicitly depends upon an API exposed by the platform-independent component, wherein the platform-specific component is capable of being called by the platform-independent component using a dynamic extension, and wherein the platform-independent component and the dynamic extension are capable of functioning on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

b) using a graphical user interface on the mobile communications device, initiating a virus/malware scan of files stored on the mobile communications device using the platform-specific component;

c) at the platform-independent component, receiving a request from the platform-specific component to scan data files stored in a directory on the mobile communications device;

d) at the abstraction layer component, receiving a request from the platform-independent component to locate and to identify the files in the directory identified for scanning;

e) by cooperation of the abstraction layer component and the platform-independent component, building a list of files to be scanned for viruses and/or malware;

f) at the platform-independent component, performing a scan of the files contained in the list to identify one or more files that may contain viruses and/or malware; and

,

g) from the platform-independent component to the platform-specific component, outputting the results of the scan performed by the platform-independent component.

2. The method of claim 1, after step (g), further comprising the step of displaying on the mobile communications device graphical user interface by the platform-specific component information related to the results of the scan performed by the platform-independent component.

3. A method comprising:

a) providing a cross-platform system on a mobile communication device that includes a platform-independent component, a platform-specific component and an abstraction layer component, wherein the platform-independent component explicitly depends upon an application programming interface (API) exposed by the abstraction layer component and the abstraction layer component explicitly depends upon an API exposed by the platform-independent component, wherein the platform-specific component is capable of being called by the platform-independent component using a dynamic extension, and wherein the platform-independent component and dynamic extension are capable of functioning on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

b) at the platform-specific component, intercepting incoming data prior to its arrival at its intended destination;

c) at the platform-independent component, processing the intercepted data to determine whether it has any security vulnerabilities;

d) if there are no security vulnerabilities in the processed data, at the platform-specific component, allowing the intercepted and processed data to proceed to its intended destination;

e) if there are security vulnerabilities identified in the processed data, then at the platform-independent component creating and storing a log entry;

f) at the abstraction layer component, appending the log entry from the platform-independent component to a log file; and

,

g) at the platform-specific component, implementing the treatment of the data identified as possessing security vulnerabilities.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of implementing treatment includes a process selected from the group consisting of rejecting the data from further processing, deleting the data, and quarantining the data.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method comprising:

a) providing a cross-platform system on a mobile communication device that includes a platform-independent component, a platform-specific component and an abstraction layer component, wherein the platform-independent component explicitly depends upon an application programming interface (API) exposed by the abstraction layer component and the abstraction layer component explicitly depends upon an API exposed by the platform-independent component, wherein the platform-specific component is capable of being called by the platform-independent component using a dynamic extension, and wherein the platform-independent component and dynamic extension are capable of functioning on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

b) using a graphical user interface on the mobile communications device, initiating a virus/malware scan of files stored on the mobile communications device using the platform-specific component;

c) at the platform-independent component, receiving a request from the platform-specific component to scan data files stored in a directory on the mobile communications device;

d) at the abstraction layer component, receiving a request from the platform-independent component to locate and to identify the files in the directory identified for scanning;

e) Computer program code for, by cooperation of the abstraction layer component and the platform-independent component, building a list of files to be scanned for viruses and/or malware;

f) at the platform-independent component, performing a scan of the files contained in the list to identify one or more files that may contain viruses and/or malware; and

,

g) from the platform-independent component to the platform-specific component, outputting the results of the scan performed by the platform-independent component.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5, further comprising, after the outputting of step (g), displaying on the mobile communications device graphical user interface by the platform-specific component information related to the results of the scan performed by the platform-independent component.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method comprising:

a) providing a cross-platform system on a mobile communication device that includes a platform-independent component, a platform-specific component and an abstraction layer component, wherein the platform-independent component explicitly depends upon an application programming interface (API) exposed by the abstraction layer component and the abstraction layer component explicitly depends upon an API exposed by the platform-independent component, wherein the platform-specific component is capable of being called by the platform-independent component using a dynamic extension, and wherein the platform-independent component and dynamic extension are capable of functioning on any of a plurality of different types of mobile communications devices;

b) at the platform-specific component, intercepting incoming data prior to its arrival at its intended destination;

c) at the platform-independent component, processing the intercepted data to determine whether it has any security vulnerabilities;

d) if there are no security vulnerabilities in the processed data, at the platform-specific component, allowing the intercepted and processed data to proceed to its intended destination;

e) if there are security vulnerabilities identified in the processed data, then at the platform-independent component creating and storing a log entry;

f) at the abstraction layer component, appending the log entry from the platform-independent component to a log file; and

,

g) at the platform-specific component, implementing the treatment of the data identified as possessing security vulnerabilities.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein the step of implementing treatment includes a process selected from the group consisting of rejecting the data from further processing, deleting the data, and quarantining the data.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method comprising:

a) requesting an action by a platform-specific component on a mobile communication device from a platform-independent component on the mobile communication device;

b) requesting, by the platform-independent component, file identification information data from an abstraction layer component on the mobile communication device about application files and data files stored on the mobile communication device, wherein the abstraction layer component explicitly depends upon an application programming interface (API) exposed by the platform-independent component and the platform-independent component explicitly depends upon an API exposed by the abstraction layer component and wherein the platform-specific component is capable of being called by the platform-independent component using a dynamic extension;

c) returning, by the abstraction layer component, file identification information to the platform-independent component; and

,

d) performing the action by the platform-independent component using the file identification information from the abstraction layer component, wherein the action comprises performing a scan of the mobile communication device to determine the presence of a security threat in the application files and data files stored on the mobile communication device, the security threat selected from a group consisting of viruses, malware, software or hardware exploits, attempts to hijack the mobile communication device, denial of service attacks, spoofing, social engineering attacks, worms, and other computer contaminants.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising the step of outputting the results of the data scan for display utilizing the platform-specific component.