Managing mobile device applications on a mobile device

• US 8,554,175 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited, Certicom Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Pecen, Mark, Periyalwar, Shalini Suresh, Campagna, Matthew, Andersen, Niels Peter Skov
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/242,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 701/450, 370/230, 370/313
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs for managing mobile device applications are described. In some aspects, a mobile device application is prevented from accessing resources of a wireless network. For example, a wireless network operator system can determine that one or more mobile device applications are disapproved for use in the wireless network. In some implementations, the wireless network operator denies the disapproved mobile device applications access to the wireless network resources. In some implementations, mobile devices disable access to the wireless network by the disapproved mobile device applications.

Claims

1. A method for managing mobile device applications on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, information identifying a mobile device application, the information indicating that the mobile device application is disapproved for communication in a wireless network, the information received from a wireless network operator system associated with the wireless network; and

denying wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application at the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received from the wireless network in response to a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, and the information indicates that the mobile device is denied the assignment of the wireless network resources.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating the request at the mobile device; and

sending the request to the wireless network operator system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending the wireless network operator system an application identifier for the mobile device application, wherein the application identifier is sent in association with the request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the application identifier is sent over a random access channel.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the request and the application identifier are sent over a single signaling channel.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the request is sent over a first signaling channel and the application identifier is sent over a second signaling channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes a list of disapproved mobile device applications, and denying wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application includes disabling the mobile device application on the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile device includes an application management module that accesses the list and disables the mobile device application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the application management module is configured to operate in a presentation layer of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein disabling the mobile device application includes disabling user access to the mobile device application on the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein disabling the mobile device application includes disabling execution of the mobile device application on the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein disabling the mobile device application includes:

updating a lookup table on the mobile device based on the list; and

using the lookup table to filter requests for network resources generated by mobile device applications at the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein filtering the requests includes comparing each request to information in the lookup table to determine whether the request was generated by a disapproved mobile device application.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is sent to the mobile device from the wireless network operator system based on the wireless network operator system receiving an update of a list that identifies disapproved mobile device applications.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received from the wireless network in response to a request for an assignment of wireless network resources by the mobile device application, and the information indicates that the mobile device application is denied the assignment of the wireless network resources.

17. The method of claim 1, comprising denying wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application while permitting wireless network resource allocation to one or more other mobile device applications installed on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received on a broadcast channel.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the broadcast channel is available to all mobile devices having a wireless connection to the wireless network, and in response to the information being broadcast, the mobile device application is denied wireless network resource allocation at all the mobile devices.

20. A mobile device comprising:

a wireless communication module operable to receive, from a wireless network operator system, information identifying a mobile device application, the information indicating that the mobile device application is disapproved for communication in a wireless network; and

data processing apparatus operable to deny wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application at the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to communicate over a cellular telecommunications network.

22. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the information is received from the wireless network operator system in response to a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, and the information indicates that the mobile device application is denied the assignment of the wireless network resources.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the data processing apparatus are configured to generate the request and the wireless communication module is operable to send the request to the wireless network operator system.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the wireless communication module is operable to send to the wireless network operator system, in association with the request, an application identifier for the mobile device application.

25. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the information includes a list of disapproved mobile device applications, and denying wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application includes disabling the mobile device application on the mobile device.

26. A computer-readable medium of a mobile device storing instructions that are operable when executed to perform operations for managing mobile device applications, the operations comprising:

receiving information identifying a mobile device application, the information indicating that the mobile device application is disapproved for communication in a wireless network, the information received from a wireless network operator system; and

denying wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application at the mobile device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the information is received from the wireless network operator system in response to a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, and the information indicates that the mobile device is denied the assignment of the wireless network resources.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, the operations further comprising:

generating the request; and

sending the request to the wireless network operator system.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, the operations further comprising sending the wireless network operator system an application identifier for the mobile device application, wherein the application identifier is sent in association with the request.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the information includes a list of disapproved mobile device applications, and denying wireless network resource allocation to the mobile device application includes disabling the mobile device application on the mobile device.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, the operations further comprising generating a user notification indicating that the mobile device application has been disabled on the mobile device.