Method, system and apparatus for management of push content

• US 8,561,055 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Arora, Rakesh Kumar, Yang, Han Zhen, De Melo, Onofre Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nam, Hyun
• Application Number:
  US12/579,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for management of push content is provided. An intermediation infrastructure mediates traffic from a push content server that is addressed to a computing device. The intermediation infrastructure enforces various policies such that, for example, unwanted communications are not pushed to the computing device.

Claims

1. An intermediation server comprising:

at least one network interface for connecting, via at least one network, to at least one computing device and at least one push content server;

said push content server configured to maintain push content;

said at least one computing device configured to selectively install or uninstall a push content application uniquely corresponding to said push content;

a processor connected to said at least one network interface via a bus;

said processor configured to receive said push content;

said push content addressed to said computing device;

a storage device connected to said processor via said bus;

said storage device configured to maintain a policy;

said policy indicating whether or not said push content application is installed on said computing device; and

,

said processor configured to access said policy from said storage device when said push content is received;

said processor configured, based on said policy, to forward said push content to said computing device if said push content application is installed on said computing device, and to drop said content and send an excerption message back to said push content server if said push content application is not installed on said computing device, said exception message including an instruction to said push content server to update a policy maintained at said push content server to cease sending further push content to said computing device.

2. The intermediation server of claim 1 wherein said network interface is further connected to a firewall and said processor is configured to selectively instruct said firewall to block further reception of any push content from said push content server.

3. The intermediation server of claim 1 wherein said processor is further configured to decrement an allotment of permitted traffic of push content by said push content server.

4. The intermediation server of claim 3 wherein said processor is further configured to block forwarding of said push content to said computing device when said allotment has reached zero.

5. The intermediation server of claim 3 wherein said processor is further configured to decrement said allotment regardless of whether or not said push content application is installed on said computing device.

6. The intermediation server of claim 1 wherein said policy further indicates certain additional conditions for controlling forwarding said push content to said computing device regardless of whether said push content application is installed on said computing device.

7. The intermediation server of claim 6 wherein said conditions include a determination as to whether or not said computing device is roaming and said processor is configured to forward said push content only when said computing device is additionally not roaming.

8. The intermediation server of claim 6 wherein said conditions include a determination as to certain time periods when forwarding of said push content is permitted, and said processor is further configured to forward said push content only when said time periods indicate forwarding is permitted.

9. A computer-implemented method of managing content pushed from a content server and addressed to a computing device;

said content uniquely corresponding to a push content application;

said method comprising;

receiving at at least one processor, via at least one network interface, push content from said content server and addressed to said computing device;

receiving at said processor, from a storage device, a policy indicating whether said push content application is installed on said computing device;

forwarding from said processor, via said at least one network interface, said push content to said computing device if said policy indicates said push content application is installed on said computing device; and

dropping said content and sending an excerption message back to said push content server if said policy indicates that said push content application is not installed on said computing device, said excerption message including an instruction to said push content server to update a policy maintained at said push content server to cease sending further push content to said computing device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said network interface is further connected to a firewall and said processor is configured to selectively instruct said firewall to block further reception of any push content from said push content server.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising decrementing an allotment of permitted traffic of push content by said push content server.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising blocking forwarding of said push content to said computing device when said allotment has reached zero.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising decrementing said allotment regardless of whether or not said push content application is installed on said computing device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said policy indicates certain additional conditions for controlling forwarding said push content to said computing device regardless of whether said push content application is installed on said computing device, and further comprising selectively forwarding or refusing to forward said push content based on said conditions.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said conditions include a determination as to whether or not said computing device is roaming and further comprising forwarding said push content only when said computing device is not roaming.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said conditions include a determination as to certain time periods when forwarding of said push content is permitted, and further comprising forwarding said push content only when said time periods indicate forwarding is permitted.