Systems and methods for a mobile application development and deployment platform

• US 8,832,644 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Media Direct Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Media Direct Incorporated
• Inventors: Hirsch, Scott, Pereymer, Arsen, Rajpal, Sunny
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, SEN THONG
• Application Number:
  US13/831,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20130205278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only

Abstract

Systems and methods for developing, customizing, and deploying mobile device applications are provided through a mobile application development and deployment platform. Preferably, these systems and methods are implemented in an Internet based environment that allows non-technical users to build sophisticated, highly-customizable cross-platform mobile applications. The platform allows users to select, input, create, customize, and combine various content, design characteristics, and application components, such as modules, some of which utilize features and functionality associated with various mobile devices and mobile operating systems. In certain embodiments, the platform allows users to compile, and generate a configuration file for, the mobile application that can be distributed to end users for execution on various mobile devices and mobile operating systems. When the mobile application is installed on, or executed by the mobile device, the configuration file may enable the retrieval of various data associated with the mobile application.

Claims

1. A system for developing a mobile application or portion thereof on a computing device, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

provide a mobile application development platform adapted to assist users with the development and customization of a mobile application or portion thereof, wherein the application development platform is integrated with the computing device and represents application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with a data model that defines relationships among a hierarchy of tables including;

a head table that is used to represent an instance of the mobile application and that includes an identifier for the mobile application;

an app type table that includes a first set of attributes for one or more templates that can be applied to the mobile application; and

a module table that includes a second set of attributes that are used to represent one or more customizable components included in the mobile application;

receive an application type property that identifies a template included in the app type table;

query one or more of the tables in the data model to identify one or more customizable components that are available for use with the identified template;

present the identified one or more customizable components, each one pertaining to a functionality, design or content of the mobile application or portion thereof;

receive customizable component selections relating to the one or more presented customizable components;

associate application data with the mobile application or portion thereof based, at least in part, on the customizable component selections;

store the application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with the data model;

determine at least one target set of mobile devices on which the mobile application or portion thereof is to be executed;

generate compiled data for the mobile application or portion thereof based on the stored application data using build tools associated with a mobile operating system pertaining to the target set of mobile devices; and

generate a configuration file comprising the identifier for the mobile application or portion thereof, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, the target set of mobile devices, wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled data by the target set of mobile devices from a remote storage location;

wherein generating compiled data includes querying a database that stores the tables associated with the data model to retrieve information associated with the mobile application and including at least a portion of the retrieved information in the configuration file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device that includes the integrated application development platform comprises a personal computer or laptop.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the application development platform is installed on the personal computer or laptop and is accessible without a network connection.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device that includes the integrated application development platform comprises a mobile device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the application development platform is installed on the mobile device and is accessible without a network connection.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is a tablet.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the customizable components provides a development interface that includes an input form for receiving the customizable component selections during development of the mobile application and includes application code that utilizes the received customizable component selections to provide an end-user interface to end-users who download the mobile application, and wherein the end-user interface provides a predetermined functionality that is customized according to the received customizable component selections.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the data model further includes a layout table that includes a third set of attributes associated with a plurality of available layouts for the identified one or more customizable components, and the module table includes at least layout identifier that identifies a selected layout for the identified one or more customizable components.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the module table stores or includes a reference to software code or logic associated with the identified one or more customizable components.

21. The system of claim 1,

wherein the information included in the configuration file includes the identifier that is used to retrieve the compiled data for the mobile application in response to an end-user executing the mobile application.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the build tools utilized to generate the compiled data for the mobile application are obtained from manufacturers or developers associated with the mobile operating system for the target set of mobile devices and the build tools are used to build a shell for the mobile application that includes the configuration file.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the head table stores an app type identifier that is used to reference the identified template in the app type table for the mobile application, and the module table stores the identifier for the mobile application and a module identifier indicating a module type for the identified one or more customizable components.

8. A method for developing a mobile application or portion thereof on a computing device, the method comprising:

providing a mobile application development platform adapted to assist users with the development and customization of a mobile application or portion thereof, wherein the application development platform is integrated with the computing device and represents application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with a data model that defines relationships among a hierarchy of tables including;

a head table that is used to represent an instance of the mobile application and that includes an identifier for the mobile application;

an app type table that includes a first set of attributes for representing one or more templates that can be applied to the mobile application; and

a module table that includes a second set of attributes that are used to represent one or more customizable components included in the mobile application;

receiving an application type property that identifies a template included in the app type table;

querying one or more of the tables in the data model to identify one or more customizable components that are available for use with the identified template;

presenting the identified one or more customizable components, each one pertaining to a functionality, design or content of the mobile application or portion thereof;

receiving customizable component selections relating to the one or more presented customizable components;

associating application data with the mobile application or portion thereof based, at least in part, on the customizable component selections;

storing the application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with the data model;

determining at least one target set of mobile devices on which the mobile application or portion thereof is to be executed;

generating compiled data for the mobile application or portion thereof based on the stored application data using build tools associated with a mobile operating system pertaining to the target set of mobile devices; and

generating, with a processor, a configuration file comprising the identifier for the mobile application or portion thereof, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, the target set of mobile devices, wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled data by the target set of mobile devices from a remote storage location;

wherein generating compiled data includes querying a database that stores the tables associated with the data model to retrieve information associated with the mobile application and including at least a portion of the retrieved information in the configuration file.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the computing device that includes the integrated application development platform comprises a personal computer or laptop.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the application development platform is installed on the personal computer or laptop and is accessible without a network connection.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the computing device that includes the integrated application development platform comprises a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the application development platform is installed on the mobile device and is accessible without a network connection.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is a tablet device.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising a computer readable program for developing a mobile application or portion thereof, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

provide a mobile application development platform adapted to assist users with the development and customization of a mobile application or portion thereof, wherein the application development platform is integrated with the computing device and represents application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with a data model that defines relationships among a hierarchy of tables including;

a head table that is used to represent an instance of the mobile application and that includes an identifier for the mobile application;

an app type table that includes a first set of attributes for one or more templates that can be applied to the mobile application; and

a module table that includes a second set of attributes that are used to represent one or more customizable components included in the mobile application;

receive an application type property that identifies a template included in the app type table;

query one or more of the tables in the data model to identify one or more customizable components that are available for use with the identified template;

present the identified one or more customizable components, each one pertaining to a functionality, design or content of a mobile application or portion thereof;

receive customizable component selections relating to the one or more presented customizable components;

associate application data with the mobile application or portion thereof based, at least in part, on the customizable component selections;

store the application data associated with the mobile application in accordance with a data model;

determine at least one target set of mobile devices on which the mobile application or portion thereof is to be executed;

generate compiled data for the mobile application or portion thereof based on the stored application data using build tools associated with a mobile operating system pertaining to the target set of mobile devices; and

generate a configuration file comprising the identifier for the mobile application or portion thereof, the configuration file being adapted for transmission to, and execution on, the target set of mobile devices, wherein the identifier enables the retrieval of at least a portion of the compiled data by the target set of mobile devices from a remote storage location;

wherein generating compiled data includes querying a database that stores the tables associated with the data model to retrieve information associated with the mobile application and including at least a portion of the retrieved information in the configuration file.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the mobile computing device is a smart phone.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the mobile computing device is a tablet device.