Apparatus and associated method for downloading an application with a variable lifetime to a mobile terminal

• US 8,856,266 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Zilliacus, Martin, Kaszonyi, Gabor
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US10/777,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20040160911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,891 Days
• Field of Search: 709 21-219, 709/203, 709/217, 705/50, 705/59, 705/403, 705/405, 705/54, 455/405, 455/414, 707/10, 707/203, 707/205
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Apparatus, and associated method, provides for downloading an application with a selectable lifetime from an application database to a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal user'"'"'s identification information and the selected lifetime for the application are stored in an application-license database. When the user seeks to download the same application on a subsequent occasion the user is able to download that application for a reduced fee if lifetime remains from when the application was first downloaded. In addition, the application may be configured to delete or uninstall itself from the mobile terminal when the selected lifetime for the application expires.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a first mobile terminal to an application database through a cellular communication network, the application database containing at least one application having a variable selectable lifetime;

receiving a user-specified choice of a chosen application from the at least one application for downloading to the first mobile terminal;

providing the application database with information identifying a user of the first mobile terminal;

receiving a user-specified selection of a variable lifetime for the chosen application, during which lifetime the chosen application is executable;

downloading the chosen application from said application database to the first mobile terminal; and

storing indicia of the selected lifetime for the chosen application and of the information identifying the user, wherein the indicia corresponds to the selected lifetime for the chosen application during which the chosen application is further executable at mobile terminals accessible by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of downloading the chosen application is performed over a wireless connection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of downloading over a wireless connection is performed through the cellular communication network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of downloading over a wireless connection is achieved by way of a short-range connection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the short-range connection is an infrared connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicia is stored in an application-license database in connection with the application database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the user is based on Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving in the application database a request from the user for a subsequent downloading of a previously-downloaded application;

determining whether lifetime remains by reference to stored indicia of a selected lifetime for a previously-downloaded application for the user; and

downloading the previously-downloaded application a subsequent time, if it is determined that at least a portion remains of the selected lifetime for the previously-downloaded application for the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is received from a second mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the subsequent downloading comprises downloading the previously-downloaded application to a second mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of refusing the request for the subsequent downloading if a determination indicates that lifetime has expired in the stored indicia of the selected lifetime for the previously-downloaded application for the user.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of downloading the previously-downloaded application the subsequent time is performed over a wireless connection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of downloading the previously-downloaded application the subsequent time over the wireless connection is performed through the cellular communication network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of downloading the previously-downloaded application the subsequent time over the wireless connection is achieved by way of a short-range connection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the short-range connection is an infrared connection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the lifetime is a period of time measured from a predetermined starting time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined starting time is the time of downloading the chosen application.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the lifetime is a predetermined number of downloads.

19. Apparatus comprising:

a network infrastructure configured to communicate with at least one mobile terminal;

an application database containing at least one downloadable application, the at least one downloadable application having a user-selectable variable lifetime during which the application is permitted to remain executable by an identified user;

a downloading server configured to communicate through the network infrastructure and configured to detect a request containing information identifying a user to download a chosen application of the at least one downloadable application contained in the application database, the downloading server being further configured to obtain the chosen application from the application database, and to download the chosen application to the at least one mobile terminal; and

an application-license database coupled to the downloading server, the application-license database configured to store a selected variable lifetime and the user-identifying information for the chosen application;

wherein the downloading server is configured to compare the download request to the selected variable lifetime and the user-identifying information stored in the application-license database for the chosen application, wherein the downloading server is further configured to download the chosen application if the user has application lifetime remaining for the chosen application.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said chosen application is preprogrammed with the selected variable lifetime, wherein the chosen application is configured to delete itself from the at least one mobile terminal when the selected variable lifetime expires.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the selected variable lifetime expires as a function of a selected number of transactions.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the selected variable lifetime expires as a function of a selected time.

23. Apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a memory unit coupled with the CPU and configured to store at least one application;

an application requestor coupled with the CPU and configured to generate requests to download a variable-lifetime application from an application database;

a lifetime selector coupled with the CPU and configured to select a variable lifetime applicable to a downloaded application;

a lifetime determiner coupled with the CPU and configured to determine a remaining portion of the variable lifetime applicable with the downloaded application; and

an application disabler coupled with the CPU and configured to disable an application;

wherein the apparatus is operable to receive and store the downloaded application and to permit the downloaded application to be executed at the mobile terminal as long as a portion of its applicable variable lifetime remains.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the application disabler is configured to disable an application when the associated lifetime has expired.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the application disabler is configured to delete an application with lifetime remaining in order to free storage space in the memory unit.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the application requester is operable to request a previously-downloaded application for which at least a portion of the associated lifetime remains.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the memory unit also stores lifetime indicia associated with downloaded applications.

28. A method comprising:

receiving a selected choice of a first application from a mobile terminal, the first application being one of a plurality of applications; and

receiving the first application via a wireless network, the first application being configured to become unavailable for use on the mobile terminal upon either

expiration of a time period selectable by a user of the mobile terminal, or

use of the first application a number of times selectable by a user of the mobile terminal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the wireless network is a cellular communication network.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the wireless network comprises short-range wireless communication.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the short-range wireless communication comprises an infrared connection.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving a user-selected time period for the first application from the mobile terminal.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving a user-selected number of times the first application may be used from the mobile terminal.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the first application is configured to become unavailable by becoming non-functional.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the first application is configured to become unavailable by automatically deleting at least a portion of itself.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the first application is configured to delete only executable code.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the first application is configured to retain customized settings in the mobile terminal.

38. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

subsequently receiving a re-selected choice of the first application; and

again receiving the first application if time remains in the time period.

39. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

subsequently receiving a re-selected choice of the first application; and

again receiving the first application if the first application has been used less than the number of times.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

paying for the first application, wherein an amount of said paying is based on either the time period or the number of times.

41. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

making an initial payment for the first application;

subsequently receiving another selection of the first application;

again receiving the first application if there is time remaining in the time period; and

making additional payment for said again receiving the first application, wherein an amount of said additional payment is reduced from an amount of the initial payment.

42. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

making an initial payment for the first application;

subsequently receiving another selection of the first application;

again receiving the first application if the first application has been used less than the number of times; and

making additional payment for said again receiving the first application, wherein an amount of said additional payment is reduced from an amount of the initial payment.

43. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

determining, at each attempt to use the first application, whether time remains in the time period, and

deleting the first application if time does not remain in the time period.

44. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

determining, at each attempt to use the first application, whether the first application has been used less than the number of times, and

deleting the first application if the first application has been used the number of times.

45. The method of claim 28, wherein said receiving a selected choice comprises selecting a link at a website.

46. The method of claim 28, further comprising deleting a pre-existing application to create memory space for the first application.

47. The method of claim 28, wherein the first application is a game.

48. The method of claim 28, wherein the first application contains executable digital information.

49. A method comprising steps of:

receiving a choice of a first ringing tone at a mobile terminal, the first ringing tone being one of a plurality of ringing tones; and

receiving the first ringing tone via a wireless network, the first ringing tone being configured to become unavailable for use on the mobile terminal upon either

expiration of a user-selectable time period, or

use of the first ringing tone a user-selectable number of times.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the wireless network is a cellular network.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the wireless network comprises short-range wireless communication.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the short-range wireless communication comprises an infrared connection.

53. The method of claim 49, further comprising receiving at the mobile terminal the user-selectable time period for the first ringing tone.

54. The method of claim 49, further comprising receiving at the mobile terminal the user-selectable number of times the first ringing tone may be used.

55. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

subsequently receiving a re-selection of the first ringing tone; and

again receiving the first ringing tone if there is time remaining in the user-selectable time period.

56. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

subsequently receiving a re-selection of the first ringing tone; and

again receiving the first ringing tone if the first ringing tone has been used less than the user-selectable number of times.

57. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

paying for the first ringing tone, wherein the amount of said payment is based on either the user-selectable time period or the user-selectable number of times.

58. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

making an initial payment for the first ringing tone;

subsequently receiving a re-selection of the first ringing tone;

again receiving the first ringing if there is time remaining in the user-selectable time period; and

making additional payment for said again receiving the first ringing tone, wherein an amount of said additional payment is reduced from an amount of the first payment.

59. The method of claim 49, further comprising:

making an initial payment for the first ringing tone;

subsequently receiving a re-selection of the first ringing tone;

again receiving the first ringing tone if the first ringing tone has been used less than the user-selectable number of times; and

making additional payment for said again receiving the first ringing tone, wherein an amount of said additional payment is reduced from an amount of the first payment.

60. The method of claim 49, wherein said receiving a choice comprises selecting a link at a website.

61. Apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a central processing unit (CPU), wherein the apparatus is configured to perform

transmitting over a wireless communication network a choice of a first application, the first application being one of a plurality of applications,

receiving the first application via the wireless network, the first application being configured to become unavailable for use on the apparatus upon either

expiration of a user-selectable time period, or

use of the first application a user-selectable number of times, and

storing the first application in the memory.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the wireless network is a cellular communication network.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the wireless network comprises short-range wireless communication.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the short-range wireless communication comprises an infrared connection.

65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the mobile terminal is further configured to transmit a selection of the user-selectable time period for the first application.

66. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the mobile terminal is further configured to transmit a selection of the user-selectable number of times the first application may be used.

67. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first application is configured to become unavailable by becoming non-functional.

68. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first application is configured to become unavailable by automatically deleting at least a portion of itself.

69. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the first application is configured to delete only executable code.

70. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the first application is configured to retain customized settings in the apparatus.

71. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the apparatus is further configured to

transmit a subsequent re-choice of the first application, and

again receive the first application if time remains in the user-selectable time period.

72. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the apparatus is further configured to

transmit a subsequent re-choice of the first application;

and

again receive the first application if the first application has been used less than the user-selectable number of times.

73. The apparatus claim 61, wherein the apparatus is further configured to

determine, at each attempt to use the first application, whether time remains in the user-selectable time period, and

delete the first application if time does not remain in the user-selectable time period.

74. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the apparatus is further configured to

determine, at each attempt to use the first application, whether the first application has been used less than the user-selectable number of times, and

delete the first application if the first application has been used the user-selectable number of times.

75. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said transmitting a choice comprises transmitting a selection of a link at a website.

76. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first application is a ringing tone.

77. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first application is a game.

78. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first application contains executable digital information.