Method and system for activating an application on a mobile device

• US 8,909,305 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Guedalia, Isaac David, Guedalia, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US12/465,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20090286524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/572, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 370/311
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

A system for running an application on a mobile device may include a mobile device having an application associated with a service provider, a computing device in communication with the mobile device and a computer readable storage medium in communication with the computing device. The computer readable storage medium may have one or more programming instructions for determining an inactive time associated with the mobile device, determining whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than a threshold value and in response to the inactive time being equal to or greater than the threshold value, sending a message to the mobile device. The inactive time may represent a length of a period of inactivity associated with the mobile device, and the message may include one or more instructions to activate the application.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

at least one instruction for determining an inactive time associated with a mobile device, wherein the inactive time represents a length of a period of inactivity associated with the mobile device;

at least one instruction for determining whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and

at least one instruction for sending, in response to the inactive time being equal to or greater than the threshold value, a message to the mobile device, wherein the message identifies an inactive application associated with the mobile device and comprises one or more instructions to activate the inactive application in a background mode.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction for determining the inactive time comprises:

at least one instruction for receiving a notification from the mobile device when the mobile device begins the period of inactivity; and

at least one instruction for starting, in response to receiving the notification, a clock, wherein the clock is configured to measure a duration of the period of inactivity.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the at least one instruction for determining the inactive time comprises:

at least one instruction for receiving a second notification from the mobile device when the mobile device ends the period of inactivity; and

at least one instruction for performing, in response to receiving the second notification, one or more of the following;

stopping the clock, or resetting the clock.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the at least one instruction for receiving the notification from the mobile device comprises:

at least one instruction for receiving a notification from the mobile device when the mobile device enters sleep mode.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the at least one instruction for receiving a notification from the mobile device comprises:

at least one instruction for receiving a notification from the mobile device when the mobile device enters hibernation mode.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction for determining whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than the threshold value comprises:

at least one instruction for comparing the inactive time to the threshold value, wherein the threshold value is determined by a user.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction for sending the message to the mobile device comprises at least one instruction for sending one or more of the following:

a short message service message;

or

a multimedia message service message.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one instruction for receiving from the mobile device and in response to sending the message, a feedback message configured to confirm receipt by the mobile device of the message.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one instruction for logging the feedback message.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one instruction for sending the message to the mobile device comprises at least one instruction for repeating the sending until a feedback message is received from the mobile device.

11. A method of running an application on a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, by a computing device, an inactive time associated with the mobile device, wherein the inactive time represents a length of a period of inactivity associated with the mobile device;

determining whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and

in response to the inactive time being equal to or greater than the threshold value, sending a message to the mobile device, wherein the message identifies an inactive application and comprises one or more instructions to activate the inactive application in a background mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the inactive time comprises:

receiving a notification from the mobile device when the mobile device begins the period of inactivity; and

in response to receiving the notification, starting a clock, wherein the clock is configured to measure a duration of the period of inactivity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the inactive time comprises:

receiving a second notification from the mobile device when the mobile device ends the period of inactivity; and

in response to receiving the second notification, performing one or more of the following;

stopping the clock, or resetting the clock.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the notification from the mobile device comprises receiving the notification from the mobile device when the mobile device enters sleep mode.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the notification from the mobile device comprises receiving the notification from the mobile device when the mobile device enters hibernation mode.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than a threshold value comprises comparing the inactive time to the threshold value, wherein the threshold value is determined by a user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein sending the message to the mobile device comprises sending one or more of the following:

a short message service message;

or a multimedia message service message.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to sending the message, receiving, from the mobile device, a feedback message configured to confirm receipt by the mobile device of the message.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising logging, by the computing device, the feedback message.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein sending a message to the mobile device comprises repeating the sending until a feedback message is received from the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the inactive time is a period of time during which the mobile device is powered off.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the message instructs the mobile device to exit a sleep mode, exit a standby mode, or exit a hibernation mode.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the inactive application executes based on the mobile device having been powered on for an amount of time less than the threshold value.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein the inactive application becomes inactive based on the mobile device having been active for an amount of time greater than the threshold value.

25. An apparatus for running an application on a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

logic configured to determine, by a computing device, an inactive time associated with the mobile device, wherein the inactive time represents a length of a period of inactivity associated with the mobile device;

logic configured to determine whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and

logic configured to send, in response to the inactive time being equal to or greater than the threshold value, a message to the mobile device, wherein the message identifies an inactive application and comprises one or more instructions to activate the inactive application in a background mode.

26. An apparatus for running an application on a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining, by a computing device, an inactive time associated with the mobile device, wherein the inactive time represents a length of a period of inactivity associated with the mobile device;

means for determining whether the inactive time is equal to or greater than a threshold value; and

means for sending, in response to the inactive time being equal to or greater than the threshold value, a message to the mobile device, wherein the message identifies an inactive application and comprises one or more instructions to activate the inactive application in a background mode.