Device for distribution of content

• US 8,959,506 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kinsella, Alexander Scott, Timbeck, Trevor Jay, Mayerczak, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US13/440,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• US Class Current: 717/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for distributing content are provided. A request to provide content available to associated computing devices is received from a computing device. A list of the content available for installation at the associated computing devices is retrieved from a content database by comparing respective device attributes of each of the associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list further comprises indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the associated computing devices. An indication of the list is transmitted to the computing device. In response, selection data indicative of a subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices is received from the first computing device. Respective installation data for installing respective selected content is caused to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content available to a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database a list of the content available for installation at the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list is accompanied by device installation indications including;

indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices;

indications of installed content already installed at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

indications that given content installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, the list and the device installation indications;

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a proper subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device installation indications further include indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective installation data is stored in the content database in association with the respective content attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the respective selected devices is different from the first computing device such that the first computing device triggers installation of a given selected content at a different computing device via the selection data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device installation indications are sorted according to at least one of the respective content, the plurality of associated computing devices, and availability for installation of each of the respective content.

6. A method comprising:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content installed at a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database device installation indications including indications of installed content already installed at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices and indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, the device installation indications;

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a proper subset of the content on the device installation indications selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

7. A server device comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor enabled to;

receive, from a first computing device via the communication interface, a request to provide content available to a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieve from a content database a list of the content available for installation at the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list is accompanied by device installation indications including;

indications of which respective content is available for installation at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices;

indications of installed content already installed at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices;

transmit, to the first computing device via the communication interface, the list and the device installation indications;

receive, from the first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a proper subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

cause respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

8. The server device of claim 7, wherein the device installation indications further include indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is available for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices.

9. The server device of claim 7, further comprising a memory storing the content database.

10. The server device of claim 7, wherein the respective installation data is stored in the content database in association with the respective content attributes.

11. The server device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the respective selected devices is different from the first computing device such that the first computing device triggers installation of a given selected content at a different computing device via the selection data.

12. The server device of claim 7, wherein the device installation indications are sorted according to at least one of the respective content, the plurality of associated computing devices, and availability for installation of each of the respective content.

13. A server device comprising:

a processor and a communication interface, the processor enabled to;

receive, from a first computing device via the communication interface, a request to provide content installed at a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieve from a content database device installation indications including indications of installed content already installed at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices and indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content;

transmit, to the first computing device via the communication interface, the device installation indications;

receive, from the first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a proper subset of the content on the device installation indications selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

cause respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

14. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for:

receiving at a server, from a first computing device, via a communication interface, a request to provide content available to a plurality of associated computing devices, the plurality of associated computing devices including the first computing device;

retrieving from a content database a list of the content available for installation at the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content, wherein the list is accompanied by device installation indications including;

indications of which respective content is unavailable available for installation at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices;

indications of installed content already installed at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, the list and the device installation indications;

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a proper subset of the content on the list selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.

15. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for:

retrieving from a content database device installation indications including indications of installed content already installed at given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices and indications that the installed content already installed at the given ones of the plurality of associated computing devices is unavailable for installation at others of the plurality of associated computing devices by comparing respective device attributes of each of the plurality of associated computing devices with respective content attributes associated with the content;

transmitting, to the first computing device via the communication interface, the device installation indications;

receiving, from a first computing device via the communication interface, selection data indicative of a proper subset of the content on the device installation indications selected for installation at respective selected devices of the plurality of associated computing devices; and

causing respective installation data for installing respective selected content to be pushed to the respective selected devices.