Re-use of binaries for multiple user accounts

• US 8,984,008 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hackborn, Dianne Kyra, Stadler, Andrew Devron, Yamasani, Amith, Root, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US13/940,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640, 707/661, 707/687, 707/694, 707/704, 707/736, 707/781
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/174 Redundancy elimination performed by the file system management of the data involved in backup or backup restore using de-duplication of the data G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

A computing device has multiple user profiles. While a particular user profile is the currently-active user profile of a computing device, the computing device determines whether a binary that is not associated with the particular user profile is already stored at the computing device. In response to determining that the binary is not already stored at the computing device, the computing device downloads the binary from a computing system other than the computing device and associates the binary with the particular user profile. If the binary is already stored at the computing device, the computing device associates the binary with the particular user profile without downloading the binary again.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

while a particular user profile is a currently-active profile of a computing device that is configured with a plurality of user profiles;

determining, by the computing device, whether a binary data set that is associated with an application and that is not associated with the particular user profile is already stored at the computing device;

responsive to determining that the binary data set is not already stored at the computing device;

downloading, by the computing device, the binary data set from a computing system other than the computing device; and

associating, by the computing device, the binary data set with the particular user profile;

responsive to determining that the binary data set is already stored at the computing device, associating the binary data set with the particular user profile without downloading the binary data set; and

responsive to receiving an indication of user input to uninstall the application;

disassociating, by the computing device, the binary data set from the particular user profile;

determining, by the computing device, whether the binary data set is associated with any of the plurality of user profiles; and

responsive to determining that the binary data set is not associated with any of the plurality of user profiles, automatically deleting, by the computing device, from the computing device, the binary data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the user input is an indication of a first user input, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a second user input,

wherein determining whether the binary data set is already stored at the computing device is in response to receiving the indication of the second user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular user profile is a first user profile and prior to associating the binary data set with the particular user profile, the binary data set is already associated with a second user profile in the plurality of user profiles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein downloading the binary data set from the computing system comprises downloading, by the computing device, the binary data set from an online marketplace provided by the computing system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the binary data set with the particular user profile comprises modifying, by the computing device, a database such that the database indicates that the binary data set is associated with the particular user profile.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing, by the computing device, instructions in the binary data set, wherein execution of the instructions in the binary data set configures the computing device to provide the application.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising responsive to determining that the binary data set is not already stored at the computing device:

storing, by the computing device, the binary data set; and

configuring, by the computing device, the application for use at the computing device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising outputting, by the computing device, for display, and while the particular user profile is the currently-active user profile, a user interface that includes a plurality of graphical elements that correspond to applications associated with the particular user profile,

wherein prior to associating the binary data set with the particular user profile, the plurality of graphical elements did not include a graphical element that corresponds to the application and after associating the binary data set with the particular user profile, the plurality of graphical elements include the graphical element that corresponds to the application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface is a first user interface, the plurality of graphical elements is a first plurality of graphical elements, and the method further comprises:

switching, by the computing device, the currently-active user profile from being the particular user profile to being a second user profile, the second user profile not being associated with the binary data set; and

outputting, by the computing device, for display, and while the second user profile is the currently-active user profile, a second user interface, the second user interface including a second plurality of graphical elements that correspond to applications whose binaries are associated with the second user profile, the second plurality of graphical elements not including the graphical element that corresponds to the application.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the computing device executes a same copy of the binary data set to provide the application, regardless of which user profile of the computing device is the currently-active user profile.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating, by the computing device and for each user profile of the computing device associated with the binary data set, separate user data sets associated with the application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one user data set of the separate user data sets associated with the application comprises inter-personal messages.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the method further comprises;

outputting, by the computing device and for display, a user interface comprising a plurality of graphical elements that correspond to applications available for installation on the computing device; and

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a user selection of a graphical element from the plurality of graphical elements that corresponds to the application; and

determining whether the binary data set is already stored at the computing device comprises responsive to receiving the indication of the user selection of the graphical element, determining, by the computing device, whether the binary data set is already stored at the computing device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, using, by the computing device, the binary data set to present a media resource.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the media resource comprises a recorded song, a recorded video, an electronic magazine, or an electronic book.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the computing device uses a same copy of the binary data set to present the media resource, regardless of which user profile of the device is the currently-active user profile.

17. A computing device that is configured with a plurality of user profiles, the computing device comprising one or more processors configured such that, while a particular user profile is a currently-active profile of the computing device, the one or more processors:

determine whether a binary data set that is associated with an application and that is not associated with the particular user profile is already stored at the computing device,

responsive to determining that the binary data set is not already stored at the computing device;

download the binary data set from a computing system other than the computing device; and

associate the binary data set with the particular user profile;

responsive to determining that the binary data set is already stored at the computing device, associate the binary data set with the particular user profile without downloading the binary data set; and

responsive to receiving an indication of user input to uninstall the application;

disassociate the binary data set from the particular user profile;

determine whether the binary data set is associated with any of the plurality of user profiles; and

responsive to determining that the binary data set is not associated with any of the plurality of user profiles, automatically delete, from the computing device, the binary data set.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute instructions in the binary data set, wherein execution of the instructions in the binary data set causes the computing device to provide the application.

19. The computing device of claim 18,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to output, for display, and while the particular user profile is the currently-active user profile of the computing device, a user interface that includes a plurality of graphical elements that correspond to applications associated with the particular user profile, and

wherein prior to associating the binary data set with the particular user profile, the plurality of graphical elements did not include a graphical element that corresponds to the application and after associating the binary data set with the particular user profile, the plurality of graphical elements include the graphical element that corresponds to the application.

20. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device that is configured with a plurality of user profiles, cause the computing device to:

while a particular user profile is a currently-active profile of a computing device that is configured with a plurality of user profiles;

responsive to receiving an indication of a user input, determine whether a binary data set that is associated with an application and that is not associated with the particular user profile is already stored at the computing device,

responsive to determining that the binary data set is not already stored at the computing device;

download the binary data set from a computing system other than the computing device; and

associate the binary data set with the particular user profile;

responsive to determining that the binary data set is already stored at the computing device, associate the binary data set with the particular user profile without downloading the binary data set; and

responsive to receiving an indication of user input to uninstall the application;

disassociate the binary data set from the particular user profile;

determine whether the binary data set is associated with any of the plurality of user profiles; and

responsive determining that the binary data set is not associated with any of the plurality of user profiles, automatically delete, from the computing device, the binary data set.