Multiplatform management system and method for mobile devices

• US 9,189,753 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Susnjar, Aleksandar, Morley, Paul Douglas, Dennis, Michael Wayne, Billings, Neil Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCray, Clarence D
• Application Number:
  US13/412,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing multiple wireless devices are disclosed. An exemplary system includes multiple domains each having a particular type of wireless device management system and respective (application programming interface) APIs. API call modules corresponding to each domain enable accessing of the APIs exposed by each of the respective domains. A management console enables compiling of a consolidated list of devices and users from each of the device management systems into a single view. An exemplary method includes querying multiple domains to obtain user information, compiling a consolidated list of users, displaying the consolidated list in a user interface, selecting a user from the consolidated list, and submitting a command to either all or a specific domain for the selected user.

Claims

1. A system for managing multiple wireless devices of different device types, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute a management console and a plurality of API call modules;

the management console for management and control of multiple different domains and the associated different device types, the multiple domains each having a particular type of wireless device management system and respective application programming interfaces (APIs); and

the plurality of API call modules, each of the API call modules corresponding to a respective one of each domain for accessing the APIs exposed by each of the respective domains,

the management console for querying the domains using the plurality of API call modules for information on users and associated devices, and the management console for compiling a consolidated list of devices and users based on the information from each of the multiple domains queried.

2. The system of claim 1, the domains managing different wireless devices.

3. The system of claim 1, the domains having respective different operating systems devices.

4. The system of claim 1, the domains including identifiers for identifying entities managed by the domain.

5. The system of claim 4, the identifier being a user account on the domain.

6. The system of claim 4, the management console using the identifier to compile the consolidated list.

7. The system of claim 6, the management console associating the identifier to a list of devices for a user.

8. The system of claim 4, the management console grouping similar identifiers for display on a user interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the API call modules respond to task requests instructed by an administrator through the user interface.

10. A method for managing multiple wireless devices of different types, the method comprising:

querying multiple domains each having a particular type of wireless device management system and a respective application programming interface (API) to obtain device user information, the querying involving utilizing a plurality of API call modules for accessing the APIs of the domains, each API call module corresponding to a respective one of the domains;

compiling a consolidated list of users and devices based on the information from said querying; and

displaying the consolidated list in a user interface.

11. The method of claim 10, including selecting a user from the consolidated list.

12. The method of claim 11, including submitting a command to either all or a specific domain for the selected user.

13. The method of claim 12, including determining whether the command is for a specific domain or group of domains.

14. The method of claim 10, including identifying entities managed within a domain by an identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, the identifier being a user account.

16. The method of claim 15, the user account being an email address.

17. The method of claim 10, including determining whether an identifier exists for a user and if not creating a unique identifier for the user.

18. The method of claim 10, including selecting a user domain from the consolidated list.

19. The method of claim 12, including performing device management of multiple devices of the selected user based on the command.

20. A non-transitory computer-accessible medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processing entity, effectuate management of wireless devices, the non-transitory computer-accessible medium comprising:

a code portion for querying multiple domains each having a particular type of wireless device management system and a respective application programming interface (API) to obtain device user information, the querying involving utilizing a plurality of API call modules for accessing the APIs of the domains, each API call module corresponding to a respective one of the domains;

a code portion for compiling a consolidated list of users and devices based on the information from said querying; and

a code portion for displaying the consolidated list in a user interface.