Force upgrade of a mobile application via a server side configuration file

• US 9,311,071 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Tan, Simon, Maynard, David, Yao, Rico, Cung, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ST LEGER, GEOFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US13/776,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

Systems and methods which forces or automatically upgrades a mobile application installed on a mobile device for security, stability or any other concerns via a server-side configuration file are disclosed. In one embodiment, a configuration file including a list of build identifiers that have been banned or flagged is placed on a server, which can be a server providing cloud-based collaboration or file sharing services, for access by associated mobile applications and/or devices. A mobile application installed on a mobile device can download the configuration file and determine whether a build identifier of the mobile application is listed on the configuration file. If so, the mobile application can shut down, prompt or force an upgrade, or restrict operation of the mobile application in other ways.

Claims

1. A method for forcing an upgrade of a mobile application operating on a mobile device, comprising:

using a configuration file including at least one build identifier, wherein each build identifier corresponds to a version of the mobile application;

comparing a build identifier of the mobile application operating on the mobile device to the at least one build identifier in the configuration file;

based on the comparing, restricting operation of the mobile application on the mobile device to force upgrade of the mobile application, wherein if automatic upgrade of the mobile application is disabled, the restricting includes selectively disabling one or more functions, including a data exporting function, of the mobile application until the force upgrade of the mobile application is complete; and

providing a notification, within the mobile application to a user, that indicates that the one or more functions of the mobile application are disabled until the force upgrade of the mobile application is complete.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

broadcasting a push notification via a push notification service to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices having a version of the mobile application previously or currently installed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the push notification indicates an update to the configuration file, and the using is in response to the push notification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the using of the configuration file is initiated:

according to a schedule, or

when the mobile application on the mobile device is started, or

in response to a push notification.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more functions of the mobile application are identified in the configuration file for each of the at least one build identifier in the configuration file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

triggering download of another version of the mobile application based on a user setting to force upgrade of the mobile application on the mobile device.

7. A system for upgrading a mobile application installed and operating on a mobile device, comprising:

a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in a memory; and

the memory storing computer-executable instructions of;

a download module for downloading a configuration file including at least one build identifier, wherein each build identifier corresponds to a version of the mobile application;

a build identifier verification module for determining whether a build identifier of the mobile application operating on the mobile device matches the at least one build identifier in the configuration file; and

an application disabling module for restricting operation of the mobile application on the mobile device when the build identifier corresponding to the mobile application is listed in the configuration file, wherein if automatic upgrade of the mobile application is disabled, the restricting includes;

selectively disabling one or more functions of the mobile application, including a data exporting function, until the upgrade of the mobile application is complete, and providing a notification, within the mobile application to a user, that indicates that the one or more functions of the mobile application are disabled until the upgrade of the mobile application is complete.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a module for receiving a push notification broadcasted via a push notification service to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices having a version of the mobile application previously or currently installed.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the push notification indicates an update to the configuration file and triggers the download module to download the configuration file.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the disabled one or more functions in the mobile application are identified in the configuration file.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an auto upgrade module for triggering download of another version of the mobile application based on a user setting to upgrade the mobile application installed on the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an upgrade notification module for requesting a user of the mobile device to upgrade the mobile application installed on the mobile device to another version of the mobile application.

13. A host server used to upgrade a mobile application operating on a mobile device, the host server comprising:

a memory to store a configuration file;

a processor configured to;

update the configuration file to include at least one build identifier, wherein each build identifier in the configuration file corresponds to a version of the mobile application released for download;

compare a build identifier of the mobile application operating on the mobile device to the at least one build identifier in the configuration file;

based on the comparison, instruct the mobile application to restrict the operation of the mobile application, wherein if automatic upgrade of the mobile application is disabled, the restricting includes selectively disabling one or more functions, including a data exporting function, of the mobile application until the upgrade of the mobile application is complete; and

providing a notification, within the mobile application to a user, that indicates that the one or more functions of the mobile application are disabled until the upgrade of the mobile application is complete.

14. The host server of claim 13, further comprising:

a notification engine configured to send a push notification for broadcast to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices that have a version of the mobile application installed.

15. The host server of claim 14, wherein the push notification informs the mobile application of the update to the configuration file.

16. The host server of claim 14, wherein the push notification provides the configuration file to the mobile device.

17. The host server of claim 13, wherein host server provides a cloud-based collaboration platform or a file sharing service.

18. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium encoded with instructions for performing a method for forcing an upgrade of a mobile application operating on a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

instructions to use a configuration file including at least one build identifier, wherein each build identifier corresponds to a version of the mobile application;

instructions to compare a build identifier of the mobile application operating on the mobile device to the at least one build identifier in the configuration file;

based on the comparison, instructions to restrict operation of the mobile application on the mobile device to force upgrade of the mobile application, wherein if automatic upgrade of the mobile application is disabled, the restricting includes selectively disabling one or more functions, including a data exporting function, of the mobile application until the force upgrade of the mobile application is complete; and

providing a notification, within the mobile application to a user, that indicates that the one or more functions of the mobile application are disabled until the force upgrade of the mobile application is complete.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

instructions to broadcast a push notification to the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices having a version of the mobile application previously or currently installed.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the push notification indicates an update to the configuration file, and the instructions to use are executed in response to the push notification.

21. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein instructions to use the configuration file are executed:

according to a schedule, or

when the mobile application on the mobile device is started, or

in response to a push notification.

22. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the one or more functions of the mobile application are identified in the configuration file.

23. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

instructions to trigger download of another version of the mobile application based on a user setting to force upgrade of the mobile application on the mobile device.