Method of and system for providing application store service

• US 9,325,795 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Sang Seok, Kim, Ju Hun, Chon, Hae Don, Ku, Jeong Hoe, Kim, Du Il, Choi, Jin Hee
• Primary Examiner(s): Chacko, Joe
• Application Number:
  US13/083,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A method of providing an Application Store (AppStore) service is provided. The method includes executing searching application, transmitting first request message to a directory service server, the first request message including a request for an AppStore list, receiving a first response message including the AppStore list from the directory service server, transmitting a second request message to at least one AppStore server that is selected from the AppStore list, the second request message including a request for a browser application, receiving a second response message including the browser application from at least one AppStore server, and creating items corresponding to the browser application and displaying the items as a list.

Claims

1. A method of providing an Application Store (AppStore) service in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting a first request message to a directory service server, the first request message including a request for an AppStore list, wherein the AppStore list comprises information of a plurality of AppStore servers, each of the AppStore servers providing a corresponding AppStore service which provides a plurality of applications available for download to the mobile terminal;

receiving a first response message including the AppStore list from the directory service server;

receiving an input signal selecting at least one AppStore server from the received AppStore list;

transmitting a second request message to the selected at least one AppStore server, the second request message including a request for an AppStore browser application including an AppStore service of a corresponding AppStore server;

receiving a second response message including the AppStore browser application from the selected at least one AppStore server; and

creating items corresponding to the AppStore browser application and displaying the items in the form of a list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the second request message comprises:

determining whether, there is a request for transmission of the second request message; and

determining whether, when transmission of the second request message is requested, multiple AppStore servers are selected from the AppStore list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining of whether the multiple AppStore servers are selected comprises:

transmitting, when the multiple AppStore servers are not selected, the second request message to one selected AppStore server; and

transmitting the second request message to the multiple AppStore servers when the multiple AppStore servers are selected.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reception of the first response message comprises:

extracting, when a response message is received from the directory service server, an AppStore list from the response message; and

storing the extracted AppStore list in a storage and displaying the same on a display unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the AppStore browser application comprises a function of accessing a corresponding AppStore server directly.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting the AppStore browser application when the second response message is received;

storing the extracted AppStore browser application in a storage;

creating an item on the stored AppStore browser application according to a preset method; and

displaying the created item in an icon type item list or a text type item list.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

directly accessing, when a specific item is selected from the item list, an AppStore server corresponding to the selected specific item; and

receiving an application list of applications held by the AppStore server and storing the application list.

8. A method of providing an Application Store (AppStore) service, the method comprising:

requesting, by a mobile terminal, an AppStore list from a directory service server by a mobile terminal, wherein the AppStore list comprises information of a plurality of AppStore servers, each of the AppStore servers providing a corresponding AppStore service which provide a plurality of applications available for download to the mobile terminal;

transmitting, by the directory service server, an AppStore list in response to the request from the mobile terminal;

receiving, by the mobile terminal, an input signal selecting at least one AppStore server from the received AppStore list;

requesting, by the mobile terminal, an AppStore browser application including an AppStore service of a corresponding AppStore server from the selected at least one AppStore server;

transmitting, by the selected at least one AppStore server, the AppStore browser application in response to the request from the mobile terminal; and

creating, by the mobile terminal, when at least one AppStore browser application is received, an item corresponding to the corresponding AppStore browser application.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying an item list of the created item;

accessing, when a specific item is selected from the item list, an AppStore server corresponding to the specific item; and

receiving and storing an application list of applications held by the AppStore server.

10. An Application Store (AppStore) service providing system comprising:

a plurality of AppStore servers for providing an application corresponding to an AppStore service which provides a plurality of applications available for download to the mobile terminal;

a directory service server for communicating with the plurality of AppStore servers and managing AppStore server information provided from the plurality of AppStore servers as an AppStore list; and

a mobile terminal for acquiring the AppStore from the directory service server, for acquiring an AppStore browser application including an AppStore service of a corresponding AppStore server from at least one AppStore server selected from the AppStore list, for creating an item corresponding to the acquired AppStore browser application, and for processing access to a corresponding AppStore server based on the item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal determines, when an AppStore browser application is requested to an AppStore server selected from the AppStore list, whether multiple AppStore servers are selected, requests, when a single AppStore server is selected, an AppStore browser application from the single AppStore server, and requests, when the multiple AppStore servers are selected, the AppStore browser application from the multiple AppStore servers respectively.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal, when accessing a corresponding AppStore server based on the item, receives and stores an application list of applications held by the corresponding AppStore server.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the directory service server, when receiving a request for an AppStore list from the mobile terminal, performs authentication of the mobile terminal according to a preset method.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one AppStore server, when receiving a request for a browser application from the mobile terminal, performs authentication of the mobile terminal according to a preset method.