Automatic updating of applications

• US 9,542,172 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Alsina, Thomas Matthieu, Kelly, Sean, Coffman, Patrick, Gharabally, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNCAN, TIMOTHY P
• Application Number:
  US13/759,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to automatically download and install updates to applications installed on the mobile device. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on how the mobile device is connected to a network that provides access to the application updates. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on whether the mobile device has previously downloaded applications or application updates from a caching server. In some implementations, indicia can be presented on a graphical user interface of the mobile device to indicate which applications have been updated. In some implementations, an application update can be downloaded while the corresponding application is in use by the user. The application can be installed when the application is no longer being used by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

installing applications on a mobile device;

periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;

receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;

waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;

automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, wherein automatically downloading the application updates comprises;

determining that a user has enabled a first option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a first type and disabled a second option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a second type; and

in response to determining that the user has enabled the first option and disabled the second option, automatically downloading application updates for installed applications of the first type without downloading application updates for installed applications of the second type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time;

determining whether downloading application updates over cellular data is enabled; and

automatically downloading the application updates over a cellular data connection when the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first period of time and when cellular data downloads are enabled.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a user has initiated a download to the mobile device; and

pausing the automatic download of application updates until the user initiated download is complete.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to determining that downloading application updates over cellular data is not enabled, extending the first specified period of time by an additional known time period; and

waiting for the extended first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to determining that downloading application updates over cellular data is not enabled, notifying a user of the mobile device about the availability of the application updates that have not been downloaded.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a parental control rating limit configured for the mobile device that restricts applications installed on the mobile device within a specified parental control rating;

determining that at least one of the application updates exceeds the parental control rating limit; and

preventing the automatic downloading of the at least one application update while allowing other application updates that are within the parental control rating limit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an application installed on the mobile device and for which a corresponding application update has been downloaded in the mobile device is in use by a user of the mobile device;

waiting to install the application update for the installed application until the user stops using the installed application; and

installing the application update for the installed application when the installed application is no longer being used by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein waiting the first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the wireless access point comprises:

determining that a user has enabled an option on the mobile device for automatic updating of the installed applications; and

in response to determining that the user has enabled the option, waiting the first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point comprises:

identifying, based on caching server information stored by the mobile device, a caching server from which the mobile device has previously downloaded one or more of the installed applications or the application updates;

upon connecting to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, waiting a second specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the caching server; and

automatically downloading the application updates from the caching server when the mobile device connects to the caching server through the wireless access point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein waiting the second specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the caching server further comprises:

determining, based on the stored caching server information, that the caching server has been previously accessed through the wireless access point to which the mobile device is connected; and

waiting the second specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the caching server based on determining that the caching server has been previously accessed through the wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the caching server from which the mobile device has previously downloaded one or more of the installed applications or the application updates comprises:

identifying a type of a first installed application for which an application update is available;

determining, based on the stored caching server information, that the mobile device has previously downloaded one or more applications corresponding to the identified type from the caching server; and

in response to determining that the mobile device has previously downloaded applications corresponding to the identified type from the caching server, selecting the caching server for downloading the available application update for the first application.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the mobile device has not connected to the caching server within the second specified period of time; and

downloading the application updates from the application service when the mobile device has not connected to the caching server within the second specified period of time.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

installing applications on a mobile device;

periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;

receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;

waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;

automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, wherein automatically downloading the application updates comprises;

determining that a user has enabled a first option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a first type and disabled a second option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a second type; and

in response to determining that the user has enabled the first option and disabled the second option, automatically downloading application updates for installed applications of the first type without downloading application updates for installed applications of the second type.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time;

determining whether downloading application updates over cellular data is enabled; and

automatically downloading the application updates over a cellular data connection when the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first period of time and when cellular data downloads are enabled.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that a user has initiated a download to the mobile device; and

pausing the automatic download of application updates until the user initiated download is complete.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining a parental control rating limit configured for the mobile device that restricts applications installed on the mobile device within a specified parental control rating;

determining that at least one of the application updates exceeds the parental control rating limit; and

preventing the automatic downloading of the at least one application update while allowing other application updates that are within the parental control rating limit.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that an application installed on the mobile device for which a corresponding application update has been downloaded in the mobile device is in use by a user of the mobile device;

waiting to install the application update for the installed application until the user stops using the installed application; and

installing the application update for the installed application when the installed application is no longer being used by the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point comprises:

identifying, based on caching server information stored by the mobile device, a caching server from which the mobile device has previously downloaded one or more of the installed applications or the application updates;

upon connecting to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, waiting a second specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the caching server; and

automatically downloading the application updates from the caching server when the mobile device connects to the caching server through the wireless access point.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

installing applications on a mobile device;

periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;

receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;

waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;

automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, wherein automatically downloading the application updates comprises;

determining that a user has enabled a first option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a first type and disabled a second option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a second type; and

in response to determining that the user has enabled the first option and disabled the second option, automatically downloading application updates for installed applications of the first type without downloading application updates for installed applications of the second type.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time;

determining whether downloading application updates over cellular data is enabled; and

automatically downloading the application updates over a cellular data connection when the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first period of time and when cellular data downloads are enabled.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that a user has initiated a download to the mobile device; and

pausing the automatic download of application updates until the user initiated download is complete.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining a parental control rating limit configured for the mobile device that restricts applications installed on the mobile device within a specified parental control rating;

determining that at least one of the application updates exceeds the parental control rating limit; and

preventing the automatic downloading of the at least one application update while allowing other application updates that are within the parental control rating limit.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

determining that an application installed on the mobile device and for which a corresponding application update has been downloaded in the mobile device is in use by a user of the mobile device;

waiting to install the application update for the installed application until the user stops using the installed application; and

installing the application update for the installed application when the installed application is no longer being used by the user.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point comprises:

identifying, based on caching server information stored by the mobile device, a caching server from which the mobile device has previously downloaded one or more of the installed applications or the application updates;

upon connecting to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, waiting a second specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the caching server; and

automatically downloading the application updates from the caching server when the mobile device connects to the caching server through the wireless access point.

25. A method comprising:

installing applications on a mobile device;

periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;

receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;

waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;

conditioned on the mobile device not connecting to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, determining whether downloading application updates over cellular data is enabled;

conditioned on determining that downloading application updates over cellular data is not enabled, extending the first specified period of time by an additional known time period; and

waiting for the additional known time period for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

automatically downloading the application updates upon connecting to the wireless access point within at least one of the first specified period of time or the additional known time period.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point comprises:

identifying, based on caching server information stored by the mobile device, a caching server from which the mobile device has previously downloaded one or more of the installed applications or the application updates;

upon connecting to the wireless access point, waiting a second specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to the caching server; and

automatically downloading the application updates from the caching server when the mobile device connects to the caching server through the wireless access point.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining that a user has initiated a download to the mobile device; and

pausing automatic download of application updates until the user initiated download is complete.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining that an application installed on the mobile device and for which a corresponding application update has been downloaded in the mobile device is in use by a user of the mobile device;

waiting to install the application update for the installed application until the user stops using the installed application; and

installing the application update for the installed application when the installed application is no longer being used by the user.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

conditioned on determining that downloading application updates over cellular data is enabled, automatically downloading the application updates over a cellular data connection when the mobile device has not connected to the wireless access point within the first period of time.