Unique identification for an information handling system

• US 9,686,277 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InMobi Pte. Ltd
• Original Assignee: InMobi Pte. Ltd
• Inventors: Sista, Sreenivasa Prasad
• Primary Examiner(s): AVERY, JEREMIAH L
• Application Number:
  US14/185,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A mobile information handling system (IHS) includes an application (app) that may include a unique-identification tool and a device capability determination tool. The unique-identification tool may generate a signature string that is unique to the mobile IHS. The device capability determination tool may determine the hardware capability of the mobile IHS, the network capability of the mobile IHS and the capability of a network between the mobile IHS and a server IHS, and generate a device determination therefrom. The app may transmit the signature string and the device determination to a server IHS. In response to the signature string and device determination that the server IHS receives, the server IHS may generate and transmit a corresponding response containing specific data to the mobile IHS. The app may output the specific data by displaying the specific data on a display of the mobile IHS.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a unique-identification tool, fixed persistent information related to a mobile information handling system (IHS), wherein the mobile IHS is a single, mobile device, and the fixed persistent information comprises information about the mobile IHS that remains the same over a lifetime of the mobile IHS;

receiving, by the unique-identification tool, changeable, persistent information related to the mobile IHS, wherein the changeable, persistent information changes during the lifetime of the mobile IHS; and

generating, by the unique-identification tool, a device identifier from the fixed persistent information and the changeable, persistent information to identify the mobile IHS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed persistent information is device information and the changeable, persistent information is event information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a device capability determination tool in the mobile IHS, hardware capability information related to mobile IHS hardware;

generating, by the device capability determination tool, a device determination from the hardware capability information, the device determination indicating performance capabilities of the mobile IHS.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, by the mobile IHS, the device identifier and the device determination via a network to a server IHS.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by an app identification generator in the mobile IHS, an app identifier to identify an app in the mobile IHS.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating, by an app identification generator in the mobile IHS, an app identifier to identify an app in the mobile IHS,

transmitting, by the mobile IHS, the device identifier, the device determination, and the app identifier to a server IHS.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the performance capabilities include an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS processes.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, by the device capability determination tool, networking information related to the mobile IHS hardware;

generating, by the device capability determination tool, the device determination from the hardware capability information and the networking information.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the unique-identification tool, the device capability determination tool and an app identification generator are packaged in each of a plurality of applications in the mobile IHS, wherein the unique-identification tool in each of the plurality of applications generates the same device identifier, wherein the app identification generator in each of the plurality of applications generates a different app identifier.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving, by the server IHS, the device identifier and the device determination.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating, by the server IHS, a response that includes content compatible with the performance capabilities of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device determination, the content being related to the device identifier received from the mobile IHS.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating, by the server IHS, a response that includes content exhibiting a performance level matching a performance level of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performance level of the content is one of a text, image, audio, video and audio/video content.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the content includes advertising information.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, by the server IHS, the response via the network to the mobile IHS.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile IHS, the response; and

providing, by the mobile IHS, output to the response.

17. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, by the mobile IHS, a user ID and a password to the server IHS along with the device identifier.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the server IHS, the device identifier, the user ID and the password, thus providing a received device identifier, a received user ID and a received password;

testing, by the server IHS, the received device identifier, the received password and the received user ID to confirm the authenticity of the user ID.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the testing by the server IHS the received device identifier, the received password and the received user ID to confirm the authenticity of the user ID further comprises:

accessing, by the server IHS, a database that includes user IDs and respective passwords and respective device identifiers;

comparing, by the server IHS, the received device identifier, the received user ID and the received password.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the device identifier is a signature string.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by a mobile information processing tool, a device determination from the mobile IHS, the device identifier uniquely identifying the mobile IHS, the device determination indicating performance capabilities of the mobile IHS;

accessing, by the mobile information processing tool, an identifier database to determine information associated with the device identifier; and

generating, by the mobile information processing tool, a response that includes the information associated with the device identifier, the response exhibiting content that is compatible with the performance capabilities of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device determination.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the information associated with the device identifier includes advertising information.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the identifier database stores device identifiers, each device identifier identifying a respective mobile IHS, the identifier database also storing app identifiers that associate with respective device identifiers, each app identifier designating a particular app that generated the device identifier in a respective mobile IHS.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the device identifier is a signature string.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the device determination includes an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS may process.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the response exhibits a complexity of content that corresponds to one of text, image, audio, video and audio/video content.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile information processing tool in the server IHS, the device identifier and an app identifier that identifies an app in the mobile IHS, thus providing a received device identifier and a received app identifier;

testing, by the mobile information processing tool in the server IHS, the identifier database to determine if the identifier database includes the received device identifier, the received device identifier being designated as a new device identifier if the identifier database does not include the received device identifier;

testing in response to the new device identifier, by the mobile information processing tool in the server IHS, the received app identifier to determine if the received app identifier is included in the identifier database; and

associating the new device identifier with an old device identifier in the identifier database if the received app identifier is associated with the old device identifier in the identifier database.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by a mobile information processing tool in a server IHS, the device identifier from the mobile IHS, to provide a received device identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile IHS,

receiving, by a device capability determination tool in the server IHS, device capability information from the mobile IHS, the device capability determination tool generating a device determination that indicates performance capabilities of the mobile IHS;

accessing, by the mobile information processing tool, an identifier database to determine information associated with the received device identifier; and

generating, by the mobile information processing tool, a response that includes the information associated with the received device identifier, the response exhibiting content that is compatible with the performance capabilities of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device determination.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the information associated with the device identifier includes advertising information.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the received device identifier is a signature string.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the device determination includes an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS may process.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the response exhibits a complexity of content that corresponds to one of text, image, audio, video and audio/video content.

33. A server information handling system (IHS), comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including a unique-identification tool that is executable by the processor and configured to;

receive fixed persistent information related to a mobile information handling system (IHS), wherein the mobile IHS is a single, mobile device, and the fixed persistent information comprises information about the mobile IHS that remains the same over a lifetime of the mobile IHS;

receive changeable, persistent information related to the mobile IHS, wherein the changeable, persistent information changes during the lifetime of the mobile IHS; and

generate a device identifier from the fixed persistent information and the changeable, persistent information to identify the mobile IHS.

34. The server IHS of claim 33, wherein the fixed persistent information is device information and the changeable, persistent information is event information.

35. The server IHS of claim 33, wherein the memory further includes a device capability determination tool that is configured to:

receive hardware capability information related to mobile IHS hardware;

generate a device determination from the hardware capability information, the device determination indicating performance capabilities of the mobile IHS.

36. The server IHS of claim 35, wherein the memory is configured to:

transmit the device identifier and the device determination via a network to a server IHS.

37. The server IHS of claim 33, wherein the memory further includes an app identification generator that is configured to:

generate an app identifier to identify an app in the mobile IHS.

38. The server IHS of claim 35, wherein the memory further includes an app identification generator that is configured to:

generate an app identifier to identify an app in the mobile IHS, and wherein the memory is configured to;

transmit the device identifier, the device determination, and the app identifier to a server IHS.

39. The mobile IHS of claim 35, wherein the performance capabilities include an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS processes.

40. The server IHS of claim 35, wherein the device capability determination tool is further configured to:

receive networking information related to the mobile IHS hardware;

generate the device determination from the hardware capability information and the networking information.

41. The server IHS of claim 35, wherein the unique-identification tool, the device capability determination tool and an app identification generator are packaged in each of a plurality of applications in the mobile IHS, wherein the unique-identification tool in each of the plurality of applications generates the same device identifier, wherein the app identification generator in each of the plurality of applications generates a different app identifier.

42. The server IHS of claim 33 wherein the memory further includes a mobile information processing tool that is executable by the processor and configured to:

receive a device determination from the mobile IHS, the device identifier uniquely identifying the mobile IHS, the device determination indicating performance capabilities of the mobile IHS;

access an identifier database to determine information associated with the device identifier; and

generate a response that includes the information associated with the device identifier, the response exhibiting content that is compatible with the performance capabilities of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device determination.

43. The server IHS of claim 42, wherein the mobile information processing tool is further configured to transmit the response to the mobile IHS.

44. The server IHS of claim 42, wherein the information associated with the device identifier includes advertising information.

45. The server IHS of claim 42, wherein the identifier database stores device identifiers, each device identifier identifying a respective mobile IHS, the identifier database also storing app identifiers that associate with respective device identifiers, each app identifier designating a particular app that generated the device identifier in a respective mobile IHS.

46. The server IHS of claim 42, wherein the device identifier is a signature string.

47. The server IHS of claim 42, wherein the device determination includes an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS may process.

48. The server IHS of claim 47, wherein the response exhibits a complexity of content that corresponds to one of text, image, audio, video and audio/video content.

49. The server IHS of claim 42, wherein the mobile information processing tool is further configured to:

receive the device identifier and an app identifier that identifies an app in the mobile IHS, thus providing a received device identifier and a received app identifier;

test the identifier database to determine if the identifier database includes the received device identifier, the received device identifier being designated as a new device identifier if the identifier database does not include the received device identifier;

test, in response to the new device identifier, the received app identifier to determine if the received app identifier is included in the identifier database; and

associate the new device identifier with an old device identifier in the identifier database if the received app identifier is associated with the old device identifier in the identifier database.

50. The server IHS of claim 33 wherein the memory further includes:

a device capability determination tool that is executable by the processor and configured to receive device capability information from a mobile IHS, the device capability determination tool generating a device determination that indicates performance capabilities of the mobile IHS;

a mobile information processing tool that is executable by the processor and configured to;

access an identifier database to determine information associated with the received device identifier; and

generate a response that includes the information associated with the received device identifier, the response exhibiting content that is compatible with the performance capabilities of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device determination.

51. The server IHS of claim 50, wherein the information associated with the device identifier includes advertising information.

52. The server IHS of claim 50, wherein the received device identifier is a signature string.

53. The server IHS of claim 50, wherein the device determination includes an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS may process.

54. The server IHS of claim 50, wherein the response exhibits a complexity of content that corresponds to one of text, image, audio, video and audio/video content.

55. A non-transitory, computer readable medium, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium for use in a server information handling system (IHS), wherein the medium includes instructions, which are executable by the server HIS and comprise;

first instructions that receive fixed persistent information related to a mobile IHS, wherein the mobile IHS is a single, mobile device, and the fixed persistent information comprises information about the mobile IHS that remains the same over a lifetime of the mobile IHS;

second instructions that receive changeable, persistent information related to the mobile IHS, wherein the changeable, persistent information changes during the lifetime of the mobile IHS; and

third instructions that generate a device identifier from the fixed persistent information and the changeable, persistent information to identify the mobile information handling system (IHS).

56. The computer readable medium of claim 55, wherein the fixed persistent information is device information and the changeable, persistent information is event information.

57. The computer readable medium of claim 55, further comprising:

fourth instructions that receive hardware capability information related to mobile IHS hardware;

fifth instructions that generate a device determination from the hardware capability information, the device determination indicating performance capabilities of the mobile IHS.

58. The computer readable medium of claim 55, further comprising:

sixth instructions that transmit the device identifier and the device determination via a network to a server IHS.

59. The computer readable medium of claim 57, further comprising:

seventh instructions that generate an app identifier to identify an app in the mobile IHS;

eighth instructions that transmit the device identifier, the device determination and the app identifier to a server IHS.

60. The computer readable medium of claim 55 further comprising:

fourth instructions that receive a device identifier and a device determination from a mobile IHS, the device identifier uniquely identifying the mobile IHS, the device determination indicating performance capabilities of the mobile IHS;

fifth instructions that access an identifier database to determine information associated with the device identifier; and

sixth instructions that generate a response that includes the information associated with the device identifier, the response exhibiting content that is compatible with the performance capabilities of the mobile IHS as indicated by the device determination.

61. The computer readable medium of claim 60, further comprising seventh instructions that transmit the response to the mobile IHS.

62. The computer readable medium of claim 60, wherein the information associated with the device identifier includes advertising information.

63. The computer readable medium of claim 60, wherein the identifier database stores device identifiers, each device identifier identifying a respective mobile IHS, the identifier database also storing app identifiers that associate with respective device identifiers, each app identifier designating a particular app that generated the device identifier in a respective mobile IHS.

64. The computer readable medium of claim 60, wherein the device identifier is a signature string.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 60, wherein the device determination includes an indication of complexity of content that the mobile IHS may process.

66. The computer readable medium of claim 65, wherein the response exhibits a complexity of content that corresponds to one of text, image, audio, video and audio/video content.

67. The computer readable medium of claim 60, further comprising:

seventh instructions that receive the device identifier and an app identifier that identifies an app in the mobile IHS, thus providing a received device identifier and a received app identifier;

eighth instructions that test the identifier database to determine if the identifier database includes the received device identifier, the received device identifier being designated as a new device identifier if the identifier database does not include the received device identifier;

ninth instruction that test, in response to the new device identifier, the received app identifier to determine if the received app identifier is included in the identifier database; and

tenth instructions that associate the new device identifier with an old device identifier in the identifier database if the received app identifier is associated with the old device identifier in the identifier database.