Preinstalled application management method for mobile terminal and mobile terminal

• US 9,703,542 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xu, Haiyan, Chen, Guoqiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US15/175,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20160283217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a preinstalled application management method for a mobile terminal, where storage space of the mobile terminal includes at least one directory, and an installation package of at least one preinstalled application is stored in the at least one directory. The method includes: starting the mobile terminal; scanning the at least one directory; and installing the installation package of the at least one preinstalled application in the at least one directory to generate a preinstalled application having user-level permission. Besides, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a mobile terminal. By using the method and the mobile terminal, the preinstalled application can be uninstalled.

Claims

1. A preinstalled application management method for a mobile terminal, wherein storage space of the mobile terminal comprises at least one directory, the method comprising:

uninstalling one or more preinstalled applications, wherein the one or more preinstalled applications have user-level permission to allow the uninstallation via a user,

wherein the one or more preinstalled applications were previously installed from an installation package located in the at least one directory as factory defaults;

retaining the installation package in the at least one directory when the one or more preinstalled applications are uninstalled;

starting the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is restored to the factory defaults;

scanning, in response to the starting the mobile terminal, the at least one directory for the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission;

determining whether the one or more preinstalled applications have been installed;

installing the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications in the at least one directory scanned to generate the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission when the one or more preinstalled applications have not been installed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an uninstalling command from a user;

determining that the one or more preinstalled applications having user-level permission are to be uninstalled.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage space further comprises a user data partition, the user data partition comprises another directory, and an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission is stored in the another directory, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an uninstalling command from a user;

determining that one or more applications having the user-level permission are to be uninstalled, wherein the one or more applications having the user-level permission comprise the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission and the third-party application having user-level permission;

determining whether an installation package of the one or more applications exists in the another directory; and

uninstalling the one or more applications and retaining the installation package of the one or more applications when the installation package of the one or more applications does not exist in the another directory.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes an identifier file which records information for identifying installation of the one or more preinstalled applications.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the identifier file is deleted when the mobile terminal is restored to factory defaults or when an instruction for deleting the identifier file is received from the user.

6. The method according to claim 5, the method further comprising:

determining whether the identifier file exists, wherein the at least one directory is scanned and the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications is installed when the identifier file does not exist.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one directory is in at least one existing partition in the storage space of the mobile terminal, or in at least one added partition in the storage space of the mobile terminal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal that uses an Android operating system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage space further comprises a system partition and a user data partition, wherein the at least one directory is allocated in the system partition, and wherein the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications in the at least one directory scanned is installed to the user data partition to generate the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the user data partition comprises another directory storing an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission, and wherein the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications in the at least one directory scanned is installed to the another directory to generate the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission.

12. A mobile terminal comprising:

an input unit;

a non-transitory storage memory configured to store at least one directory, wherein an installation package of one or more preinstalled applications is stored in the directory; and

a computer processor coupled with the non-transitory storage memory, wherein the computer processor is configured to;

uninstall at least one of the preinstalled applications, wherein the at least one preinstalled application has user-level permission to allow the uninstallation via a user, wherein the at least one preinstalled application was previously installed from an installation package located in the at least one directory as factory defaults;

retain the installation package in the at least one directory when the at least one preinstalled application is uninstalled;

start the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is restored to the factory defaults;

scan, in response to the starting the mobile terminal, the at least one directory for the installation package of the at least one preinstalled application having the user-level permission;

determine whether the one or more preinstalled applications have been installed;

install the installation package of the at least one preinstalled application scanned in the at least one directory to generate the at least one preinstalled application having user-level permission when the one or more preinstalled applications have not been installed.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the computer processor is further configured to:

receive an uninstalling command from the user;

determine that the at least one preinstalled application having user-level permission is to be uninstalled.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 13, wherein the non-transitory storage memory further comprises a user data partition, wherein the user data partition comprises another directory, and an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission is stored in the another directory, wherein the computer processor is further configured to:

receive an uninstalling command from the user;

determine that one or more applications having the user-level permission are to be uninstalled, wherein the one or more applications having the user-level permission comprise the at least one preinstalled application having the user-level permission and the third-party application having the user-level permission;

determine whether an installation package of the one or more applications exists in the another directory; and

uninstall the one or more applications and retain the installation package of the one or more applications when the installation package of the one or more applications does not exist in the another directory.

15. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein an identifier file is added to the mobile terminal to record information for identifying that the at least one preinstalled application is already installed on the mobile terminal, and wherein the identifier file is deleted when the mobile terminal is restored to factory defaults or when an instruction for deleting the identifier file is received from the user.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, wherein the computer processor is further configured to:

determine whether the identifier file exists after the mobile terminal starts; and

scan the at least one directory and install the installation package of the at least one preinstalled application in the at least one directory to generate the at least one preinstalled application having the user-level permission when determining that the identifier file does not exist.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal that uses an Android operating system.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 17, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile phone.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 12, wherein the storage space further comprises a system partition and a user data partition, wherein the at least one directory is allocated in the system partition, and wherein the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications in the at least one directory scanned is installed to the user data partition to generate the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 19, wherein the user data partition comprises another directory, and an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission is stored in the another directory, and wherein the installation package of the one or more preinstalled applications in the at least one directory scanned is installed to the another directory to generate the one or more preinstalled applications having the user-level permission.