Local applications and local application distribution

• US 9,781,153 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pate, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): JHAVERI, JAYESH M
• Application Number:
  US14/501,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 726 23
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for local applications and local application distribution. According to one aspect of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, an application authority system can receive a local application for distribution to a local router. The application authority system can perform an application approval process to approve the local application for distribution to the local router. The application authority system can cause the local application to be distributed to the local router. The local router can receive the local application and can distribute the local application to one or more devices via a local network.

Claims

1. A computer storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a local application for distribution to a local router, wherein the local application is programmed to automatically uninstall when outside of a local area served by the local router, and wherein dimensions of the local area are defined within the local application;

before distributing the local application to the local router, performing an application approval process to approve the local application for distribution to the local router, wherein the application approval process comprises an analysis of the local application to ensure the local application complies with a rule enforced by an application authority; and

in response to approval of the local application using the application approval process, causing the local application to be distributed to the local router for further distribution, by the local router, to a device via a local network when the device is detected by the local router within the local area served by the local router.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise causing the local application to be distributed to a further local router, wherein the further local router receives the local application and distributes the local application to a further device via a further local network.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the local application for distribution to the local router comprises receiving the local application for distribution to the local router from an application developer system.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the local application is developed to provide functionality to the device only when the device is located within the local area served by the local router.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the local router provides controlled access to the local application.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein the analysis further ensures that the local application is reliable and free of malicious software.

6. An application authority system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a local application for distribution to a local router, wherein the local application is programmed to automatically uninstall when outside of a local area served by the local router, and wherein dimensions of the local area are defined within the local application,

before distributing the local application to the local router, performing an application approval process to approve the local application for distribution to the local router, wherein the application approval process comprises an analysis of the local application to ensure the local application complies with a rule, and

in response to approval of the local application using the application approval process, causing the local application to be distributed to the local router for further distribution, by the local router, to a device via a local network when the device is detected by the local router within the local area served by the local router.

7. The application authority system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise causing the local application to be distributed to a further local router, wherein the further local router receives the local application and distributes the local application to a further device via a further local network.

8. The application authority system of claim 6, wherein receiving the local application for distribution to the local router comprises receiving the local application for distribution to the local router from an application developer system.

9. The application authority system of claim 6, wherein the local application is developed to provide functionality to the device only when the device is located within the local area served by the local router.

10. The application authority system of claim 6, wherein the local router provides controlled access to the local application.

18. The application authority system of claim 6, wherein the analysis further ensures that the local application is reliable and free of malicious software.

11. A computer storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a local router, cause the local router to perform operations comprising:

receiving a local application from an application authority system, wherein the local application has undergone an application approval process performed by the application authority system to approve the local application for distribution to the local router prior to the local application being distributed to the local router, wherein the application approval process comprises an analysis of the local application to ensure the local application complies with a rule enforced by the application authority system, wherein the local application is programmed to automatically uninstall when outside of a local area served by the local router, and wherein dimensions of the local area are defined within the local application;

detecting a device within the local area served by the local router; and

when the device is detected, providing the local application to the device for use by the device while the device is located within the local area served by the local router.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the local application is developed to provide functionality to the device only when the device is located within the local area served by the local router.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein providing the local application to the device comprises providing the local application to the device based upon an access control privilege of the device.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise requesting unique authentication information from the device, and wherein providing the local application to the device based upon the access control privilege of the device comprises providing the local application to the device based upon the unique authentication information identifying the device as having the access control privilege.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein providing the local application to the device for use by the device while the device is located within the local area served by the local router comprises:

providing a first version of the local application to the device for use by the device while the device is located within the local area served by the local router; and

providing a second version of the local application to a second device for use by the second device while the second device is located within the local area served by the local router.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first version of the local application provides access to first information and the second version of the local application provides access to second information.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the analysis further ensure that the local application is reliable and free of malicious software.