Location and contextual-based mobile application promotion and delivery

• US 9,936,333 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2010
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lau, James Kai Yu, Bruno, Jr., John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Aftab N.
• Application Number:
  US12/854,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20120042036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,793 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 709219, 709224, 705 267
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for selecting one or more mobile device applications using context data describing the current environment of a mobile device and application metadata describing environment conditions where applications are more likely to be relevant, in order to improve the experience of discovering, downloading, and installing mobile device applications. According to one embodiment, a method comprises associating metadata with mobile device applications automatically receiving context data representing a current geographical location from a mobile phone, searching the metadata to determine which applications are likely of interest based on the current geographical location, and transmitting notification data to the mobile phone indicating the determined applications.

Claims

1. A method of discovering a first installed application for a device having a controller or processor, memory, an input source configured to determine one or more of geospatial position, velocity, or orientation of the device, and a configurable button implemented with a touch screen display, the method comprising:

by the device, configuring the button to launch an application store when the button is pressed;

by the device, selecting the first installed application based on context data and on application metadata representing relevance of the first application to the current environment of the device, wherein the context data is derived from detecting, with the input source coupled to the device, movement of the device to a current environment of the device, and the context data is based at least in part on the current geographical location of the device;

by the device, reconfiguring the button to invoke the first installed application when the button is pressed;

by the device, displaying the reconfigured button on the touch screen display of the device;

by the device, upon receiving a signal representing the reconfigured button being pressed, invoking the first installed application;

after moving the device to a second current device environment, transmitting second context data representing the second current device environment; and

automatically receiving computer-readable instructions for a second application, wherein;

the computer-readable instructions are executable on the device,

the second application is selected based on the transmitted second context data, and

the second application is a different application than the first application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first installed application comprises computer-readable instructions for the first application; and

the instructions are executable on the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first installed application is a network application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first installed application comprises an address for remotely retrieving computer-readable instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on user ratings for the first installed application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on a number of users of the first application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on features of a nearby device in the current environment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on marketing payments for the first application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on popularity of the first application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the context data is determined based on discovering wireless devices in the vicinity of the device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the device is coupled to a touch screen display; and

the touch screen display is configured to display and receive input for the button.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving context data from a remote device, the context data being generated with one or more input sources coupled to the remote device based at least in part on a current location of the remote device;

receiving application metadata associated with one or more applications executable by the remote device, the application metadata comprising location data representing relevance of the one or more applications to at least the current location based on previous usage of at least one of the one or more applications by other users while the remote device was in or near the current location;

selecting one of the one or more applications based at least in part on the context data and the location data;

transmitting data for the selected application to the remote device;

when the device is in a different location than the first location, transmitting second context data representing the second current device environment; and

automatically receiving computer-readable instructions for a second, different application selected based on the transmitted second context data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting computer-readable instructions for the selected application to the remote device, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the remote device, cause the remote device to perform a method associated with the selected application.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data for the selected application includes one or more network addresses associated with the selected application.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the data for the selected application includes audio data, video data, or audio data and video data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the context data is first context data, the method further comprising:

receiving second context data from the remote device, the second context data being based at least in part on a different current location of the remote device;

determining that there are no discoverable applications available relevant to the second context data; and

based on the determining, transmitting data to the remote device to allow a remote device user to be manually directed towards an application store to find and download applications for the remote device manually.

17. A device comprising:

a controller or processor;

one or more input sources coupled to the controller or processor for determining geospatial position, velocity, or orientation of the device;

a touch screen interface;

memory or data storage coupled to the controller or processor storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the controller or processor, cause the device to perform;

with the touch screen interface, displaying an application discovery button, the device being operable to launch an application store responsive to the application discovery button being selected;

sending context data describing a device environment to a server or computing cloud, the device environment being based on data received from the input sources;

automatically installing an application on the device, the installed application being designated likely to be of interest based on the sent context data; and

after the installing the application, changing the application discovery button to display an icon for the installed application with the touch screen interface, thereby notifying a user of the device that the installed application can be immediately invoked by pressing the application discovery button.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

after the installing the application, receiving input selecting the application discovery button; and

responsive to the receiving input, executing the installed application on the device.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the application is an executable program.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the context data describes devices in proximity with the device.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the context data does not include location data describing physical location of the device.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the application is designated based on usage data for the application in relation to the sent context data.

23. A device comprising:

a controller or processor;

one or more input sources coupled to the controller or processor;

a touch screen interface;

memory or data storage coupled to the controller or processor storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the controller or processor, cause the device to perform;

configuring a configurable button implemented using the touch screen interface to launch an application store when the button is pressed;

selecting a first installed application based on context data and on application metadata describing environment-based conditions under which applications should be promoted to a mobile device first installed application to the current location of the device, wherein the context data is derived from detecting, with the inputs sources, movement of the device to a current location of the device, and is based at least in part on the current location of the device;

reconfiguring the button to invoke the first installed application when the button is pressed;

displaying the reconfigured button on a display of the device;

upon receiving a signal representing the button being pressed, invoking the first installed application; and

after moving the device to a second current device environment, transmitting second context data representing the second current device environment; and

automatically receiving computer-readable instructions for a second application executable on the device, the second application being selected based on the transmitted second context data and on application metadata provided by a developer of the second application.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein:

the first installed application comprises computer-readable instructions for the first application; and

the instructions are executable on the device.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein:

the first installed application comprises an address for remotely retrieving computer-readable instructions.

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on user ratings for the first installed application.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on a number of users of the first application.

28. The device of claim 23, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on features of a nearby device in the current location.

29. The device of claim 23, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on marketing payments for the first application corresponding to the current location of the device.

30. The device of claim 23, wherein the application metadata is selected based at least in part on popularity of the first application.

31. The device of claim 23, wherein the context data is determined based on discovering wireless devices in the vicinity of the device.

32. The device of claim 23, wherein:

the touch screen interface is configured to display and receive input for the button.

33. The device of claim 23, wherein the inputs sources include an image capture device.