Safe application distribution and execution in a wireless environment

• US RE48,001 E1
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lundblade, Laurence, Phillips, Marc S., Minear, Brian, Zhuang, Yan, Krishnan, Anand, Sprigg, Stephen A., Chmaytelli, Mazen, Oliver, Mitchell, Horel, Gerald, Crossland, Karen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiss, Eric B.
• Application Number:
  US14/945,210
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

The present invention provides safe and secure application distribution and execution by providing systems and methods that test an application to ensure that it satisfies predetermined criteria associated with the environment in which it will execute. Furthermore, by using rules and permission lists, application removal, and a modification detection technique, such as digital signatures, the present invention provides mechanisms to safely distribute and execute tested, or untested, applications by determining whether the application has been modified, determining if it has permission to execute in a given wireless device environment, and removing the application should it be desirable to do so.

Claims

1. A method of operating a server, comprising:

receiving an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

determining that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with safeguarding a wireless device execution environment;

assigning, to the application based on the determination, a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

transmitting the application, the first identification information, and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria comprises a first criterion associated with a generic wireless network and a second criterion associated with a specific wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes testing execution of the application within the wireless device execution environment and comparing at least one test result from the execution test to one or more criteria of the set of criteria.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one test result includes an indication of whether the application made an improper system call and/or negatively affected operation of a device performing the execution test or a device coupled to the device performing the execution test.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of criteria includes a criterion for verifying that the application is compliant with at least one execution restriction associated with the wireless device execution environment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one execution restriction includes the application refraining from accessing a given portion of memory on a device operating in accordance with the wireless device execution environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in the transmitting, at least the application is transmitted using a modification detection technique.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the modification detection technique uses a digital signature.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identification information identifies a developer of the application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the server, to remove the application from the target wireless device; and

transmitting a remove command to the target wireless device to remove the application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the removal determination is based upon detection of the application executing improperly on another device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the removal determination is based upon detection of a newer version of the application being distributed to the target wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein the server corresponds to an arrangement of multiple servers, and

wherein the receiving, determining and/or assigning occur at different servers from among the multiple servers.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting further transmits one or more of the first identification information and/or a second identification information that identifies the server to the target wireless device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting transmits both the first identification information and the second identification information.

16. The method of claim 14 1, wherein the transmitting transmits the first identification information and not the a second identification information that identifies the server to the target wireless device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting transmits the second identification information and not the first identification information.

18. A method of processing an application for execution on a wireless device communicating over a wireless network, comprising:

receiving the application, a set of permissions by which the wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted on the wireless device and identification information that identifies a source from which a server receives the application;

receiving a request to execute the application on the wireless device;

determining whether to grant the execution request based upon an evaluation of the set of permissions and at least one rule, the at least one rule stored in the wireless device prior to receiving the set of permissions, the at least one rule requiring that the wireless device verify whether the application passed a server-implemented safety test that is specific to a wireless device execution environment of the wireless device; and

selectively executing the application based on the determination.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively executing executes the application responsive to the determination indicating that the execution request is to be granted.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively executing removes or disables the application from the wireless device and does not execute the application responsive to the determination indicating that the execution request is not to be granted.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination indicates that the execution request is not to be granted based upon a detection that the application was modified during reception.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

repeating the determining and selectively executing for at least one subsequent request to execute the application.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the repeating repeats the determining and selectively executing each time the wireless device is requested to execute the application.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a remove command from a server; and

removing the application from the wireless device in response to the remove command.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the remove command is received responsive to the application executing improperly on another device.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the remove command is received responsive to a newer version of the application being received at the wireless device.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification information further identifies a the server from which the wireless device receives the application and/or a source from which the server receives the application.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the identification information identifies both the server and the source.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the source corresponds to a developer of the application.

30. A server, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

determine that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with safeguarding a wireless device execution environment;

assign, to the application based on the determination, a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

transmit the application, the first identification information, and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.

31. A wireless device configured to process an application for execution on and to communicate over a wireless network, comprising:

a wireless interface configured to receive the application, a set of permissions by which the wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted on the wireless device and identification information that identifies a source from which a server receives the application;

a computer platform coupled to the wireless interface, the computer platform configured to;

receive a request to execute the application on the wireless device;

determine whether to grant the execution request based upon an evaluation of the set of permissions and at least one rule, the at least one rule stored in the wireless device prior to receiving the set of permissions, the at least one rule requiring that the wireless device verify whether the application passed a server-implemented safety test that is specific to a wireless device execution environment of the wireless device; and

selectively execute the application based on the determination.

32. A server, comprising:

means for receiving an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

means for determining that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with a wireless device execution environment;

means for assigning, to the application based on the determination, a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

means for transmitting the application and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.

33. A wireless device configured to process an application for execution on and to communicate over a wireless network, comprising:

means for receiving the application, a set of permissions by which the wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted on the wireless device and identification information;

means for receiving a request to execute the application on the wireless device;

means for determining whether to grant the execution request based upon an evaluation of the set of permissions and at least one rule, the at least one rule stored in the wireless device prior to receiving the set of permissions; and

means for selectively executing the application based on the determination.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a server, cause the server to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to receive an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

at least one instruction to determine that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with safeguarding a wireless device execution environment;

at least one instruction to assign, to the application based on the determination, a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

at least one instruction to transmit the application, the first identification information, and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a wireless device configured to process an application for execution on and to communicate over a wireless network, cause the wireless device to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to receive the application, a set of permissions by which the wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted on the wireless device and identification information that identifies a source from which a server receives the application;

at least one instruction to receive a request to execute the application on the wireless device;

at least one instruction to determine whether to grant the execution request based upon an evaluation of the set of permissions and at least one rule, the at least one rule stored in the wireless device prior to receiving the set of permissions, the at least one rule requiring that the wireless device verify whether the application passed a server-implemented safety test that is specific to a wireless device execution environment of the wireless device; and

at least one instruction to selectively execute the application based on the determination.

36. A method of operating a server, comprising:

receiving an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

determining that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with safeguarding a wireless device execution environment;

receiving a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

transmitting the application, the first identification information, and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the receiving the set of permissions receives the set of permissions from a different server in communication with the source of the application.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the set of criteria comprises a first criterion associated with a generic wireless network and a second criterion associated with a specific wireless network.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the determining includes testing execution of the application within the wireless device execution environment and comparing at least one test result from the execution test to one or more criteria of the set of criteria.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the at least one test result includes indication of whether the application made an improper system call and/or negatively affected operation of a device performing the execution test or a device coupled to the device performing the execution test.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the set of criteria includes a criterion for verifying that the application is compliant with at least one execution restriction associated with the wireless device execution environment.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one execution restriction includes the application refraining from accessing a given portion of memory on a device operating in accordance with the wireless device execution environment.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein in the transmitting, at least the application is transmitted using a modification detection technique.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the modification detection technique uses a digital signature.

45. The method of claim 36, wherein the first identification information identifies a developer of the application.

46. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining, at the server, to remove the application from the target wireless device; and

transmitting a remove command to the target wireless device to remove the application.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the removal determination is based upon detection of the application executing improperly on another device.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the removal determination is based upon detection of a newer version of the application being distributed to the target wireless device.

49. The method of claim 36, wherein the transmitting further transmits a second identification information that identifies the server to the target wireless device.

50. The method of claim 36, wherein the transmitting transmits the first identification information and not a second identification information that identifies the server to the target wireless device.

51. A server, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

determine that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with safeguarding a wireless device execution environment;

receive a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

transmit the application, the first identification information, and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.

52. The server of claim 51, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the set of permissions from a different server in communication with the source of the application.

53. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a server, cause the server to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction to receive an application and a first identification information that identifies a source of the application;

at least one instruction to determine that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of criteria, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with safeguarding a wireless device execution environment;

at least one instruction to receive a set of permissions by which a target wireless device can determine whether execution of the application is permitted; and

at least one instruction to transmit the application, the first identification information, and the set of permissions to the target wireless device.