Preinstalled application management method for mobile terminal and mobile terminal

• US 10,235,149 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device, Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xu, Haiyan, Chen, Guoqiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US15/608,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20170262273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• 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

A mobile terminal and 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. Using the method and the mobile terminal, a preinstalled application can be uninstalled.

Claims

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

uninstalling a first preinstalled application from the mobile terminal, the first preinstalled application having user-level permission to allow the uninstallation by a user, the first preinstalled application being installed in the mobile terminal as factory defaults before the uninstalling, and an installation package of the first preinstalled application being stored in the at least one directory;

retaining the installation package in the at least one directory;

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

scanning the at least one directory; and

installing the installation package of the first preinstalled application in the at least one directory based on the scanning to generate the first preinstalled application.

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

receiving an uninstalling command from the user before uninstalling the first preinstalled application; and

determining that the first preinstalled application is to be uninstalled.

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

receiving an uninstalling command from the user;

determining that one or more applications having the user-level permission are to be uninstalled, the one or more applications comprising the first preinstalled application 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 of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal includes an identifier file which records information for identifying installation of the first preinstalled application.

5. The method of 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 of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises determining whether the identifier file exists, the at least one directory being scanned and the installation package of the first preinstalled application being installed when the identifier file does not exist.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one directory is either 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 of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal that uses an ANDROID operating system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a mobile phone.

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

11. The method of 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 the installation package of the first preinstalled application in the at least one directory scanned being installed to the another directory to generate the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage space comprises a system partition and the at least one directory is allocated in the system partition.

13. A mobile terminal comprising:

a non-transitory storage memory configured to store at least one directory and instructions, an installation package of a first preinstalled application being stored in the at least one directory; and

a computer processor coupled with the non-transitory storage memory, the instructions when executed by the computer processor, cause the mobile terminal to;

uninstall the first preinstalled application from the mobile terminal, the first preinstalled application having user-level permission to allow the uninstallation by a user, the first preinstalled application being installed in the mobile terminal as factory defaults before the first preinstalled application is uninstalled;

retain the installation package in the at least one directory;

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

scan the at least one directory; and

install the installation package of the first preinstalled application in the at least one directory based on the scanning to generate the first preinstalled application.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor, further cause the mobile terminal to:

receive an uninstalling command from the user before uninstalling the first preinstalled application; and

determine that the first preinstalled application is to be uninstalled.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory storage memory further comprises a user data partition, the user data partition comprising another directory, an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission being stored in the another directory, and the instructions when executed by the computer processor, further cause the mobile terminal to:

receive an uninstalling command from the user;

determine that one or more applications having the user-level permission are to be uninstalled, the one or more applications comprising the first preinstalled application 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.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein an identifier file is added to the mobile terminal to record information for identifying that the first preinstalled application is already installed on the mobile terminal, and the identifier file being deleted when the mobile terminal is restored to factory defaults or when an instruction for deleting the identifier file is received from the user.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor, further cause the mobile terminal 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 first preinstalled application in the at least one directory to generate the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission when determining that the identifier file does not exist.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal that uses an ANDROID operating system.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18, wherein the mobile terminal comprises a mobile phone.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the storage space further comprises a system partition and a user data partition, the at least one directory being allocated in the system partition, and the installation package of the first preinstalled application in the at least one directory scanned being installed to the user data partition to generate the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission.

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

22. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the storage space comprises a system partition and the at least one directory is allocated in the system partition.