System and method for provisioning a mobile software application to a mobile device

• US 10,839,141 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2019
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sqgo Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sqgo Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Warila, Bruce, Markey, Brian D., Gilbert, Jeremy Aaron, Echmalian, James P., Silverstein, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Mercado, Ariel
• Application Number:
  US16/732,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20200151384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A provisioning system of a first party provisions a mobile software application to one or more remotely-located mobile computing devices, each mobile computing device running a same device-native mobile operating system. The mobile software application may include executable program code and a structured document such that the executable program code and structured document together instantiate at least a portion of the functionality provided by the mobile application. Moreover, in some embodiments, when the requested and sent mobile application is executed by a requesting mobile device, the structured document is transformed into a tree structure which when updated, updates at least in part the running state of the mobile application.

Claims

1. A first provisioning system of a first party for provisioning at least one mobile software application to a plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, each of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices running a same device-native mobile operating system associated with the first party, the first provisioning system comprising:

a network interface operatively connected to a network, the network interface used by the first provisioning system of the first party at least in part for communicating with the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices;

non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store computer program code and the at least one mobile software application, wherein the at least one mobile software application comprises an application bundle, wherein the application bundle comprises;

a. at least one signature created using at least one digital certificate associated at least with the first party, wherein said signature is used by a requesting mobile computing device among the plurality of remotely located mobile computing devices to verify that the requesting mobile computing device is authorized by the first party to install the mobile software application,

b. at least one abstraction layer,

c. at least one of an image, sound, graphic, animation, or video,

d. computer program code comprising at least one of compiled code or interpretable code, and

e. at least one structured document comprising at least one of a hypertext markup language (HTML) or an extensible markup language (XML) structured document, such that the computer program code and the at least one structured document together instantiate a tree structure used at least in part for expressing at least a portion of the running state of the at least one mobile software application when the at least one mobile software application is executed using said same device-native mobile operating system of the requesting mobile computing device;

at least one computer processor operatively connected to the network interface and to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the at least one computer processor adapted to execute the computer program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such that the execution of the computer program code causes the first provisioning system to perform operations comprising;

receiving a communication via the network interface from the requesting mobile computing device, the communication comprising a request to send the at least one mobile software application stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage of the first provisioning system to the requesting mobile computing device; and

sending, using the network interface of the first provisioning system, the requested mobile software application comprising the application bundle to the requesting mobile computing device, and further wherein the sent mobile software application will be executed using said same device-native mobile operating system of the requesting mobile computing device.

2. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein the requesting mobile computing device further comprises:

a device network interface operatively connected to a network and used at least in part to communicate with the first provisioning system of the first party;

a display unit arranged to display an application user interface having at least one user selectable item;

at least one user interface for displaying information and receiving at least one user selection;

non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store said same device-native mobile operating system and to store the at least one mobile software application comprising the application bundle as received from the first provisioning system in response to a request for the at least one mobile software application, the request sent using the device network interface from the requesting mobile computing device to the first provisioning system of the first party;

at least one computer processor adapted for executing computer program code stored on non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium operatively connected to the at least one computer processor, such that when the computer processor executes at least a portion of said same device-native mobile operating system and when the at least one mobile software application is executed using the at least one computer processor of the requesting mobile computing device, the execution of the requested and received mobile software application causes the requesting mobile computing device to perform operations comprising;

executing, by the requesting mobile computing device, the at least one mobile software application received from the first provisioning system;

populating a tree structure by the at least one abstraction layer executing on the requesting mobile computing device using at least one structured document;

presenting at least a portion of the application user interface by the at least one abstraction layer using at least a portion of said tree structure;

receiving, by the at least one mobile software application, an input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface;

receiving, by the computer code referenced by the at least one abstraction layer, data representative of the input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface;

reconfiguring at least a portion of the tree structure by the computer program code referenced by the at least one abstraction layer, in response to receiving data representative of the input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface; and

updating at least a portion of the application user interface by the at least one abstraction layer in response to reconfiguring at least a portion the tree structure.

3. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 2, wherein the at least one abstraction layer is a scripting environment invoked by the computer program code and comprising at least one or more of:

(a) at least one library of components invoked through an application programming interface, or (b) scripting language code.

4. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 3, wherein the native operating system of the first party comprises a compiled scripting language engine invoked by the abstraction layer.

5. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 2, wherein the remotely-located mobile computing devices are wireless mobile phones.

6. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 2, wherein the application bundle includes at least one message digest computed for at least some executable program code comprising the application bundle and wherein the integrity of the at least some executable program code is verified by the mobile computing device using said message digest.

7. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 2, wherein the requested and received mobile software application, when executed on the requesting mobile device, causes at least a portion of the running state to be stored in at least one node of at least one tree structure.

8. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein when the requested and sent mobile software application is executed by a requesting mobile computing device, the at least one structured document is transformed into a tree structure which when updated, updates at least a portion of the running state of the requested and sent mobile software application.

9. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein the remotely-located mobile computing devices are wireless mobile phones.

10. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein the communication from the requesting mobile computing device comprises data that identifies the requesting mobile computing device to the first provisioning system.

11. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein the application bundle includes at least one message digest computed for at least some executable program code comprising the application bundle and wherein the integrity of the at least some executable program code is verified by the mobile computing device using said message digest.

12. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein the requested mobile software application, when executed by the requesting mobile device, will cause at least a portion of the running state of the application to be stored in at least one node of at least one tree structure.

13. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 1, wherein the running state comprises data enabling an application to resume execution after the application has been paused, halted, or migrated.

14. A method performed by a first provisioning system of a first party for provisioning mobile software applications to a plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, the mobile computing devices each using a same device-native mobile operating system associated with the first party, the method comprising:

receiving communications via a network interface of the first provisioning system of the first party from a requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, each mobile computing device using said same device-native mobile operating system, the communications comprising a request to send a particular one of mobile software applications stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage of the first provisioning system of the first party to the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, wherein the requested mobile software application comprises an application bundle, wherein the application bundle comprises;

a. at least one signature created using at least one digital certificate associated at least with the first party, wherein said signature is used by a requesting mobile computing device among the plurality of remotely located mobile computing devices to verify that the requesting mobile computing device is authorized by the first party to install the mobile software application,

b. at least one abstraction layer,

c. at least one of an image, sound, graphic, animation or video,

d. computer program code comprising at least one of compiled code or interpretable code, and

e. at least one structured document comprising at least one of a hypertext markup language (HTML) or an extensible markup language (XML) structured document, such that the computer program code and the at least one structured document together instantiate a tree structure used at least in part for expressing at least a portion of the running state of the requested mobile software application when the requested mobile software application is executed using said same device-native mobile operating system of the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices; and

sending, via the network interface of the first provisioning system, the requested mobile software application comprising the application bundle to the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, further wherein the sent mobile software application will be executed using said same device-native mobile operating system of the requesting mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, when the requested mobile software application is executed using said same device-native mobile operating system, performs a method comprising:

executing, by the requesting mobile computing device, the at least one mobile software application received from the first provisioning system;

populating a tree structure by the at least one abstraction layer executing on the requesting mobile computing device using at least one structured document;

presenting at least a portion of the application user interface by the at least one abstraction layer using at least a portion of said tree structure;

receiving, by the at least one mobile software application, an input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface;

receiving, by the computer code reference by the at least one abstraction layer, data representative of the input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface;

reconfiguring at least a portion of the tree structure by the computer program code referenced by the at least one abstraction layer, in response to receiving data representative of the input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface; and

updating at least a portion of the application user interface by the at least one abstraction layer in response to reconfiguring at least a portion of the tree structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one abstraction layer is a scripting environment comprising at least one or more of:

(a) a compiled scripting language engine, (b) at least one library of components invoked through an application programming interface, or (c) scripting language code.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the remotely-located mobile computing devices are wireless mobile phones.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the application bundle includes at least one message digest computed for at least some executable program code comprising the application bundle and wherein the integrity of the at least some executable program code is verified by the mobile computing device using said message digest.

19. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 15, wherein the native operating system of the first party comprises a compiled scripting language engine invoked by the abstraction layer.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein when the requested and sent mobile software application is executed by a requesting mobile computing device, the at least one structured document is transformed into a tree structure which when updated, updates at least a portion of the running state of the mobile software application.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the application bundle includes at least one message digest computed for at least some executable program code comprising the application bundle and wherein the integrity of the at least some executable program code is verified by the mobile computing device using said message digest.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the remotely-located mobile computing devices are wireless mobile phones.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the communications from the at least one remotely-located mobile computing device comprises data that identifies the requesting mobile computing device to the first provisioning system.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein said signature associated with the first party is used by the requesting mobile computing device to verify that the requesting mobile computing device is authorized to execute the received mobile software application.

25. A first provisioning system of a first party for provisioning mobile software applications to a plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, the remotely-located mobile computing devices each using a same device-native mobile operating system associated with the first party, the first provisioning system comprising:

network interface means for communicating with the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices;

non-transitory computer-readable storage medium means for storing computer program code and a mobile software application, wherein the mobile software application comprises an application bundle, wherein the application bundle comprises;

a. at least one signature created using at least one digital certificate associated at least with the first party, wherein said signature is used by a requesting mobile computing device among the plurality of remotely located mobile computing devices to verify that the requesting mobile computing device is authorized by the first party to install the mobile software application,

b. at least one abstraction layer,

c. at least one of an image, sound, graphic, animation or video,

d. computer program code comprising at least one of compiled code or interpretable code, and

e. at least one structured document comprising at least one of a hypertext markup language (HTML) or an extensible markup language (XML) structured document, such that the computer program code and the at least one structured document together instantiate a tree structure used at least in part for expressing at least a portion of the running state of the mobile software application on the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices when the mobile software application is executed by the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, each mobile computing device using said same device-native mobile operating system;

computer processor means for executing computer program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium means such that the execution of the computer program code causes the first provisioning system to perform operations of;

receiving communications via the network interface means from a requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices, the communications comprising a request to send a particular one of the mobile software applications stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage means of the first provisioning system to the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices; and

sending, using the network interface means, the requested mobile software application comprising said application bundle to the requesting mobile computing device, wherein the sent mobile software application will be executed using said same device-native mobile operating system of the requesting mobile computing device.

26. The first provisioning system of claim 25, wherein the requesting one of the plurality of remotely-located mobile computing devices that requested and received the requested mobile software application comprising said application bundle from the first provisioning system, comprises:

network interface means for communicating with the first provisioning system;

display unit means for displaying an application user interface;

user interface means for receiving at least one user selection;

non-transitory computer-readable storage medium means for storing said same device-native mobile operating system and the at least one mobile software application comprising the application bundle received from the first provisioning system in response to a request for the mobile software application, the request sent using the network interface means from the requesting one of the plurality of mobile computing devices to the first provisioning system;

computer processor means for executing computer program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium means, such that execution of the requested and received mobile software application causes the requesting mobile computing device to perform operations comprising;

executing, by the requesting mobile computing device, the at least one mobile software application received from the first provisioning system;

populating a tree structure by the at least one abstraction layer executing on the requesting mobile computing device using at least one structured document;

presenting at least a portion of the application user interface by the at least one abstraction layer using at least a portion of said tree structure;

receiving, by the at least one mobile software application, an input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface;

receiving, by the computer code referenced by the at least one abstraction layer, data representative of the input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface;

reconfiguring at least a portion of the tree structure by the computer program code referenced by the at least one abstraction layer, in response to receiving data representative of the input from the at least a portion of the presented application user interface; and

updating at least a portion of the application user interface by the at least one abstraction layer in response to reconfiguring at least a portion of the tree structure.

27. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 26, wherein the at least one abstraction layer is a scripting environment comprising at least one or more of:

(a) a compiled scripting language engine, (b) at least one library of components invoked through an application programming interface, or (c) scripting language code.

28. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 27, wherein the native operating system of the first party comprises a compiled scripting language engine invoked by the abstraction layer.

29. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 26, wherein the running state comprises data enabling an application to resume execution after the application has been paused, halted, or migrated.

30. The first provisioning system of a first party of claim 25, wherein the signature associated with the first party is used by the requesting mobile computing device to verify that the requesting mobile computing device is authorized to execute the received mobile software application.