Preinstalled application management method for mobile terminal and mobile terminal

• US 11,106,446 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2019
• Issued: 08/31/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Device Company Limited (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xu, Haiyan, Chen, Guoqiao
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US16/272,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20190171430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 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, wherein the mobile terminal comprises storage space with a first directory that stores an installation package of a first preinstalled application, wherein the first preinstalled application is installed in the mobile terminal as a factory default, and wherein the preinstalled application management method comprises:

uninstalling, by the mobile terminal, the first preinstalled application in response to the first preinstalled application having a user-level permission that allows uninstallation by a user, wherein the installation package is retained in the first directory after the uninstalling;

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

automatically scanning, by the mobile terminal, the first directory after starting the mobile terminal; and

automatically installing, by the mobile terminal, the installation package with the user-level permission based on the scanning to generate the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission.

2. The preinstalled application management method of claim 1, wherein the first directory is allocated in a system partition in the storage space of the mobile terminal.

3. The preinstalled application management method of claim 2, wherein the system partition stores an operating system and installation packages of preinstalled applications of the mobile terminal.

4. The preinstalled application management method of claim 2, wherein data in the system partition is not accessible by the user.

5. The preinstalled application management method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, an uninstalling command from the user before uninstalling the first preinstalled application; and

determining, by the mobile terminal, that the first preinstalled application is to be uninstalled based on the uninstalling command.

6. The preinstalled application management method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the mobile terminal, an uninstalling command from the user before uninstalling the first preinstalled application, wherein the uninstalling command indicates that the first preinstalled application is to be uninstalled but is able to be restored when the mobile terminal is restored to factory defaults.

7. The preinstalled application management method of claim 1, wherein the storage space further comprises a user data partition, wherein the user data partition comprises a second directory, wherein an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission is stored in the second directory, and wherein the preinstalled application management method further comprises:

receiving, by the mobile terminal, an uninstalling command from the user;

determining, by the mobile terminal, that a second application having the user-level permission is to be uninstalled based on the uninstalling command; and

either uninstalling, by the mobile terminal, the second application and deleting the installation package of the second application when the installation package of the second application is in the second directory, or

uninstalling, by the mobile terminal, the second application and retaining the installation package of the second application when the installation package of the second application is in the first directory.

8. The preinstalled application management method of claim 1, wherein the first 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.

9. The preinstalled application management method of claim 1, wherein the storage space further comprises a system partition and a user data partition, wherein the first directory is in the system partition, and wherein the installation package of the first preinstalled application in the first directory scanned is installed to the user data partition to install the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission.

10. A mobile terminal comprising:

a memory storing instructions and comprising a first directory that stores an installation package of a first preinstalled application, wherein the first preinstalled application is installed in the mobile terminal as a factory default; and

a computer processor coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions when executed by the computer processor, cause the mobile terminal to;

uninstall the first preinstalled application in response to the first preinstalled application having a user-level permission that allows uninstallation by a user, wherein the installation package is retained in the first directory after the uninstalling;

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

automatically scan, in response to the starting the mobile terminal, the first directory; and

automatically install the installation package with the user-level permission of the first preinstalled application in the first directory based on the scanning to generate the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first directory is allocated in a system partition of the mobile terminal.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein the system partition stores an operating system and installation packages of preinstalled applications of the mobile terminal.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 11, wherein data in the system partition is not accessible by the user.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 10, 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 based on the uninstalling command.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 10, 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 wherein the uninstalling command indicates the first preinstalled application is to be uninstalled but is able to be restored when the mobile terminal is restored to factory defaults.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory storage memory further comprises a user data partition, wherein the user data partition comprises a second directory, wherein an installation package of a third-party application having the user-level permission is stored in the second directory, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer processor, further cause the mobile terminal to:

receive an uninstalling command from the user;

determine that a second application having the user-level permission is to be uninstalled based on the uninstalling command; and

either uninstall the second application and delete the installation package of the second application when the installation package of the second application is in the second directory, or

uninstall the second application and retain the installation package of the second application when the installation package of the second application is in the first directory.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 16, wherein the user data partition stores file data of applications of the mobile terminal and installation packages of third-party applications.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first directory is either in at least one existing partition in the non-transitory storage memory or in at least one added partition in the storage space of the non-transitory storage memory.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal uses an ANDROID operating system.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the storage space further comprises a system partition and a user data partition, wherein the first directory is in the system partition, and wherein the installation package of the first preinstalled application in the first directory scanned is installed to the user data partition to install the first preinstalled application having the user-level permission.