Method and apparatus for network initiated uninstallation of application program over wireless network

• US 20020142762A1
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Minear, Brian, Jacobs, Paul, Chmaytelli, Mazen, Kenagy, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Network-initiated uninstallation of programs on remote modules, such as wireless telephones, is performed over a wireless network to recall programs stored on the wireless telephone that are faulty or harmful to the wireless telephone, the wireless network, or a user of the wireless telephone. If one or more recall criteria are met for uninstallation of a targeted application program, a recall command source constructs a recall command. A program manager, using a database containing information about each program downloaded onto each wireless telephone in the network, identifies, for the recall command source, which wireless telephones carry the targeted application program. The recall command includes a unique application identification for the targeted application program and an instruction to the wireless telephone to uninstall the targeted application program. The recall command is broadcast over the wireless network to the wireless telephones. In response to the recall command, the wireless telephone automatically uninstalls the targeted application program by executing a recall program on the wireless telephone.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a wireless telephone, comprising operations of:

providing wireless telephone circuitry including storage;

providing processing circuitry;

installing a recall program in the storage, the recall program comprising a program of machine-readable instructions executable by the processing circuitry to perform operations to automatically uninstall one or more application programs contained in the storage responsive the telephone detecting a remote recall command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising operations of:

downloading one or more application programs to the storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing operation comprises:

the telephone wirelessly downloading the recall program from a remote server.

4. A method of operating a wireless telephone including storage, processing circuitry, and a recall program, the method comprising operations of:

the recall program automatically uninstalling one or more application programs contained in the storage responsive the telephone detecting a remote recall command.

5. The method of claim 4, the uninstalling operation comprising:

the wireless telephone receiving a recall command via a wireless network, the recall command identifying at least one application program and containing instructions to uninstall the identified application program;

automatically responsive to the recall command, the wireless telephone uninstalling the identified application program.

6. The method of claim 5, operation of receiving the recall command comprising:

receiving a recall message containing instructions to obtain the recall command from a recall command source, and obtaining the recall command from the recall command source.

7. The method of claim 5, operation of receiving the recall command further comprising:

the telephone sending one or more polling messages to a recall command source prompting the recall command source to transmit the recall command.

8. The method of claim 5, the identified application programs being resident upon the wireless telephone.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the operations further comprise the telephone referencing a local database to determine whether the identified application program resides in the storage;

the uninstalling operation comprises uninstalling application programs determined to reside in the storage.

10. A method for recalling one or more application programs resident upon a wireless telephone, comprising operations of:

identifying any application programs for which certain recall criteria apply;

identifying wireless telephones having the identified application programs installed thereon;

constructing recall commands specifying the identified application programs and including instructions to uninstall the identified application programs;

sending the recall commands to the identified wireless telephones via one or more wireless networks.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to the recall commands, the wireless telephones uninstalling the identified application programs.

13. The module of claim 12, the processing circuitry comprising application-specific integrated circuitry.

14. The module of claim 12, further comprising:

a download client configured to download one or more application programs to the storage.

15. The module of claim 12, the recall program configured such that the uninstalling operation comprises:

the wireless telephone receiving a recall command via a wireless network, the recall command identifying at least one application program and containing instructions to uninstall the identified application program;

automatically responsive to the recall command, the wireless telephone uninstalling the identified application program.

16. The module of claim 15, recall program further configured such that the operation of receiving the recall command comprises:

receiving a recall message containing instructions to obtain the recall command from a recall command source, and obtaining the recall command from the recall command source.

17. The module of claim 15, recall program further configured such that the operation of receiving the recall command comprises:

the telephone sending one or more polling messages to a recall command source prompting the recall command source to transmit the recall command.

18. The module of claim 15, further comprising one or more application programs resident in the storage.

19. The module of claim 15, wherein the recall program is configured:

to further reference a local database to determine whether the identified application program resides in the storage;

such that the uninstalling operation comprises uninstalling application programs determined to reside in the storage.

12. A wireless remote module, comprising:

processing circuitry;

storage;

a recall program comprising a program of machine-readable instructions executable by the processing circuitry to perform operations to automatically uninstall one or more application programs contained in the storage responsive the telephone detecting a remote recall command.