System and method for temporary application component deletion and reload on a wireless device

• US 20060005183A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bryan Minear, Eric J. Lekven, Mitchell B. Oliver, Phil Tien Nguyen, Richard Wayne Gardner, III, Stephen A. Sprigg
• Original Assignee: Bryan Minear, Eric J. Lekven, Mitchell B. Oliver, Phil Tien Nguyen, Richard Wayne Gardner, III, Stephen A. Sprigg
• Inventors: Gardner, Richard Wayne III, Sprigg, Stephen A., Minear, Brian, Nguyen, Phil Tien, Oliver, Mitchell B., Lekven, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44594 Unloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A system and method for managing the deleting and reloading of software application components on a wireless device, such as a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, pager, or other computer platform. The wireless device has one or more resident executable software applications wherein each application has one or more application components and application-associated data, such as software licenses and user-specific data. The wireless device selectively deletes one or more application components of the resident software applications without loss of the application-associated data to clear resources on the wireless device, and selectively prompts an application download server across a wireless network to transmit deleted application components needed to be reinstalled on the wireless device to execute the application.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for managing a memory in a device for storing applications, each application comprising at least one application component and application-associated data, the method comprising:

receiving a first transaction;

determining if an available amount of said memory is sufficient for performing said first transaction;

if said available amount of said memory is insufficient for performing said first transaction, increasing said available amount by deleting application components associated with one or more applications not currently executing;

wherein said deleting maintains application-associated data in said memory.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said first transaction is an application download.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said device is a wireless device and said application download is performed over a wireless network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said wireless device is a wireless telephone.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

communicating with a server over a network to perform said application download.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a second transaction for executing a selected application from said applications stored in said memory;

determining whether all application components associated with said selected application are stored in said memory;

if all application components of said selected application are not stored in said memory, restoring each previously deleted application components of said application.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said restoring comprises:

downloading only each previously deleted application components of said selected application from a network server.

28. A machine readable medium for storing a instructions which causes a machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a first transaction;

determining if an available amount of said memory is sufficient for performing said first transaction;

if said available amount of said memory is insufficient for performing said first transaction, increasing said available amount by deleting application components associated with one or more applications not currently executing;

wherein said deleting maintains application-associated data in said memory.

29. The medium of claim 28, wherein said instruction further causes said machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a second transaction for running a selected application from said applications stored in said memory;

determining whether all application components associated with said selected application are stored in said memory;

if all application components of said selected application are not stored in said memory, restoring each previously deleted application components of said selected application.

30. A method for managing an server, comprising:

storing, on said server, a plurality of applications, each application comprising at least one application component and application-associated data;

first sending, to a client device, an entirety of one of said applications; and

second sending, to said client device, a portion of one of said applications, said portion comprising at least one application component of said application previously deleted by said client device and not including said application-associated data of said application.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said client device is a wireless device and said first sending and said second sending are performed over a wireless network.

32. A machine readable medium for storing a instructions which causes a machine to perform the steps of:

storing, on said machine, a plurality of applications, each application comprising at least one application component and application-associated data;

first sending, to a client device, an entirety of one of said applications; and

second sending, to said client device, a portion of one of said applications, said portion comprising at least one application component of said application previously deleted by said client device and not including said application-associated data of said application.

33. A method for increasing an available amount of storage for storing applications, each application comprising at least one application component and application-associated data, comprising:

deleting from an application, at least one application component while maintaining application-associated data of said application.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

determining a minimum threshold for said available amount of storage;

if a current level of said available amount of storage is less than said minimum threshold, continuing to delete additional application components while maintaining application-associated data until said current level is equal to or greater than said threshold.

35. A machine readable medium for storing a instructions which causes a machine to perform the steps of:

deleting from an application, at least one application component while maintaining application-associated data of said application.

36. A device, comprising:

a network component for communicating over a network; and

a computer platform, said computer platform comprising;

a memory for storing software applications, each software application comprising at least one application component and application-associated data; and

a processing element for controlling communication via said network component between said device and a server, and for managing contents of said memory;

wherein said processing element is configured to manage an available amount said memory by deleting application components of non-executing applications stored in said memory while maintaining application-associated data of said non-executing application in said memory.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein said processing element is further configured to cause said network component to download previously deleted application components of an application before executing said application.

38. The device of claim 36, wherein said network component is a wireless transceiver and said network is a wireless network.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein said device is a wireless telephone.