Mobile communications device and associated application for use thereon

• US 20090210537A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Group Services Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Group Services Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Pollington, David, Irwin, James, Ashbrook, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

An application manager configured for use on a resource-limited device, the application manager including: an application engine configured to effect communications between a plurality of applications installed on the resource limited device and one or more external network sites; and a connection manager configured to control and/or coordinate when the plurality of applications are able to attempt to establish communications with the one or more external network sites. The resource-limited device may be a mobile terminal.

Claims

1. An application manager configured for use on a resource-limited device, the application manager including:

an application engine configured to effect communications between a plurality of applications installed on the resource limited device and one or more external network sites; and

a connection manager configured to control and/or coordinate when the plurality of applications are able to attempt to establish communications with the one or more external network sites.

2. The application manager of claim 1 wherein the connection manager is further configured to control when the plurality of applications are able to attempt to establish communications by notifying the plurality of applications when a network connection has been established, thereby inviting each of the plurality of applications to initiate a communication, if required.

3. The application manager of claim 2 wherein the connection manager is configured to notify the plurality of applications after receiving a communication request from one of the plurality of applications.

4. The application manager of claim 2 wherein the communication manager is configured to notify the plurality of applications at one or more specific times or during one or more specific time periods.

5. The application manager of claim 1 wherein the communication manager is configured to reject a communication request from an application when it is incapable of performing the request.

6. The application manager of claim 5 wherein the communication manager is configured to notify the application requesting the connection that the request has been rejected.

7. The application manager of claim 5 wherein the connection manager is configured to notify the application requesting the communication when it is capable of performing the request.

8. The application manager of claim 1 wherein the connection manager is further configured to access a user-defined connection policy, defining when the plurality of applications can and/or cannot establish a connection to the one or more external network sites.

9. The application manager of claim 8 wherein the connection manager is further configured to reject a connection request from an application, if the connection request is made at a point in time forbidden by the connection policy.

10. The application manager of claim 1 wherein the device is a mobile telecommunications device and the application engine is further configured to effect the communication across a cellular network to the one or more external network sites.

11. An application configured for use on a resource-limited device, the application configured to communication with the application manager according to claim 1.

12. The application of claim 11 configured for use on a mobile telecommunications device.

13. The application of claim 11, wherein the connection manager is further configured to control when the plurality of applications are able to attempt to establish communications by notifying the plurality of applications when a network connection has been established, thereby inviting each of the plurality of applications to initiate a communication, if required and wherein the application is configured to determine whether or not to request information from one or more pre-designated external network sites at that given point in time.

14. The application of claim 11 wherein the application is a Widget.

15. A mobile terminal including the application manager according to claim 1.

21. The application manager of claim 3 wherein the communication manager is configured to notify the plurality of applications at one or more specific times or during one or more specific time periods.

22. The application manager of claim 21 wherein the communication manager is configured to reject a communication request from an application when it is incapable of performing the request.

23. The application manager of claim 6 wherein the connection manager is configured to notify the application requesting the communication when it is capable of performing the request.

24. The application manager of claim 7 wherein the connection manager is further configured to access a user-defined connection policy, defining when the plurality of applications can and/or cannot establish a connection to the one or more external network sites.

25. The application manager of claim 9 wherein the device is a mobile telecommunications device and the application engine is further configured to effect the communication across a cellular network to the one or more external network sites.

26. The application of claim 12 wherein the application is a Widget.

16. On a resource-limited device having an application engine configured to effect communications between a plurality of applications installed thereon and one or more external network sites, a method of managing the plurality of applications, the method including:

coordinating when the plurality of applications are able to attempt to establish communications with the one or more external network sites.

17. The method of claim 16 further including:

determining when a network connection has been established by one of the applications; and

notifying the remainder of thereby the plurality of applications that a connection has been established, thereby inviting the remainder of the applications to initiate a communication, if required.

18. The method of claim 16 further including:

notifying the plurality of applications at one or more specific times or during one or more specific time periods that it is possible to initiate a communication, if required.

27. The method of claim 17 further including:

notifying the plurality of applications at one or more specific times or during one or more specific time periods that it is possible to initiate a communication, if required.

19. A Widget connection manager, comprising:

a scheduler that schedules multiple Widgets; and

a plurility of connections that connect each of the Widgets managed by the connection manager to at least one network, wherein the connection manager handles connection of each of the Widgets to the network according to the scheduler and a scheduling algorithm.

20. A method of adapting an application so that the application is configured to communication with a connection manager of an application manager, the application manager having an application engine configured to effect communications between a plurality of applications installed on the resource limited device and one or more external network sites having a connection manager configured to control and/or coordinate when the plurality of applications are able to attempt to establish communications with the one or more external network sites, the method comprising:

configuring the application to support an interface defined by the connection manager.