SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC MANAGEMENT OF APPLICATIONS ON REMOTE DEVICES

• US 20100211941A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Roseborough, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Management of applications on remote devices is performed independently of managing platform software. A per platform player using a common protocol to communicate and receive applications is installed on a device. The player is developed and installed independently of applications which run using commands supported by the player. On player startup, the player obtains boot instructions, fetches an application manifest, and obtains player and application resources using the application manifest from a content and application server. The content and application server determines application resources to send to the player and tracks applications and application versions installed on a per user/per platform basis.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining application information on a per user basis for a plurality of user identifiers at an application server, the plurality of user identifier associated with a plurality of client devices, wherein application information includes information about application versions installed on the plurality of client devices;

generating an application manifest for delivery to the client device, wherein the application manifest is generated by determining a user identifier corresponding to a client device;

transmitting application logic to the client device, the application logic identified in the application manifest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of platforms comprise a plurality of virtual machines.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein application information is maintained on a per user and per platform basis.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of client devices are associated with a plurality of platforms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the application manifest includes resource locations, program listings, and indices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application manifest includes code and non-code resources.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device is associated with a platform.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a player application runs on the platform on the client device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the application logic runs using commands supported by the player application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the player is a media player.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of client devices comprise a plurality of mobile devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device runs a basic boot script upon startup to obtain a detailed boot script from the application server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device runs a boot script upon startup to obtain the application manifest.

14. A system, comprising:

memory operable to maintain application information on a per user basis for a plurality of user identifiers at an application server, the plurality of user identifier associated with a plurality of client devices, wherein application information includes information about application versions installed on the plurality of client devices;

a processor operable to generate an application manifest for delivery to the client device, wherein the application manifest is generated by determining a user identifier corresponding to a client device;

an interface connected to the processor, the interface operable to transmit application logic to the client device, the application logic identified in the application manifest.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of platforms comprise a plurality of virtual machines.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein application information is maintained on a per user and per platform basis.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of client devices are associated with a plurality of platforms.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the application manifest includes resource locations, program listings, and indices.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the application manifest includes code and non-code resources.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for maintaining application information on a per user basis for a plurality of user identifiers at an application server, the plurality of user identifier associated with a plurality of client devices, wherein application information includes information about application versions installed on the plurality of client devices;

means for generating an application manifest for delivery to the client device, wherein the application manifest is generated by determining a user identifier corresponding to a client device;

means for transmitting application logic to the client device, the application logic identified in the application manifest.