System and method for installing and configuring software applications on a mobile networked terminal

• US 7,689,664 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Karlberg, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): ISMAIL, SHAWKI SAIF
• Application Number:
  US11/463,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 717/168, 717/174
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

An application download server comprises a download request object and a configuration parameter object. The download request object receives a download request from a remote terminal. The download request identifies a requested application for download to the remote terminal. The configuration parameter object returns a configured application package to the remote terminal. The configured application package comprises installation files corresponding to the requested application and configuration files. The configuration files comprise a parameter value for each of a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal.

Claims

1. An application download system comprising:

a network server, and a computer program executed by the server, the computer program when executed comprising;

a download request object receiving a download request from a remote terminal via a network, the download request including identification of a requested application for download to the remote terminal; and

a configuration parameter object;

identifying, for the requested application, a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal;

identifying, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a source of a parameter value;

obtaining, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a parameter value from its identified source;

building the configured application package; and

returning a configured application package to the remote terminal, the configured application package comprising installation files corresponding to the requested application and configuration files; and

the configuration files comprising the parameter value for each of a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal.

2. The application download system of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameter object maintains a database associating:

for each of a plurality of applications, identification of the plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the application on the remote terminal; and

for each configuration parameter, identification of a source of a parameter value.

3. The application download system of claim 2, wherein:

the configuration parameter object;

identifies at least two configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal;

identifying a first source associated with a first of the at least two configuration parameters;

identifying second source associated with a second of the at least two configuration parameters, the first source and the second source being independent sources;

obtaining a first parameter value for the first configuration parameter from the first source; and

obtaining a second parameter value for the second configuration parameter from the second source; and

the configuration files include at least the first parameter value and the second parameter value.

4. The application download system of claim 3, wherein the configuration parameters include at least two of the following configuration parameters:

a service account parameter, the service account parameter being a configuration parameter unique to a service account associated with the remote terminal;

an application server parameter, the application server parameter being unique to an application server with which the application, when operated on the remote terminal, will interact and common to a plurality of remote terminals which interact with the application server; and

a remote terminal compatibility parameter, the remote terminal compatibility parameter associating with a characteristic of the remote terminal which effects operation of the requested application.

5. The application download system of claim 4, wherein a specific version of installation files is selected from a plurality of versions of installation files corresponding to the requested application, the specific version of installation files being a version which corresponds to a compatibility parameter value associated with the remote terminal.

6. The application download system of claim 1, wherein:

the download request further includes identification of the remote terminal; and

a specific version of installation files is selected from a plurality of versions of installation files corresponding to the requested application, the specific version of installation files being a version which corresponds to a compatibility parameter value associated with the remote terminal, the compatibly parameter value being derived form the identification of the remote terminal.

7. The application download system of claim 6, wherein the configuration parameter object maintains a database associating:

for each of a plurality of applications, identification of configuration parameters needed for operation of the application on the remote terminal; and

for each configuration parameter, identification of a source of a parameter value.

8. The application download system of claim 7, wherein:

the configuration parameter object;

identifies at least two configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal;

identifying a first source associated with a first of the at least two configuration parameters;

identifying second source associated with a second of the at least two configuration parameters, the first source and the second source being independent sources;

obtaining a first parameter value for the first configuration parameter form the first source; and

obtaining a second parameter value for the second configuration parameter form the second source; and

the configuration files include at least the first parameter value and the second parameter value.

9. The application download system of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameters include at least two of the following configuration parameters:

a service account parameter, the service account parameter being a configuration parameter unique to a service account associated with the remote terminal;

an application server parameter, the application server parameter being unique to an application server with which the application, when operated on the remote terminal, will interact and common to a plurality of remote terminals which interact with the application server; and

a remote terminal compatibility parameter, the remote terminal compatibility parameter associating with a characteristic of the remote terminal which effects operation of the requested application.

10. A method of operating an application download server to provide an installable application to a remote terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a download request from the remote terminal via a network connection, the download request identifying a requested application for download to the remote terminal; and

identifying, for the requested application, a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal;

identifying, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a source of a parameter value;

obtaining, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a parameter value from its identified source;

building a configured application package, the configured application package comprising installation files corresponding to the requested application and configuration files comprising a parameter value for each of the plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application; and

returning the configured application package to the remote terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

identifying, for the requested application, a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal comprises looking up the plurality of configuration parameters in a database that associates, for each of a plurality of applications, identification of the plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the application on the remote terminal; and

identifying, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a source of a parameter value comprises looking up a source of each parameter value in a database which associates, for each configuration parameter, identification of a source of the parameter value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

identifying, for the requested application, a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal comprises;

identifying at least two configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal;

identifying a first source associated with a first of the at least two configuration parameters;

identifying second source associated with a second of the at least two configuration parameters, the first source and the second source being independent sources; and

obtaining, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a parameter value from its identified source comprises;

obtaining a first parameter value for the first configuration parameter from the first source; and

obtaining a second parameter value for the second configuration parameter from the second source; and

the configuration files include at least the first parameter value and the second parameter value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration parameters include at least two of the following configuration parameters:

a service account parameter, the service account parameter being a configuration parameter unique to a service account associated with the remote terminal;

an application server parameter, the application server parameter being unique to an application server with which the application, when operated on the remote terminal, will interact and common to a plurality of remote terminals which interact with the application server; and

a remote terminal compatibility parameter, the remote terminal compatibility parameter associating with a characteristic of the remote terminal which effects operation of the requested application.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a specific version of installation files is selected from a plurality of versions of installation files corresponding to the requested application, the specific version of installation files being a version which corresponds to a compatibility parameter value associated with the remote terminal.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the download request further includes identification of the remote terminal; and

a specific version of installation files is selected from a plurality of versions of installation files corresponding to the requested application, the specific version of installation files being a version which corresponds to a compatibility parameter value associated with the remote terminal, the compatibly parameter value being derived form the identification of the remote terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

identifying, for the requested application, a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal comprises looking up the plurality of configuration parameters in a database that associates, for each of a plurality of applications, identification of the plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the application on the remote terminal; and

identifying, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a source of a parameter value comprises looking up a source of each parameter value in a database which associates, for each configuration parameter, identification of a source of the parameter value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

identifying, for the requested application, a plurality of configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal comprises;

identifying at least two configuration parameters needed for operation of the requested application on the remote terminal;

identifying a first source associated with a first of the at least two configuration parameters;

identifying second source associated with a second of the at least two configuration parameters, the first source and the second source being independent sources; and

obtaining, for each of the plurality of configuration parameters, a parameter value from its identified source comprises;

obtaining a first parameter value for the first configuration parameter from the first source; and

obtaining a second parameter value for the second configuration parameter from the second source; and

the configuration files include at least the first parameter value and the second parameter value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the configuration parameters include at least two of the following configuration parameters:

a service account parameter, the service account parameter being a configuration parameter unique to a service account associated with the remote terminal;

an application server parameter, the application server parameter being unique to an application server with which the application, when operated on the remote terminal, will interact and common to a plurality of remote terminals which interact with the application server; and

a remote terminal compatibility parameter, the remote terminal compatibility parameter associating with a characteristic of the remote terminal which effects operation of the requested application.