Intelligent download of application programs

• US 8,745,153 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gharabally, Sam, Kelly, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): YI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/368,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,940 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

Improved techniques for controlling delivery (e.g., download) of application programs from a remote application repository to different client computing devices are disclosed. Application programs are often built to operate on computing devices that have certain hardware capabilities. Hence, application programs available for download from a remote application repository might not be suitable execution on all client computing devices that are able to access the remote application repository. The improved techniques for controlling delivery can operate to permit the applications to be received by only those client computing devices that have the required hardware capabilities to properly operate the application programs.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for downloading application programs to a hand-held computing device from an on-line application repository, said method comprising:

providing access to a plurality of application programs via the on-line application repository;

receiving a download request for download of a selected application program from the application programs available from the on-line application repository;

subsequently retrieving a device type for the hand-held computing device;

determining whether the device type is one of one or more supported device types for the selected application program;

permitting download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device if it is determined that the device type is one of the one or more supported device types for the selected application program;

denying download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device if it is determined that the device type is not one of the one or more supported device types for the selected application program;

receiving a request for installation of the selected application program to be installed on the hand-held computing device;

determining whether the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program; and

providing at least one control for installation of the selected application program on the hand-held computing device if it is determined the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program,

wherein the providing of access and the receiving of the download request are performed without regard for whether the hand-held computing device is a supported device for any of the application programs.

2. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying a message that download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device is denied if it is determined that the device type is not one of the one or more supported device types for the selected application program.

3. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the on-line application repository stores the selected application program and the one or more supported device types for the selected application program.

22. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

displaying application information pertaining to the selected application program.

23. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected application program is selected by navigating the on-line application repository.

4. A computer implemented method for downloading application programs to a hand-held computing device from an on-line application repository, said method comprising:

accessing the on-line application repository having a plurality of application programs available for download;

navigating the on-line application repository to select an application program from the plurality of application programs available for download from the on-line application repository;

displaying application information pertaining to the selected application program;

receiving a download request to download the selected application program;

retrieving device information for the hand-held computing device;

determining whether the hand-held computing device is a supported device for the selected application program based on the device information;

permitting download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device if it is determined that the hand-held computing device is a supported device for the selected application program; and

displaying message that download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device is denied if it is determined that the hand-held computing device is not a supported device for the selected application program;

receiving a request for installation of the selected application program to be installed on the hand-held computing device;

determining whether the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program; and

providing at least one control for installation of the selected application program on the hand-held computing device if it is determined the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program,

wherein the accessing, navigating, displaying and receiving are performed without regard for whether the hand-held computing device is a supported device for any of the application programs.

5. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the selected application program has supported device requirements.

6. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the supported device requirements are provided from the on-line application repository.

7. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the supported device requirements are embedded in the application information pertaining to the selected application program received from the on-line application repository.

8. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the supported device requirements comprises at least one supported functional capability.

9. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein the supported device requirements comprises a minimum operating system version.

10. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein the displaying of the application information comprises displaying a web page including the application information.

11. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, wherein the supported device requirements are contained within the web page.

12. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the web page includes at least one user interface control, and wherein on selection of the user interface control, the hand-held computing device operates to determine whether the hand-held computing device is a supported device for the selected application program based on the device information and the supported device requirements.

13. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 11,

wherein the web page further includes evaluation program code and one user interface control, and

wherein on selection of the user interface control, the hand-held computing device operates to perform the evaluation program code which determines whether the hand-held computing device is a supported device for the selected application program based on the device information and the supported device requirements.

14. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein said method comprises:

denying download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device if it is determined that the hand-held computing device is not a supported device for the selected application program.

15. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 4, wherein said method comprises:

providing a link to information pertinent to denial of the download of the selected application program to the hand-held computing device if it is determined that the hand-held computing device is not a supported device for the selected application program.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least executable computer program code stored thereon for downloading application programs to a portable computing device from an on-line application repository, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for receiving a download request to download a selected application program available from the on-line application repository;

computer program code for subsequently retrieving device information for the portable computing device;

computer program code for determining whether the portable computing device is a supported device for the selected application program based on the device information;

computer program code for permitting download of the selected application program to the portable computing device if it is determined that the portable computing device is a supported device for the selected application program; and

computer program code for denying download of the selected application program to the portable computing device if it is determined that the portable computing device is not a supported device for the selected application program;

computer program code for receiving a request for installation of the selected application program to be installed on the hand-held computing device;

computer program code for determining whether the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program; and

computer program code for providing at least one control for installation of the selected application program on the hand-held computing device if it is determined the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program,

wherein the computer program code for providing access and the computer program code for receiving the download request are performed without regard for whether the portable computing device is a supported device for any of the application programs.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:

computer program code for displaying a message that download of the selected application program to the portable computing device is denied if it is determined that the portable computing device is not a supported device for the selected application program.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 17,

wherein the selected application program has supported device requirements, and

wherein the supported device requirements are provided from the on-line application repository.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the supported device requirements are contained within the application information pertaining to the selected application program received from the on-line application repository.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said computer readable medium comprises:

computer program code for providing application information pertaining to the selected application program to the portable computing device, wherein the selected application program is selected by navigating the on-line application repository.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including at least executable computer program code stored thereon for acquiring application programs at a client device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for navigating through a plurality of application programs in accordance with one or more received user inputs to select an application program, the application programs are available from an on-line application repository;

computer program code for receiving a user acquisition request to acquire the selected application program;

computer program code for retrieving device capabilities for the client device;

computer program code for determining whether the client device supports operation of the selected application program based on the device capabilities;

computer program code for permitting acquisition of the selected application program at the client device from the on-line application repository if it is determined that the client device supports operation of the selected application program; and

computer program code for denying acquisition of the selected application program at the client device from the on-line application repository if it is determined that the client device does not support operation of the selected application program;

computer program code for receiving a request for installation of the selected application program to be installed on the hand-held computing device;

computer program code for determining whether the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program; and

computer program code for providing at least one control for installation of the selected application program on the hand-held computing device if it is determined the hand-held computing device meets the associated device requirement of the selected application program,

wherein the computer program code for navigating, the computer program code for displaying and the computer program code for receiving are performed without regard for whether the client device supports operation of any of the application programs.