Method and system for pushing content to mobile devices

• US 8,996,489 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Leblanc, Michael, Glidden, Jody D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US12/598,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,524 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/737, 707/740
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A method of pushing content, such as eLearning packages, to mobile devices is disclosed. The content push stores the content locally on the user'"'"'s mobile device so the content can be viewed offline.

Claims

1. A method of pushing content to one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices over a computer network, the method comprising:

selecting, by a content assignment system located remotely from the one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices, one or more stored content files to form a package for delivery to the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices;

generating a request file containing one or more identifications of the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices, and addresses and types of said selected one or more content files in the package;

delivering said generated request file to a pushing server; and

sending, by said pushing server, the addresses of said selected content files to an infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices automatically upon receipt of the request file from the content assignment system and without the selected content files being requested by the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices;

retrieving, by the infrastructure, said selected content files from said content database using the sent addresses; and

sending, by the infrastructure, said retrieved content files to one or more data storage devices in the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein prior to pushing said selected content files said pushing server determines transport types of said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a push queue is formed at said pushing server to communicate with a connecting server between a firewall and said infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein there is a firewall between said infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices and said pushing server, and a push queue is formed at said pushing server to communicate with a connecting server between said firewall and said infrastructure for said one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking is done offline and communicated to a content management system when said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices are online.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein tracking is done while said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices are online and communicated to a content management system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said request file is an XML file.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code, when executed by one or more computers at a content assignment system, performs a method comprising:

accessing and managing content files stored in a content database accessible to said computer network;

selecting, by the content assignment system located remotely from one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices, one or more of said stored content files to form a package for delivery to the one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices;

generating a request file containing one or more identifications of said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices, and addresses and types of said selected one or more content files in the package;

delivering said generated request file to a pushing server; and

sending, by said pushing server, the addresses of said selected content files to an infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices automatically upon receipt of the request file from the content assignment system and without the selected content files being requested by the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices;

retrieving, by the infrastructure, said selected content files from said content database using the sent addresses; and

sending, by said infrastructure, said retrieved content files to one or more data storage devices in said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein prior to pushing said selected content files said pushing server determines transport types of said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein a push queue is formed at said pushing server to communicate with a connecting server between a firewall and said infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein there is a firewall between said infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices and said pushing server, and a push queue is formed at said pushing server to communicate with a connecting server between said firewall and said infrastructure for said one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein tracking is done offline and communicated to a content management system when said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices are online.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein tracking is done while said one or more of plurality of target mobile devices are online and communicated to a content management system.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said request file is an XML file.

15. A system for pushing content to one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices over a computer network, the system comprising:

a content database accessible to the computer network and configured to store content files;

a content assignment system located remotely from the one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices and configured to;

select one or more of the stored content files to form a package for delivery to the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices;

generate a request file containing one or more identifications of the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices, and addresses and types of the selected one or more content files; and

a pushing server configured to;

receive the request file delivered from the content assignment system, and

send the addresses of said selected content files to an infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices automatically upon receipt of the request file from the content assignment system and without the selected content files being requested by the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices,

wherein the infrastructure is configured to;

retrieve said selected content files from said content database using the sent addresses; and

send said retrieved content files to one or more data storage devices in said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.

16. A pushing server for pushing content to one or more of a plurality of target mobile devices over a computer network, the pushing server configured to:

receive a request file delivered from a content assignment system located remotely from the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices, the content assignment system having access over the computer network to a content database configured to store content files, the request file containing one or more identifications of the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices, and addresses and types of one or more content files, stored in the content database, wherein the one or more content files are selected by the content assignment system to form a package for delivery to the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices; and

automatically upon receipt of the request file from the content assignment system and without the selected content files being requested by the one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices,

send the addresses of said selected content files to an infrastructure for said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices, wherein receipt of the addresses by the infrastructure causes the infrastructure to retrieve said selected content files from said content database using the sent addresses, and

send said retrieved content files to one or more data storage devices in said one or more of the plurality of target mobile devices.