Method and system for a hosted mobile management service architecture

• US 9,219,797 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Daniel J., Hess, Christopher K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimesh
• Application Number:
  US13/251,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A hosted mobile management service is provided for enabling a user to access a centralized account through a user interface on a terminal in order to manage the user'"'"'s media information, such as digital music and photos. Any modifications made by user through the user interface are transparently sent to the user'"'"'s mobile device where a module receives such modification information and interacts with the mobile device to reconcile such modifications.

Claims

1. A method for remotely causing a mobile device to implement an action, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server from a terminal, an indication of user input representing the action, wherein the terminal is separate from the server and separate from the mobile device;

responsive to receiving the indication of user input representing the action to be implemented on the mobile device, transmitting a message from the server to the mobile device that causes the mobile device to automatically send a request to establish a network connection to the server;

receiving, at the server, the request from the mobile device to establish the network connection;

establishing the network connection between the mobile device and the server; and

transmitting instructions from the server through the network connection that cause the mobile device to implement the action on the mobile device, wherein the action on the mobile device is at least one of moving data to the mobile device, moving data from the mobile device, deleting data from the mobile device, copying data on to the mobile device, moving data within a directory structure of the mobile device, or renaming a file on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a manipulation of a user interface of a desktop application or of a web site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface simulates the mobile device so that a user of the user interface views or hears modifications to the mobile device represented by the action prior to transmitting the instructions to implement the action.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the action relates to instructions for playing digital music on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a push message that is processed by a push registry of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to automatically send the request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises storing media content received through the network connection in a folder structure of a file system of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions comprise at least one instruction corresponding to at least one file system operation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a data management action at the terminal and the instructions correspond to the data management action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a short message service (SMS) message and the network connection comprises a TCP/IP connection.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the message comprises transmitting to a specified port number of the mobile device on which the mobile device is configured to listen.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is associated with a network address of the server and the network address of the server is used by the mobile device to transmit the request to establish the network connection.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a server, cause the server to:

receive an indication that was generated in response to user input at a terminal separate from a mobile device and separate from the server, the indication representing an action to be implemented on the mobile device;

in response to receipt of the indication representing the action to be implement on the mobile device, transmit a message to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to automatically send a request to establish a network connection with the server;

receive the request from the mobile device to establish the network connection;

in response to receipt of the request, establish the network connection between the server and the mobile device; and

transmit instructions through the network connection to the mobile device that cause the mobile device to implement the action, wherein the instructions regarding the action comprise at least one instruction to implement at least one file system operation and the file system operation comprises at least one of an operation to put file/folder, an operation to get a file/folder timestamp, an operation to get a file/folder size, an operation to add a file, an operation to delete a file/folder, an operation to replace a file/folder, an operation to copy a file, an operation to move a file/folder, or an operation to rename a file/folder.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the action relates to instructions that control real-time playing of digital music on the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions regarding the action comprise at least one file system operation that, when performed by the mobile device, results in the mobile device storing media content received through the network connection in a specified location on a file system of the mobile device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the message is transmitted on an out of band channel.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the indication comprises a plurality of indications aggregated by the terminal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the indication comprises a single indication received from the terminal in real time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the message is associated with a network address of the server and the network address is used by the mobile device to transmit the request to establish the network connection.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the message is a push message that is processed by a push registry of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to automatically send the request.

20. A server configured to synchronize a terminal and a mobile device, the server comprising a processor configured to:

receive, from the terminal which is separate from the mobile device, an indication generated in response to input by a user representing an action to be carried out on the mobile device;

in response to receipt by the server of the indication representing the action to be carried out on the mobile device, transmit a message to the mobile device to cause the mobile device to automatically send a request to the server to establish a network connection;

receive the request;

responsive to receiving the request, establish the network connection between the server and the mobile device; and

transmit operation instructions for the mobile device to carry out the action represented by the user indication, wherein the action on the mobile device is at least one of moving data to the mobile device, moving data from the mobile device, deleting data from the mobile device, copying data on to the mobile device, moving data within a directory structure of the mobile device, or renaming a file on the mobile device.

21. The server of claim 20, wherein the message is associated with a session identifier that is used by the server to keep track of a particular communication session.

22. The server of claim 20, wherein the operation instructions comprise at least one instruction to implement at least one file system operation.

23. The server of claim 20, further comprising an applications actions database coupled to the processor and configured to maintain a list of operation instructions for the mobile device for indications that can be generated on the terminal.

24. The server of claim 20, further comprising a plugin specific to an application on the mobile device that provides operation instructions for the application that correspond to the indication.

25. The server of claim 20, further comprising a content database coupled to the processor and configured to provide network storage of content.

26. The server of claim 20, further comprising a content database coupled to the processor and configured to store a make and a model of the mobile device and a list of applications on the mobile device.

27. The server of claim 20, further comprising a web server coupled to the processor and configured to generate a user interface, wherein the user interface comprises an interface for the user to manage data on the mobile device.

28. The server of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to request a timestamp from the mobile device, compare the timestamp with a timestamp known by the server, and if the timestamps differ, request a directory listing from the mobile device.

29. The server of claim 20, wherein the message is associated with a network address of the server and the network address of the server is used by the mobile device to transmit the request to establish the network connection.

30. The server of claim 20, wherein the message is a push message that is processed by a push registry of the mobile device to cause the mobile device to automatically send the request.