APPLICATION

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention pertains in genera! to the field of software application preload and more particularly to interrelated methods in a server and in a client, for enabling policy controlled preload and consumption of a software application in a client. BACKGROUND

Currently, software application providing "App Stores" such as e.g. the Ericsson Drutt Mobile Service Delivery Platform (MSDF) product, or federated stores as proposed in the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC) consortium are becoming popular. WAC's objective is to offer developers a route to market that reaches the widest possible customer base and provides customers with as much choice as possible. Via the interlace of a networked user device, a user can browse among applications available through a certain app store. When a desired application is selected among the available apps. also known as applications, a user authorization process is initiated and performed, after which the selected application may be downloaded to the user device.

Generally, an end-user may be aware of, and to a degree tolerate, the reason behind some delay forcing him or her to wail while downloading certain amount of content. However, the need to wait for download of what appears to be, and in fact is a limited amount of software application data is less intuitive, and therefore less tolerable from an end-user perspective, since the user authorization, although necessary and desirable from an app providers point of view, does not add to the user experience.

In current delivery systems for applications, authorization is performed after which the application is retrieved. The user has hence to wall tor the application to be i SUMMARY

it is an object to seek to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the disadvantages above and provide improved methods, apparatuses and computer program products with which authorization is performed before a software application is retrieved.

A first aspect of the present disclosure is a method in a server. The method according to th first aspect of the disclosure is enabling policy control led preload and consumption of software application in a client, and comprises the steps of

receiving information pertaining to an identified user;

providing the identified user's current user- and/or application usage policies to a client associated with the identified user;

deriving an software application preferences context pertaining to the user;

based on the derived software application preferences context recommending an unsolicited software application from a set of available soft ware application;

preparing for transmission a set of software application comprising the

recommended unsolicited app; and providing the client with the prepared set of apps.

The received information may comprise contest information pertaining to the user. The received information may further comprise an instruction to provide the clien with an unspecified unsolicited software application for download. The ste of deriving may further comprise deriving the software application preference context from metadata pertaining to a user-solicited app. The step of deriving may further comprise deriving the software application preferences context from network -based context information pertaining to the user. The step of recommending may comprise the further step of computing relative software application preferences context relevance among set of available software applications. The step of recommending ma comprise the further step of selecting for recommendation the unsolicited software application having the highest relative software application preferences context relevance among information pertaining to an identified user; obtaining the identified user ^' s current user- and/or application usage policies;

providing to the network context information pertaining to the user from which an software application preferences context pertaining to the user may he derived;

receiving a se of software applications comprising an unsolicited software application relevant to the user's software application preferences context; and

storing the unsolicited software application in a preload cache.

The received information may comprise a request for a previously unsolicited app stored in a preload cache.

The method of the second aspect of the present discl osure may comprise the further steps of determining whether the requested software application is in accordance with the obtained/Current user- and or application usage policies; and if so providing the user with the requested app.

According to a method of the first and/or second aspects of the present disclosure the received information may comprise a request from the user for a user-soiiciled app.

According to the first and/or second aspects of the present disclosure the set of software applications may comprise the user-solicited app.

A third aspect of the present disclosure is a server for provision of policy controlled software application preload to a client. The server of the third aspect of the present disclosure comprises a network interface unit, a processing unit and a memory unit. The processing and memory units implement a preload manager, a reconirnender, and a software application storage, where said server is adapted and configured, to receive information pertaining to an identified user; provide the identified user's current user- and/or application usage policies to a client associated with the identified user; derive a software application preference context pertaining to the user; based on the derived software application preferences context recommend an unsolicited software application from a set of available software applications;

set of soi\v\ ace applications. According to the third, aspect of the present disclosure, the server may further be adapted and configured to derive the software application preferences context from rneta-data pertaining to the user-solicited software application and/or from network- based context information pertaining to the user; compute relative software application preferences context relevance among a set of available software applications; and

select for recommendation the unsolicited software application having the highest, relative software application preferences context relevance among previously not selected available software applications.

A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a client T he client of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a network interface unit, a man-machine interface unit, a processing unit and a memory unit. , said units implementing a user interface, preload cache, a policy enforcement point, a policy storage and a context agent. The client of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure is further adapted and configured to receive information pertaining to an identified user; obtain the identified user's current user- and/or application usage policies; provide to the network context information pertaining to the. user from which a software application, preferences context pertaining to the user may be derived; receive a set of software applications comprising an unsolicited software application relevant to the user ^' s software application preferences context; and store the unsolicited software application in the preload cache.

The received infonnation may further comprise a req est for a previously unsolicited software application stored in the preload cache.

The client of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure may further be adapted and configured to determine whether the requested software application is in accordance with the obtained current user- and or application usage policies; and if so provide th user with the requested software application.

A fi fth aspect of the presen disclosure is a computer program comprising

M- i ill jii . i .'f ilv n: i iv-i J lo-.ir c -\ \:^ - ΰ· ϊ ni t urn i- UP i<:i .i i imu 'i.tei . A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a computer program on a earner and comprising computer executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the method steps of the first or the second aspect of the present di sclosure, when said program is run on a computer. Said earner may be a record medium, computer memory, read-only memory or an electrical carrier signal .

A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium, having thereon: computer program code means, when said program is loaded, to make the computer execute the process of any of the first or the second aspect of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure have an ad vantage that authorization of a user is performed before a software application is retrieved to the user. This means that the user may benefit from immediate access to the software application after the download. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the present disclosure is capable of, will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present disclosure, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 illustrates a communication system, related to the present disclosure.

Figs. 2a and 2b schematically illustrate embodiments of a server and a. client ^' according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 schematically illustrates flowcharts of methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 illustrates sequences relating to methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

also named preload cache, in a user's device which receives software applications for download, with software application store functionality, enabled by the delegation of policy control. Examples of software application store functionality are provided by the functionality provided by known "App Stores' ^* .

A service node such as the Ericsson rutt Mobile Service Delivery Platform 5 (MS DP) may be responsible for requesting recommendations of items to a user.

The software application store is equipped with a recommendation system thai creates a user-specific lis of appropriate software applications or media: a mechanism to manage downloads appropriately for a current network and device conditions; and a policy management mechanism which makes the configuration of the policies

10 individual for each user.

Embodiments of aspects of the* present disclosure may be implemented in a system as described in Figure 1. The system 4000 comprises a first network 500, which may be a core network, and a second network 600 _» which may be a radio access network.

15 The radio access network may be standardized by IEEE, 3GPP or 3GPP2 and may comprise a radio access node 700. The system further comprises a software application store, server 1 00 connectable to the core network 500 and, directly or indirectly via the core network 500 _» to the radio access network 600.

The core network 500 may be implemented according to the standards from

20 IEEE, ETSI, 3GPP or 3GPP2 for connecting a radio access network to other

communications networks. The core network 500 may further be adapted and configured to provide device group functionality, context manager functionality and network control functionality.

The system according to embodiments of the present disclosure may also

25 comprise a social network services functionality, implemented as connectable to the first and/or second networks 500 _» 600.

The system further comprises a client 2000, herein exemplified as a mobile device 2000, connectable to the radio access network, and further via it connectable to the core network 500 and to the software application store server 1000.

30 Via the mobile device 2000 a user may get immediate access to one or many tiiiiilie

For the purpose of the present disclosure an "app" is a software application of the form of a. self-contained bundle of media and/or instructions that, are intended for local installation on a mobile device, such that an end-user may utilize functionality

provided by the software application.

Throughout the figures, logical/functional entities implemented by hardware and/or software comprised in system nodes are illustrated as boxes with dashed, borders 5 and referenced with capital letters rather than numbers. Though the dashed boxes in the figures are not explicitly connected by lines, it is to be understood that the respective logical/functional entities are implemented as interconnected to function according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated, in Figure 1, the core network 500 comprises a context manager Q i 0 that is adapted and configured to manage user context.

For the purpose of the present disclosure, "user context" is defined as a descriptor of a user's current situation. User context may provide information about a user's current location, current device usage etc. A user context may be derived from context related data retrieved from various sources and sensors, etc. as is described in 15 the state of the art. The context manager Q is former adapted and configured to manage user preferences.

For the purpose of this present disclosure, "user preferences" is defined as a descriptor of the user per se as a function of time. Notably, user preferences pertaining to a certain user may be influenced by at least aspects of the same certain user's current

20 and previous user contexts.

The policy server .1 is adapted and configured to handle, and to delegate, centrally managed -application subscriptions, usage rights and policies information. The polic server J may further be adapted and configured to provide and apply digital rights managemen (DRM) in a DR server.

The preload manager is adapted and configured to handle the distribution, packaging and caching/storage of software applications which may be delivered to the mobile device 2000.

The recommender L is adapted and configured to select a set of apps to be managed by the preload manager K. The software application storage M is adapted and configured to store and prepare for transmission, and thus make apps 40 available for Installation and execution in a client.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure an account/subscription manage N is implemented and further adapted and configured to manage information about users' ^' allowances for app usage, which may be triggered by payment or other mechan sm -based usage authorization.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure a campaign manager 0 is implemented as comprised in the recommender L. The campaign manager () may be

The policy storage C is. adapted and configured to manage policies related to subscription, usage and/or caching of software applications. The policy enforcement point D is adapted and configured to execute policies delegated from the server 1000, thereby enabling e.g. conditional installation and/or usage of an app.

5 The context agent B is adapted and configured to collect, assemble and manage contextual and preferential data, such as a user's behavior, interaction and media usage; sensor data, e.g. data about the situation around a user; and device capabilities, describing how a user device may be used.

Further, the man-machine interface 2020 may comprise a microphone, a 10 speaker, a display and further any other component necessary to enable a user to view, hear, feel, read, sense, interact/impart to, or in other ways utilize and exploit features and advantages of the instal led software application. The client 2000 is associable with an identified user.

Figure 3 illustrates a method 100 in a server .1000 and a method 200 in a client 15 2000, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, in a flowchart type of

presentation. Said methods are interrelated.

The method 1.00 in a server 1000 enables policy controlled preload of software application and consumption in a client 2000 that is associated with an identified user 0, The method 100 comprises providing 120 the identified user' 10 current user- 20 and/or software application usage policies to the client 2000 and deriving 30 a

software application preferences context pertaining to the identified user 10. The method further comprises based on the derived soft are application preferences context, recommending 1 0 an unsolicited software application 20 from a set of available soft ware applications 30, and preparing 150 a set of soft ware applications 40 25 for transmission, the set of software applications comprising the recommended

uiisoiicited software application 20. In addition, the method 100 comprises transmitting 160 to the client 2000 the prepared set of software applications 40,

The method 100 may further comprise receiving information 110 pertaining to an identified user 10.

30 The method 200 in a client 200 that is associated with an identified user 10, comprises rece ving information 210 pertaining to an identified user 10, where the

a so i^ip s p d g to a j,m f. eom m? rm.«†e> ttmn ^ m the ^s ? ¾> 35 from which an software application preferences context pertaining to the user 10 may be derived, and receiving 240 a set of software applications 40 comprising an unsolicited software application 20 relevant to the user's software application preferences context. In addition, the method comprises storing 260 the unsolicited software application 20 in a preload cache.

5 in the follo wing, an interleaved discussion of method steps of methods 100 and

200 is presented.

According to some embodiments, the method in a server 1000 comprises the step 110 of receiving informaiion pertaining to the identified user. An instruction to the client 2000 to request a user-relevant app for preload may originate from an app 10 provider. The received information then composes or is comprised in d e request from the client 2000 associated with the user. An interrelated method step 210 may comprise receiving informaiion in the form of said instruction.

The method 100 further comprises a providing step Ϊ 20. In this step, the server

1000 'provides the identified user's current user- and/or software application usage 15 policies to the client 2000. Correspondingly, the same policie are obtained by the client

2000 in an interrelated method step 220. The providing step 120 enables the

determining step 270.

in a deriving step 1 SO, th server 1000 derives app preferences context pertaining to the identified user,

20 Basal on the derived app preferences context, the recoramender L recommends an unsolicited app 20 from a set of available apps 30 in the application storage M. This is performed in a recommending step 140,

in the .following, reference Is also made to figure 4 i order to avoid repetition of paragraphs of the present disclosure.

25 Figure 4 illustrates sequences related to embodiments of the methods of figure

3, Said, figure 4 illustrates the principles of a pol icy setup sequence j 3], a context setup sequence [4], a preload setup sequence [5] and an app loading sequence [6], the sequences [3] - [6] of which are interrelated sequences related to the present disclosure.

Sequence events 3g, 3h, 5i and 6c, illustrated by relatively fetter arrows, entail 3 downloading/streaming of actual content, in this case apps. Though the present

disclosure also entails management of content apps within the server, especially

The app provider initiates the service, but typically does not specify the identity of apps for preload . Instead the app provider may rely upon the recommender L to select and specify the identity of apps for preload. Further, the recommender L's selection is a function of user preferences. However, whereas the user may, with certain 5 likelihood, be expected to request use of preloaded apps, the preloaded apps are

nevertheless unsolicited from a user perspective at the time of preload.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, a context management sequence, as illustrated with the sequence events 4b-4f in figure 4, has been performed prior to the deriving step 130, as a part of an interrelated method step 230 in the client 2000. In the

10 interrelated method ste 230, the client provides the network with user context

information from which the app preferences may be derived. According to embodiments of aspects of the present disclosure, the context manager Q retrieves user context from context agent B in sequence event 4b. This proces may use policies and other tools for optimal data communication. In sequence event 4c, the context manager Q may retrieve

15 network information from a network manager R. in sequence event 4d the network

manager R may report the current network situation to a group manager P comprised in the core network. The group manager P may conclude a current group based on group membership list and network information. The group list is set externally and dependent on context information. The group manager P then reports, in sequence event 4e, the

20 current group to the context manager Q. In sequence event 4f, the context manager Q ma retrieve external relevant informaiion, such as the identified user's social relations from, a social network services S before it concludes the creation of the context. The deriving step 130 may be prompted by preload cache A, as illustrated in the sequence event 4a.

25 According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the recommender L may retrieve user information from the account manage N as illustrated by sequence event 5c. The user information may then be used to retrieve context information from Context Manager Q. This is illustrated in the sequence event 5d in figure 4.

During tire recommendation ste 140, the recommender L checks the

30 availability of applications, and their metadata, in the application storage M, as

illustrated by sequence event 5e; computes the most relevant applications for

Manager !v

In a preparation st 1 0. the preload m nager R. retrieves the Itsted set of 35 applications from the application storage M. This is illustrated by sequence event 5g.

I I The preload manager uploads the recommended application files to the client in

transmitting 160 and is further illustrated by sequence event 5i. In certain embodiments of the present disclosure the server may, in a policing step 1.70, determine whether the policies allow use. The policing step 170 may be comprised in the preparation step 150.

The preload manager may then check the user policy in the policy server J as illustrated by sequence event 5h, and further onl allow delivery of apps to the client if the current user policies allow. This is an additional advantage, because app delivery will onl take place when the user is ready to receive it; and only apps which th user has declared he is ready to receive is delivered. In situations where the user is not the subscriber, the user polic may be set by the subscriber, so that the person actually using the device, e.g. a child or an employee, does not perform downloads that are not permitted by the owner of the device, e.g. a parent or an employer. An optional mechanism for determining when it is necessary to check policies may be comprised in the preparation step 150.

In a receiving step 250 interrelated to the preparation step 150, th client 2000 receives the set of apps 40 comprising an unsolicited app 20 relevant to the user's app preferences context. In a storing step 260 interrelated to the providing step 160, received apps are stored in the preload cache A. For the purpose of the present disclosure, the words "buffering ^" ' and "caching" may be considered to be hyponyms to "storing", and further "streaming", downloading" and "preloading" may considered to be hyponyms to "providing".

in embodiments of the present disclosure, the- received information of the receiving steps 1 10 and/or 210 may comprise, or be comprised in, a request front the user, via the user interface 2020, to the client 2000, for a new, user-solicited app. This is illustrated by sequence event 3a.

In embodiments of methods 100 and 200 this request for a solicited app may serve as an alternative to the previously mentioned instruction from the service provider, and hence the request in the client 2000 may trigger initiation of the preload service.

In yet other embodiments the received information comprises or is comprised in a request via the user interface 2020 for an apparently "new" but in fact preloaded

that the preload cache A requests policy enforcement point D to check whether usage is allowed. Sequence event 3c illustrates how policy enforcement point D requests current user policies from the policy storage C. Sequence event 3d illustrates tha policy storage C returns t he policies to the policy enforcement point D. if the policy storage C does not have any current policies, it acquires it from policy server J as illustrated by 3e. Policy storage C may not have current policies, either because it has not previously recei ved any, or because the received policies are older than a certain predefined age, or for another predetermined reason. The client 2000 determines in a determining step 270 whether the apparently new app is in accordance with the obtained policies prior to loading/install ing/executing rendering it for consumption via the user interface. This is illustrated in sequence events 6a _> 6b and 6c,

li should be noted that the interrelated method step may be performed in different order, and certai interrelated method step may be ^■ performed several times. The presented server-client relation should not be construed as reflecting a plain sender* receiver type of relationship between the server 1000 and the client 2.000, Instead, they may be thought of as reflecting the same enabling method step concept performe with a first timing, order of .sequence and set of interfaces in the server, and a second timing order of sequences and set of interfaces in the client. As an example, from the server's point of view, the final destination for the recommended apps is the client, whereas from the client's point of view, the end destination is the preload cache A within the same client. Further, whereas the server ma determine whether the policies allow use during a policing step 170. _» comprised in the preparation step 150, the client may perform the corresponding determining during the determination step 270. Further, the client may receive information pertaining to the user from the user interface and/o from the context manager Q, while the server may receive the interrelated information from the client and/or from the context manager Q.

Embodiments of the present disclosure have the advantage that authorization of a user is performed before an application is retrieved to the user. This means that the user may benefit from immediate access to the application after the apphcation has been downloaded.