Private labeled mobile applications
View Patent ↗Currently technology encourages use of mobile applications, which executes programs on mobile devices that formerly only operated on personal computers. These mobile applications, “mobile apps” typically run on smart phone style devices such as iPhone, Android based and Blackberry based phones. Many mobile applications are service oriented and are sold or provided to the end user by the Dealer of these products and services. These applications are typically branded in the name of the manufacturer or provider of these products or services, using the manufacturer's graphic theme and logos. In many cases, the Dealer of the products or services would prefer that the mobile application they provide to their customer base be branded with their company's name, color themes and logos. Unfortunately, it is very expensive and cumbersome to generate custom mobile applications that are branded in the image and name of the Dealer.
1. A computer implemented method that allows a server system to offer a Dealer's customers branded mobile applications that are branded in the Dealer's company image to a user's mobile device comprising the steps of:
providing the user's mobile device with a mobile application from an on-line store;
launching the user's mobile application from the mobile device for the first time, the mobile application has a generic background;
upon launching, the processor of the mobile phone automatically querying a branding flag status on the server system or on the mobile phone to determine if the branding status flag for the mobile application on the user's mobile device has been set without first having a user input; and
allowing normal usage of mobile application if the branding status flag has been set, and
if the branding status flag has not been set, initiating a process of loading at least one Dealer Key Branding element onto said mobile application from the Dealer Server System;
saving the at least one Dealer Key Branding element on the user's mobile device;
setting a branding status flag on the user's mobile device; and
allowing normal usage of the mobile application.
2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the Dealer Key Branding element is a Dealer company name or logo.
3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the Dealer Key Branding element is a background color, a texture or a pattern.
4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the Dealer Key Branding element is a description about the Dealer's company.
5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the mobile application automatically selects and installs the Dealer Key Branding element upon the first use of the mobile application after the mobile application has been loaded onto the mobile device.
6. The computer implementation method of claim 1 wherein a modification made to said at least one Dealer Key Branding element is tracked with a timestamp.