Mobile information processing
View Patent ↗An application deployment manager 8 associated with an associated Mobile Edge Computing server receives a notification (step 222 ) of a newly-attached terminal, and queries a database 60 (step 223 ) to identify any computing applications the terminal is associated with, and interrogates an application platform 12 and an update record 72 to determine whether the current version of each required service is currently hosted on the platform 12 (steps 225, 250 ). The application deployment manager 8 then retrieves any programme data not already hosted on the application management system (step 227 ) for installation ready for use by the terminal 2.
1. A method of connecting mobile terminals to a mobile communications network through an interface server, the interface server being capable of installing computing applications for co-operation with mobile terminals attached to the interface server, wherein, when a mobile terminal attaches to the network through the interface server, the interface server interrogates a database to identify associations between computing applications and the attached terminal and, if the server does not already have the computing applications associated with the attached terminal installed, downloads programme information from a programme store to allow the required applications to be installed.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the required applications are identified by interrogating a database in the terminal.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the required applications are identified by interrogating a network-based subscriber database.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein when an association is identified between a terminal and an application already stored by the interface server, the interface server determines whether an updated version of the application is stored in the programme store, and downloads such an updated version if it exists.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein applications are deleted from the server if they have not been accessed by users for a predetermined period.
6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the interface server downloads programme information from the programme store for applications for which the number of users have passed a predetermined threshold, and delivers accession information to allow remote access in response to requests for applications in respect of which the predetermined threshold has not been passed.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the database to be interrogated is a user profile stored on the mobile terminal.
8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling the interface server to download programme information from the programme store for applications for which the number of users have passed a predetermined threshold; and
delivering accession information to allow remote access in response to requests for applications in respect of which the predetermined threshold has not been passed.
9. An interface server for connecting mobile terminals to a mobile communications network, the interface server having an application platform capable of supporting computing applications for co-operation with mobile terminals operationally attached to the interface server, having an attachment notification interface for identifying when a mobile terminal attaches to the network through the interface server, and having an application deployment management system having an authentication interface for interrogating a database for identifying associations between computing applications and the attached terminal when the attachment notification interface identifies that the mobile terminal attaches to the network through the interface server, an application platform interface for interacting with the application platform to identify applications installed on the platform, and an accession interface to download application programme information from a programme store to install computing applications associated with the attached terminal if they are not already present on the platform.
10. An interface server according to claim 9 , wherein the database to be interrogated is a network based user profile.
11. An interface server according to claim 9 , wherein the database to be interrogated is a user profile stored on the mobile terminal.
12. An interface server according to claim 9 , having an update record interface for retrieving data identifying a current version of a requested application, and an application platform interface for identifying whether the so-identified current version corresponds to a version running on the application platform, and for controlling the application accession server to download application programme information relating to the current version from a programme store if no such correspondence is identified.
13. An interface server according to claim 9 , having a thresholding system for controlling the interface server to download programme information from the programme store for applications for which the number of users have passed a predetermined threshold, and to deliver accession information to allow remote access in response to requests for applications in respect of which the predetermined threshold has not been passed.