US 9,542,172 B2Granted

Automatic updating of applications

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsThomas Matthieu Alsina, Sean Kelly, Patrick Coffman, Sam Gharabally

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Abstract

In some implementations, a mobile device can be configured to automatically download and install updates to applications installed on the mobile device. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on how the mobile device is connected to a network that provides access to the application updates. In some implementations, the automatic updates can be performed based on whether the mobile device has previously downloaded applications or application updates from a caching server. In some implementations, indicia can be presented on a graphical user interface of the mobile device to indicate which applications have been updated. In some implementations, an application update can be downloaded while the corresponding application is in use by the user. The application can be installed when the application is no longer being used by the user.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

installing applications on a mobile device;
periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;
receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;
waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;
automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, wherein automatically downloading the application updates comprises:
determining that a user has enabled a first option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a first type and disabled a second option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a second type;
and
in response to determining that the user has enabled the first option and disabled the second option, automatically downloading application updates for installed applications of the first type without downloading application updates for installed applications of the second type.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

installing applications on a mobile device;
periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;
receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;
waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;
automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, wherein automatically downloading the application updates comprises:
determining that a user has enabled a first option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a first type and disabled a second option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a second type;
and
in response to determining that the user has enabled the first option and disabled the second option, automatically downloading application updates for installed applications of the first type without downloading application updates for installed applications of the second type.

5 more elements

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
installing applications on a mobile device;
periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;
receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;
waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;
automatically downloading the application updates when the mobile device connects to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, wherein automatically downloading the application updates comprises:
determining that a user has enabled a first option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a first type and disabled a second option on the mobile device for automatic updating of installed applications of a second type;
and
in response to determining that the user has enabled the first option and disabled the second option, automatically downloading application updates for installed applications of the first type without downloading application updates for installed applications of the second type.

8 more elements

A method comprising:

installing applications on a mobile device;
periodically sending from the mobile device a request to an application service for application update information corresponding to the one or more installed applications;
receiving application update information from the application service identifying application updates available for downloading from the application service for one or more of the installed applications;
waiting a first specified period of time for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point;
conditioned on the mobile device not connecting to the wireless access point within the first specified period of time, determining whether downloading application updates over cellular data is enabled;
conditioned on determining that downloading application updates over cellular data is not enabled, extending the first specified period of time by an additional known time period;
and
waiting for the additional known time period for the mobile device to connect to a wireless access point.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.