System and method for downgrading applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11662996-B2
Application number	US-202217660365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2022
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A technique for downgrading applications to placeholder applications in order to free up storage space in a user device. Based on a variety of heuristics, a number of installed applications are identified as candidates for a downgrade. The downgrading of the identified applications involves creating a placeholder application for each of the identified applications. The identified applications are temporarily deleted while keeping the user data associated with the identified applications intact and the placeholder applications are installed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented by a user device, the method comprising:
generating a list of applications to be downgraded in accordance with historical data associated with the user device;
receiving a list of recoverable applications that are recoverable from an online resource;
based on the list of recoverable applications, generating an updated list of applications to be downgraded by removing, from the list of applications to be downgraded, at least one application that is not recoverable from the online resource;
detecting a low memory storage space threshold being met at the user device; and
based at least in part on the low memory storage space threshold being met, downgrading at least one application in the updated list of applications.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical data includes information that indicates when installed applications were last utilized on the user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein downgrading the at least one application in the updated list of applications comprises:
deleting the at least one application in the updated list of applications from a memory of the user device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein deleting the at least one application in the updated list of applications from the memory of the user device comprises:
deleting an application bundle associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications from the memory of the user device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the application bundle comprises executable code associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications or one or more resources associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein downgrading the at least one application in the updated list of applications further comprises:
installing a placeholder application for the at least one application in the updated list of applications in the memory of the user device, wherein the placeholder application for the at least one application in the updated list of applications comprises a set of files that represents the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the set of files includes configuration data associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications and localization information associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a user device, cause the user device to carry out steps that include:
generating a list of applications to be downgraded in accordance with historical data associated with the user device;
receiving a list of recoverable applications that are recoverable from an online resource;
based on the list of recoverable applications, generating an updated list of applications to be downgraded by removing, from the list of applications to be downgraded, at least one application that is not recoverable from the online resource;
detecting a low memory storage space threshold being met at the user device; and
based at least in part on the low memory storage space threshold being met, downgrading at least one application in the updated list of applications.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the historical data includes information that indicates when installed applications were last utilized on the user device.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein downgrading the at least one application in the updated list of applications comprises:
deleting the at least one application in the updated list of applications from a memory of the user device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein deleting the at least one application in the updated list of applications from the memory of the user device comprises:
deleting an application bundle associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications from the memory of the user device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the application bundle comprises executable code associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications or one or more resources associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein downgrading the at least one application in the updated list of applications further comprises:
installing a placeholder application for the at least one application in the updated list of applications in the memory of the user device, wherein the placeholder application for the at least one application in the updated list of applications comprises a set of files that represents the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the set of files includes configuration data associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications and localization information associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

15. A user device comprising a processor configured to cause the user device to carry out steps that include:
generating a list of applications to be downgraded in accordance with historical data associated with the user device;
receiving a list of recoverable applications that are recoverable from an online resource;
based on the list of recoverable applications, generating an updated list of applications to be downgraded by removing, from the list of applications to be downgraded, at least one application that is not recoverable from the online resource;
detecting a low memory storage space threshold being met at the user device; and
based at least in part on the low memory storage space threshold being met, downgrading at least one application in the updated list of applications.

16. The user device of claim 15 , wherein the historical data includes information that indicates when installed applications were last utilized on the user device.

17. The user device of claim 15 , wherein downgrading the at least one application in the updated list of applications comprises:
deleting the at least one application in the updated list of applications from a memory of the user device.

18. The user device of claim 17 , wherein deleting the at least one application in the updated list of applications from the memory of the user device comprises:
deleting an application bundle associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications from the memory of the user device.

19. The user device of claim 18 , wherein the application bundle comprises executable code associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications or one or more resources associated with the at least one application in the updated list of applications.

20. The user device of claim 17 , wherein downgrading the at least one application in the updated list of applications further comprises:
installing a placeholder application for the at least one application in the updated list of applications in the memory of the user device, wherein the placeholder application for the at least one application in the updated list of applications comprises a set of files

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Linn Christopher S
• Brown Eric S
• Carlson Eric O
• Barrett Cindy M
• Grynspan Jonathan M
• Firlik Donald M
• Birse Cameron S
• Geoghegan Timothee

Classifications

• G06F8/62

  Uninstallation · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title