Cloud-to-device messaging for application activation and reporting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8949307-B2
Application number	US-201113296678-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2011
Priority date	Nov 15, 2011
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system for updating application data for a first instance of an application via C2DM is disclosed. An application server may receive a request from the first client computing device for updated application data via a network connection. The updated application data may correspond to a second instance of the application at a second client computing device. In response to determining the second instance of the application at the second client computing device supports push notifications, the system and method may generate a C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the first client computing device and the request for updated application data. A server may then send the C2DM message to the second client computing device, wherein the C2DM message causes the second instance to wake up and generate the updated application data. The updated application data may be returned to the first client computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for updating application data for a first instance of an application at a first client computing device, the method comprising:
receiving a request from the first client computing device for updated application data at an application server via a network connection, the updated application data corresponding to a second instance of the application at a second client computing device; and
in response to determining that the second instance of the application at the second client computing device supports push notifications, sending a C2DM message consisting of a timestamp, a user ID corresponding to the first client computing device, and the request for updated application data to the second client computing device via the network connection, wherein the C2DM message causes the second instance to wake up and generate the updated application data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the updated application data at the application server via the network connection;
generating another C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the second client computing device and the updated application data; and
sending the other C2DM message to the first client computing device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the timestamp indicates time the request was received by the application server.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising using the timestamp to determine that application data of the application server is stale by determining the application data of the application server is older than the request by more than a threshold.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further comprising generating the C2DM message and sending the C2DM message to the second client computing device via the network connection in response to determine the application data of the application server is stale.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising displaying the updated application data on a display of the first client computing device, the display including a graphic representation of a location of the second client computing device.

7. A computer-implemented method for updating application data for a first instance of an application at a first client computing device, the method comprising:
sending a request from the first instance of the application at the first client computing device to an application server via a network connection, the request for updated application data corresponding to a second instance of the application at a second client computing device;
receiving a first C2DM message at the second client computing device, the first C2DM message consisting of a timestamp, a user ID corresponding to the first client computing device, and the request for updated application data;
generating updated application data with the first C2DM message using the second instance of the application;
sending the updated application data from the second client computing device; and
receiving a second C2DM message at the first client computing device, the second C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the second client computing device and the updated application data.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the timestamp indicates a time the request was sent from the first client computing device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising using the timestamp to determine that application data of the second client computing device is stale by determining the application data is older than the request by more than a threshold.

10. A client computing device comprising:
a processor;
a memory storing an application and instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions for using the processor to:
send a request from a first instance of the application at the client computing device to a server via a network connection, the request for updated application data corresponding to a second instance of the application at another client computing device, wherein the request causes the server to send a first C2DM message to the other client computing device, the first C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the client computing device and the request for updated application data, wherein the other client device only sends updated application data to the server in response to the data request by the client computing device; and
receive a second C2DM message at the client computing device, the second C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the other client computing device and the requested updated application data;

a transceiver for sending the request and receiving the second C2DM message; and
a display including a graphic representation of a location of the second client computing device from the received updated application data.

11. The client computing device of claim 10 , wherein the first C2DM message further includes a timestamp indicating a time the request was sent by the client computing device.

12. The client computing device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further use the processor to determine that application data of the server is stale by determining the application data is older than the timestamp by more than a threshold.

13. The client computing device of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver receives the second C2DM message in response to the application data of the server being stale.

14. A system for updating application data using C2DM comprising:
a first client computing device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a first instance of an application and instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions for using the processor to send a request for updated application data corresponding to a second instance of the application;
an application server including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions for using the processor to determine that the request includes a timestamp that exceeds a threshold time limit and to store updated application data;
a network initiated data request manager including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions for using the processor in response to the timestamp exceeding the threshold to generate a C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the first client computing device and the request for updated application data;
a second client computing device including a processor and a memory, the memory storing the second instance of the application and instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions for using the processor and the C2DM message to wake up the second instance of the application and cause the second instance of the application to generate updated application data, wherein the second client computing device only sends updated application data to the application server in response to the request from the first client computing device.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the application server further includes instructions for receiving the updated application data and sending a second C2DM message to the first client computing device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the network initiated data request manager further includes instructions to generate the second C2DM message including a user ID corresponding to the second client computing device and the updated application data.

17. The system of claim 16 . wh

Assignees

• Oplinger Andrew
• Leftin Ken
• Verghese Philip C
• Norton Kenneth
• Lapenna Joseph
• Google Inc

Inventors

• Oplinger Andrew
• Leftin Ken
• Verghese Philip C
• Norton Kenneth
• Lapenna Joseph

Classifications

• H04L12/00 Primary

  Data switching networks (interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00) · CPC title

• H04W4/206

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/21 Primary

  for social networking applications · CPC title

• H04L67/60

  Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources (admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70) · CPC title