Systems and methods for the management and distribution of settings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9806941-B2
Application number	US-201113997348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2011
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for managing and distributing device and/or software settings. In some embodiments, the systems and methods permit a first device to upload settings information and/or user information to a network server. The network server may store such settings information and post it for download by at least one second device. Mechanisms for establishing a trust rating for such settings information are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium having settings management instructions stored thereon, wherein said instructions when executed by a processor of a network server cause the network server to perform the following operations comprising:
receive settings information from a first device, wherein said settings information correlates to settings associated with at least one of said first device and software including an application executed on said first device;
receive user information from said first device, said user information comprising an experience level of a user of said first device, a technical proficiency of said user of said first device, or a combination thereof;
store said settings information and said user information in a network storage;
generate a user profile for said user of said first device based at least in part on said user information;
associate said user profile with said settings information;
generate at least one direct indicator of trustworthiness comprising a rating of said settings information received from said first device;
generate at least one indirect indicator of trustworthiness of said settings information, the at least one indirect indicator of trustworthiness comprising at least one of:
a number of times said settings information has been downloaded; or
a number of times users that have downloaded said settings information have subsequently downloaded other settings information related to the same application, the same first device, or a combination thereof;
monitor the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness;
establish a trust rating based on the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness;
associate said trust rating with the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness; and
post said settings information in a settings file for download by a second device, wherein the settings file is configured such that when it is downloaded by the second device, it causes the second device to automatically implement the settings information therein without interaction by a user of the second device.

2. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said settings information comprises at least one of a device setting, an application setting, a driver setting, a security setting, a privacy setting, a network setting, an electronic mail setting, and combinations thereof.

3. A system, comprising:
at least one mobile device comprising:
a hardware processor;
a memory; and
settings management logic executed on said processor, wherein said settings management logic is operable to cause said mobile device to:
receive settings information inputs, wherein settings information inputs comprises settings information correlating to settings associated with at least one of said mobile device and software including an application executed on said mobile device;
receive user information regarding a user of said mobile device, said user information comprising an experience level of said user, a technical proficiency of said user, or a combination thereof;
store said settings information inputs and said user information to said memory; and
cause said mobile device to transmit said settings information and said user information to a network server, so as to cause said network server to:
store said settings information and said user information in a network storage, generate a user profile for said user of said mobile device based at least in part on said user information,
associate the user profile with the settings information,
post the settings information in a settings file for download, wherein the settings file is configured such that, when it is downloaded by a second device, it causes the second device to automatically implement the settings information therein without interaction by a user of the second device,
generate at least one direct indicator of trustworthiness comprising a rating of said settings information,
generate at least one indirect indicator of trustworthiness of said settings information, the at least one indirect indicator of trustworthiness comprising at least one of:
a number of times said settings information has been downloaded; or
a number of times users that have downloaded said settings information have subsequently downloaded other settings information related to the same application, the same mobile device, or a combination thereof;

monitor the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness;
establish a trust rating based on the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness, and
associate said trust rating with the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness;

wherein said settings management logic is further operable to enable browsing and downloading of settings files stored on said network storage with said mobile device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said settings information comprises at least one of a device setting, an application setting, a driver setting, a security setting, a privacy setting, a network setting, an electronic mail setting, and combinations thereof.

5. A method, comprising:
receiving, with a network server, settings information from a first device, said settings information correlates to settings associated with at least one of said first device and software including an application executed on said first device;
receiving, with said network server, user information from said first device, said user information comprising an experience level of a user of said first device, a technical proficiency of said user of said first device, or a combination thereof;
storing said settings information and said user information in a network storage;
generating, with said network server, a user profile for said user of said first device based at least in part on said user information;
associating, with said network server, said user profile with said settings information;
posting, with said network server, said settings information in a settings file for download by a second device, wherein the settings file is configured such that when it is downloaded by the second device, it causes the second device to automatically implement the settings information therein without interaction by a user of the second devices;
generating at least one direct indicator of trustworthiness comprising a rating of said settings information, generating at least one indirect indicator of trustworthiness of said settings information, the at least one indirect indicator of trustworthiness comprising at least one of:
a number of times said settings information has been downloaded; or
a number of times users that have downloaded said settings information have subsequently downloaded other settings information related to the same application, the same first device, or a combination thereof;

monitoring the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness;
establishing a trust rating based on the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness; and
associating said trust rating with the direct and indirect indicators of trustworthiness.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said settings information comprises at least one of a device setting, an application setting, a driver setting, a security setting, a privacy setting, a network setting, an electronic mail setting, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Wouhaybi Rita H
• Kohlenberg Tobias M
• Mo Stanley
• Mian Mubashir A
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Wouhaybi Rita H
• Kohlenberg Tobias M
• Mo Stanley
• Mian Mubashir A

Classifications

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• H04L41/0803 Primary

  Configuration setting · CPC title

• G06F9/4451 Primary

  User profiles; Roaming · CPC title