APK Custom Data Injection Without Re-zipping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for injecting custom data into Android APK files require unzipping, resigning, and re-zipping, which is computationally demanding and inefficient, slowing down the distribution process.

Innovation Solution

The app customization system injects custom data into the comment field of APK files without unzipping, resigning, or re-zipping, utilizing the ZIP file format to append custom data to the end of the file or updating offsets as necessary, allowing for efficient transmission and installation of customized apps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If custom data is injected into APK file using conventional methods (unzipping, resigning, re-zipping), then custom data can be successfully injected, but server computational overhead and processing time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustom data injection successVSAvoiddistribution speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential modification needed (injecting custom data into the APK file) without performing unnecessary operations like unzipping, resigning, or re-zipping the entire file. This selective extraction of the minimal required action dramatically reduces server computational overhead while maintaining injection reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the APK file modification process into a single targeted operation (data injection) rather than a multi-step process involving extraction, modification, and re-compression. This segmentation isolates the essential function from auxiliary operations, improving distribution speed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If custom data is injected into APK file using conventional methods, then custom data can be successfully injected, but disk I/O operations increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustom data injection successVSAvoiddisk I/O overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes unnecessary disk I/O operations (unzipping and re-zipping) from the injection process, keeping only the essential data injection operation. This extraction eliminates redundant read-write cycles to disk, significantly reducing I/O overhead while maintaining injection success

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent prepares the APK file for injection by having the target device download the base APK first, then performs the injection operation in-place without requiring the file to be extracted to disk. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for subsequent re-compression and re-saving operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9311317B1Injecting custom data into files in zip format containing apps, without unzipping, resigning or re-zipping the files

Publication Date: 2016.04.12 GEN DIGITAL INC

AI summary

Custom data is injected into a comment field in an APK file. This creates a data driven, customized app, without unzipping, resigning or re-zipping the APK file. The APK file and the injected custom data are transmitted to a mobile computing device. The custom data can be injected into a comment field at the end of the APK file, which allows the non-customized version of the APK file and the custom data to be transmitted to the mobile computing device in succession, such that the transmission is received as a single, customized APK file. The content of the non-customized APK file and the custom data can instead be written to a new, customized APK file, which is then transmitted to the mobile computing device.