Application Downgrading to Placeholder Versions for Storage Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
User devices often run out of storage space, preventing critical updates and degrading performance, as they are overloaded with data and lack sufficient space for processes like software updates.
Innovation Solution
Downgrading applications to placeholder versions, which occupy less storage space, allowing temporary deletion to free up space while preserving user data, enabling processes like software updates to proceed without affecting the user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If applications are kept in full version on user device, then application functionality is maintained, but storage space is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential functionality of applications by creating placeholder versions that retain core application identity and metadata while removing bulk data and resources. This allows the application to remain accessible on the device in a minimal form, preserving basic functionality while freeing significant storage space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates placeholder copies of applications that contain only essential metadata, icons, and basic structure information. These placeholder copies serve as lightweight representations that occupy minimal storage space while maintaining application recognition and basic operational capability.
2Quantity of substance
If storage space is freed by deleting applications, then space is available for updates, but application data is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a placeholder application as an intermediary between the deleted full application and the user device. The placeholder serves as a mediator that preserves application identity and metadata while occupying minimal space, and acts as a marker for potential future restoration of the full application with its data intact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a discard and recover mechanism where the full application is temporarily discarded (deleted) to free space, but the placeholder remains as a recovery marker. The system can later recover or restore the full application based on user needs, ensuring data can be recovered rather than permanently lost.
3Quantity of substance
If applications are downgraded to placeholders, then storage space is freed, but user experience may be impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by downgrading only to the extent necessary to free storage space. Instead of completely removing applications, it creates placeholder versions that retain essential user interface elements and basic functionality, providing just enough action to solve the storage problem while minimizing impact on user experience.
Data Source
AI summary
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.