Carrier Setup Wizard Background Launch for Seamless OOBE Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Operating systems for mobile devices, such as Windows Phone, do not provide inter-process communication (IPC) between applications during the out-of-box experience (OOBE), making it difficult for carrier-provided applications to be set up seamlessly at the initial device setup, as they cannot communicate with the setup wizard application until launched by the user.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a carrier-specific setup wizard that interacts with the operating system setup wizard to provide a seamless interface for setting up carrier applications, using a protected shared memory location to store user-provided data for carrier applications, allowing them to be launched in the background and initialized without user interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the operating system setup wizard is used to initialize the phone at OOBE, then the standard operating system setup process can be completed, but the setup wizard cannot communicate with carrier-provided applications because they have not been launched yet and cannot use IPC

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetup completenessVSAvoidcommunication capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent launches carrier-provided applications in the background before the setup wizard needs to communicate with them. This preliminary action ensures that the applications are already running and capable of IPC communication when the setup wizard attempts to interact with them, resolving the contradiction between completing setup reliably and maintaining communication capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If carrier-provided applications are launched during OOBE to enable IPC communication, then seamless setup becomes possible, but user access to other device functions may be disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetup seamlessnessVSAvoiduser access availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Carrier applications are launched in the background before setup operations begin, allowing seamless communication without blocking user access to other device functions during the setup process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a background launch mechanism as an intermediary that enables communication between the setup wizard and carrier applications without requiring the applications to be in the foreground, thus maintaining user access to other device functions while enabling seamless setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If carrier applications require manual user launch for setup, then IPC communication can be established, but the setup process becomes less user-friendly and seamless

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoidsetup user-friendliness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically launches carrier applications in the background during the OOBE process before the setup wizard needs to communicate with them. This eliminates the need for manual user intervention to start applications, making the setup process more user-friendly while ensuring IPC communication capability is available when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9542208B2System and method to integrate/setup multiple branded applications in the setup wizard

Publication Date: 2017.01.10 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for setting up carrier applications within a setup wizard are disclosed. In some implementations, a computing device launches an operating system setup wizard. The computing device launches, from the operating system setup wizard, a carrier-specific setup wizard. The computing device presents, from within the carrier-specific setup wizard, a setup interface for each of a plurality of carrier applications.