Apparatus and method for performing an over-the-air software update in a dual processor mobile station

• US 20040261072A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Herle, Sudhindra P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless communication device for accessing a wireless network and downloading a software upgrade file. The wireless communication device comprises: i) a CPU for controlling wireless communications with the wireless network; ii) a first memory associated with the first CPU; iii) a CPU for executing at least one end-user application on the wireless communication device; and iv) a second memory associated with the second CPU. The first CPU downloads the software upgrade file from the wireless network and stores the downloaded software upgrade file in the second memory for subsequent execution. The first CPU and the second COU share resources in order to carry out software upgrades for either or both CPUs.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device capable of accessing a wireless network and downloading a software upgrade file therefrom, said wireless communication device comprising:

a first central processing unit (CPU) capable of controlling wireless communications with said wireless network;

a first memory associated with said first CPU;

a second central processing unit (CPU) capable of executing at least one end-user application on said wireless communication device; and

a second memory associated with said second CPU, wherein said first CPU downloads said software upgrade file from said wireless network and stores said downloaded software upgrade file in said second memory.

2. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first CPU is capable of executing a first upgrade agent program that replaces first existing code associated with a first existing software file in said first memory with first replacement code from said downloaded software upgrade file.

3. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first upgrade agent program is stored in said first memory.

4. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said downloaded software upgrade file is transferred from said second memory to said first memory by an interprocessor communication unit.

5. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said first CPU executes said first upgrade agent program after said downloaded software upgrade file is transferred into said first memory from said second memory.

6. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first upgrade agent program is transferred from said second memory and stored in said first memory.

7. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said downloaded software upgrade file and said first upgrade agent program are transferred from said second memory to said first memory by an interprocessor communication unit.

8. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first CPU executes said first upgrade agent program after said downloaded software upgrade file is transferred into said first memory from said second memory.

9. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second CPU is capable of executing a second upgrade agent program that replaces second existing code associated with a second existing software file in said second memory with second replacement code from said downloaded software upgrade file.

10. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said second upgrade agent program is stored in said second memory.

11. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said second upgrade agent program is transferred from said first memory and stored in said second memory.

12. The wireless communication device as set forth in claim wherein said second CPU executes said second upgrade agent program after said second upgrade agent program is transferred into said second memory from said first memory.

13. A method of upgrading software in a wireless communication device comprising:

1) a first CPU that controls wireless communications with the wireless network;

     2) a first memory associated with the first CPU;

     3) a second CPU that executes at least one end-user application; and

     4) a second memory associated with the second CPU, the method of upgrading software comprising the steps of;

accessing a wireless network using the first CPU;

downloading the software upgrade file from the wireless network using the first CPU; and

transferring the downloaded software upgrade file from the first CPU into the second memory.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising the step of executing in the first CPU a first upgrade agent program that replaces first existing code associated with a first existing software file in the first memory with first replacement code from the downloaded software upgrade file.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein the first upgrade agent program is stored in the first memory.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 further comprising the step of transferring the downloaded software upgrade file from the second memory to the first memory.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the first CPU executes the first upgrade agent program after the downloaded software upgrade file is transferred into the first memory from the second memory.

18. The method as set forth in claim 15 further comprising the step of transferring the first upgrade agent program from the second memory into the first memory.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 further comprising the step of transferring the downloaded software upgrade file from the second memory to the first memory.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 wherein the first CPU executes the first upgrade agent program after the downloaded software upgrade file is transferred into the first memory from the second memory.

21. The method as set forth in claim 14 further comprising the step of executing in the second CPU a second upgrade agent program that replaces second existing code associated with a second existing software file in the second memory with second replacement code from the downloaded software upgrade file.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the second upgrade agent program is stored in the second memory.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22 further comprising the step of transferring the second upgrade agent program from the first memory into the second memory.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 wherein the second CPU executes the second upgrade agent program after the second upgrade agent program is transferred into the second memory from the first memory.