Method and apparatus for updating a control file

• US 20060079254A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Hogan, Timothy James
• Application Number:
  US10/545,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20060079254A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A method of simultaneously upgrading control files in mobile devices (5) and remote devices (45) utlising Cell Broadcast messages. A control file is divided into a number of packets which are sent in the user data sections (18, 20) of a sequence of Cell Broadcasts messages. The mobile data (5) or remote device (45) reassembles the packets (18, 20) and loads the control file if it passes error-checking tests. The control file may be operating software, operational parameters, control commands or SIM card files. The remote device may be a monitoring device, a consumer appliances, a vending machine etc. The method provides simultaneous “Flash upgrades” to multiple mobile devices in a transparent manner with minimal network overhead. A system for effecting the method and a remotely updatable device are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a control file from a source device to a remote device via a cellular communication network comprising the steps of:

i. packing a control file into one or more Cell Broadcast message;

ii. transmitting the one or more Cell Broadcast message via one or more wireless transmitter;

iii. receiving the Cell Broadcast messages at a remote device; and

iv. extracting and reassembling the control file at the remote device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of integrating the control file into said remote device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of executing instructions in said control file in said remote device.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the control file is divided into a plurality of packets in step i.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the control file is operating software.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the control file contains one or more operational parameter.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the control file includes one or more control command.

8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the control file is a SIM card file.

9. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the remote device is a cellular phone.

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the remote device includes a utility meter.

11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the remote device includes a monitoring device.

12. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the remote device includes a consumer appliance.

13. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the remote device includes a security system.

14. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the remote device includes a vending machine.

15. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each packet of user data sent in each Cell Broadcast message includes error-checking data.

16. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a final message is sent containing error-checking data to enable error checking of the reassembled control file.

17. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each message includes a generic device type data section.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein each message packet includes a specific device type data section.

19. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each message includes a revision number data section.

20. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the message code field of a Cell Broadcast message is used to indicate the number of a message packet in a sequence of packets.

21. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein an acknowledgement is sent to the source device when updated control file has been loaded.

43. A system for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 21.

22. A system for simultaneously sending a control file to a plurality of remote devices via a cellular communications network including:

a central controller which divides the control file into a plurality of data packets and provides the data packets to a plurality of wireless transmitters of a cellular communication network; and

a plurality of wireless transmitters of a cellular communication system which transmit the data packets as part of Cell Broadcast messages to each remote device.

23. A system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the system generates error-checking data as part of each data packet.

24. A system as claimed in claim 22 or claim 23 wherein the system generates a final data packet containing error-checking information to enable error-checking of the reassembled control file.

25. A system as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 24 wherein the system generates a generic device type data section for inclusion in each Cell Broadcast message.

26. A system as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 25 wherein the system generates a specific device type data section for inclusion in each Cell Broadcast message.

27. A system as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 26 wherein the system generates a revision number data section for inclusion in each Cell Broadcast message.

42. A system including a system as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 27 and one or more remotely updatable device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 41.

28. A remotely updatable device programmed to operate in accordance with a control file comprising:

a radio receiver capable of receiving Cell Broadcast messages;

a processor for extracting user data from Cell Broadcast messages and assembling it into a control file; and

programmable memory for storing a received assembled control file.

29. A device as claimed in claim 28 wherein the programmable memory stores operating software that is updatable by a control file received in Cell Broadcast messages.

30. A device as claimed in claim 28 wherein the programmable memory stores firmware software that is updatable by a control file received in Cell Broadcast messages.

31. A device as claimed in claim 28 wherein the programmable memory stores one or more operational parameter that is updatable by a control file received in Cell Broadcast messages.

32. A device as claimed in claim 28 wherein the programmable memory stores one or more control command that is updatable by a control file received in Cell Broadcast messages.

33. A device as claimed in claim 28 wherein the device is responsive to one or more control command sent as part of a Cell Broadcast to initiate an action.

34. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33 wherein the device is a cellular phone.

35. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33 wherein the device includes a utility meter which operates in accordance with the control file.

36. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33 wherein the device includes a monitoring device which operates in accordance with the control file.

37. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33 wherein the device includes a consumer appliance which operates in accordance with the control file.

38. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33 wherein the device includes a security device which operates in accordance with the control file.

39. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 33 wherein the device includes a vending machine which operates in accordance with the control file.

40. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 39 wherein the programmable memory is EPROM, EEPROM or Flash memory.

41. A device as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 39 wherein the programmable memory is a SIM card