Outdoor-unit software upgrade system and method

• US 20060106912A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ki-bum, Sung, Si-kyong, Kang, Won-chul, Yoon, Seok-ho, Hwang, Il-nahm
• Application Number:
  US11/271,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20060106912A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Disclosed is an outdoor-unit software upgrade system and method. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system includes: a software upgrade application which is an application program installed in a computer terminal and transmits outdoor-unit upgrade software, which is stored in a storage unit and selected by a user, to a data output port; a first wireless communication unit which is coupled with the data output port, packtizes and wirelessly transmits the outdoor-unit upgrade software data outputted from the data output port; and a second wireless communication unit which receives packet data from the first wireless communication unit set to be connected to the second wireless communication unit, converts the packet data into the outdoor-unit upgrade software data, and transmits the outdoor-unit upgrade software data to a controller mounted on a main board of an outdoor unit.

Claims

1. An outdoor-unit software upgrade system that can make a wireless communication with a computer terminal, the system comprising:

a wireless communication unit on an outdoor unit side which receives outdoor-unit upgrade software data from a wireless communication unit of the computer terminal; and

a controller on the outdoor unit side which stores the outdoor-unit upgrade software data outputted from the wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side and upgrades the outdoor-unit software.

2. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side is mounted on a main board of the outdoor unit.

3. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side is a stand-alone type module and comprises:

a Bluetooth module which receives packet data from the wireless communication unit of the computer terminal and converts the received packet data into the outdoor-unit upgrade software data; and

a serial interface unit which transmits the converted outdoor-unit upgrade software data to the main board of the outdoor unit.

4. An outdoor-unit software upgrade system comprising:

a software upgrade application which is an application program installed in a computer terminal and transmits outdoor-unit upgrade software, which is stored in a storage unit and selected by a user, to a data output port;

a first wireless communication unit which is coupled with the data output port, packtizes and wirelessly transmits the outdoor-unit upgrade software data outputted from the data output port; and

a second wireless communication unit which receives packet data from the first wireless communication unit set to be connected to the second wireless communication unit, converts the packet data into the outdoor-unit upgrade software data, and transmits the outdoor-unit upgrade software data to a controller mounted on a main board of an outdoor unit.

5. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 4, wherein the first wireless communication unit includes:

a USB connector which is coupled with the data output port; and

a Bluetooth module which packetizes the outdoor-unit upgrade software data transmitted through the USB connector into data conforming to Bluetooth standards and transmits it wirelessly.

6. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 4, wherein the second wireless communication unit is a stand-alone type module and includes:

a Bluetooth module which receives packet data from the first wireless communication unit set to be connected to the second wireless communication unit and converts the received packet data into the outdoor-unit upgrade software data; and

a serial interface unit which transmits the converted outdoor-unit upgrade software data to the main board of the outdoor unit.

7. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 4, wherein the second wireless communication unit is mounted on the main board of the outdoor unit.

8. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 4, wherein the software upgrade application is control program data for sequentially performing the steps of:

controlling connection setup between the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit;

displaying identification information on the second wireless communication unit set to be connected to the first wireless communication unit;

requesting setting of a software download mode from the second wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side selected by an operator;

downloading upgrade software data to the second wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side which is set to the software download mode; and

displaying whether or not the upgrade software data is completely downloaded according to whether or not there is a received packet indicating that the upgrade software data has been completely received.

9. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 4, further comprising second wireless communication units which receive the outdoor-unit upgrade software data from the first wireless communication unit and transmit the outdoor-unit upgrade software data to a controller mounted on a main board of another outdoor unit.

10. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 9, wherein the first wireless communication unit includes:

a USB connector which is coupled with the data output port; and

a Bluetooth module which packetizes the outdoor-unit upgrade software data transmitted through the USB connector into data conforming to Bluetooth standards and transmits it wirelessly.

11. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 9, wherein the second wireless communication unit is a stand-alone type module and includes:

a Bluetooth module which receives packet data from the first wireless communication unit set to be connected to the second wireless communication unit and converts the received packet data into the outdoor-unit upgrade software data; and

a serial interface unit which transmits the converted outdoor-unit upgrade software data to the main board of the outdoor unit.

12. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 9, wherein the second wireless communication unit is mounted on the main board of the outdoor unit.

13. The outdoor-unit software upgrade system of claim 9, wherein the software upgrade application is control program data for sequentially performing the steps of:

controlling connection setup between the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit;

displaying identification information on the second wireless communication unit set to be connected to the first wireless communication unit;

requesting setting of a software download mode from the second wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side selected by an operator;

downloading upgrade software data to the second wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side which is set to the software download mode; and

displaying whether or not the upgrade software data is completely downloaded according to whether or not there is a received packet indicating that the upgrade software data has been completely received.

14. An outdoor-unit software upgrade method that is executable in a computer terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a connection with a wireless communication unit on an outdoor unit side;

downloading upgrade software data to the wireless communication unit on the outdoor unit side which is set to be connected; and

displaying whether or not the upgrade software data is completely downloaded according to whether or not there is a received packet indicating that the upgrade software data has been completely received.

15. An outdoor-unit software upgrade method that is executable in a computer terminal transmitting/receiving data through a Bluetooth module to/from a slave Bluetooth module on an outdoor unit side, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a connection with a slave Bluetooth module on an outdoor unit side;

displaying identification information on the slave Bluetooth module on the outdoor unit side which is set to be connected;

requesting setting of a software download mode from the slave Bluetooth module on the outdoor unit side selected by an operator;

downloading upgrade software data to the slave Bluetooth module on the outdoor unit side which is set to the software download mode; and

displaying whether or not the upgrade software data is completely downloaded according to whether or not there is a received packet indicating that the upgrade software data has been completely received.