Field downloading of wireless device software

• US 20060223517A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Rajaram, Gowri, Seckendorf, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,542,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for field updating software in wireless communications devices. The software in the devices is organized into libraries referenced or organized by symbols, and is organized into associated code segments or sections. Software can be changed in the field by downloading, through a wireless connection, individual code sections. The downloaded code sections are incorporated into a code base or in the referenced section of the library, and then executed. Also disclosed is a code section management tool, which includes the ability to properly load the downloaded sections into the executable software.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device (WCD) with software updating capabilities comprising:

software comprising a plurality of executable code sections, where each code section further comprise at least one symbol library having at least one symbol;

memory to allow at least one code section to be downloaded through an airlink connection and stored in the memory as one or more downloaded sections; and

download manipulation code, configured to manipulate the downloaded section and the plurality of executable code sections such that the downloaded code is enabled for execution in conjunction with the plurality of executable code sections.

2. The WCD of claim 1 where the download manipulation code comprises one or more code sections.

3. The WCD of claim 1 where the downloaded code section is unexecutable until the download manipulation code acts on it.

4. The WCD of claim 3 where the code to manipulate the downloaded section comprises code that relocates the downloaded section to a portion of memory where executable code is located.

5. The WCD of claim 2 where the at least one downloaded section further comprises at least two downloaded sections, where one downloaded section is a code section to be integrated with the download manipulation code, and one downloaded section is a code section to be integrated with the executable code sections.

6. The WCD of claim 1 where the downloaded section comprises code that fixes at least one problem in existing code sections.

7. The WCD of claim 1 where the downloaded section comprises code that provides an enhanced feature.

8. A method for reconfiguring software in a wireless communications device (WCD), the method comprising:

starting, using code in the WCD, a configuration change in executable software in the WCD, the executable software comprising a plurality of executable code sections, where each executable code section comprises at least one symbol library;

accessing an unexecutable code section in the WCD and associated with the configuration change;

reconfiguring the unexecutable code section to become a new executable code section in the executable software; and

initializing the executable software incorporating the new executable code section.

9. The method of claim 8 where the unexecutable code section is stored in a file system in nonvolatile memory.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

downloading the unexecutable code section through an airlink; and

storing the unexecutable code section in a file system in nonvolatile memory.

11. The method of claim 8 where the reconfiguring further comprises accessing a configuration code section comprising configuration information usable with the unexecutable code section, enabling the unexecutable code section to be configured with respect to the executable code sections so as to be executable.

12. The method of claim 8 where the unexecutable code section comprises code that is configured to fix at least one problem in the executable code sections.

13. The method of claim 8 where the unexecutable code section comprises code that is configured to provide at least one enhanced feature.

14. A method for updating software in a wireless communications device (WCD), the method comprising:

receiving, over an airlink connection, a new code section comprising a symbol library having at least one symbol;

receiving, over an airlink connection, configuration code comprising instructions on how to incorporate the new code section into an existing plurality of code sections in the WCD, where each code section further comprises a symbol library having at least one symbol;

executing the configuration code so that the new code section is incorporated into the existing plurality of code sections;

starting execution of code in the plurality of code sections.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising storing the new code section in a file system in nonvolatile memory.

16. The method of claim 14 where the configuration code comprises a code section.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising storing the configuration code section and the new code section in a file system in nonvolatile memory.

18. The method of claim 14 where the new code section comprises code that is configured to fix at least one problem in the existing code sections.

19. The method of claim 14 where the new code section comprises code that is configured to provide at least one enhanced feature.

20. The method of claim 14 where the existing code sections further comprise virtual tables.