Mobile electronic device with fragmented device settings

• US 20070214344A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Helvick, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A mobile electronic device with fragmented device settings enables preservation of user-defined settings during over-air software updates. Such a device in one aspect comprises a memory adapted to store at least one device setting including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device; a wireless interface adapted to receive a software update; and a processor communicatively coupled to the wireless interface and the memory and adapted to update the default-setting in response to the software update.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a memory adapted to store at least one device setting including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device;

a wireless interface adapted to receive a software update; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the wireless interface and the memory and adapted to update the default setting in response to the software update.

2. The mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the software update updates the default setting to a valid value.

3. The mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the software update updates the default setting to an invalid value.

4. The mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the default setting is maintained in a first file and the user setting is maintained in a second file.

5. The mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory is adapted to store a plurality of device settings each including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device and wherein each default setting is updated in response to the software update.

6. The mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the software update is received from a software update server.

7. The mobile electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user setting is not updated in response to the software update.

8. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a memory adapted to store at least one device setting including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device;

a user interface adapted to receive a user input; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the user interface and the memory and adapted to update the user setting in response to the user input.

9. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user input updates the user setting to a valid value.

10. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the user input updates the user setting to an invalid value.

11. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the memory is adapted to store a plurality of device settings each including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device and wherein one of the user settings is updated in response to the user input.

12. The mobile electronic device of claim 8, wherein the memory is adapted to store a plurality of device settings each including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device and wherein all of the user settings are updated in response to the user input.

13. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a memory adapted to store at least one device setting including a default setting determined independent of any user of the device and a user setting determinable by a user of the device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and adapted in response to interrogation of the device setting to select for application on the device one of the default setting and the user setting.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor selects the user setting for application on the device if the user setting is valid.

15. The mobile electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor selects the default setting for application on the device if the user setting is invalid.

16. The mobile electronic device of claim 13, wherein the device is a telephone.

17. The mobile electronic device of claim 13, wherein the device setting affects at least one of language, text, volume, a ring tone and a screen saver.