Method and System For Upgrading the Software of a Telecommunication Terminal, In Particular of a Video Telephone, and Related Computer Program Product

• US 20080134166A1
• Filed: 12/24/2004
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Gallo, Secondo, Bergaglio, Andrea, Miali, Margherita
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A method of upgrading the software of a terminal of a telecommunication network, in particular a wired video telephone, includes the steps of periodically sending a first signal from the terminal to a service center via an intelligent network, the first signal including a service access code containing information related to the current software version installed on the terminal; checking, in a data base containing information on the different software versions available in the service center, if the current software version corresponds to a correct software version; sending from the service center to the terminal a second signal, in the form of a DTMF sequence, indicative of the result of the step of checking; possibly displaying a message on the terminal to inform the user that the software has to be upgraded; and remotely downloading the software.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method of upgrading the software of a terminal of a telecommunication network, comprising the steps of:

periodically sending a first signal from the terminal to a service center of said network, said first signal containing information related to the current software version installed on the terminal;

checking, in the service center, if the current software version corresponds to a correct software version; and

sending from the service center to the terminal a second signal indicative of the result of said step of checking.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second signal comprises a dual-tone multi-frequency sequence.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein sending a first signal comprises making a telephone call to a service access code.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the terminal is a wired video telephone.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the first signal is sent to an intelligent network.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the first signal is received by a data base containing information on the different software versions available.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein sending a first signal comprises making a call to a check server associated with said data base, and wherein the method comprises automatically rerouting said call to a management server configured to provide a downloadable version of the correct software.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying a message on said terminal based on said second signal.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of checking if the current software version is suitable for video connection.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein, if the current software version is unsuitable for video connection, the second signal contains information related to the fact that the current software version is unsuitable for video connection.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of deactivating a video functionality in the terminal if the second signal contains information related to the fact that the current software version is unsuitable for video connection.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the service access code comprises a first set of ciphers used to route the first signal toward an intelligent network and a second set of ciphers indicative of the current software version installed on the terminal.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein, if the current software version does not correspond to the correct software version, the second signal contains information related to the availability of the correct software version, and the method further comprises remotely downloading said predetermined software version.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein downloading said predetermined software version comprises activating a TCP/IP connection between the terminal and a service center.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein activating a TCP/IP connection between the terminal and a service center comprises establishing a dial-up session by using a point-to-point protocol.

42. The method of claim 27, wherein the first signal contains information related to a current hardware version installed on the terminal.

43. The method of claim 42, comprising further checking if the current hardware version corresponds to a correct hardware version, the second signal being also indicative of the result of said further checking.

44. The method of claim 27, wherein the terminal is a video telephone.

55. A computer program product loadable in the memory of at least one computer and comprising software code portions for performing the method of claim 27.

45. A system for upgrading the software of a terminal of a telecommunication network, comprising:

a terminal configured to periodically send a first signal containing information related to the current software version installed on the terminal; and

a data base configured to receive said first signal, to check if the current software version corresponds to a predetermined software version and to send to the terminal a second signal indicative of the result of said step of checking.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising an intelligent network for managing the first signal and checking said data base using a service access code contained in the first signal.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the second signal comprises a dual-tone multi-frequency sequence.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the terminal is a video telephone.

49. The system of claim 45, wherein the terminal is a wired video telephone.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the terminal is a video telephone terminal having a single network interface of a narrowband type.

51. The system of claim 45, further comprising a packet-switched network comprising a service center, said service center being configured to provide said correct software version for on-line downloading.

52. A telecommunication terminal, configured to periodically send a signal containing information related to the current software version installed on the terminal.

53. The telecommunication terminal of claim 52, further configured to receive a dual-tone multi-frequency sequence indicative of the presence of a new software version and, in response to said dual-tone multi-frequency sequence, to activate a request of software download.

54. The telecommunication terminal of claim 52, wherein the terminal is a video telephone terminal.