Updating of Data Instructions

• US 20080189695A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Andersson, Stefan, Liwell, Marcus, Ljung, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/910,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189695A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A method and an electronic device for updating data instructions of an electronic apparatus (1) based on updating data. The method comprises acquiring updating data for updating of data instructions, meta data associated with the updating data, and at least one security mechanism associated with at least one of the updating data and the meta data. Then, it is verified by means of the security mechanism whether any of the updating data and the meta data has been unauthorizedly altered. A method and an arrangement for generating the updating data and the meta data are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for updating data instructions of an electronic apparatus (1) based on updating data, comprising:

acquiring updating data for updating data instructions;

acquiring meta data associated with the updating data;

acquiring at least one security mechanism associated with at least one of the updating data and the meta data; and

verifying, by means of the security mechanism, whether any of the updating data and the meta data has been unauthorizedly altered.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, if it is verified any of the updating data and the meta data has not been unauthorizedly altered, the steps of:

reading at least one updating criteria contained in the meta data;

reading identification data stored in the electronic apparatus (1); and

determining whether the identification data fulfills the updating criteria.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

transmitting a revocation status request to a revocation status center (145, 146);

receiving a revocation status response from the revocation status center; and

determining from the revocation status response whether the security mechanism is valid.

4. The method according to any of the previous claims, comprising:

executing the step of verifying in response to a request for updating the data instructions.

5. The method according to any of the previous claims, comprising:

storing the updating data at a storage location (12), which is not accessible without authorization.

6. The method according to any of the previous claims, comprising:

acquiring the updating data and the meta data from a common data file (100).

7. The method according to any of the claims 1 to 5, comprising:

acquiring the updating data from a first data file (110) and the meta data from a second data file (120);

acquiring a first identifier for identifying the updating data from the first data file;

acquiring at least a second identifier for identifying updating data for which the meta data is applicable from the second data file; and

determining whether the first identifier match any identifier acquired from the second data file.

22. A computer program product comprising computer program code means for executing the method according to any of claims 1 to 7, when said computer program code means are run by an electronic device having computer capabilities.

8. A method for generating updating data for updating data instructions of an electronic device, comprising:

generating updating data for updating at least a portion of data instructions;

generating meta data containing at least one updating criterion for the updating data; and

attaching a security mechanism to at least one of the updating data and the meta data.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising incorporating any of an operator ID, an electronic equipment identifier, a software version identifier, a software identifier, an electronic equipment type identifier, an electronic equipment model identifier, or a customization identifier, as the updating criterion.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, comprising attaching revocation status data to at least one of the updating data and the meta data.

11. The method according to any of claims 8 to 10, comprising incorporating the updating data, the meta data and the security mechanism into a common data file (100).

12. The method according to any of claims 8 to 11, comprising incorporating the updating data in a first data file (110) and the meta data in a second data file (120), and provide an identifier for identifying the updating data in each of the first and the second data file.

23. A computer program product comprising computer program code means for executing the method according to any of claims 8 to 12, when said computer program code means are run by an electronic device having computer capabilities.

13. An electronic device for updating data instructions of an electronic apparatus (1) based on updating data, comprising and updating unit (13) configured to:

acquire updating data for updating data instructions;

acquire meta data associated with the updating data;

acquire at least one security mechanism associated with at least one of the updating data and the meta data; and

verify, by means of the security mechanism, whether any of the updating data and the meta data has been unauthorizedly altered.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the updating unit (13) is further configured to:

read at least one updating criteria contained in the meta data;

read identification data stored in the electronic apparatus (1); and

determine whether the identification data fulfills the updating criteria.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising a verification unit (141) configured to:

transmit a revocation status request to a revocation status center (145, 146);

receive a revocation status response from the revocation status center; and

determine from the revocation status response whether the security mechanism is valid.

16. The electronic device according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the updating unit (13) is configured to:

acquire the updating data and the meta data from a common data file (100).

17. The electronic device according to any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the updating unit (13) is configured to:

acquire the updating data from a first data file (110) and the meta data from a second data file (120);

acquire a first identifier for identifying the updating data from the first data file;

acquire at least a second identifier for identifying updating data for which the meta data is applicable from the second data file; and

determine whether the first identifier match any identifier acquired from the second data file.

18. An arrangement for generating updating data for updating data instructions of an electronic device (1), comprising:

an updating data generator (151) operative to generate updating data for updating at least a portion of data instructions;

a meta data generator operative to generate meta data containing at least one updating criterion for the updating data; and

a security unit (153) operative to attach a security mechanism to at least one of the updating data and the meta data.

19. The arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the meta data generator (152) is operative to incorporate any of an operator ID, an electronic equipment identifier, a software version identifier, a software identifier, an electronic equipment type identifier, an electronic equipment model identifier, or a customization identifier, as the updating criterion.

20. The arrangement according to any of claims 18 or 19, wherein the arrangement is operative to incorporate the updating data, the meta data and the security mechanism into a common data file (100).

21. The arrangement according to any of claims 18 to 19, wherein the arrangement is operative to incorporate the updating data in a first data file (110) and the meta data in a second data file (120), and provide an identifier for identifying the updating data in each of the first and the second data file.