Radio Communication Device and Radio Communication System Comprising Same

• US 20080250404A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Carreel, Eric, Mouiche, Arnaud, Bastie, Sebastien Royer De La
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Radiocommunication device comprising a starter software module suitable to allow a simplified radio link of the radiocommunication device with a local radiocommunication network and allow a downloading, by this simplified radio link, of an update of a use software module that is contained in the radiocommunication device and that is suitable to enable a normal radio link to be set up.

Claims

1. Radiocommunication device comprising:

at least one memory containing a starter software module and a use software module,

at least one electronic processing unit linked to the memory,

at least one radio circuit controlled by the processing unit, the starter module being suitable to run automatically in the processing unit during the operation of the radiocommunication device,

the use module being suitable to, when it is run by the processing unit, enable radio communication between the radiocommunication device and a radiocommunication network according to a predetermined radiocommunication protocol.

wherein the starter module comprises means for;

setting up a simplified radio link of the radiocommunication device with the radiocommunication network,

carrying out a download operation by the said simplified radio link, an update of the use module, and a storage of the said update in the memory of the radiocommunication device.

2. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, wherein only some layers of the said predetermined radiocommunication protocol are implemented to allow the said simplified radio link, the said implemented layers being limited to certain functions.

3. Radiocommunication device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined radiocommunication protocol is the Bluetooth protocol, and in that the implemented layers are as follows:

the “

LC”

layer (real time control of the radio link);

limited to the simple multiplexing of data for the creation of connections,

the “

LM”

layer (real time control of the radio link);

limited to a negotiation restricted to the incoming connections, without audio, without authentication or encryption,

the “

L2CAP”

layer;

control, signalling and multiplexing limited to a single service,

the service layer;

downloading service.

4. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1 in which the starter module is suitable to store the update in the place of at least one part of the use module initially contained in the memory.

5. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1 in which the starter module is suitable to receive and recognise instructions via the simplified radio link.

6. Radiocommunication device according to claim 5, in which the starter module is suitable to receive by the said simplified radio link, a write instruction in the memory to store the said update in the memory.

7. Radiocommunication device according to claim 5, in which the starter module is suitable to receive by the said simplified radio link, an erase instruction of at least one part of the memory.

8. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, in which the memory of the radiocommunication device includes a flash memory containing the use module.

9. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, in which the starter module is suitable to:

receive by the said simplified radio link, a consultation requesting information on the content of the memory,

look for the said information and emit by the said simplified radio link, a response giving this information.

10. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, in which the starter module is suitable to checking the integrity of the downloaded update.

11. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, in which the starter module has a normal operation mode driving the execution of the use module and a downloading mode enabling the download of an update of the use module and not driving the immediate execution of the use module, the said starter module being adapted for receiving by the said simplified radio link, an instruction for switching to normal operation mode.

12. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, in which the use module is suitable to give the starter module an instruction for switching to normal operation mode.

13. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, constituting a wireless telephone.

14. Radiocommunication device according to claim 1, in which the radiocommunication protocol is chosen from among the “

BLUETOOTH”

, “

Wi-Fi”

, “

DECT”

protocols.

15. Radiocommunication system comprising a radiocommunication device according to claim 1 and at least one radiocommunication base forming a local network with the said radiocommunication device and communicating with it according to the said radiocommunication protocol.

16. Radiocommunication system according to claim 15, in which the base is suitable to send instructions to the starter module by the said simplified radio link.

17. Radiocommunication system according to claim 16, in which the base is suitable to send the starter module by the said simplified radio link, a write instruction to the memory of the radiocommunication device to store the said update in the memory.

18. Radiocommunication system according to claim 17, in which the base is suitable to store the said update at least partially in place of the pre-existing versions of the use module.

19. Radiocommunication system according to claim 16, in which base is suitable to send the starter module by the said simplified radio link, an erase instruction of at least one part of the memory of the radiocommunication device.

20. Radiocommunication system according to claim 16, in which base is suitable to sending the starter module, a consultation requesting information on the content of the memory of the radiocommunication device

and the starter module is suitable to, following this consultation, look for the said information and send by the said simplified radio link, a response giving this information.

21. Radiocommunication system according to claim 16, in which the starter module is suitable to send the base an integrity check information of the update downloaded, the base being suitable to control a download of the said update to the radiocommunication device again if the said integrity check information reveals an integrity fault.

22. Radiocommunication system according to claim 21, in which the said integrity check information is a signature calculated from the said update stored in the memory of the radiocommunication device, the base being suitable to determine whether this signature reveals an integrity fault and to then trigger a new download of the update by the said simplified radio link.

23. Radiocommunication system according to claim 16, in which the starter module has a normal operation mode driving an execution of the use module and a download mode enabling the download of an update of the use module and not driving the immediate execution of the use module, the base being suitable to send the starter module by the said simplified radio link, an instruction for switching to normal operation mode.

24. Radiocommunication system according to claim 15, in which the base is an access point to an external network.