AUTOMATED OVER-THE-AIR FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR A WIRELESS PHONE

• US 20090075641A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MetroPCS Wireless Incorporated (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: MetroPCS Wireless Incorporated (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: LORANG, MALCOLM, GUVEN, MESUT
• Application Number:
  US11/857,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075641A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method for providing over-the-air updates of firmware of a mobile telephone handset comprises the steps of receiving at least one firmware update at a server. A determination of a need for updates is made at the mobile telephone handset and a point-to-point communications channel is established between the server and the mobile telephone handset responsive to a determination of the need for updates at the mobile telephone handset. The at least one firmware update is then downloaded to the mobile telephone handset from the server.

Claims

1. A method for providing over the air updates of firmware of a mobile telephone handset, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one firmware update at a server;

determining a need for updates at the mobile telephone handset;

establishing a point to point communications channel between the server and the mobile telephone handset responsive to a determination of the need for updates at the mobile telephone handset; and

downloading the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset from the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of detecting at least one error during an execution of an application within the mobile telephone handset.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the steps of:

storing the at least one detected error at the mobile telephone handset;

determining if a regularly occurring period of time has expired for the mobile telephone handset;

querying for updates to correct the at least one error upon expiration of the regularly occurring period of time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the query includes diagnostic information relating to the at least one detected error.

5. The method of claim 3, further including the step of determining which of the at least one firmware updates will correct the at least one detected error.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining further comprises the step of determining which of the at least one firmware update will correct the at least one detected error responsive to diagnostic information included within the query.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of downloading further comprises the step of downloading the at least one firmware updates determined to correct the at least one detected error.

8. The method of claim 2, further including the steps of:

querying for an availability of the at least one firmware update at the server responsive to the detection of the at least one error in the mobile telephone handset;

providing an indication to the mobile telephone handset of the of an availability of the at least one firmware update.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of downloading further includes the step of downloading the at least one firmware update responsive to a user request to download the update.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of:

detecting a power-up condition in the mobile telephone handset;

querying for an availability of the at least one firmware update at the server responsive to the detection of the power-up condition.

11. The method of claim 10, further including the step of providing an indication to the mobile telephone handset of an availability of the at least one firmware update.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of downloading further includes the step of downloading the at least one firmware update responsive to a user request to download the update.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of:

determining if a regularly occurring period of time has expired for the mobile telephone handset;

prompting a user via a user interface to request an update; and

querying for updates to the server responsive to a request from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of downloading further includes the step of downloading the at least one firmware update responsive to the user query generated responsive to the prompt via the user interface.

15. The method of claim 1, further including the step of generating a broadcast message to a plurality of mobile telephone handsets indicating availability of the at least one firmware update.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the broadcast message comprises an SMS broadcast message.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of:

receiving the general broadcast message at the mobile telephone handset;

determining the at least one firmware update referenced in the general broadcast message applies to the mobile telephone handset;

requesting download of the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the broadcast message further includes a version number of the at least one firmware update.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of:

receiving the general broadcast message at the mobile telephone handset;

determining the at least one firmware update referenced in the general broadcast message applies to the mobile telephone handset;

storing the version number associated with the at least one firmware update at the mobile telephone handset if the at least one firmware update applies to the mobile telephone handset;

determining if a regularly occurring period of time has expired for the mobile telephone handset;

comparing a version number of a presently installed firmware update with the stored version number of the at least one firmware update;

requesting download of the at least one firmware update if the version number of the at least one firmware update is newer than the version number of the presently installed firmware update.

34. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of downloading further includes the step of downloading the at least one firmware update responsive to a user request to download the update.

20. A method for providing over the air updates of firmware of a mobile telephone handset, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one firmware update at a server;

detecting at least one error during an execution of an application within the mobile telephone handset;

querying for an availability of the at least one firmware update at the server responsive to the detection of the at least one error in the mobile telephone handset;

establishing a point to point data channel between the server and the mobile telephone handset to download the at least one firmware update handset; and

downloading the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset from the server over the point to point data channel.

21. The method of claim 20, further including the steps of storing the at least one detected error at the mobile telephone handset.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of querying further comprises the steps of:

determining if a regularly occurring period of time has expired for the mobile telephone handset;

querying for the availability of the at least one update at the server upon expiration of the regularly occurring period of time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the query includes diagnostic information relating to the at least one detected error.

24. The method of claim 23, further including the step of determining which of the at least one firmware update will correct the at least one detected error.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of determining further comprises the step of determining which of the at least one firmware update will correct the at least one detected error responsive to diagnostic information included within the query.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of downloading further comprises the step of downloading the at least one firmware updates determined to correct the at least one detected error.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of querying further comprises the steps of querying for the availability of the at least one update at the server responsive to detection of the at least one error.

28. The method of claim 27, further including the step of providing an indication to the mobile telephone handset of the of an availability of the at least one firmware update responsive to the query.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of downloading further includes the step of downloading the at least one firmware update responsive to a user request to download the update.

30. A method for providing over the air updates of firmware of a mobile telephone handset, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one firmware update at a server;

generating an SMS broadcast message to a plurality of mobile telephone handsets indicating availability of the at least one firmware update

receiving the SMS broadcast message at the mobile telephone handset;

determining the at least one firmware update referenced in the SMS broadcast message applies to the mobile telephone handset;

requesting download of the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset;

establishing a point to point communications channel between the server and the mobile telephone handset responsive to a determination of a need for updates at the mobile telephone handset; and

downloading the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset from the server.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the SMS broadcast message further includes a version number of the at least one firmware update.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of:

determining the at least one firmware update referenced in the general broadcast message applies to the mobile telephone handset;

storing the version number associated with the at least one firmware update at the mobile telephone handset if the at least one firmware update applies to the mobile telephone handset;

comparing a version number of a presently installed firmware update with the stored version number of the at least one firmware update;

requesting download of the at least one firmware update if the version number of the at least one firmware update is newer than the version number of the presently installed firmware update.

33. A method for providing over the air updates of a firmware of a mobile telephone handset, comprising the steps of:

detecting a power-up condition in the mobile telephone handset;

querying for an availability of at least one firmware update at a server responsive to the detection of the power-up condition;

providing an indication to the mobile telephone handset of an availability of the at least one firmware update;

establishing a point to point communications channel between the server and the mobile telephone handset responsive to a request for the available at least one firmware update from the mobile telephone handset; and

downloading the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset from the server.

35. A method for providing over the air updates of a firmware of a mobile telephone handset, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one firmware update at a server;

determining if a regularly occurring period of time has expired for the mobile telephone handset;

prompting a user via a user interface to request an update;

querying for updates to the server responsive to a request from the user;

establishing a point to point communications channel between the server and the mobile telephone handset responsive to a determination of a need for updates at the mobile telephone handset; and

downloading the at least one firmware update to the mobile telephone handset from the server.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the step of downloading further includes the step of downloading the at least one firmware update responsive to the user query generated responsive to the prompt via the user interface.