METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SOFTWARE UPDATE OF TERMINALS IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090247145A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Kook-Huei, LEE, Jong-Hyo, JUNG, Bo-Sun, LEE, Byung-Rae, HWANG, Sung-Oh, KEUM, Ji-Eun
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method of updating software of terminals in a mobile broadcast system is provided. The method includes creating an update command for terminals of a particular model, the update command including update information; and broadcasting the created update command. The update information includes software version information and at least one of terminal manufacturer information and terminal model information. Further, the method may further include, before broadcasting the created update command, forcibly requiring terminals subscribe to an update service; and creating and broadcasting an update file for terminals of the particular model from among the forcibly subscribed terminals. The software of the terminals may be firmware.

Claims

1. A method of updating software of terminals in a mobile broadcast system, the method comprising the steps of:

creating, by a BroadCAST (BCAST) Subscription Management (BSM) entity, an update command for terminals of a particular model, the update command including update information; and

broadcasting, by the BSM entity, the created update command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the update information comprises software version information and at least one of terminal manufacturer information and terminal model information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before broadcasting the created update command:

controlling the terminals to subscribe to a mandatory update service; and

creating and broadcasting an update file for the terminals of the particular model from among the forcibly subscribed terminals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the software is firmware of the terminals.

5. A method of updating software in a terminal of a mobile broadcast system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the terminal, an update command for terminals of a particular model through a broadcast, the update command including update information; and

determining, by the terminal, whether to update the software based on the update information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the update information comprises software version information and at least one of terminal manufacturer information and terminal model information.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, before receiving the update command through the broadcast:

receiving an update service required subscription command from the network; and

subscribing to the update service.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, when it is determined that an update of the software is to be performed, an update file is received through the broadcast, and the update is performed by using the received update file.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the software is firmware of the terminal.

10. A network apparatus for updating software of terminals in a mobile broadcast system, the network apparatus comprising:

a BroadCAST (BCAST) Subscription Management (BSM) for transmitting an update command for terminals of a particular model, the update command including update information; and

a Broadcast Service Distribution System (BSDA) for receiving and broadcasting the transmitted update command.

11. The network apparatus of claim 10, wherein the update information comprises software version information and at least one of terminal manufacturer information and terminal model information.

12. The network apparatus of claim 10, wherein the BSM comprises:

a Terminal Provisioning-Management (TP-M) for sending a request for creation of an update notification message; and

a NoTification-Generation (NTG) for creating the update notification message in response to the update notification message creation request from the TP-M and transmitting the created update notification message to the BSDA,

wherein the BSDA receives and broadcasts the update notification message.

13. The network apparatus of claim 10, wherein the BSM comprises a Service Guide-Subscription Source (SG-SS) and a TP-M for sending a request, to the SG-SS, for creation of an update service,

wherein the SG-SS creates an update service fragment creation request message including information necessary for creation of an update service fragment in response to the update service creation request from the TP-M and transmits the created update service fragment creation request message to the BSDA, and

wherein the BSDA creates and broadcasts an update service fragment including an update service auto-subscription command according to the information necessary for creation of the update service fragment.

14. The network apparatus of claim 13, wherein the BSM further comprises a BCAST Service Provisioning-Management (BSP-M) for receiving the update service subscription request from the terminals of the particular model,

wherein the TP-M sends a request for creation of a content fragment for an update file for the terminals of the particular model and transmits the update file to the BSDA,

wherein the SG-SS receives the request for the creation of the content fragment and transmits information necessary for the creation of the content fragment, and

the BSDA creates the content fragment by using the necessary information received from the SG-SS and broadcasts the created content fragment and the update file received from the TP-M.

15. The network apparatus of claim 10, wherein the software is firmware of the terminals.

16. An apparatus for software update in a terminal of a mobile broadcast system, the apparatus comprising:

a NoTification-Client (NTC) receiving an update command for terminals of a particular model through a broadcast and determining whether to update the software based on the update information, the update command including update information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the update information comprises software version information and at least one of terminal manufacturer information and terminal model information.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a Service Guide-Client (SG-C) for receiving an update service forced subscription command through the broadcast; and

a BCAST Service Provisioning-Client (BSP-C) for subscribing to the update service according to the update service required subscription command.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein, when it is determined that an update of the software is to be performed, the NTC receives a content fragment and an update file, and

wherein the terminal further comprises a File Delivery-Client (FD-C) for receiving the update file from the NTC and a Terminal Provisioning-Client (TP-C) for receiving the update file from the FD-C and performing the update.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the software is firmware of the terminal.