OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES FOR MOBILE DEVICES VIA TEXT MESSAGES

• US 20100234008A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Kumar, Saurav
• Application Number:
  US12/400,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234008A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A system and/or methodology for upgrading mobile devices via text messages. The user of a source mobile device can send a text message, having a special identifier, to a set of destination mobile devices to be updated. The text message can include a file transfer protocol-server internet protocol address and a file name with a file path. The destination device obtains the text message, processes it, and sends a request to the file transfer protocol-server internet protocol address for the specified update file. The ftp server responds to the request with a data packet containing the update file, which the destination device installs.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

an inbox that collects text messages from at least one mobile device; and

an agent that detects an identifier on at least one text message in the inbox, wherein the identifier designates the text message as a configuration file, and the agent processes the configuration file text message.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the agent transmits a request to a server based at least in part on the configuration file text message.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the request is sent to a server having an internet protocol address based on data contained in the configuration file text message.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the request includes a file name and path based on data contained in the configuration file text message.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the agent obtains a data packet from the server in response to the request.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the data packet is at least one of an operating system update or firmware update.

7. The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the agent at least one of obtains the data packet from the server, or transmits the request to the server via at least one of general packet radio service, CDMA, Bluetooth, wired local area network, wireless local area network, 3G, 4G, adhoc network, or Wi-Fi.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the agent is at least one of an application, process, or thread executing on the mobile device.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the server is at least one of a desktop computer, web server, or a laptop computer.

10. A method facilitating mobile device updates, comprising:

receiving at least one text message having an indicator, wherein the indicator identifies the text message as containing a configuration file; and

processing the configuration file contained in the text message, including determining at least one of a server internet protocol address, a file name, or a file path from the configuration file.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting a request to the server internet protocol address contained in the configuration file.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the request queries the server for the file specified in the configuration file.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a data packet from the server in response to the request, wherein the data packet is the file specified in the configuration file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data packet is at least one of an operating system upgrade or firmware upgrade.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the data packet is received or the request is sent via at least one of general packet radio service, CDMA, Bluetooth, wired local area network, wireless local area network, 3G, 4G, adhoc network, or Wi-Fi.

16. A system for mobile device updates, comprising:

means for receiving at least one text message having an identifier, wherein the identifier indicates that the text message contains a configuration file;

means for processing the configuration file contained in the text message, including determining a server internet protocol address, a file name, and a file path from the configuration file;

means for transmitting a request to the server internet protocol address contained in the configuration file;

means for receiving a data packet from the server in response to the request, wherein the data packet is the file specified in the configuration file; and

means for updating the mobile device by installing the file contained in the data packet.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the data packet is received or the request is transmitted via at least one of general packet radio service, CDMA, Bluetooth, wired local area network, wireless local area network, 3G, 4G, adhoc network, or Wi-Fi.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the data packet is at least one of a newer version of an operating system or firmware.

19. A system for updating mobile devices, comprising:

a first mobile device that transmits a text message to at least one additional mobile device, wherein the text message includes an identifier that indicates the text message includes a configuration file;

a second mobile device that receives the text message, detects the identifier, processes the configuration file, and determines a server internet protocol address, a file name, and file path based on data contained in the configuration file, and sends a request to the internet protocol address for the file having the specified file name and path; and

a server residing at the internet protocol address that transmits a data packet to the second mobile device in response to the request, wherein the data packet includes at least one of a operating system or firmware update.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the second mobile device installs the operating system or firmware update.