SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESERVING DEVICE PARAMETERS DURING A FOTA UPGRADE

• US 20100313194A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Juneja, Anupam
• Granted Patent: US 8,726,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A device, system and method that preserves non-volatile items during a firmware over-the-air update are described. The electronic device comprises a non-volatile memory, a FOTA client module, and back-up and restore module. The non-volatile memory comprises one or more variant non-volatile items having one or more variant offsets associated with at least one of the variant non-volatile items. The FOTA client module is configured to receive the FOTA upgrade and replace an existing firmware program resident on the electronic device. The back-up and restore module is configured to store the variant non-volatile items before the FOTA client performs the FOTA upgrade. Additionally, the back-up and restore module is configured to restore the variant non-volatile items after the FOTA client performs the FOTA upgrade. The system further comprises a server that is configured to receive the FOTA upgrade and communicate the FOTA upgrade to the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a non-volatile memory comprising at least one variant non-volatile item having at least one variant offset;

a processor communicably coupled to the non-volatile memory;

a FOTA client module executed by the processor, the FOTA client module configured to receive the FOTA upgrade and replace an existing firmware program resident on the electronic device; and

a back-up and restore module executed by the processor, the back-up and restore module configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item before the FOTA client module performs the FOTA upgrade, the back-up and restore module configured to restore the at least one variant non-volatile item after the FOTA client module performs the FOTA upgrade.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a wireless mobile handset that receives the FOTA upgrade over a wireless communication link, and the FOTA client module is resident on the wireless handset.

3. The wireless handset of claim 2 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item using an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The wireless handset of claim 2 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the non-volatile items and a checksum generated using a checksum algorithm.

5. The wireless handset of claim 2 wherein the FOTA client module is configured to reset the wireless handset after the FOTA client module performs the FOTA upgrade.

6. The wireless handset of claim 5 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to restore the at least one variant non-volatile item after the FOTA client module resets the wireless handset.

7. The wireless handset of claim 6 wherein the FOTA client module continues the firmware upgrade after the at least one variant non-volatile item have been restored.

8. A communication system comprising:

a server configured to receive a FOTA upgrade and communicate the FOTA upgrade; and

a wireless handset configured to receive the FOTA upgrade from the server via a wireless communication link, the wireless handset comprising;

a non-volatile memory comprising at least one variant non-volatile item having at least one variant offset;

a processor communicably coupled to the non-volatile memory;

a FOTA client module executed by the processor, the FOTA client module configured to receive the FOTA upgrade and replace an existing firmware program resident on the electronic device; and

a back-up and restore module executed by the processor, the back-up and restore module configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item before the FOTA client module performs the FOTA upgrade, the back-up and restore module configured to restore the at least one variant non-volatile item after the FOTA client module performs the FOTA upgrade.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item using an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the non-volatile items and a checksum generated using a checksum algorithm.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the FOTA client module is configured to reset the wireless handset after the FOTA client module performs the FOTA upgrade.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to restore the at least one variant non-volatile item after the FOTA client module resets the wireless handset.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the FOTA client module continues the firmware upgrade after the at least one variant non-volatile item have been restored.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the FOTA client module communicates completion of the firmware upgrade to the server.

15. A method for preserving non-volatile items during a firmware over-the-air (FOTA) upgrade on an electronic device, the electronic device including a non-volatile memory comprising at least one variant non-volatile item having at least one variant offset, the method comprising:

receiving a FOTA upgrade from a server;

storing the at least one variant non-volatile item;

initiating the FOTA upgrade after the storing step; and

restoring the at least one variant non-volatile item before completing the FOTA upgrade.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the storing of the at least one variant non-volatile item comprises using an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the storing of the non-volatile items comprises using a checksum algorithm to generate a checksum.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising resetting the electronic device after the initiating step.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the restoring of the at least one variant non-volatile item is performed after the resetting step.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising continuing the firmware upgrade after the restoring step.