DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TIME NOTIFICATION FOR UPDATING SOFTWARE

• US 20130332918A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Japan Inc (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoyagi, Katsumi, Suzuki, Miki, Kaneko, Hidefumi, Ichikawa, Tomohiro, Hirao, Yasuyuki, Kanemoto, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A terminal device may include: a communication interface to receive, from a server via a network, a file for updating software in a memory device coupled with the terminal device, and a software update table that includes data regarding one or more performance values and one or more time values indicative of one or more lengths of time taken to update the software using the file; a processor to obtain data regarding a performance value of the memory device, select, from the software update table, one of the one or more performance values based on the performance value of the memory device, and obtain, from the software update table, a time value associated with the selected performance value; and an output device to provide an output corresponding to the obtained time value. Each performance value is associated with one of the one or more time values, respectively.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive, from a server via a network, a file for updating software stored in a memory device coupled with the terminal device, and a software update table wherein the software update table includes data regarding one or more performance values and data regarding one or more time values indicative of one or more lengths of time taken to update the software using the file, respectively, and each of the one or more performance values is associated with one of the one or more time values;

a processor configured to

obtain data regarding a performance value of the memory device,

select, from the software update table, one of the one or more performance values based on the performance value of the memory device, and

obtain, from the software update table, a time value associated with the selected performance value; and

an output device configured to provide an output corresponding to the obtained time value.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the memory device is an embedded Multi Media Card.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the server is a Firmware Over-The Air (FOTA) server.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the file is a difference file for updating the software using FOTA technology.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the performance value of the memory device indicates a write speed of the memory device.

6. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the one or more performance values included in the software update table indicate one or more write speeds of one or various memory devices, respectively.

7. The terminal device of claim 5, wherein the write speed is calculated based on a size of the software and a length of time taken to write the software on the memory device.

8. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the selected performance value matches the performance value of the memory device.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the software update table further includes data regarding identifications (IDs) of various memory devices, and each of the one or more performance values is associated with one of the IDs.

10. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein the IDs identifies vendors providing the various memory devices, respectively.

11. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain an ID of the memory device, and

select, from the software update table, one or more performance values associated with an ID matching the ID of the memory device,

wherein the selected one of the one or more performance values based on the performance value of the memory device is one of the selected one or more performance values associated with an ID matching the ID of the memory device.

12. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the output device is configured to provide the output corresponding to the obtained time value by at least one of:

displaying information corresponding to the obtained time value on a display of the terminal device, and

generating audible information corresponding to the obtained time value.

13. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

allow a user of the terminal device to start, decline, postpone, or stop an update of the software based on the obtained time value.

14. A terminal device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain an estimated total length of time to be taken for an update of software stored in a memory device coupled with the terminal device,

obtain a measured first length of time between a point of time of starting the update of the software and a first point of time when a size of an updated portion of the software reaches a predetermined size,

obtain an estimated first length of time between the point of time of starting the update of the software and a point of time when the size of the updated portion of the software reaches the predetermined size, based on the estimated length of time and the predetermined size,

obtain a difference between the estimated first length of time and the measured first length of time, and

when the difference is more than a predetermined value, calculate a first length of remaining time to be taken to complete the update of the software, based on the measured first length of time and the predetermined size; and

an output device configured to provide an output corresponding to the calculated first length of remaining time.

15. The terminal device of claim 14, wherein

the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the update of the software is completed, and

if the update of the software is determined as not being completed, change the predetermined size to an other size,

obtain a measured second length of time between the point of time of starting the update of the software and a second point of time when the size of the updated portion in the software reaches the other size, and

calculate a second length of remaining time to be taken to complete the update of the software, based on the measured second length of time and the other size, and

the output device is further configured to provide an output corresponding to the calculated second length of remaining time.

16. The terminal device of claim 14, wherein

the processor is further configured to obtain a length of remaining time to be taken to complete the update of the software, based on the predetermined size and the obtained total length of time, when the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value, and

the output device is further configured to provide an output corresponding to the obtained length of remaining time.

17. A method implemented by a terminal device, comprising:

receiving, from a server via a network, a file for updating software stored in a memory device coupled with the terminal device, and a software update table wherein the software update table includes data regarding one or more performance values and data regarding one or more time values indicative of one or more lengths of time taken to update the software using the file, respectively, and each of the one or more performance values is associated with one of the one or more time values;

obtaining data regarding a performance value of the memory device;

selecting, from the software update table, one of the one or more performance values based on the performance value of the memory device;

obtaining, from the software update table, a time value associated with the selected performance value; and

providing an output corresponding to the obtained time value at an output device of the terminal device.

18. A method implemented by a terminal device, comprising:

obtaining, from a server via a network, an estimated total length of time to be taken for an update of software stored in a memory device coupled with the terminal device;

obtaining a measured first length of time between a point of time of starting the update of the software and a first point of time when a size of an updated portion of the software reaches a predetermined size;

obtaining an estimated first length of time between the point of time of starting the update of the software and a point of time when the size of the updated portion of the software reaches the predetermined size, based on the estimated length of time and the predetermined size;

obtaining a difference between the estimated first length of time and the measured first length of time;

when the difference is more than a predetermined value, calculate a first length of remaining time to be taken to complete the update of the software, based on the measured first length of time and the predetermined size; and

providing an output corresponding to the calculated first length of remaining time at an output device of the terminal device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether the update of the software is completed;

if the update of the software is determined as not being completed, changing the predetermined size to an other size;

obtaining a measured second length of time between the point of time of starting the update of the software and a second point of time when the size of the updated portion in the software reaches the other size;

calculating a second length of remaining time to be taken to complete the update of the software, based on the measured second length of time and the other size; and

providing an output corresponding to the calculated second length of remaining time at the output device of the terminal device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

when the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value, obtaining a length of remaining time to be taken to complete the update of the software, based on the predetermined size and the obtained length of time;

providing an output corresponding to the obtained length of remaining time at the output device of the terminal device.