SOFTWARE UPDATE SERVICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20140173588A1
• Filed: 11/01/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: KO, Yun-Jeong
• Granted Patent: US 9,430,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A software update method and apparatus for a mobile terminal is provided. A delta generating server determines a plurality of available update versions for a currently installed version of a target software of the mobile terminal and transmits available update version information indicating available update versions to the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal receives the available update version information from the delta generating server and displays the available update version information. When one of the update versions is selected, a delta file for updating the target software to the selected version is generated by the delta generating server and is downloaded to the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A software update service method for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

requesting an update of a target software of the mobile terminal to a delta generating server;

receiving available update version information indicating a plurality of available update versions for a currently installed version of the target software from the delta generating server;

displaying the available update version information;

notifying the delta generating server of a selected version when one of the available update versions is selected; and

downloading a delta file and updating the target software to the selected version from the delta generating server using the delta file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating corresponds to one of upgrading by at least two version, and downgrading the target software.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein downloading further comprises:

receiving notice of generation of the delta file from the delta generating server; and

requesting downloading the delta file to the delta generating server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the delta generating server is in a personal cloud server.

5. A software update service method for a mobile terminal in a delta generating server communicatively connected to a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) server, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of available update versions for a currently installed version of a target software responsive to an update request from the mobile terminal;

transmitting available update version information indicating the available update versions to the mobile terminal;

generating a delta file for updating the target software to a selected version when a notice of a selected version is received from the mobile terminal; and

downloading the generated delta file to the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the updating corresponds to one of upgrading by at least two versions, and downgrading associated with the target software.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein downloading further comprises:

notifying the mobile terminal of generation of the delta file; and

receiving a request for downloading the delta file from the mobile terminal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the delta generating server is in a personal cloud server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating comprises:

downloading a delta generation binary of the currently installed version and a delta generation binary of the selected version from the FOTA server; and

generating the delta file from the downloaded delta generation binaries.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein generating comprises:

generating the delta file from a delta generation binary of the currently installed version and a delta generation binary of the selected version from among delta generation binaries that are downloaded with respect to all versions from the FOTA server in advance and stored.

11. A software update service apparatus for a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to perform communication with a delta generating server;

a user interface unit including a display; and

a controller connected to the communication unit and the user interface unit, that receives available update version information indicating a plurality of available update versions for a currently installed version of a target software from the delta generating server, displays the available update version information, and downloads, from the delta generating server, a delta file and updates the target software using the delta file to a version selected through the user interface unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the updating corresponds to one of upgrading by at least two versions and downgrading associated with the update target software.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the controller requests downloading the delta file to the delta generating server, when a notice of generation of a delta file is received from the delta generating server.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the delta generating server is in a personal cloud server.

15. A software update service apparatus for a mobile terminal in a delta generating server communicatively connected to a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) server, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to perform communication with the FOTA server, and with the mobile terminal; and

a controller that is connected to the communication unit, determines a plurality of available update versions for a currently installed version of a target software of the mobile terminal and transmits available update version information indicating available update versions to the mobile terminal, generates a delta file for updating the update target software to a version of which selection from among all available update versions is notified from the mobile terminal, and downloads the delta file to the mobile terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the updating corresponds to one of upgrading by at least two versions and downgrading associated with the update target software.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller notifies the mobile terminal of the generation of the delta file, and receives a request for downloading the delta file from the mobile terminal.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the delta generating server is in a personal cloud server.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller downloads a delta generation binary of the currently installed version and a delta generation binary of the selected version from the FOTA server, and generates the delta file based on the downloaded delta generation binaries.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the controller generates the delta file from a delta generation binary of the currently installed version and a delta generation binary of the selected version from among delta generation binaries that are downloaded with respect to all the versions from the FOTA server in advance and stored.