Wireless software upgrades with version control

• US 5,848,064 A
• Filed: 08/07/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Telxon Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Cowan, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US08/694,637
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 370/338, 370/401-404, 370/349, 395/200.5, 395/500, 395/200.51, 364/222.81, 364/222.82, 364/261, 364/261.2, 379/29, 379/34
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

A wireless communication system which includes a system backbone; a host computer coupled to the system backbone; at least one base station coupled to the system backbone, the at least one base station including a base station transceiver for communicating wirelessly with mobile devices within the system; at least one mobile device having a mobile device transceiver for communicating wirelessly with the host computer on the system backbone via the at least one base station; and wherein the host computer and the at least one mobile device are operatively configured to communicate selectively mobile device operating software therebetween based on an initial comparison in accordance with a predetermined criteria indicative of whether communication of mobile operating software therebetween is appropriate.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a system backbone;

a host computer coupled to the system backbone, the host computer having a host computer memory with mobile device operating software stored therein;

at least one base station coupled to the system backbone and including a base station transceiver for conducting wireless communications, the at least one base station enabling communications between the host computer and mobile devices within the system by serving as an interface between wireless communications involving the mobile devices and hardwired communications involving the host computer via the system backbone; and

at least one mobile device for conducting communications with the host computer by way of the at least one base station and the respective base station transceiver, the at least one mobile device including;

a mobile device transceiver for communicating wirelessly with the base station transceiver;

a programmable control circuit controlling the operation of the mobile device;

a mobile device memory for storing mobile device operating software executed by the programmable control circuit; and

wherein the programmable control circuit is operatively coupled to the mobile device transceiver to send at least one communication to the host computer which prompts the host computer to communicate to the mobile device indicia representing a version of mobile device operating software stored in the host computer memory, whereby the programmable control circuit compares the indicia to a version of mobile device operating software currently stored in the mobile device memory, and based on the comparison the mobile device selectively sends at least one other communication to the host computer which prompts the host computer to communicate to the mobile device at least a portion of the mobile device operating software stored in the host computer memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device prompts the host computer to communicate the indicia as part of a boot-up routine of the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein in the event the version of mobile device operating software stored in the mobile device memory is different from the version of mobile device operating software stored in the host computer memory, the host computer communicates the mobile device operating software stored therein to the mobile device via the at least one base station.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the mobile device replaces the mobile device operating software presently stored in the mobile device memory with the mobile device operating software provided from the host computer.

5. A wireless communication system, comprising

a system backbone;

a host computer coupled to the system backbone;

at least one base station coupled to the system backbone, the at least one base station including a base station transceiver for communicating wirelessly with mobile devices within the system;

at least one mobile device having a mobile device transceiver for communicating wirelessly with the host computer on the system backbone via the at least one base station, and a user input for receiving a user selection; and

wherein the host computer and the at least one mobile device are operatively configured to communicate selectively mobile device operating software therebetween based on the user selection, the mobile device is configured to communicate a request to the host computer requesting that the host computer provide a list of available mobile device operating software, and the mobile device displays the list in order to allow the user to input the user selection.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein the mobile device is configured to communicate a request for particular mobile device operating software to the host computer based on the user selection.