Wireless software upgrades with version control

• US 6,031,830 A
• Filed: 02/13/1998
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• 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): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/023,857
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 370/338, 370/401, 370/310, 370/328, 370/402, 370/403, 370/404, 370/349, 379/29, 379/34, 395/200.5, 395/500, 395/200.51, 364/222.81, 364/222.82, 364/261, 364/26.2
• 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;

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; and

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;

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 device operating software therebetween is appropriate, the initial comparison includes a comparison of an indicia of a version of mobile device operating software stored in the host computer and an indicia of a version of mobile device operating software presently stored in the mobile device, and the initial comparison is carried out by the mobile device.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, further comprising an FTP server coupled to the backbone;

wherein in the event it is determined that updating of the mobile device operating software is appropriate, the FTP server provides the mobile device with the updated mobile device operating software.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the FTP server is included in the host computer.

4. In 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; and

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, a method of operation comprising the step of;

the host computer and the at least one mobile device communicating 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; and

wherein the initial comparison includes a step of comparing an indicia of a version of mobile device operating software stored in the host computer and an indicia of a version of mobile device operating software presently stored in the mobile device, and the initial comparison is carried out by the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless communication system further comprises an FTP server coupled to the backbone, and in the event it is determined that updating of the mobile operating software is appropriate, the FTP server provides the mobile device with the updated mobile device operating software.

6. A communication system, comprising:

a system backbone;

a host computer coupled to the system backbone;

at least one remote device which communicates with the host computer via the system backbone; and

wherein the host computer and the at least one remote device are operatively configured to communicate selectively remote device operating software therebetween based on an initial comparison in accordance with a predetermined criteria indicative of whether communication of remote operating software therebetween is appropriate, the initial comparison including a comparison of an indicia of a version of remote device operating software stored in the host computer and an indicia of a version of remote device operating software presently stored in the remote device, wherein the initial comparison is carried out by the remote device operating software presently stored in the remote device.

7. A communication system, comprising:

a system backbone;

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

at least one remote device for conducting communications with the host computer by way of the system backbone, the at least one remote device including;

a remote device transceiver for communicating with the host computer;

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

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

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

8. A computer program encoded on a computer-readable medium for use in a wireless communication system including 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; and

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, the computer program comprising code which, when executed by the host computer and the at least one mobile device, prompts the host computer and the at least one mobile device 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 device operating software therebetween is appropriate, wherein the initial comparison is carried out by the mobile device.

9. The program of claim 8, wherein the initial comparison includes a comparison of an indicia of a version of mobile device operating software stored in the host computer and an indicia of a version of mobile device operating software presently stored in the mobile device.

10. A computer program encoded on a computer-readable medium for use in a communication system including a system backbone;

a host computer coupled to the system backbone; and

at least one remote device having a remote device transceiver for communicating with the host computer via the system backbone, the computer program comprising code which, when executed by the host computer and the at least one remote device, prompts the host computer and the at least one remote device to communicate selectively remote device operating software therebetween based on an initial comparison in accordance with predetermined criteria indicative of whether communication of remote device operating software therebetween is appropriate, the initial comparison including a comparison of an indicia of a version of remote device operating software in the host computer and an indicia of a version of remote device operating software presently stored in the remote device, wherein the initial comparison is carried out by the remote device based on indicia information provided by the host computer.