Wireless software upgrades with version control

• US 6,308,061 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• 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: Criss, Mark A., Cowan, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US09/234,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420-422, 455/550-558, 370/338, 370/401-404, 370/310, 370/328, 370/349, 395/200.5, 395/200.51, 395/500, 364/222.81, 364/222.82, 364/261, 364/262
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A wireless communication system 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, 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 at least one mobile device includes a software update schedule table for providing one or more times at which the mobile device is to inquire and obtain available software upgrades. Entries in the software update schedule table may be made manually through a user input associate with the at least one mobile device or wirelessly through communications received from the host computer. In the event the mobile device is in a sleep mode during a scheduled time for conducting an inquiry as to whether any upgrades of operating software is available, a processor of the mobile device is configured to temporarily place the mobile device in a fully operation mode until a process of determining and obtaining any upgrades operating software is complete.

Claims

1. 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 steps of;

maintaining in the at least one mobile device a software update schedule table indicating at least one time at which the at least one mobile device is to inquire as to whether an upgrade of operating software is available;

determining in the at least one mobile device whether the software update schedule table indicates it is time to inquire as to whether an upgrade of operating software is available;

in the event the at least one mobile device determines from the software update schedule table that it is time to initiate obtaining the upgrade of operating software, the at least one mobile device determining whether a version of the operating software stored in the at least one mobile device is a current version of the operating software; and

wirelessly updating the operating software stored in the at least one mobile device if it is determined that the operating software stored in the at least one mobile device is not the current version.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the host computer wirelessly modifies the software update schedule table.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the host computer wirelessly adds an entry to the software update schedule table.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein prior to modifying the software update schedule table, the host computer transmits a request to receive a copy of the software update schedule table from the at least one mobile device and the at least one mobile device provides the host computer with the copy of the software update schedule table in response to receiving the request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the host computer wirelessly modifies an existing entry in the software update schedule table.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the host computer wirelessly deletes an entry in the software update schedule table.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one entry is manually entered in the software update schedule table through a user input device coupled to the at least one mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system includes a plurality of mobile devices communicating with the host computer and each of the plurality of mobile devices includes a respective software update schedule table.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the respective software update schedule tables includes a time entry staggered by a predetermined time interval from another time entry in a different one of the respective software updated schedule tables.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the predetermined time interval is at least a sufficient amount of time for each of the plurality of mobile devices to complete wirelessly updating of the operating software stored in the respective plurality of mobile devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one mobile device is in a sleep mode during the step of determining in the at least one mobile device whether the software update schedule table indicates it is time to inquire as to whether an upgrade of operating software is available.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to the step of determining whether the version of the operating software stored in the at least one mobile device is a current version of the operating software the at least one mobile device enters into a fully power mode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein following the step of wirelessly updating the operating software stored in the at least one mobile device if it is determined that the operating software stored in the at least one mobile device is not the current version, the at least one mobile device re-enter a sleep mode.

14. 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

wherein the at least one mobile device includes a software update schedule table providing at least one time at which the at least one mobile device is to determine whether to selectively update mobile device operating software with at least one of the host computer and an FTP server coupled to the system backbone based on an initial comparison in accordance with a predetermined criteria indicative of whether updating of the mobile device operating software is appropriate.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one time provided with the software update schedule table has associated therewith a frequency of occurrence.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the frequency of occurrence is one of daily, weekly, monthly, and a specified one or more dates.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one mobile device is configured to transmit a copy of the software update schedule table to the host computer in response to receiving a request to forward a copy of the software update schedule table to the host computer.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one mobile device is configured to provide updated entries in the software update schedule table in accordance with wireless communications received from the host computer.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one mobile device includes a date keeper and a time keeper for determining whether the at least one time has arrived.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a transceiver for wirelessly transmitting and receiving information; and

a software update schedule table stored in the memory, the software update schedule table providing at least one entry indicating a time at which the at least one mobile device is to determine whether to selectively update mobile device operating software with at least one of a host computer and an FTP server coupled to a system backbone based on an initial comparison in accordance with a predetermined criteria indicative of whether updating of the mobile device operating software is appropriate.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a copy of the software update schedule table to the host computer in response to receiving a request to forward a copy of the software update schedule table to the host computer.

22. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the entry indicating the time also include an entry indicating a frequency of occurrence.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the frequency of occurrence is one of daily, weekly, monthly, and a specified one or more dates.

24. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to provide updated entries in the software update schedule table in accordance with wireless communications received from the host computer.

25. The mobile device of claim 20, further comprising a user input coupled to the processor, and wherein the software update schedule table is configurable via the user input.

26. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein in the event the mobile device is in a sleep state, the processor is configured to wake the mobile device from the sleep state at the a time at which the at least one mobile device is to determine whether to selectively update mobile device operating software.