Method for installing two or more operating systems/user interfaces into an electronic device and an electronic device

• US 6,684,324 B2
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lipponen, Markku, Floman, Matti
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): SURYAWANSHI, SURESH
• Application Number:
  US09/415,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20030084206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 370/915, 710/100, 709/223, 709/229, 707/10
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for downloading control software/operating systems of user interfaces into an electronic device (1), which comprises two or more processor blocks (2a, 2b), where in at least two processor blocks (2a, 2b) a user interface (UI1, UI2) is used. Furthermore, one or more operating systems are executed in the electronic device (1). The downloading is executed via one said processor block (2a, 2b), wherein the control software/operating systems are downloaded into said one processor block (2a, 2b), from which the control software/operating systems related to other user interfaces are loaded into said other processor blocks (2a, 2b). The invention also relates to an electronic device (1) which comprises at least one processor (3a, 3b), at least two processor blocks (2a, 2b), at least one user interface (UI1, UI2), memory means (4a) for storing the control software of the user interface (UI1, UI2), means (8a, 8b, 10) for data transmission between a first (2a) and a second processor block (2b), and means (3a, 3b) for executing the functions of two or more operating systems. The invention also relates to a storing means for the downloading program of the control software/operating systems of the user interfaces in an electronic device (1).

Claims

1. A method for downloading control software/operating systems of user interfaces into an electronic device (1) which comprises two or more central processing units (2a, 2b), wherein at least two of the two or more central processing units (2a, 2b) each have an individual hardware user interface (U11, U12), and in the electronic device (1) one or more operating systems are also executed, characterized in that the downloading is executed via one said central processing unit (2a, 2b), wherein the control software/operating systems of the user interfaces are loaded into said one central processing unit (2a, 2b), from which the control software/operating systems related to other user interfaces are loaded into said other central processing unit (2a, 2b).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control software/operating systems of the user interfaces (UI1, UI2) are downloaded from a memory card (12), such as a multimedia memory card (MMMC).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating systems are downloaded from a data processor (13).

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the downloading is conducted at least partly in a wireless manner.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first processor block (2a) is used for performing data processing functions and the second processor block (2b) is used for performing mobile station functions.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the downloading is conducted via a mobile communications network.

7. An electronic device (1) comprising:

at least one processor (3a, 3b),

at least two central processing units (2a, 2b), each having a hardware user interface (U11, U12),

memory means (4a) for storing the control software of the user interfaces (U11, U12),

means (8a, 8b, 10) for data transmission between a first (2a) and a second central processing unit (2b), and

means (3a, 3b) for executing the functions of two or more operating systems,

characterized in that the electronic device (1) also comprises downloading means (9) for loading the control software/operating systems of user interfaces into one said central processing unit (2a), and means (3a, 3b, 8a, 8b, 10) for loading control software/operating systems related to other user interfaces from one said central processing unit (2a) into said other central processing units (2b), wherein the downloading of the control software/operating systems of the user interfaces is arranged to be conducted via said downloading means (9).

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that the downloading is arranged to be conducted from a memory card, such as a multimedia memory card, wherein the means (9) for downloading the control software/operating systems of user interfaces comprise a memory card interface means (MCI).

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that the downloading is arranged to be conducted from a data processor (13) which comprises data transmission means (14) for data transmission between the electronic device (1) and the data processor (13).

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, characterized in that the data transmission means (14) of the data processor comprise means for wireless data transmission, such as infrared data transmission means (15).

11. A storing means for a downloading program of the control software/operating systems of user interfaces into an electronic device (1), which electronic device comprises:

at least one processor (3a, 3b),

at least two central processing units (2a, 2b), each having a hardware user interface (U11, U12),

memory means (4a) for storing the control software of the user interface (U11, U12),

means (8a, 8b, 10) for data transmission between a first (2a) and a second central processing unit (2b), and

means (3a, 3b) for executing the functions of two or more operating systems,

characterized in that the downloading program contains procedures for downloading the control software/operating systems of user interfaces into one said central processing unit (2a), and procedures for loading control software/operating systems related to other user interfaces from said one central processing unit (2a) into said other central processing units (2b), wherein the downloading of the control software/operating systems of user interfaces is arranged to be conducted by means of a downloading program via one said central processing unit (2a).

12. The storing means according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises a memory card (12) or memory means (4a, 4b).

13. An electronic device comprising:

a plurality of central processing units each having an individual hardware user interface;

an interface for downloading an update program to one of the plurality of central processing units; and

a selection device coupled to the one central processing unit for allowing a user to select which of the plurality of central processing units to update using the update program upon notification that the update program is available.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the interface for downloading is a memory device interface.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the interface for downloading is a data processor interface.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the interface for downloading is a wireless device interface.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the update program is an operating system update program.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the update program is a user interface update program central processing units to update using the update program upon notification that the update program is available.