Method for updating information stored in a communications terminal device intended for mobile use and communications terminal device

• US 6,917,800 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Rychlak, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Application Number:
  US09/554,361
• Time in Patent Office: 2,434 Days
• Field of Search: 455418-420, 455/422.1, 455/424, 455/569.2, 455/186.1, 455/567, 455/556.1, 701/1, 701/29, 701/32, 701/115
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and a communications terminal device intended for mobile use are described, with or in which it is possible in a simple manner to update information stored in the device, for example, components of the system software required for the operation of the device.

A communications terminal device is distinguished by a nonvolatile overwritable or erasable and rewritable memory, the information in which can be replaced and/or supplemented via a connection, preferably a radio link, between communications terminal device and a provider offering updated information.

An updating can be initiated on the request of the user of the device or also by the device manufacturer.

Claims

1. A method for updating stored information which is stored in a non-volatile memory of a communications terminal device intended for a mobile use, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between the communications terminal device and an information provider, the provider having updated information which is addressed by the communications terminal device;

selecting at least parts of the updated information at the communications terminal device;

transmitting only the selected information from the provider to the communications terminal device; and

performing at least one of supplementing the stored information with the selected information and replacing the stored information with the selected information, the at least one of supplementing and replacing including storing the selected information in the nonvolatile memory;

wherein the communications terminal device is used in a car radio, the car radio including an integrated mobile telephone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting step includes the following substep:

identifying the communications terminal device by the information provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

before the transmitting step, identifying the communications terminal device by the information provider.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the communications terminal device is identified by the provider using an identifier, the identifier being assigned individually to the communications terminal device and reported to the provider.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

after the establishing step, transmitting a list of the updated information from the provider to the communications terminal device;

selecting the selected information from the list of the updated information via one of a control panel of the communications terminal device and a further control panel connected to the communications terminal device; and

after the selecting step, transmitting the selected information by the provider to the communications terminal device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected information includes at least one of an updated version and updated components of an operating program required for an operation of the communications terminal device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected information includes components of an operating program which are required for an operation of the communications terminal device and which extend a range of function of the communications terminal device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected information includes updated or replacement software.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the updated or replacement software is operating program software, and the performing step includes updating or replacing the operating program with the operating program software.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operation of selecting at least parts of the updated information at the communications terminal device is by a user.

11. A method for updating stored information which is stored in a non-volatile memory of a communications terminal device intended for mobile use, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between an information provider and the communications terminal device, the provider having updated information and addressing the communications terminal device which has an individually assigned identifier;

after the establishing step, selecting at least one of selected information and information components from the updated information to be transmitted from the provider to the communications terminal device; and

performing at least one of supplementing the stored information with the selected information and replacing the stored information with the selected information, the at least one of supplementing and replacing including storing the selected information in the nonvolatile memory;

wherein the communications terminal device is used in a car radio, the car radio including an integrated mobile telephone.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the selected information and the information components includes at least one of an updated version and updated components of an operating program required for an operation of the communications terminal device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the selected information and the information components includes components of an operating program which is required for an operation of the communications terminal device and which extend a range of function of the communications terminal device.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the selected information includes updated or replacement software.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the updated or replacement software is operating program software for an operating program, and the performing step includes updating or replacing the operating program with the operating program software.

16. A communications terminal device for a mobile use, comprising:

a transmitter/receiver unit connecting the communications terminal device to a provider to obtain updated information; and

an information memory arrangement including a nonvolatile memory, at least a part of the nonvolatile memory being overwritable or erasable and rewritable, the nonvolatile memory storing information,

wherein, when a connection exists between the communications terminal device and the provider, the stored information in the nonvolatile memory is at least one of replaced by selected information and supplemented by the selected information by storing the selected information in the nonvolatile memory, the selected information being selected via the communications terminal device, and

wherein the communications terminal device is used in a car radio, the car radio including an integrated mobile telephone, the mobile telephone includes the nonvolatile memory for storing the stored information, and wherein the car radio one of (a) includes the transmitter/receiver unit and (b) is connected to the transmitter/receiver unit.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the nonvolatile memory stores an operating program which is required for an operation of the mobile telephone.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the transmitter/receiver unit includes the mobile telephone.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the communications terminal device includes a control panel, the control panel allowing a selection of the selected information from the updated information.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the communications terminal device can be connected to a control panel, the control panel allowing a selection of the selected information from the updated information.

21. The device according to claim 16, wherein the communications terminal device includes an additional nonvolatile memory which stores components of an operating program, the components being required for an operation of the communications terminal device and a transmission of the selected information from the provider to the communications terminal device.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the additional nonvolatile memory includes a read-only memory.

23. The device according to claim 16, further comprising:

an output device outputting a list of the updated information.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein the output device includes a display device, the display device displaying the list.

25. The device according to claim 23, wherein the output device is connected to a display device.

26. The device according to claim 16, wherein the selected information includes updated or replacement software.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the updated or replacement software is operating program software.

28. A method for updating stored information which is stored in a non-volatile memory of a communications terminal device intended for mobile use, comprising:

establishing a connection between the communications terminal device and an information provider, the provider having updated information which is addressed by the communications terminal device;

displaying, at the communications terminal device, updated information available from the provider;

selecting, by a user, at least parts of the displayed updated information;

transmitting the selected information from the provider to the communications terminal device; and

performing at least one of supplementing the stored information with the selected information and replacing the stored information with the selected information, the at least one of supplementing and replacing including storing the selected information in the non-volatile memory;

wherein the communications terminal device is adapted for mobile use; and

wherein the communications terminal device is used in a car radio, the car radio including an integrated mobile telephone.

29. A communications terminal device for a mobile use, comprising:

a transmitter/receiver unit configured to connect the communications terminal device to a provider;

a display coupled to the transmitter/receiver unit and configured to display updated information available from the provider;

a selection device via which a user selects at least some of the available updated information; and

an information memory arrangement including a nonvolatile memory, at least a part of the nonvolatile memory being overwritable or erasable and rewritable, the nonvolatile memory storing information,

wherein, the transmitter/receiver is configured to receive from the provider the selected information when a connection exists between the communications terminal device and the provider, and wherein the stored information in the nonvolatile memory is at least one of;

i) replaced by the selected updated information, and ii) supplemented by the selected information, by storing the selected information in the nonvolatile memory; and

wherein the communications terminal device is used in a car radio, the car radio including an integrated mobile telephone.