System and method for field diagnosis of wireless communications device system software

• US 6,918,108 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Rajaram, Gowri
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20030066064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-135, 717168-178, 714/4, 714 25- 26, 714 38- 39, 455/67.11, 455/422.1, 455423-425
• US Class Current: 717/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/052 software update
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method are provided for field diagnosing system software in a wireless communications device. The method comprises: executing system software; launching a run-time engine; receiving patch manager run time instructions (PMRTI), including dynamic instruction sets and new code sections, in a file system section nonvolatile memory; and, processing dynamic instruction sets to field diagnose the system software. Processing the dynamic instruction sets includes: executing the diagnosis instruction sets with the system software to collect data; analyzing the collected data; and, in response to analyzing the collected data, operating on system data and system software. The method further comprises: following the operating on the system software and system data, executing the system software.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications device, a method for field diagnosing system software, the method comprising:

executing the system software, the system software being formed into symbol libraries, each symbol library comprising symbols having related functionality and the symbol libraries being arranged into code sections in a code storage section of a nonvolatile memory;

receiving patch manager run time instructions (PMRTI), including a dynamic instruction set and a new code section, in a file system section of the nonvolatile memory;

launching a run-time engine;

processing the dynamic instruction set to field diagnose the system software;

in response to field diagnosing the system software, operating on system data and the system software; and

,

following the operating on the system data and the system software, repeating the executing the system software.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a dynamic instruction sets includes receiving a diagnosis instruction set, and wherein receiving a new code section includes receiving a diagnosis code section;

the method further comprising;

storing the diagnosis code section in nonvolatile memory permanent storage; and

,

wherein processing the dynamic instruction set includes processing the diagnosis instruction set to execute the diagnosis code section with the system software.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes collecting system data.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes, in response to executing the diagnosis code section with the system software, collecting system data.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein collecting system data includes collecting the addresses and values of symbols in a read-write volatile memory.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes storing the collected system data in a first code section in the file system section.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes using conditional operation code to analyze the collected data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein operating on the system data and the system software includes updating the system data in response to analyzing the collected data;

and,

wherein executing the system software includes using the updated system data.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving a diagnosis code section includes receiving a predetermined set of updated system data;

wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes selecting an updated system data set; and

,

wherein operating on the system data and the system software includes using the selected updated system data set to execute the system software.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving a diagnosis code section includes receiving a test code section having a plurality of temporary code symbol libraries and corresponding constraints;

wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes executing a first temporary code;

wherein analyzing the collected data includes comparing system data, collected in response to executing the first temporary code, to the corresponding constraints;

wherein operating on the system data and the system software includes;

temporarily updating the software data per the first temporary code constraints if the collected system data passes analysis; and

,

temporarily redirecting selected system software symbols to counterpart symbols in the first temporary code symbol library of the diagnosis code section; and

,

wherein processing diagnosis instruction sets includes executing alternate temporary code symbol libraries if the collected system data does not pass analysis.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein arranging the symbol libraries into code sections includes starting symbol libraries at the start of code sections and arranging symbols to be offset from their respective code section start addresses;

the method further comprising;

storing the start of code sections at corresponding start addresses;

maintaining a code section address table cross-referencing code section identifiers with corresponding start addresses;

maintaining a symbol offset address table cross-referencing symbol identifiers with corresponding offset addresses and corresponding code section identifiers; and

,

wherein executing temporary code symbol libraries from the test code sections includes updating the symbol offset address table and code section address table with addresses in the diagnosis code section.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a diagnosis code section includes receiving a test code section with temporary code symbol library and constraints organized as system data trigger values;

and,

wherein analyzing the collected data includes comparing system data, collected in response to executing the first temporary code, to the sets of system data trigger values.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting the collection of temporary software data updates and temporarily redirected system software symbols via an airlink interface;

receiving an updated code section with an updated code section address table and updated symbol offset address table in the file system section; and

,

wherein processing diagnosis instruction sets includes storing the updated code section with updated code section address table and symbol offset address table in permanent storage.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein processing the diagnosis instruction set includes transmitting the collected system data via an airlink interface;

the method further comprising;

receiving a new patch manager run time instruction with a new code section including updated data;

replacing a first code section in permanent storage with the new code section; and

,

executing the system software using the new code section.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

following the field diagnosis of the system software, removing the dynamic instructions sets from the file system section.

16. In a wireless communications device, a system for field diagnosing system software, the system comprising:

a nonvolatile memory comprising a file system section and a code storage section, the code storage section comprising code sections, the code sections storing system data and the system software, the system software being formed into symbol libraries, each symbol library comprising symbols having related functionality arranged into the code sections in the code storage section;

a processor connected to the nonvolatile memory;

a field diagnosis dynamic instruction set stored in the nonvolatile memory for diagnosing the system software in the field; and

,

a run-time engine stored in the nonvolatile memory and configured;

to be run by the processor;

to receive patch manager run time instructions (PMRTI) including the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set and new code sections;

to process the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set;

to operate on system data and the system software; and

,

to execute the system software following the operation on the system software and the system data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the file system section receives the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set and a diagnosis code section;

wherein the diagnosis code section is stored in the nonvolatile memory; and

,

wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set executes the diagnosis code section with the system software.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set collects system data.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set collects system data in response to executing the diagnosis code section with the system software.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

read-write volatile memory; and

,

wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set collects the addresses and values of symbols stored in read-write volatile memory.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set stores the collected system data in a first code section in the file system section.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set uses a conditional diagnosis instruction set to analyze the collected data.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the system data is updated in response to analyzing the collected data, and the system software is executed using the updated system data.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the diagnosis code section includes predetermined sets of updated system data;

wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set selects an updated system data set; and

,

wherein the system software executes using the selected updated system data set.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the diagnosis code section includes a plurality of temporary code symbol libraries and corresponding constraints;

wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set executes a first temporary code and compares system data, collected in response to executing the first temporary code, to the corresponding constraints;

wherein the system data is temporarily updated per the first temporary code constraints if the collected system data passes analysis, and wherein the system software temporarily redirects selected system software symbols to counterpart symbols in the first temporary code symbol library of the diagnosis code section; and

,

wherein the diagnosis instruction sets execute alternate temporary code symbol libraries if the collected system data does not pass analysis.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the system software includes symbol libraries starting at the start of code sections, symbols arranged to be offset from their respective code section start addresses, and the start of code sections being stored at corresponding start addresses;

the system further comprising;

a code section address table cross-referencing code section identifiers with corresponding start addresses;

a symbol offset address table cross-referencing code section identifiers with corresponding offset addresses and offset addresses and corresponding code section identifiers; and

,

wherein the diagnosis instruction sets update the symbol offset address table and code section address table with addresses in the diagnosis code section.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the diagnosis code section includes constraints organized as system data trigger values;

wherein the diagnosis instruction sets analyze the collected data by comparing system data;

collected in response to executing the first temporary code, to the sets of system data trigger values.

28. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

an airlink interface;

wherein the diagnosis instruction sets transmit the collection of temporary software data updates and temporarily redirected system, software symbols, via the airlink interface, and receive an updated code section with an updated code section address table and updated symbol offset address table in the file system section via the airlink interface; and

,

wherein the diagnosis instruction sets store the updated code section with updated code section address table and symbol offset table in permanent storage.

29. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

an airlink interface to transmit the system data collected by the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set; and

,

a new patch manager run time instruction with a new code section including updated data received via the airlink interface;

wherein the field diagnosis dynamic instruction set replace a first code section in the nonvolatile memory with the new code section; and

,

wherein the system software is executed using the new code section.