Device memory management during electronic file updating

• US 7,007,049 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: InnoPath Software, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peng, Luosheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLEURANTIN, JEAN B
• Application Number:
  US10/298,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 365/230.03, 365/230.04, 365/230.05, 365/230.06, 365/230.07, 365/230.08, 365/230.09, 365/231, 711/111, 711/170, 711/209
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7201 Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7205 Cleaning, compaction, garbage collection, erase control
• 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: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

In performing memory management, an upgrade client of a host device identifies and reserves memory blocks large enough to accommodate new software components by performing sequential searches of first and second memory areas. The new software components are updated versions of components of original software files. When the new component size exceeds that of available blocks of the first and second memory areas, the upgrade client rewrites the first memory area to eliminate unused memory blocks, reapportions the first and second memory areas, writes the new component to the second memory area, and updates a vector table. To access host device software components, the upgrade client receives a function call from the main program of the host device including identification information of corresponding software files, reads a start address of the corresponding software files from the vector table, and generates a call for the corresponding software files.

Claims

1. A method for managing memory of electronic devices, comprising:

updating electronic files of the devices by,

receiving at least one new component of a new electronic file, the new electronic file being an updated version of an original electronic file;

identifying and reserving a memory block large enough to accommodate the new component by performing a sequential search of a first and second memory area, wherein the first memory area is rewritten to eliminate unused memory blocks and the first and second memory areas are reapportioned when a size of the new component exceeds a size of available memory blocks of the first and second memory areas;

writing the new component to the reserved memory block; and

updating a vector table when the new component is written to a memory block other than an original memory block including the corresponding component of the original electronic file; and

accessing the electronic files of the devices by,

receiving a function call from a main program of the device, the function call including identification information of corresponding electronic files;

reading a start address of the corresponding electronic files from the vector table; and

generating a call for the corresponding electronic files using the start address and the identification information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes function identification and arguments to the function.