Apparatus and method for upgrading software

• US 7,051,325 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Jong Sung, Joh, Dong Hyeon
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCHE, TRENTON J
• Application Number:
  US10/084,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 713/750, 725/132, 725/140, 725/152
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/91 broadcasting computer programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An apparatus and method for upgrading a software, including a version comparing unit for comparing a version of a software code and a version of a previously installed software code to determine a newer version and an upgrade processing unit for installing the software by abstracting software data in the software code, can automatically install an upgraded system software in a corresponding apparatus for receiving digital broadcasting by detecting the code of the system software simultaneously included in an advertisement broadcasting and an advertisement broadcasting signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for upgrading a software of a television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, comprising:

a code detecting unit for detecting a software code included in an advertisement broadcasting signal during only broadcasting of an advertisement;

a version comparing unit for comparing a version of the software code included in the advertisement broadcasting signal and a version of a previous software code installed on the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus; and

an upgrade processing unit for installing software associated with the software code included in the advertisement broadcasting signal on the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus if the version of the software code is newer than the version of the previous software code.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software code includes data of an upgraded system software.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software is a system software to be installed in a digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the software is an upgraded software.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a mode setting unit for setting a download-possible mode by determining whether the software code can be downloaded when the advertisement broadcasting signal in which the software code is inserted is received.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing the software code.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an error detecting unit for determining whether an error exists in the software code included in the advertisement broadcasting signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the advertisement broadcasting signal corresponds to an advertisement of a certain company.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upgrade processing unit automatically downloads the software code during broadcasting of the advertisement broadcasting signal regardless the version of the software code.

9. A method for upgrading a software of a television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, comprising the steps of:

detecting a software code included in an advertisement broadcasting signal during only broadcasting of an advertisement;

comparing a version of the software code included in the advertisement broadcasting signal and a version of a previous software code installed on the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus; and

installing software associated with the software code on the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the software is a system software to be installed in a digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of:

checking whether the software code corresponds to a model of the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus or an error exists when the advertisement broadcasting signal in which the software code is inserted is received.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of:

deleting the software code when the version of the software code is not newer than the version of the previous software code; and

checking whether the software will be upgraded when the version of the software code is newer than the version of the previous software code.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the software is installed or deleted according to a response of a user.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the user data includes:

a header block including basic index information on the software; and

a payload block including the software code.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the header block and payload block are formed in a packet form.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the header block comprises:

an applied receiver description code block for checking the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus which performs software upgrade by recording brand name and model number of the television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus;

a version number block for showing version information of the software code;

a current packet number block for showing an order of the current packets when receiving the software code divided into a number of packets;

a last packet number block for checking the total number of the packets;

a status flag block for recording an error correction type and information of beginning and ending address of a target memory;

a payload length block for recording the length of a payload; and

a software version information block for recording guide information about the code version of the software.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the payload block comprises:

a software code unit for recording the software code which is divided into packet units with a certain size; and

an error check block for checking whether an error exists in the packet units and correcting the error.

23. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically downloading the software code during broadcasting of the advertisement broadcasting signal regardless the version of the software code.

18. An apparatus for upgrading a software of a digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, comprising:

a code detecting unit for receiving a digital advertisement broadcasting signal during only broadcasting of an advertisement and detecting whether the software code is inserted in a user data of the digital advertisement broadcasting signal;

a mode setting unit for setting a download-possible mode by determining whether the software code is downloadable;

a storage unit for downloading and storing the software code in case of the download-software possible mode;

an error detecting unit for determining whether an error exists in the downloaded software code;

a version comparing unit for comparing a version of the downloaded software code and a version of a previous software code installed on the digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus; and

an upgrade processing unit for installing software associated with the software code on the digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus if the version of the downloaded software code is newer than the version of the previous software code and if no error exits in the downloaded software code.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the software code includes data of an upgraded system software.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the upgrade processing unit automatically downloads the software code during broadcasting of the digital advertisement broadcasting signal regardless the version of the downloaded software code.

20. A method for upgrading a software of a digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, comprising the steps of:

detecting a software code included in a digital advertisement broadcasting signal during only broadcasting of an advertisement;

checking whether a software code inserted in the digital advertisement broadcasting signal corresponds to a model of the digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus or an error exists in the software code when the digital advertisement broadcasting signal is received;

comparing a version of the software code and a version of a previous software code installed on the digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus;

deleting the software code if the version of the software code is not newer than the version of the previous software code; and

installing software associated with the software code on the digital television broadcasting signal receiving apparatus if the version of the software code is newer than the version of the previous software code.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the software code includes data of an upgraded system software.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

automatically downloading the software code during broadcasting of the digital advertisement broadcasting signal regardless the version of the software code.