Modular software components for wireless communication devices

• US 7,184,759 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Wireless Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Patel, Mehul B., Rajaram, Gowri S., Date, Umesh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin; Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan; Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US10/848,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20040214560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 705/26, 709/207, 717/178, 713/151
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2139 Recurrent verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamic installation of modular software applications and operating system components are provided. A wireless communication device sends a request to a software module server identifying a requested software module. The software module server responds with an instruction set for installing the software module and the software module itself. Upon receipt, the handset executes the instruction set to install the software module, making any necessary adjustments or deletions to data in persistent storage in order to accommodate the new software module. Subsequently, the wireless communication device is reconfigured or rebooted to complete the installation and configuration.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically installing a software module on a deployed wireless communication device, comprising:

receiving a request at a modular software interface of the deployed wireless communication device to install the software module, the request comprising a unique identifier for the software module;

the modular software interface communicating the request to a runtime engine of the deployed wireless communication device;

the runtime engine compiling a server query, the server query comprising the unique identifier and at least one server operation code corresponding to at least one server instruction executable by a remote server, the at least one server operation code housed in a server opcode library of the deployed wireless communication device;

sending the server query to the remote server via a wireless communication network;

the modular software interface receiving a response from the remote server via the wireless communication network, wherein the response comprises the software module and at least one device operation code corresponding to at least one device instruction executable by the deployed wireless communication device; and

the runtime engine processing the response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request further comprises a unique identifier for an existing software module to be deleted from the deployed wireless communication device, further comprising the step of:

deleting the existing software module to be deleted.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the request further comprises a size for the software module, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the available persistent storage on the deployed wireless communication device will accommodate the size for the software module.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

identifying an existing software module to be deleted; and

deleting the identified existing software module to be deleted from the deployed wireless communication device to free up storage space for the software module.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received from a carrier network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising validating the request from the carrier network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response from the remote server instructions comprises at least one of instructions to install the software module and instructions to determine available persistent storage space.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the response from the remote server further comprise instructions to identify an existing software module to be deleted from the deployed wireless communication device, further comprising the step of:

deleting the existing identified software module to be deleted.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the server query further comprises:

a server instruction set having a corresponding data payload;

wherein the unique identifier is in the data payload.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the server instruction set comprises non-executable operation codes.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the at least one device instruction to install the software module.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the executing the at least one device instruction step is carried out within the runtime engine operating on the deployed wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending usage data to the remote server; and

receiving billing details from the remote server.

15. A wireless communication device comprising:

a data storage area comprising instructions executable by the wireless communication device;

a modular software interface configured to receive a request to install a new software module and configured to determine a unique identifier for the new software module;

a server opcode library housed in the data storage area, the server opcode library comprising operation codes corresponding to instructions executable by a remote server;

a handset opcode library housed in the data storage area, the handset opcode library comprising operation codes corresponding to the instructions executable by the wireless communication device; and

a runtime engine configured to compile and send server opcode sets and receive and process handset opcode sets, wherein the modular software interface receives a request to install the new software module, determines a unique identifier for the new software module and provides the unique identifier to the runtime engine that compiles a server opcode set requesting the software module, the server opcode set having a data payload comprising the unique identifier.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the modular software interface is further configured to determine the size of the requested new software module and the amount of available persistent storage.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the modular software interface is further configured to delete data in persistent storage to increase the amount of available persistent storage to allow installation of the requested new software module.