Self-describing software image update components
First Claim
1. In a mobile computing system comprising a software image that includes operating system files and other associated software application files, a method for updating a portion of the files in the software image, the software image being stored in embedded system memory, the method comprising:
- building a self-describing package, the package corresponding to part of an operating system image and containing files and registry settings, the package comprising a package manifest file that describes the binary structure of the image into which the package will be incorporated, the package including at least some language-independent executable code files configured for processing in any language that are separate from language-dependent data files, such that at least some of the executable code is independent of language-specific processing;
generating a build manifest file that specifies the file contents for the self-describing package;
generating a device manifest file that describes a set of information about the package including dependency and package settings priority information for the mobile computing system, the device manifest file being stored in the self-describing package and being configured to receive list and attribute information from the build manifest;
inserting one or more feature handles into the generated device manifest file, the feature handles specifying one or more software features that are to be included in the package such that those individual files, registry settings and libraries comprising the software features that are mapped with this feature are automatically included in the device manifest file, wherein individual feature mapping is omitted;
associating information in the package manifest file, the build manifest file and the device manifest file, including the inserted feature handles, with the self-describing package that describes the contents of the package such that an installation mechanism can determine how to install the package to a device; and
installing the files of the self-describing package according to the corresponding manifest files, wherein only those files identified in the self-describing package are overwritten in the software image.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a system and method in which software images including updates are provided as packages. The package is self-describing, thereby facilitating the replacement of only component parts of an image. A software build process maps operating system features (comprising files, metadata, configuration information and so forth) into the packages, and executable code is processed for relocation purposes. The final package includes a device manifest file that describes the package and conveys dependency information and information about the priority of settings (shadow data).
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. In a mobile computing system comprising a software image that includes operating system files and other associated software application files, a method for updating a portion of the files in the software image, the software image being stored in embedded system memory, the method comprising:
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building a self-describing package, the package corresponding to part of an operating system image and containing files and registry settings, the package comprising a package manifest file that describes the binary structure of the image into which the package will be incorporated, the package including at least some language-independent executable code files configured for processing in any language that are separate from language-dependent data files, such that at least some of the executable code is independent of language-specific processing; generating a build manifest file that specifies the file contents for the self-describing package; generating a device manifest file that describes a set of information about the package including dependency and package settings priority information for the mobile computing system, the device manifest file being stored in the self-describing package and being configured to receive list and attribute information from the build manifest; inserting one or more feature handles into the generated device manifest file, the feature handles specifying one or more software features that are to be included in the package such that those individual files, registry settings and libraries comprising the software features that are mapped with this feature are automatically included in the device manifest file, wherein individual feature mapping is omitted; associating information in the package manifest file, the build manifest file and the device manifest file, including the inserted feature handles, with the self-describing package that describes the contents of the package such that an installation mechanism can determine how to install the package to a device; and installing the files of the self-describing package according to the corresponding manifest files, wherein only those files identified in the self-describing package are overwritten in the software image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a mobile computing system comprising a software image that includes operating system files and other associated software application files, a system for updating a portion of the files in the software image, the software image being stored in embedded system memory, the system comprising:
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a system memory; a package generation process that builds a self-describing package containing files and registry settings, the package comprising a package manifest file that describes the binary structure of the image into which the package will be incorporated, the package including at least some language-independent executable code files configured for processing in any language that are separate from language-dependent data files, such that at least some of the executable code is independent of language-specific processing; a build manifest file generation process that generates a build manifest file that specifies the file contents for the self-describing package; a device manifest file generation process that generates a device manifest file that describes a set of information about the package including dependency and package settings priority information for the mobile computing system, the device manifest file being stored in the self-describing package and being configured to receive list and attribute information, from the build manifest; a feature handle inserting process that inserts one or more feature handles into the generated device manifest file, the feature handles specifying one or more software features that are to be included in the package such that those individual files, registry settings and libraries comprising the software features that are mapped with this feature are automatically included in the device manifest file, wherein individual feature mapping is omitted; a package associating process that associates information in the package manifest file, the build manifest file and the device manifest file, including the inserted feature handles, with the self-describing package to describe the contents of the package, the information including component relationship information; and an installation process that installs the files of the self-describing package according to the corresponding manifest files, wherein only those files identified in the self-describing package are overwritten in the software image. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification