Network having customizable generators and electronic device having customizable updating software

• US 7,644,404 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu Rama, Marolia, Sunil, Hamasaki, Glenn Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, HANH THI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/860,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20040250245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168, 717/174
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a network having a customizable update generator and electronic devices having customizable updating software adapted to dynamically incorporate support for new instruction extensions in an existing instruction set. The customizable generator may be adapted to generate updates employing instruction sets executable by the customizable updating software in the electronic devices. The customizable updating software may be adapted to be dynamically enhanced and to support an enhanced instruction set. The updating software may be adapted to retrieve a complementary updating component during execution of an update. The electronic device may be adapted to employ at least one of several available and retrieved complementary update components during execution of an update. In conjunction with retrieved complementary update components, the updating software may be adapted to update the firmware, the software, the operating system, and other application components while employing an appropriate update to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of updating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

executing a first updating software component comprising a plurality of first executable instructions in the mobile electronic device to retrieve, from non-volatile memory in the mobile electronic device, a second updating software component comprising a plurality of second executable instructions; and

executing a portion of the plurality of first executable instructions and a portion of the plurality of second executable instructions together to form an updating software to update one of firmware and software in the mobile electronic device using updating information in an update package.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

converting a portion of the plurality of first executable instructions to second executable instructions;

maintaining an unconverted balance of the plurality of first executable instructions;

incorporating the second executable instructions into a multi-component updating software; and

executing the second executable instructions together with the unconverted balance of the plurality of first executable instructions during the update.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising performing the update, wherein performing the update comprises independently converting at least a portion of the one of software and firmware in the mobile electronic device using at least one executable instruction.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising employing a multi-component updating software to perform the update, the multi-component updating software being adapted to autonomously and unilaterally be updated by performing at least one executable instruction in at least one updating software component.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating an update, wherein generating the update comprises generating a multi-component updating software, the multi-component updating software comprising at least one set of executable instructions and at least one complementary component comprising at least one extension executable function, the at least one extension executable function providing additional functionality to at least one executable instruction in the at least one set of executable instructions in the multi-component updating software.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining new functions of code;

incorporating the determined new functions of code into an updating software component;

determining new function reference portions for an updating software function component; and

incorporating the determined new function reference portions into the updating software function component.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating updating software comprising a plurality of updating components adapted to interact during execution of the update, wherein each of the plurality of updating components comprise a plurality of executable instructions and the plurality of updating components providing different functionality that together facilitates updating of one of firmware and software in the mobile electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

generating an update, the update comprising;

an updating component generated in an update generating device; and

an extension table, wherein the extension table provides the update with additional functionality.

9. Updating software in at least one memory device in a mobile electronic device for updating the mobile electronic device, the updating software comprising:

a plurality of original executable update instructions resident in the mobile electronic device that are executed to retrieve a plurality of new executable update instructions from non-volatile memory in the mobile electronic device; and

wherein at least a portion of the original executable update instructions and at least a portion of the new executable update instructions in the updating software are executed together to form an updating software to update one of firmware and software in the mobile electronic device using updating information in an update package.

10. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of updating components, the plurality of updating components being complementary and together functionally forming the updating software.

11. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of executable instruction sets, wherein at least one of the plurality of executable instructions sets is adapted to be incorporated as an extension of a default executable instruction set.

12. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of updated executable instructions, wherein at least one of the plurality of updated executable instructions are substituted for outdated executable instructions in a set of executable instructions forming the updating software.

13. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of executable update instructions, the plurality of executable update instructions comprising current executable update instructions and outdated executable update instructions, wherein the outdated executable update instructions are removed and replaced with new executable update instructions during the update.

14. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of executable instructions for updating one of firmware and software from one version to another version in the mobile electronic device.

15. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, wherein the updating software is independent of one of a particular mobile electronic device model and a particular mobile electronic device manufacturer.

16. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising updating software updating instructions, the updating software updating instructions enabling the updating software to autonomously and unilaterally be updated by performing at least one of the updating software updating instructions.

17. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a complementary update component comprising a plurality of updating software updating instructions, the updating software updating instructions are adapted to enhance functionality of the updating software.

18. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising a multi-component updating software, the multi-component updating software employing a set of executable instructions and a complementary table of extension executable functions providing additional functionality to one of the set of executable instructions and the multi-component updating software.

19. The updating software in at least one memory device according to claim 9, comprising:

an updating component generated in an update generating device; and

an extension table, wherein the extension table provides the updating software with additional functionality.

20. A mobile electronic device comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a controller; and

updating software comprising a plurality of updating software components, wherein a first updating software component is executed to retrieve at least a second updating software component stored in the non-volatile memory, and wherein the first updating software component and the second updating software component have different functionalities that together form an updating software adapted to update one of firmware and software in the mobile electronic device.

21. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software is executed to convert a first version of code in the mobile electronic device to a second version code in the mobile electronic device using updating information in an update package.

22. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software comprises:

a plurality of original executable update instructions; and

a plurality of new executable update instructions, wherein at least a portion of the original executable update instructions and at least a portion of the new executable update instructions are executed during an update of the one of firmware and software in the mobile electronic device.

23. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software comprises a plurality of executable instruction sets, wherein at least one of the plurality of executable instructions sets is adapted to be incorporated as an extension of a default executable instruction set.

24. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software comprises a plurality of updated executable instructions, wherein the updated executable instructions are substituted for outdated executable instructions in a set of executable instructions forming the updating software.

25. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software comprises a plurality of executable update instructions, the plurality of executable update instructions comprise current executable update instructions and outdated executable update instructions, wherein the outdated executable update instructions are removed and replaced with new executable update instructions during an update.

26. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software is independent of one of a particular mobile electronic device model and a particular mobile electronic device manufacturer.

27. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, comprising updating software updating instructions, the updating software updating instructions enabling the updating software to autonomously and unilaterally be updated by performing at least one of the updating software updating instructions.

28. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, comprising a complementary update component comprising a plurality of updating software updating instructions, wherein the updating software updating instructions are adapted to enhance functionality of the updating software.

29. The mobile electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the updating software employs a set of executable instructions and a complementary component comprising extension executable functions that provide additional functionality to one of the set of executable instructions and the updating software.