System and method for efficient manufacture and update of electronic devices

• US 7,668,612 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Okkonen, Harri
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Application Number:
  US10/945,466
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 700/159, 700/105, 700/95, 700/1, 717/168, 717/170, 717/171, 717/139, 711/5
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system and method for the efficient manufacture and update of electronic devices that is capable of pre-programming firmware/software into flash units (or other similar memory units) during their manufacturing so as to make the assembly line for the electronic devices more efficient and faster, and thus more productive. Various embodiments of the present invention may provide for an eventual update of the assembled electronic devices, after sales, employing embedded update agents in the electronic devices.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing mobile handsets, the method comprising:

procuring pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory chipsets comprising an update agent, a firmware, and a software;

saving information associating each of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory chipsets with one or more identifiers of the mobile handsets;

assembling each of the mobile handsets employing one of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory chipsets, wherein the one pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory chipset employed is determined using the saved information; and

shipping the assembled mobile handsets to at least one warehouse.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

updating the mobile handsets at a point of sale to end users.

3. A method of manufacturing an electronic device capable of updating one or both of firmware and software subsequent to manufacture, the method comprising:

procuring one or more pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices comprising firmware capable of updating the one or both of firmware and software;

saving information associating each of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices with one or more identifiers of the electronic device;

assembling the electronic device employing one of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices, wherein the one pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory device employed is determined using the saved information; and

shipping the assembled electronic device for distribution to an end user.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile handset, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a personal computer.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the electronic device is portable.

6. The method according to claim 3 wherein the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices comprise FLASH memory.

7. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

updating at least a portion of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory of the electronic device at a point of sale to the end user.

8. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

updating configuration information of the electronic device at a point of sale to the end user.

9. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

updating at least a portion of one or both of firmware and software of the electronic device at a point of sale to the end user.

10. The method according to claim 3 wherein any updating of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory occurs one or both of before and after assembly of the electronic device.

11. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

adapting operation of the electronic device in order to avoid one or more of destruction, corruption, and/or loss of contents of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory during the assembly of the electronic device.

12. The method according to claim 3 wherein the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory is programmed at the point of manufacture of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory.

13. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

verifying contents of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory in order to determine whether the contents have been corrupted.

14. A system for the efficient manufacture of a plurality of electronic devices each having one or more associated identifiers, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising a computer-readable medium having loaded thereon;

a pre-programmer for programming one of a plurality of versions of one or both of firmware and software into each of a plurality of updatable non-volatile memory units during manufacture of each updatable non-volatile memory unit, each of the plurality of versions of the one or both of firmware and software adapted for use with electronic devices having a predetermined value of the one or more associated identifiers;

software for managing assembly of the plurality of electronic devices, the software capable of coordinating operations of a manufacturing process line in order to match the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory units to each of the plurality of electronic devices, using the one or more associated identifiers; and

software for managing updating the contents of the updatable non-volatile memory units in the electronic devices, following distribution of the electronic devices to end users.

15. The system according to claim 14 further comprising:

a provisioning unit capable of provisioning each of the plurality of electronic devices one or both of during and subsequent to the sale of the electronic device to a user.

16. The system according to claim 14 further comprising:

a repository comprising the one or both of firmware and software for pre-programming into updatable non-volatile memory units during manufacture of the updatable non-volatile memory units.

17. The system according to claim 14 further comprising:

a repository that provides one or both of updated firmware and updated software for updating contents of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory units after manufacture of the electronic devices.

18. The system according to claim 14 wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile handset, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a personal computer.

19. The system according to claim 14 wherein the at least one associated identifier comprises one or more of a make, a model, and/or a serial number.

20. A method for efficiently manufacturing an electronic device employing one or more updatable non-volatile memory units, the method comprising:

procuring the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units in a pre-programmed condition, the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units comprising firmware capable of updating the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units;

saving information associating the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units to one or more identifiers of the electronic device;

assembling the electronic device using one of the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units, wherein the memory unit used is determined using the saved information;

shipping the assembled electronic device; and

updating contents of the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units after shipment.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the pre-programming of the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units occurs during manufacture of the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units.

22. The method according to claim 20 wherein the updating of the one or more non-volatile memory units comprises one or more of configuration, localization, and/or customization.

23. The method according to claim 20 wherein the updating of the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units employs the firmware capable of updating the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units.

24. The method according to claim 20 wherein the updating comprises:

conducting over-the-air update of one of configuration information, firmware, and/or software.

25. The method according to claim 20 wherein the updating uses a set of executable instructions for converting a first version of firmware to a second version of firmware.

26. The method according to claim 20 wherein the assembling comprises:

verifying contents of the one or more updatable non-volatile memory units to determine whether the contents have been corrupted during the assembling.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein assembling comprises:

reprogramming the at least one non-volatile memory unit if it is determined, following the assembling, that the at least one non-volatile memory unit is corrupted.

28. The method according to claim 20 wherein the at least one non-volatile memory unit comprises FLASH memory.

29. The method according to claim 20 wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile handset, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a personal computer.

30. An electronic device capable of updating one or both of firmware and software within the electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

at least one updatable non-volatile memory having stored therein firmware for updating the one or both of firmware and software;

the one or both of firmware and software at least capable of providing normal operation of the electronic device to a user; and

the one or both of firmware and software disposed in the at least one updatable non-volatile memory prior to assembly of the electronic device.

31. The electronic device according to claim 30 wherein the updating uses a set of executable instructions for converting a first version of the one or both of firmware and software to a second version of the at least one of firmware and software.

32. The electronic device according to claim 30 wherein the updating uses information received via one or more of a cellular network, a paging network, a local area network, and/or the Internet.

33. The electronic device according to claim 30 wherein the one or more non-volatile memory comprises flash memory.

34. The electronic device according to claim 30 comprising one of a mobile handset, a pager, a personal digital assistant, and a personal computer.

35. An electronic device manufactured according to a process comprising the steps of:

procuring one or more pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices comprising firmware for updating one or both of firmware and software in the electronic device;

storing information associating each of the one or more pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices with one or more identifiers of the electronic device;

assembling the electronic device employing at least one of the pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices, wherein the at least one pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory device employed is determined using the stored information associating each of the one or more pre-programmed updatable non-volatile memory devices with one or more identifiers of the electronic device;

shipping the assembled electronic device for distribution to an end user; and

wherein the electronic device supports updating of the one or both of firmware and software by the electronic device subsequent to manufacture of the electronic device.