Embedded device update service

• US 7,716,661 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Paul, Jeffrey Michael, Park, Donghoon, Liu, Yuguo, O'Brien, Raymond Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Yigdall; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Marina
• Application Number:
  US11/082,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 717/173, 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and system for updating an OS of an embedded device. The embedded device provides its current OS version information to a mobile operation network via a SMS message. The embedded device can provide its current OS version information to a mobile operation network in response to a request from a mobile operator network that has implemented the SyncML specifications promulgated by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). The mobile operator network interacts with the datacenter to provide the embedded devices'"'"'s current OS version and get the address of the image update. The mobile operator service sends the address to the embedded device via another SMS message. The embedded device downloads the image update using the RF link via a global packet radio service (GPRS) connection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for updating an operating system (OS) of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, on a metadata service server, an OS version identifier of a current OS of the mobile device, wherein the OS version identifier is received via a mobile operator network;

causing the metadata service server to call a define package method, wherein the define package method determines a difference between the current OS indicated by the received OS version identifier and an updated OS associated with update tables in image binary files of a data center, wherein the image update tables include canonical update identifiers that indicate entire versions of an operating system, difference update identifiers that indicate patches of the operating system, and markup-language metadata that specifies a relationship between the canonical updates and the difference updates;

based on the difference determined by the define package method, identifying an optimal canonical update version for the current OS and the updated OS, an optimal difference update for the current OS and the updated OS, and a relationship between the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update;

based on the identification, building, on the metadata service server, an image update package for the mobile device, wherein the image update package includes the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update based on the relationship between the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update;

storing the image update package in a device package data store of the metadata service server, wherein the image update package is indicated by an address; and

sending the address from the metadata service server to the mobile device to facilitate subsequent retrieval of the image update package by the mobile device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving the OS version identifier, the metadata service server exposes an application programming interface to the mobile operator network to obtain the OS version identifier.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein storing the image update package in a device package data store of the metadata service server includes generating a token for the mobile device and storing the token with the generated image version package.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the address is a uniform resource locator, wherein the metadata service server sends the uniform resource locator to the mobile operator network for subsequent transmittal to the mobile device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein after sending the address from the metadata service server to the mobile device to facilitate subsequent retrieval of the image update package by the mobile device, the metadata service server sends the package in response to a request from the mobile device via a webfile server of the metadata service server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein sending the package includes a global packet radio service connection.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for updating an operating system (OS) of a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

receiving, on metadata service server, an OS version identifier of a current OS of the mobile device, wherein the OS version identifier is received via a mobile operator network;

causing the metadata service server to call a define package method, wherein the define package method determines a difference between the current OS indicated by the received OS version identifier and an updated OS associated with update tables in image binary files of a data center, wherein the update tables include canonical update identifiers that indicate entire versions of an operating system difference update identifiers that indicate patches of the operating system, and markup-language metadata that specifies a relationship between the canonical updates and the difference updates;

based on the difference determined by the define package method, identifying an optimal canonical update version of the current OS and the updated OS, an optimal difference update of the current OS and the updated OS, and a relationship between the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update;

based on the identification, building, on the metadata service server, an image update package for the mobile device wherein the image update package includes the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update based on the relationship between the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update;

storing the image update package in a device package data store of the metadata service server, wherein the image update package is indicated by an address; and

sending the address from the metadata service server to the mobile device to facilitate subsequent retrieval of the image update package by the mobile device.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein prior to receiving the OS version identifier, the metadata service server exposes an application programming interface to the mobile operator network to obtain the OS version identifier.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein storing the image update package in a device package data store of the metadata service server includes generating a token for the mobile device and storing the token with the generated image version package.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the address is a uniform resource locator, wherein the metadata service server sends the uniform resource locator to the mobile operator network for subsequent transmittal to the mobile device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein after sending the address from the metadata service server to the mobile device to facilitate subsequent retrieval of the image update package by the mobile device, the metadata service server sends the package in response to a request from the mobile device via a webfile server of the metadata service server.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein sending the package includes a global packet radio service connection.

13. A system for updating an operating system (OS) of a mobile device, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

receiving, on metadata service server, an OS version identifier of a current OS of the mobile device, wherein the OS version identifier is received via a mobile operator network;

causing the metadata service server to call a define package method, wherein the define package method determines a difference between the current OS indicated by the received OS version identifier and an updated OS associated with update tables in image binary files of a data center, wherein the image update tables include canonical update identifiers that indicate entire versions of an operating system, difference update identifiers that indicate patches of the operating system, and markup-language metadata that specifies a relationship between the canonical updates and the difference updates;

based on the difference determined by the define package method, identifying an optimal canonical update version for the current OS and the updated OS, an optimal difference update for the current OS and the updated OS, and a relationship between the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update;

based on the identification, building, on the metadata service server, an image update package for the mobile device, wherein the image update package includes the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update base on the relationship between the optimal canonical update version and the optimal difference update;

storing the image update package in a device package data store of the metadata service server, wherein the image update package is indicated by an address; and

sending the address from the metadata service server to the mobile device to facilitate subsequent retrieval of the image update package by the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein prior to receiving the OS version identifier, the metadata service server exposes an application programming interface to the mobile operator network to obtain the OS version identifier.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein storing the image update package in a device package data store of the metadata service server includes generating a token for the mobile device and storing the token with the generated image version package.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the address is a uniform resource locator, wherein the metadata service server sends the uniform resource locator to the mobile operator network for subsequent transmittal to the mobile device.