Mobile device with a self-updating update agent in a wireless network
First Claim
1. A method of updating at least one of:
- firmware and software in an electronic device having update agent code, the method comprising;
authenticating to obtain an update package, wherein the update package includes at least executable instructions for converting a version of code to an updated version of the code;
executing the update agent code to create a backup copy of the update agent code only if the update package indicates that the update package affects the update agent code itself;
executing the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software in the electronic device employing the obtained update package, wherein executing the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software in the electronic device comprises running the backup copy of the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software, if the backup copy of the update agent code exists and is valid; and
running a source copy of the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software, if the backup copy does not exist or is not valid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile device with a self-backup mechanism may conduct an implicit backup of update agent code during an update of firmware in the electronic device, using a package of update information. Another embodiment may perform an explicit backup of update agent code before the update of other firmware is performed. In an electronic device employing NAND flash non-volatile memory for firmware storage, a boot code may copy all firmware, including update agent code, from the non-volatile memory to RAM for execution. A determination may be made whether a backup copy of update agent code exists, and the existing update agent code may be updated by a copy of the update agent code stored in an area in RAM. An updated update agent code may be capable of employing update status data used by old update agent code, as well as update status data used by an updated update agent code.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of updating at least one of:
- firmware and software in an electronic device having update agent code, the method comprising;
authenticating to obtain an update package, wherein the update package includes at least executable instructions for converting a version of code to an updated version of the code; executing the update agent code to create a backup copy of the update agent code only if the update package indicates that the update package affects the update agent code itself; executing the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software in the electronic device employing the obtained update package, wherein executing the update agent code to update the at least one of;firmware and software in the electronic device comprises running the backup copy of the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software, if the backup copy of the update agent code exists and is valid; andrunning a source copy of the update agent code to update the at least one of;
firmware and software, if the backup copy does not exist or is not valid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- firmware and software in an electronic device having update agent code, the method comprising;
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8. An electronic device comprising:
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a non-volatile memory containing a firmware; update agent code resident in the non-volatile memory; wherein the update agent code executes, only if an update package including at least executable instructions for converting to an updated version indicates that executing the update package changes the update agent code, to create a backup copy of the update agent code during an update of the firmware; boot code that is executed immediately after a reboot of the electronic device; random access memory (RAM) into which the update agent code is loaded for execution; and wherein the boot code determines which one of;
the update agent code resident in the non-volatile memory and the backup copy of the update agent code is to be loaded into the random access memory (RAM), loads the determined one of;
the update agent code resident in the non-volatile memory and the backup copy of the update agent code into the random access memory (RAM), and causes execution of the loaded update agent code. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An updatable electronic device comprising:
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non-volatile memory containing resident update agent code and a firmware; wherein the resident update agent code is executable by a processor to cause updating of the firmware in the non-volatile memory; wherein the resident update agent code is executable by a processor to cause updating of the resident update agent code; wherein execution of the resident update agent code creates a backup copy of the resident update agent code in the non-volatile memory, before updating the firmware and the resident update agent code, and only if an obtained update package indicates that the obtained update package affects the resident agent code itself; and wherein execution of the resident update agent code to update the firmware in the non-volatile memory comprises running the backup copy of the resident update agent code to update the firmware, if the backup copy of the resident update agent code exists and is valid; and running the resident update agent code to update the firmware, if the backup copy does not exist. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification