Update system employing reference software to reduce number of update packages
First Claim
1. A method executed by a central processing unit for updating software in an electronic device, the method comprising:
- generating an update package for updating at least one software application, the update package being generated based upon difference information between the at least one software application and at least one reference software installed on the electronic device;
updating the at least one software application using the update package and the at least one reference software;
wherein the updating leaves the at least one reference software unchanged and the at least one reference software includes files common to a plurality of versions of the software application; and
wherein the files common to a plurality of versions of the software application includes at least one of binaries, firmware code, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), and JAVA archives (JAR files) with at least one software application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein is an electronic device having an update agent capable of updating application software employing reference software and an update package generated based on the reference software. The update agent may be employed by the electronic device to perform the update. When a user of an electronic device installs an application software, reference software may also be installed during the same installation to support subsequent updates to the application software. In a personal computer, application software may be loaded from a CDROM that may also provide reference software. Both application software and reference software may be installed during the same installation onto the PC from the CDROM. Update packages may also be generated based on the reference software and the number of update packages to be generated. Disclosed herein is a method and system where multiple update transitions may be reduced to a single update transition.
124 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method executed by a central processing unit for updating software in an electronic device, the method comprising:
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generating an update package for updating at least one software application, the update package being generated based upon difference information between the at least one software application and at least one reference software installed on the electronic device; updating the at least one software application using the update package and the at least one reference software; wherein the updating leaves the at least one reference software unchanged and the at least one reference software includes files common to a plurality of versions of the software application; and wherein the files common to a plurality of versions of the software application includes at least one of binaries, firmware code, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), and JAVA archives (JAR files) with at least one software application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for updating software, the system comprising:
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an electronic device capable of having software installed thereon; a software delivery device for receiving and installing a reference software to the electronic device if the electronic device does not have the reference software previously installed; the software delivery device receiving and delivering at least one update package to the electronic device, wherein the at least one update package is based on differences between at least one application software and the reference software, and the reference software facilitates, using the at least one update package, at least one update to the application software installed on the electronic device, and wherein the updating leaves the reference software unchanged, and the reference software includes a plurality of shared files with the application software; and wherein the plurality of shared files include at least one of binaries, firmware code, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), and JAVA archives (JAR files) with at least one software application. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method executed by a central processing unit for updating software in an electronic device, the method comprising:
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generating a first update package for updating at least one software application, the first update package being generated based upon difference information between a first software version and a reference software corresponding to the at least one software application; generating a second update package for updating the at least one software application, the second update package being generated based upon difference information between a second software version and the reference software corresponding to the at least one software application; generating a third update package for updating the at least one software application, the third update package being generated based upon difference information between the first and second update packages; updating the at least one software application using the third update package, wherein the reference software includes files common to the at least one software application and to the second software version; and wherein the files common to the at least one software application and to the second software version include at least one of binaries, firmware code, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), and JAVA archives (JAR files) with at least one software application.
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19. A system for updating software, the system comprising:
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an electronic device capable of having software installed thereon; a first update package generator for generating update packages based upon difference information between a version of software and a reference software corresponding to at least one software application; a second update package generator for generating update packages based upon difference information between different update packages; and a software delivery device for delivering at least one update package generated based upon difference information between different update packages to the electronic device, wherein the reference software includes at least one of a plurality of shared binaries, firmware code, dynamic link libraries (DLLs), and JAVA archives (JAR files) with the at least one software application.
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Specification