Method and system for distributing and updating software in wireless devices

• US 8,078,157 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Maurya, Sanjiv, Chow, Chih-Yu, Robinson, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/577,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20100173622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/328, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

A method is disclosed. The method includes receiving an update package from a wireless service provider that includes information indicating that multiple language versions of an update are included in the update package. Based on the information, the method further specifies an update associated with a language from the update package, and transmits the update associated with the language to a wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of updating a wireless device comprising:

a wireless device receiving a notification indicating that an updated package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising a plurality of versions of an update;

the wireless device transmitting, in response to receipt of said notification, device-specific information to a server system, the device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device;

the wireless device receiving data specifying a location of a version of the update from the server system, the version having been selected based on the compatibility information; and

the wireless device using the received data to access said selected version of the update.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting meta-data associated with the update.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the server system determining whether the compatibility information is included in a compatibility matrix associated with the update; and

the server system transmitting the data specifying a location of a version of the update in response to determining that the compatibility information is included in the compatibility matrix.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the received data comprises a universal resource locator.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of versions relate to a plurality of languages.

4. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sets of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by a wireless device, configure the wireless device to:

receive a notification indicating that an update package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising a plurality of versions of an update;

transmit, in response to receipt of the notification, device-specific information to a server system, the device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device;

receive data specifying a location of a version of the update from the server system, the version having been selected based on the compatibility information; and

use the received data to access said selected version of the update.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the sets of instructions, when executed by the wireless device, further cause the wireless device to request meta-data associated with the update.

8. A method of providing an update to a wireless device, comprising:

sending, to a wireless device, a notification indicating that an update package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising a plurality of versions of an update;

receiving, from the wireless device, device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device;

selecting, based on the received compatibility information, a version of the update from the plurality of versions; and

sending data for receipt at the wireless device, the data specifying a location of the selected version.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the compatibility information is included in a compatibility matrix associated with the update; and

transmitting the data specifying a location of a version of the update in response to determining that the compatibility information is included in the compatibility matrix.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the data specifying a location of the selected version comprises a universal resource locator with which the selected version can be downloaded.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of versions relates to a plurality of languages.

12. A method according to claim 8, further comprising providing updates to a plurality of wireless devices via a network, wherein the method comprises scheduling the timing of provision of updates to the wireless devices so that no more than a predefined number of updates are simultaneously provided via the network.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising scheduling the provision of the selected version so that the selected version is provided to the wireless device when the wireless device is in a predetermined location.

14. A server system for providing an update to a wireless device, the server system comprising a processor and one or more communications interfaces for communicating with one or more wireless devices, the server system being configured to:

send, to a wireless device via said one or more communications interfaces, a notification indicating that an update package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising a plurality of versions of an update;

receive, from the wireless device via said one or more communications interfaces, device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device;

select, by the processor, based on the received compatibility information, a version of the update; and

send data, via said one or more communications interfaces, for receipt at the wireless device specifying a location of the selected version.

15. A system according to claim 14, further comprising a server system storing the plurality of versions.

16. A system according to claim 14, further comprising a management console for configuring rules associated with the update.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions thereon for execution on a computing system to implement a method of providing an update to a wireless device, the method comprising:

sending, to a wireless device, a notification indicating that an update package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising a plurality of versions of the update;

receiving, from the wireless device, device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device;

selecting, based on the received compatibility information, a version of the update; and

sending data for receipt at the wireless device specifying a location of the selected version.

18. A wireless device configured to:

receive a notification indicating that an update package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising having a plurality of versions of an update;

transmit, in response to receiving a said notification, device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device to a server system;

receive data specifying a location of a version of the update from the server system, the version having been selected, based on the compatibility information; and

use the received data to access said selected version of the update.

19. A method of updating a wireless device comprising:

a wireless device receiving a notification indicating that an update package is available for the wireless device, the update package comprising a plurality of versions of an update;

the wireless device transmitting, in response to receipt of said notification, device-specific information to a server system, the device-specific information comprising compatibility information relating to the wireless device;

the wireless device receiving data specifying a location of a version of the update from the server system, the version being associated with the compatibility information; and

the wireless device using the received data to access said selected version of the update.