Method and apparatus for updating software in radio terminal device

• US 8,245,220 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Imamatsu, Ken'ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yaary, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US10/705,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,200 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method for updating software in a radio terminal device of a mobile communication system, wherein a base station and radio terminal devices are connected mutually through radio communication channels, including the steps of notifying version information on a control-software of the radio terminal device to a software-supply device connected to a network by the radio terminal device, determining a necessity of updating the control-software by comparing the version information received from the radio terminal device with latest version information stored in and managed by the software-supply device, and downloading new control-software that is appropriate to update the version of the control-software to the radio terminal device by the software-supply device if updating of the control-software is needed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a radio terminal comprising;

a radio communication unit communicating with a software supplying device;

a memory storing software presently involved in operations;

a receiving unit receiving a value N from said software supplying device indicating the number of divided software blocks for updating said stored software; and

a controller that determines before starting a download of said number of divided software blocks whether, based on the value N, to update the stored software, wherein if the value N is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and wherein if the value N is greater than 0 then the download starts, and

the software supplying device comprising;

a memory storing software being downloaded by the radio terminal device; and

a communication unit that is adapted to notify said radio terminal device of a number of divided blocks for transmitting of said stored software, to receive from the radio terminal device a request corresponding to each divided block to transmit the respective divided block, and to transmit in response to said respective requests said respective divided blocks to the radio terminal device on a block-by-block basis.

2. A radio terminal comprising:

a radio communication unit communicating with a software supplying device;

a memory storing software presently involved in operations;

a receiving unit receiving a value N from the software supplying device indicating the number of divided software blocks for updating said stored software; and

a controller that determines before starting a download of said number of divided software blocks whether, based on the value N, to update the stored software, wherein if the value N is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and wherein if the value N is greater than 0 then the download starts, and stopping a download of software from said software supplying device when the controller detects an operation for responding to an incoming call.

3. A radio terminal comprising:

a radio communication unit communicating with a software supplying device;

a memory storing software presently involved in operations;

a receiving unit receiving a value N from said software supplying device indicating the number of divided software blocks for updating said stored software; and

a controller that determines before starting a download of said number of divided software blocks whether, based on the value N, to update the stored software, wherein if the value N is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and wherein if the value N is greater than 0 then the download starts.

13. The radio terminal according to claim 3, wherein the software is used for updating a present control software in the radio terminal.

4. A software supplying system comprising:

a radio terminal device adapted to transmit and receive communications and including a memory adapted to store a software application; and

a communication unit adapted to

     1) determine whether a software update is necessary and sending to the radio terminal device a number representing a quantity of divided blocks of the software application wherein if the number is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and if the number is greater than 0 then the download starts and;

     2) initiating the downloading by transmitting to the radio terminal device the respective divided blocks as requested by the radio terminal device of the software application on a block-by-block basis.

5. A method for updating software in a radio terminal device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a value N from said software supplying device indicating the number of divided software blocks needed for updating software;

determining before starting a download of software blocks whether to update software based on the value N, wherein if N is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and wherein if the value N is greater than 0 then the download starts;

receiving from the radio terminal device N request corresponding to each divided block to transmit the respective divided block;

transmitting, in response to said respective requests, said respective divided blocks to the radio terminal device on a block-by-block basis; and

storing, in a memory, software being downloaded by the radio terminal device.

6. A method for updating software in a radio terminal device, comprising the steps of:

storing, in a memory, software presently involved in operations;

determining before starting a download of software blocks whether to update software as a value N, wherein if the value N is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and wherein if the value N is greater than 0 then the download starts;

communicating with a software supplying device for software updates;

detecting whether there is an operation for responding to an incoming call; and

stopping a download of software from said software supplying device when an operation for responding to an incoming call is detected.

7. A method for updating software in a radio terminal device, comprising the steps of:

storing, in a memory, software presently involved in operations;

communicating with a software supplying device for software updates;

receiving a value N from said software supplying device indicating the number of divided software blocks for updating said stored software; and

determining before starting a download of said number of divided software blocks whether, based on the value N, to update the stored software, wherein if the value N is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and wherein if the value N is greater than 0 then the download starts.

8. A software supplying system comprising:

a radio terminal having a radio communication unit to communicate with the software supplying device via a radio communication line;

a software supplying device having a memory to store a software and a communication unit to determine whether a software update is necessary and sending to the radio terminal a number before starting a transmission of software, wherein if the number is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and if the number is greater than 0 then the download starts and transmits to the radio terminal N data blocks in accordance with requests sent from the radio terminal, wherein the N data blocks are components of the software.

9. The software supplying device according to claim 8, wherein the software is used for updating a present control software in the radio terminal.

14. The software supplying device according to claim 8, wherein the software is used for updating a present software stored in the radio terminal.

10. A software supplying device comprising:

a memory to store software being downloaded by a radio terminal device; and

a communication unit adapted to determine whether a software update is necessary and sending to the radio terminal device a number before starting a transmission of software, wherein if the number is less than 1 then the download does not occur, and if the number is greater than 0 then the download starts and;

separately transmit the data blocks which are parts of the software by notifying the number to the radio terminal device before the transmission.

11. The software supplying device according to claim 10, wherein the software is used for updating a present software stored in the radio terminal.

12. The software supplying device according to claim 10, wherein the software is used for updating a present control software in the radio terminal.