Initialization and update of software and/or firmware in electronic devices

• US 8,468,515 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Shao-Chun, O'Neill, Patrick, Sotos, Peter L., Lim, Jeong M., Jacobi, Sidney Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutten, James D
• Application Number:
  US11/637,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20070089108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,380 Days
• Field of Search: 717/170
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A system and method to effectively and efficiently update a version of firmware resident in a device memory is provided. A method of identifying one or more versions of firmware is provided by way of initializing a device memory with a known pattern. In addition, the amount of free unused memory space may be identified and calculated in a device memory. The system and method generates software update packages that are minimal in size providing cost benefit to a manufacturer and convenience to a user.

Claims

1. A system for updating memory in an electronic device, the system comprising:

at least one processor that, during operation, executes generator code for generating a software package from a plurality of code modules for the electronic device;

layout preprocessor code executable by the at least one processor for parsing a memory layout specification and that receives at least one parameter that represents an estimated probability of future change of one or more code modules, to produce memory mapping information that assigns to each of the plurality of code modules space in one of a plurality of individual portions of the memory, based upon the memory layout specification;

wherein execution of the layout preprocessor code determines an amount of unassigned space in the memory upon assignment of space in the memory to the plurality of code modules; and

wherein execution of the generator code locates a corresponding fraction of the unassigned space in the memory in each of the individual portions of the memory, in accordance with the memory mapping information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile handset, a pager, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of code modules comprise code modules of a first version of code and corresponding code modules of a second version of code.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the memory of the electronic device comprises update agent code executable by a processor in the electronic device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the software package comprises a set of instructions executable by the update agent code to transform code modules of a first version of code to code modules of a second version of code.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a corresponding probability of change for each of the individual portions of the memory.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the fraction of the unassigned space in the memory assigned to a corresponding one of the individual portions of the memory is a proportion of a total size of the code modules assigned to the corresponding one of the individual portions of the memory to a total memory space of the code modules that have been assigned space in the memory.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unassigned space in memory is set to a bit pattern selected to permit identification of the unassigned space by examination of the memory.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the bit pattern comprises one or more contiguous occurrences of a sequence of one or more data values.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the bit pattern is selected to permit identification of a version of code.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

communications code executable by the at least one processor that enables wireless transmission of the software package to the electronic device.

12. A method for updating memory in an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving at least one parameter that represents an estimated probability of future change of one or more code modules;

preprocessing a plurality of code modules for the electronic device, the preprocessing comprising determining an amount of unassigned space in the memory upon assignment of space in the memory to the plurality of code modules, and

parsing a memory layout specification to produce memory mapping information that assigns to each of the plurality of code modules space in one of a plurality of individual portions of the memory, based upon the memory layout specification;

after the preprocessing, processing the plurality of code modules to generate a software package, wherein generating comprises locating a corresponding fraction of the unassigned memory space in the memory in each of the individual portions of the memory, in accordance with the memory mapping information; and

storing the software package in a repository for later wireless transmission to the electronic device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a mobile handset, a pager, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of code modules comprise code modules of a first version of code and corresponding code modules of a second version of code.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the memory of the electronic device comprises update agent code executable by a processor in the electronic device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the software package comprises a set of instructions executable by the update agent code to transform code modules of the first version of code to code modules of the second version of code.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one parameter comprises a corresponding probability of change for each of the individual portions of the memory.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the fraction of the unassigned space in the memory assigned to a corresponding one of the individual portions of the memory is a proportion of a total size of the code modules assigned to the corresponding one of the individual portions of the memory to a total memory space of the code modules that have been assigned space in the memory.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the unassigned space in memory is set to a bit pattern selected to permit identification of the unassigned space by examination of the memory.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the bit pattern comprises one or more contiguous occurrences of a sequence of one or more data values.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the bit pattern is selected to permit identification of a version of code.