System and methods for remotely upgrading software applications
First Claim
1. A system for upgrading software on a mobile terminal, comprising:
- a network management computer (NMC) adapted to receive a plurality of software upgrades and to transmit one of the plurality of software upgrades to one of a plurality of mobile terminals; and
a mobile terminal that is communicable with the NMC and is adapted to execute a software program, the mobile terminal including an upgradeable component, wherein the upgradeable component further comprises a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to at least one operating characteristic of the upgradeable component;
wherein the NMC is adapted to transmit the one of the plurality of software upgrades to the mobile terminal in response to the DDD of the upgradeable component, andwherein the DDD maps to a software group and the mobile terminal receives the one of the plurality of software upgrades based at least on the mapping to the software group.
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Abstract
The present invention includes a system and methods for upgrading software on a mobile terminal. The system includes a network management computer (NMC) adapted to receive a plurality of software upgrades and to transmit one of the plurality of software upgrades to one of a plurality of mobile terminals through a satellite link. The mobile terminal can include an upgradeable component, which in turn includes a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to operating characteristics of the upgradeable component. According to the present invention, the NMC is adapted to transmit the one of a plurality of software upgrades to the mobile terminal in response to the DDD of the upgradeable component. Methods employing similar features and advantages are also disclosed herein.
35 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A system for upgrading software on a mobile terminal, comprising:
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a network management computer (NMC) adapted to receive a plurality of software upgrades and to transmit one of the plurality of software upgrades to one of a plurality of mobile terminals; and a mobile terminal that is communicable with the NMC and is adapted to execute a software program, the mobile terminal including an upgradeable component, wherein the upgradeable component further comprises a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to at least one operating characteristic of the upgradeable component; wherein the NMC is adapted to transmit the one of the plurality of software upgrades to the mobile terminal in response to the DDD of the upgradeable component, and wherein the DDD maps to a software group and the mobile terminal receives the one of the plurality of software upgrades based at least on the mapping to the software group. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for receiving a software upgrade at a mobile terminal, comprising:
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identifying, at the mobile terminal, a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to at least one operating characteristic of an upgradeable component on the mobile terminal; transmitting the DDD to a network entity; and receiving the software upgrade at the mobile terminal in response to the transmitting of the DDD, wherein the DDD maps to a software group and the mobile terminal receives the software upgrade based at least on the mapping to the software group. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method executable by a network management computer (NMC) for upgrading software on a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal comprises an upgradeable component, comprising:
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identifying, at the NMC, a detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to at least one operating characteristic of the upgradeable component; populating a database including the upgradeable component with original data corresponding to existing software on the upgradeable component; grouping the mobile terminal into a group of one or more mobile terminals in response to the DDD of the upgradeable component; comparing the original data of the upgradeable component to upgrade data corresponding to the group of one or more mobile terminals; and providing a software upgrade to the mobile terminal in response to the original data and the upgrade data being unsynchronized and based at least on the grouping. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method executable by a network entity for upgrading software on a mobile terminal, comprising:
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identifying a first upgradeable component of the mobile terminal, wherein the first upgradeable component comprises one of an interface unit, a data modem, a personal digital assistant, a GPS receiver, a navigation system, a cellular mobile telephone, a satellite modem, and a display, and wherein the first upgradeable component further corresponds to a first detachable device descriptor (DDD) corresponding to at least one operating characteristic of the first upgradeable component; grouping the mobile terminal into a first group of at least one mobile terminal in response to the DDD of the first upgradeable component; identifying a second upgradeable component as a replacement for the first upgradeable component, the second upgradeable component comprising one of a second interface unit, a second data modem, a second personal digital assistant, a second GPS receiver, a second navigation system, a second cellular mobile telephone, a second satellite modem, and a second display, and further comprising a second DDD corresponding to at least one operating characteristic of the second upgradeable component; grouping the mobile terminal into a second group of at least one mobile terminal based on the second DDD upon replacement of the first upgradeable component by the second upgradeable component; determining whether the first group and the second group comprise different groups; and upgrading the software on the mobile terminal in response to determining that the second group is different than the first group and based at least on the grouping of the mobile terminal into the second group. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for upgrading software on a mobile terminal, wherein the mobile terminal comprises an upgradeable component, comprising:
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providing the mobile terminal with an upgradeable component; providing beta software operable on the upgradeable component; grouping, at a network management computer (NMC), the upgradeable component into a beta group; populating a database of the upgradeable component with the beta software in response to the grouping of the upgradeable component; and grouping the mobile terminal into a group of one or more mobile terminals in response to a removal of a beta designation from the beta software. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification