System and method for downloading software upgrades

• US 8,612,961 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Elliot M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deng, Anna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bourzik, Brahim
• Application Number:
  US12/346,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A method of upgrading a first software file stored at a wireless communication device so that the wireless communication device is provided with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file, and also a wireless communication device and system, are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving a software upgrade file, where the software upgrade file includes second-order difference information. The method also includes storing the upgrade file in a memory portion associated with the wireless communication device, and generating the second software file based upon the upgrade file, the first software file, and additional information. The additional information includes at least one of a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files and at least some first-order difference information representative of at least some actual differences between the first and second software files.

Claims

1. A method of upgrading a first software file stored at a wireless communication device so that the wireless communication device is provided with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file, the method comprising:

Receiving, via a wireless communication link, a software upgrade file, wherein the software upgrade file includes second-order difference information;

storing the received software upgrade file in a first memory portion of at least one memory component associated with the wireless communication device; and

generating the second software file based upon the received software upgrade file;

the first software file, and an additional file,

wherein the additional file includes at least one of a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files and a further file including at least some first-order difference information representative of at least some actual differences between the first and second software files;

wherein the second-order difference information of the software upgrade file is representative of further differences between the additional file and a further first-order difference information file;

wherein the additional file is received via the wireless communication link in combination with the software upgrade file;

wherein the additional file includes the further file, wherein the at least some first-order difference information is substantially a first half of an overall first-order difference file representative of all of a plurality of first order differences between the first software file and the second software file,

the plurality of the first order differences including the at least some actual differences,

wherein the further first-order difference information file is substantially a second half of the overall first-order difference file,

and wherein the further differences are between the first half of the overall first-order difference file and the second half of the overall first-order difference file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional file includes the pattern file and the pattern file is also stored at the wireless communication device prior to the receiving of the software upgrade file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the further first-order difference information file includes an update package file constituting a complete representation of all of the differences between the first and second software files, and wherein the update package file is generated based upon the pattern file and the received software upgrade file by the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second software file is generated by the wireless communication device based upon the update package file and the first software file, and wherein each of the update package file and the pattern file includes respective portions of generator command information, software executable command information, and binary pattern information representative of software resource or application information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second software file is stored in a segment of a memory component of the wireless communication device that also, at least previously, stored the first software file.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the update package file is stored in a segment of a memory component of the wireless communication device that also, at least previously, stored the pattern file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating is performed at least in part by a processing device of the wireless communication device interacting with the first memory portion, and further comprising determining the software upgrade file including the second-order difference information at a base station prior to transmission of the software upgrade file to the wireless communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining includes first determining the first-order difference information and then subsequently determining the second-order difference information, and wherein the method is repeated in relation to additional, subsequent software upgrades in relation to one or more of the first software file, the second software file and other software files.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a hand-held device and a mobile device, and wherein the base station includes a server computer.

10. A wireless communication device configured to allow for upgrading of a first software file stored thereon with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file, the device comprising:

a wireless receiver;

a processor in communication with the wireless receiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the memory includes at least first, second and third memory regions;

wherein the first memory region is configured to store the first software file, wherein the second memory region is configured to store a software upgrade file received wirelessly via the wireless receiver;

wherein the software upgrade file includes second-order difference information that is representative of one or more second differences between a first difference file and an additional file, the first difference file comprising at least some first-order difference information representative of at least some actual differences between the first and second software files; and

wherein the third memory region is configured to store the additional file, the additional file including at least one of a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files and a further file comprising at least some additional first-order difference information representative of at least some additional actual differences between the first and second software files,

wherein the processor operating in conjunction with the memory is configured to reconstruct the second software file based upon the first software file, the software upgrade file, and the additional file;

wherein the additional file includes the further file, wherein the at least some additional first-order difference information is substantially a first half of an overall first-order difference file representative of all of a plurality of first order differences between the first software file and the second software file, the plurality of the first order differences including the at least some additional actual differences, wherein the first difference file is substantially a second half of the overall first-order difference file, and wherein the one or more second differences are between the first half of the overall first-order difference file and the second half of the overall first-order difference file.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a hand-held device and a mobile device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the additional file includes the pattern file, and wherein both the first software file and the pattern file are stored in the memory prior to the receiving of the software upgrade file.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the further file is received by the wireless communication device along with the software upgrade file.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising an update agent capable of assisting in the reconstructing of the second software file.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the memory stores at least some information in a read-only memory (ROM) region.

16. A wireless communications system configured to allow for upgrading of a first software file with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file achieving software upgrades, the system comprising:

a base station including a differencing component that generates a software upgrade file including second-order difference information representative of differences between first and second intermediate files, wherein at least one of the intermediate files includes first-order difference information representative of differences between the first and second software files; and

a mobile device in wireless communication with the base station via a wireless communication link, the mobile device including a processor and an upgrade component including at least a part of a memory of the mobile device, wherein the update component that receives the software upgrade file transmitted wirelessly from the base station and generates the second software file based upon the received software upgrade file, the first software file, and an additional file, wherein the additional file is the first intermediate file and either;

the additional file includes a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files and the second intermediate file includes the first-order difference information;

or the additional file includes a first portion of the first-order difference information and the second intermediate file includes a second portion of the first-order difference information; and

wherein the additional file includes the first portion of the first-order difference information, wherein the first portion of the first-order difference information is substantially a first half of an overall first-order difference file representative of the differences between the first and second software files, wherein the second intermediate file including the second portion of the first-order difference information is substantially a second half of the overall first-order difference file, and wherein the differences between the first and second intermediate files are differences between the first half of the overall first-order difference file and the second half of the overall first-order difference file.

17. The wireless communication system of claim 16, wherein the mobile device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, and a hand-held device, and wherein the mobile device further includes an update agent capable of assisting in the reconstructing of the second software file.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 16, wherein each of the base station and the mobile device includes means for processing, and wherein the mobile device further includes means for storing information including at least the first software file and the received software upgrade file.