System and method for preserving device parameters during a FOTA upgrade

• US 8,726,259 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Juneja, Anupam
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Junchun
• Application Number:
  US11/733,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,591 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168, 455418-420
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A device, system and method that preserves non-volatile items during a firmware over-the-air update are described. The electronic device comprises a non-volatile memory, a FOTA client module, and back-up and restore module. The non-volatile memory comprises one or more variant non-volatile items having one or more variant offsets associated with at least one of the variant non-volatile items. The FOTA client module is configured to receive the FOTA upgrade and replace an existing firmware program resident on the electronic device. The back-up and restore module is configured to store the variant non-volatile items before the FOTA client performs the FOTA upgrade. Additionally, the back-up and restore module is configured to restore the variant non-volatile items after the FOTA client performs the FOTA upgrade. The system further comprises a server that is configured to receive the FOTA upgrade and communicate the FOTA upgrade to the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a non-volatile memory comprising a back-up file, the back-up file comprising at least one phone parameter associated with a prior version of a firmware program utilized to establish communications between the electronic device and an access point, the at least one phone parameter comprising at least one variant non-volatile item having at least one variant offset stored within the back-up file within the non-volatile memory, the at least one variant offset associated with the prior version of the firmware program utilized by the electronic device;

a processor communicably coupled to the non-volatile memory;

a firmware over-the-air client module executed by the processor, the firmware over-the-air client module configured to receive a firmware over-the-air upgrade and replace the prior version of the firmware program utilized by the electronic device; and

a back-up and restore module executed by the processor, the back-up and restore module configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item before the firmware over-the-air client module performs the firmware over-the-air upgrade, wherein the firmware over-the-air client module is configured to reset the wireless handset after the firmware over-the-air client module performs the firmware over-the-air upgrade, wherein the reset is a power cycle of the electronic device, wherein the firmware over-the-air client requests the at least one stored variant non-volatile item during a power up of the power cycle of the electronic device;

the back-up and restore module further configured to;

rewrite the at least one variant non-volatile item into the firmware over-the-air upgrade after the firmware over-the-air client module resets the wireless handset, and

generate a new offset for each restored variant non-volatile item.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a wireless mobile handset that receives the firmware over-the-air upgrade over a wireless communication link, and the firmware over-the-air client module is resident on the wireless handset.

3. The wireless handset of claim 2 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item using an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The wireless handset of claim 2 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the non-volatile items and a checksum generated using a checksum algorithm.

5. The wireless handset of claim 2 wherein the firmware over-the-air client module continues the firmware upgrade after the at least one variant non-volatile item have been rewritten.

6. A communication system comprising:

a server configured to receive a firmware over-the-air upgrade and communicate the firmware over-the-air upgrade; and

a wireless handset configured to receive the FOTA upgrade from the server via a wireless communication link, the wireless handset comprising;

a non-volatile memory comprising a back-up file, the back-up file comprising at least one phone parameter associated with a prior version of a firmware program utilized to establish communications between the wireless handset and an access point coupled to the server, the at least one phone parameter comprising at least one variant non-volatile item having at least one variant offset stored within the back-up file within the non-volatile memory, the at least one variant offset associated with the prior version of the firmware program utilized by the wireless handset;

a processor communicably coupled to the non-volatile memory;

a firmware over-the-air client module executed by the processor, the firmware over-the-air client module configured to receive the firmware over-the-air upgrade and replace the prior version of the firmware program utilized by the wireless handset; and

a back-up and restore module executed by the processor, the back-up and restore module configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item before the firmware over-the-air client module performs the firmware over-the-air upgrade, wherein the firmware over-the-air client module is configured to reset the wireless handset after the firmware over-the-air client module performs the firmware over-the-air upgrade, wherein the reset is a power cycle of the wireless handset, wherein the firmware over-the-air client requests the at least one stored variant non-volatile item during a power up of the power cycle of the wireless handset;

the back-up and restore module further configured to;

rewrite the at least one variant non-volatile item into the firmware over-the-air upgrade after the firmware over-the-air client module resets the wireless handset, and

generate a new offset for each restored variant non-volatile item.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the at least one variant non-volatile item using an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the back-up and restore module is configured to store the non-volatile items and a checksum generated using a checksum algorithm.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the firmware over-the-air client module continues the firmware upgrade after the at least one variant non-volatile item have been rewritten.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the firmware over-the-air client module communicates completion of the firmware upgrade to the server.

11. A method for preserving phone parameters, including non-volatile items, during a firmware over-the-air upgrade on an electronic device, the electronic device including a non-volatile memory comprising a back-up file, the back-up file comprising at least one phone parameter associated with a prior version of a firmware program utilized to establish communications between the electronic device and an access point coupled to a server, the at least one phone parameter comprising at least one variant non-volatile item having at least one variant offset stored within the back-up file within the non-volatile memory, the at least one variant offset associated with the prior version of the firmware program utilized by the electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a firmware over-the-air upgrade from the server;

temporarily storing the at least one variant non-volatile item with a back-up and restore module;

initiating the firmware over-the-air upgrade with a firmware over-the-air client module after the storing step;

resetting the electronic device after the initiating step, wherein the resetting is a power cycle of the electronic device, wherein the at least one stored variant non-volatile item is requested during a power up of the power cycle of the electronic device;

rewriting the at least one variant non-volatile item into the over-the air upgrade after the resetting step; and

generating a new offset for each restored variant non-volatile item.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the storing of the at least one variant non-volatile item comprises using an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the storing of the non-volatile items comprises using a checksum algorithm to generate a checksum.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising continuing the firmware upgrade after the rewriting step.