System and method for automatically updating the software of a networked personal audiovisual device

• US 9,256,420 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BBY Solutions Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Adler, Steven Michael, Grand, Joseph B., Huang, Andrew Shane, Maxwell, Duane Stewart, Steele, Kenneth Earl, Tomlin, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US14/459,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A method for automatically updating software executed by an electronic device is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving, at the electronic device, an update indication from a server that updated software is available for the electronic device. The method further includes modifying, in response to the update indication, a boot state of the electronic device and initiating operation of the electronic device in an update mode. The updated software is received, at the electronic device, during operation in the update mode. The method further includes initiating, upon determining the updated software has been correctly received, operation of the electronic device in a normal mode.

Claims

1. A method, performed by at least one processor of an electronic device, the method comprising:

booting the electronic device into an update mode in response to a flag indicating that an update to operating software of the electronic device is available, the update mode provided from an execution of update software on the electronic device, wherein the update software is stored in a first portion of a non-volatile memory of the electronic device;

updating the operating software of the electronic device, wherein the updating of the operating software is performed in the update mode, and wherein the operating software is stored in a second portion of the non-volatile memory of the electronic device;

resetting the flag to indicate that no additional update to the operating software of the electronic device is available;

attempting to reboot the electronic device into a normal mode, wherein the operating software is configured to be executed in the normal mode, the operating software stored in the second portion of the non-volatile memory having been updated to reflect the updating of the operating software; and

rebooting into the update mode and re-attempting to update the operating software of the electronic device, if attempting to reboot the electronic device into the normal mode fails and the flag indicates that no additional update to the operating software of the electronic device is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flag is determined from data values stored in a plurality of memory blocks.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks that are set to a determined value and a total count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the flag indicates an update is available when the count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks that are set to the determined value is greater than half the total count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, setting the flag to indicate an update is available, if attempting to reboot the electronic device into the normal mode fails.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, rebooting the electronic device into the update mode and repeating the updating of the operating software of the electronic device.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured for maintaining a flag, the flag indicating whether an update to operating software of the electronic device is available;

a storage memory providing software instructions for execution with the processor in an update mode and a normal mode, including instructions for;

booting into the update mode from a first place in the storage memory in response to the flag indicating that the update is available;

updating the operating software of the electronic device;

resetting the flag to indicate no additional update is available for the operating software of the electronic device; and

attempting to reboot into the normal mode from a second place in the storage memory having applied the updating to the operating software of the electronic device, wherein the normal mode is configured to execute the operating software of the electronic device;

rebooting into the update mode and re-attempting to update the operating software of the electronic device if attempting to reboot into the normal mode fails and the flag indicates that no additional update is available for the operating software.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the storage memory further includes instructions for rebooting into the update mode, if attempting to reboot into the normal mode fails.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the flag is determined from data values stored in a plurality of memory blocks.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the storage memory further comprises instructions for determining a count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks that indicate a particular value and a count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the flag indicates an update is available when the count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks that indicate the particular value is greater than half the count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the storage memory further includes instructions for setting the flag to indicate an update is available for the operating software of the electronic device, if attempting to reboot into the normal mode fails.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the storage memory further includes instructions for rebooting into the update mode and repeating the updating to the operating software, if attempting to reboot into the normal mode fails.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions for receiving information, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

boot the machine into an update mode in response to a flag indicating that an update is available, the update mode provided from executable instructions stored in a first logical storage unit in a memory of the machine;

update software of the machine stored in a second logical storage unit in the memory of the machine;

reset the flag to indicate that no additional update to the software of the machine is available; and

attempt to reboot the machine into a normal mode, the normal mode provided from executable instructions stored in the second logical storage unit, the second logical storage unit having applied the update to the software; and

rebooting into the update mode and re-attempting to update the operating software of the electronic device, if attempting to reboot the electronic device into the normal mode fails and the flag indicates that no additional update to the operating software of the electronic device is available.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, further including instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to reboot into the update mode if operations to attempt to reboot into the normal mode fail.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the flag is determined from data values stored in a plurality of memory blocks of the machine.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, including instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to determine a count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks that are set and a count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the flag indicates an update is available when the count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks that are set is greater than half the count of memory blocks in the plurality of memory blocks.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, including instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to set the flag to indicate an update is available if operations to attempt to reboot into the normal mode fail.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, including instructions which when executed by the machine cause the machine to reboot into the update mode and repeat the update to the software of the machine stored in the second logical storage unit.