Wirelessly transferring data to a packaged electronic device

• US RE47,394 E1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Ruutu, Jussi P.O., Ollikainen, Jani P. J., Jantunen, Joni J. M., Reunamaki, Jukka P., Honkanen, Mauri J., Hamalainen, Jyri J., Arponen, Jarmo T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Minh Dieu
• Application Number:
  US15/255,481
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

An electronic device has first and second circuitry. A wireless trigger signal at the first circuitry causes the second circuitry to power up to receive a second wireless signal. The second signal is according to a radio access technology for which the trigger signal is incompatible. In various embodiments the first circuitry (a low power receiver) may autonomously power up upon expiration of a timer. One or more security checks can be performed at various steps, each step conditional on passing the previous security check. The first circuitry operates at a lower power than the second circuitry which comprises a broadband radio. For example, the first circuitry might be a Bluetooth low energy receiver, and a trigger signal there causes a WLAN receiver to power up in order to download software/firmware updates or user content while the device is enroute between the manufacturer and end user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to wirelessly receiving a trigger signal at first circuitry of a portable electronic device, where the first circuitry is in a housing of the portable electronic device, performing a first security check by the first circuitry regarding the trigger signal with the first circuitry being powered by a battery of the portable electronic device;

based uponin response to the trigger signal passing the first security check, powering up at least second circuitry of the portable electronic device with use of the battery of the portable electronic device, where the second circuitry is in the same housing of the portable electronic device, and where the second circuitry is not powered up until the first circuitry determines that the trigger signal has passed the first security check;

wirelessly receiving a second signal at the powered up second circuitry;

performing a second security check regarding the second signal received by the second circuitry; and

in response to determining that the second signal has passed the second security check, powering up third circuitry of the portable electronic device and wireless flashing of the portable electronic device based at least partially upon a third signal received by the portable electronic device, where the wireless flashing comprises use of a memory of the portable electronic device;

wherein the second signal is according to a radio access technology for which the trigger signal is incompatible, where the first circuitry operates at a lower power point than the second circuitry, where power of the battery is conserved by not powering up the second circuitry until after the first circuitry has determined that the trigger signal has passed the first security check.

2. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising an initial step of:

upon expiration of a timer, the portable electronic device autonomously powering up the first circuitry which comprises a low power receiver for receiving the trigger signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, in which the second circuitry is not responsive to the said trigger signal and the first circuitry is not responsive to the second signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, in which the first circuitry is characterized as operating at a lower power than the second circuitry which comprises a broadband radio.

5. The method according to claim 1, in which the third signal is at least one of a software update and a firmware update and a content update.

6. The method according to claim 5, in which, when the software update and/or firmware update and/or the content update is not fully received or not properly loaded after being received, the method comprises:

powering down at least the second circuitry of the portable electronic device; and

re-executing at least one of the security checks before again attempting to receive the said at least one of the software update and the firmware update and the content update.

7. The method according to claim 1, in which the first circuitry comprises at least one of:

a radio receiver for Bluetooth, near field communications, Zigbee, ANT™

, impulse-ultra impulse-extra wideband, or radio frequency identification signals;

a timer;

or

a receiver of wireless audio or infrared; and

circuitry for wirelessly receiving battery recharging signals.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which the portable electronic device comprises a user equipment and the method is executed while the user equipment is disposed within packaging for retail sale of the user equipment.

9. The method according to claim 1, the wireless flashing accomplishes rebooting of the portable electronic device and one or more of:

data transfer into the memory of the portable electronic device;

data removal from the memory of the portable electronic device;

installation or updating in the portable electronic device of software;

installation or updating in the portable electronic device of firmware.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing a third security check in response to wirelessly receiving an additional signal at the first circuitry of the portable electronic device,

where powering up at least the second circuitry of the portable electronic device is conditional on passing both the first and the third security checks.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory storing computer program code,

in which the memory and computer program code are configured with the processor to cause the apparatus at least to perform;

in response to wirelessly receiving a trigger signal at first circuitry of the apparatus, where the apparatus is a portable electronic device, where the first circuitry is in a housing of the portable electronic device, performing a first security check by the first circuitry regarding the trigger signal with the first circuitry being powered by a battery of the apparatus;

based uponin response to the trigger signal passing the first security check, powering up at least second circuitry of the apparatus with use of the battery of the portable electronic device, and where the second circuitry is in the same housing of the portable electronic device, and where the second circuitry is not powered up until the first circuitry determines that the trigger signal has passed the first security check;

wirelessly receiving a second signal at the powered up second circuitry;

performing a second security check regarding the second signal received by the second circuitry; and

in response to determining that the second signal has passed the second security check, powering up third circuitry of the portable electronic device and, wireless flashing of the apparatus based at least partially upon a third signal received by the portable electronic device, where the wireless flashing comprises use of the memory of the apparatus,

wherein the second signal is according to a radio access technology for which the trigger signal is incompatible, where the first circuitry operates at a lower power than the second circuitry, where power of the battery is conserved by not powering up the second circuitry until after the first circuitry has determined that the trigger signal has passed the first security check.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the memory and computer program code are configured with the processor to cause the apparatus to further perform an initial step of:

upon expiration of a timer, autonomously powering up a low power receiver of the first circuitry for receiving the trigger signal.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the memory and computer program code are configured with the processor to cause the apparatus to further perform:

performing a third security check in response to wirelessly receiving an additional signal at the first circuitry of the apparatus,

where powering up at least the second circuitry of the apparatus is conditional on passing both the first and the third security checks.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the second circuitry is not responsive to the said trigger signal and the first circuitry is not responsive to the second signal.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the first circuitry is characterized as operating at a lower power than the second circuitry which comprises a broadband radio.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the third signal is at least one of a software update and a firmware update and a content update.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, in which if the software update and/or the firmware update and/or the content update is not fully received or not properly loaded after being received, the memory and computer program code are configured with the processor to cause the apparatus to further perform:

powering down at least the second circuitry of the apparatus;

re-executing at least one of the security checks before again attempting to receive the said at least one of the software update and the firmware update and the content update.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the first circuitry comprises one of:

a radio receiver for Bluetooth, near field communications, Zigbee, ANT™

, impulse-ultra wideband, or radio frequency identification signals;

a timer;

or

a receiver of wireless audio or infrared; and

circuitry for wirelessly receiving battery recharging signals.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, in which the memory and computer program code are configured with the processor to cause the apparatus to further perform rebooting of the portable electronic device and one or more of:

data transfer into the memory of the portable electronic device;

data removal from the memory of the portable electronic device;

installation or updating in the portable electronic device of software;

installation or updating in the portable electronic device of firmware.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable memory storing software program instructions, which when executed by at least one data processor results in performance of operations that comprise:

in response to wirelessly receiving a trigger signal at first circuitry of a portable electronic device, where the first circuitry is in a housing of the portable electronic device, performing a first security check by the first circuitry regarding the trigger signal with the first circuitry being powered by a battery of the portable electronic device;

based uponin response to the trigger signal passing the first security check, powering up at least second circuitry of the portable electronic device with use of the battery of the portable electronic device, where the second circuitry is in the same housing of the portable electronic device, and where the second circuitry is not powered up until the first circuitry determines that the trigger signal has passed the first security check;

wirelessly receiving a second signal at the powered up second circuitry;

performing a second security check regarding the second signal received by the second circuitry; and

in response to determining that the second signal has passed the second security check, powering up third circuitry of the portable electronic device and wireless flashing of the portable electronic device based at least partially upon a third signal received by the portable electronic device, where the wireless flashing comprises use of a memory of the portable electronic device;

wherein the second signal is according to a radio access technology for which the trigger signal is incompatible, where the first circuitry operates at a lower power than the second circuitry, where power of the battery is conserved by not powering up the second circuitry until after the first circuitry has determined that the trigger signal has passed the first security check.

21. A method comprising:

in response to wirelessly receiving at least two trigger signals from at least two sources at least two circuitries of a portable electronic device, performing at least two security checks by the at least two circuitries regarding the at least two trigger signals from the at least two sources;

in response to the at least two trigger signals from the at least two sources passing the at least two security checks, powering up the at least one other circuitry is not powered up until the at least two circuitries determine that the at least two trigger signals from the at least two sources have passed the at least two security checks;

wirelessly receiving one other signal at the powered up at least one other circuitry;

performing at least one other security check regarding the one other signal received by the at least one other circuitry; and

in response to determining that the other signal has passed the at least one other security check, powering up at least a memory circuitry of the portable electronic device configured to wireless flash the portable electronic device.

22. The method according to claim 21, the method further comprising an initial step of:

upon expiration of a timer, the portable electronic device autonomously powering up a first one of the at least two circuitries which comprises a low power receiver for receiving a first one of the at least two trigger signals.

23. The method according to claim 21, in which a second one of the at least two circuitries is not responsive to a first one of the at least two trigger signals, and where a first one of the at least two circuitries is not responsive to a second one of the at least two trigger signals.

24. The method according to claim 21, in which a first one of the at least two circuitries is characterized as operating at a lower power in a second one of the at least two circuitries which comprises a broadband radio.

25. The method according to claim 21, in which the one other signal is at least one of:

a software update,

a firmware update, and

a content update.

26. The method according to claim 25, in which, when the software update and/or the firmware update and/or the content update is not fully received or not properly loaded after being received, the method comprises:

powering down at least a second one of the at least two circuitries of the portable electronic device; and

re-executing at least one of the security checks before again attempting to receive the at least one software update, firmware update, and content update.

27. The method according to claim 21, in which a first one of the at least two circuitries comprises at least one of:

a radio receiver for near field communications, impulse-ultra wideband or radio frequency identification signals;

a timer;

a receiver of wireless audio or infrared;

or

circuitry for wirelessly receiving battery recharging signals.

28. The method according to claim 21, in which the portable electronic device comprises a user equipment and the method is executed while the user equipment is disposed within packaging for retail sale of the user equipment.

29. The method according to claim 21 where a first one of the at least two circuitries is powered by a wireless charging and a second one of the at least two circuitries is powered by a battery of the portable electronic device.

30. The method according to claim 29 where the wireless charging occurs before the second circuitry is powered by the battery.

31. The method according to claim 29 where the second one of the at least two circuitries is powered by the battery before the first one of the at least two circuitries is powered by the wireless charging.

32. The method according to claim 21 where the at least two security checks by the at least two circuitries, regarding the at least two trigger signals, occur at a same time.

33. The method according to claim 21 where the at least two security checks by the at least two circuitries, regarding the at least two trigger signals, occur one after the other.

34. A method comprising:

in response to wirelessly receiving at least two different trigger signals from at least two respective sources at two or more circuitries of a portable electronic device which are at least partially different, performing at least two security checks by the two or more circuitries regarding the at least two different trigger signals;

in response to the at least two different trigger signals passing the at least two security checks, powering up at least one other circuitry of the portable electronic device which is at least partially different from the other two or more circuitries, where at least one other circuitry is not powered up until after the two or more circuitries determine that the at least two different trigger signals from the at least two sources have passed the at least two security checks;

after the at least one other circuitry has been powered up, wirelessly receiving at least one other signal at the least one other circuitry;

performing at least one other security check regarding the at least one other signal received by the at least one other circuitry; and

in response to determining that the at least one other signal has passed the at least one other security check, powering up at least a memory circuitry of the portable electronic device to wirelessly flash the portable electronic device.

35. The method according to claim 34 further comprising an initial step of:

upon expiration of a timer, the portable electronic device autonomously powering up a first one of the two or more circuitries, where the first circuitry comprises a low power receiver for receiving a first one of the at least two different trigger signals.

36. The method according to claim 34, in which a second one of the two or more circuitries is not responsive to a first one of the at least two different trigger signals, and where a first one of the two of more circuitries is not responsive to a second one of the at least two different trigger signals.

37. The method according to claim 34, in which a first one of two or more circuitries is characterized as operating at a lower power than a second one of the two or more circuitries which comprises a broadband radio.

38. The method according to claim 34, in which the at least one other signal is at least one of:

a software update;

a firmware update, and

a content update.

39. The method according to claim 38, in which, when the software update and/or the firmware update and/or the content update is not fully received or not properly loaded after being received, the method comprises:

powering down at least a second one of the two or more circuitries of the portable electronic device; and

re-executing at least one of the at least two security checks before again attempting to receive the at least one software update, firmware update, and content update.

40. The method according to claim 34, in which a first one of the two or more circuitries comprises at least one of:

a radio receiver for near field communications, impulse-ultra wideband, or radio frequency identification signals;

a timer;

a receiver of wireless audio or infrared;

or

circuitry for wirelessly receiving battery recharging signals.

41. The method according to claim 34, in which the portable electronic device comprises a user equipment, and where the method is executed while the user equipment is disposed within packaging for retail sale of the user equipment.

42. The method according to claim 34 where a first one of the at least two security checks is performed on a first one of the at least two different trigger signals by a first one of the two or more circuitries, and where a second one of the at least two security checks is performed on a second one of the at least two different trigger signals by a second one of the two or more circuitries, where the second circuitry is not powered up and the second security check is not performed unless the first trigger signal passes the first security check.