System and method for automated program updating in a remote appliance

• US 20040103411A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Thayer, Jennifer Joy
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Briefly described, one embodiment is a method comprising communicating with a program update server to determine if a program update is available, communicating a response with the program update server indicating that the program update is available from the program update server, and communicating the program update to the remote appliance at a pre-scheduled update time.

Claims

1. A method for automated program updating in a remote appliance, the method comprising:

communicating with a program update server to determine if a program update is available;

communicating a response with the program update server indicating that the program update is available from the program update server; and

communicating the program update to the remote appliance at a pre-scheduled update time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the response further comprises receiving the response from the program update server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the response further comprises retrieving the response from the program update server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the program update further comprises receiving the program update from the program update server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the program update further comprises retrieving the program update from the program update server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the program update further comprises communicating a program portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the program update further comprises communicating a replacement program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the program update further comprises communicating an update program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the response further comprises receiving from the program update server the pre-scheduled update time at which the remote appliance is to receive the program update from the program update server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a preferred update time to the program update server wherein the pre-scheduled update time corresponds to the preferred update time.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the preferred update time by the remote appliance.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the preferred update time from a user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a preferred update time period to the program update server wherein the pre-scheduled update time is selected from the preferred update time period.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing the received program update, wherein a program residing in the remote appliance is updated.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing at a later time the received program update, wherein a program residing in the remote appliance is updated at the later time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating at a time the remote appliance is initially activated.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating at a time the remote appliance is deactivated.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating as a background process.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating during a pause in use of the remote appliance.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating communication to the program update server at a predetermined inquiry time to determine if the program update is available when communicating to the program update server has not been performed by the end of the predetermined inquiry time.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating further comprises communicating information identifying at least one program residing in the remote appliance.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the program update server a list identifying a plurality of program updates corresponding to the plurality of programs that are to be updated at the pre-scheduled update time.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating information identifying the remote appliance wherein the program update server can determine that the remote appliance is authorized to receive the program update.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating information identifying characteristics of the remote appliance wherein the program update server can determine the nature of the remote appliance to determine which of at least one program update is to be communicated to the remote appliance at the pre-scheduled update time.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating with the program update server further comprises communicating information identifying the remote appliance wherein the program update server determines that the remote appliance is authorized to receive an available program update.

26. A system that automatically updates programs in a remote appliance, comprising:

a memory storing at least one program; and

an appliance processor configured to cause the system to communicate with a program update server to inquire if at least one program update corresponding to the program is available from the program update server, and further configured to cause the system to communicate an available program update from the program update server at a pre-scheduled update time.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the appliance processor is further configured to receive the program update from the program update server.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the appliance processor is further configured to retrieve the program update from the program update server.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the pre-scheduled update time is specified by the program update server.

30. The system of claim 26, further comprising a preferred update time residing in the memory, wherein the preferred update time is communicated to the program update server, and wherein the pre-scheduled update time corresponds to the preferred update time.

31. The system of claim 26, further comprising a preferred update time period residing in the memory, wherein the preferred update time period is communicated to the program update server, and wherein the pre-scheduled update time is selected from the preferred update time period.

32. The system of claim 26, further comprising an appliance communication interface configured to communicate to a communication system.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the appliance communication interface is configured to communicate with at least one selected from a group consisting of a telephony system, an Internet system, an infrared system, a radio frequency (RF) wireless system, a microwave communication system, a local area network (LAN), a fiber optics system and a satellite system.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the remote appliance comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a television, a telephone, a handheld device, an entertainment system, a compact disc player, a personal display assistant, a digital video disc player, a satellite TV set top box, a personal computer, a workstation, a mainframe computer, a Global Positioning System device, a copy machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, a robotic system and a medical device.

35. A system for automated program updating in a remote appliance, comprising:

means for communicating with a program update server to determine if a program update is available;

means for communicating an available program update from the program update server at a pre-scheduled update time; and

means for updating a program with the received program update.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising means for receiving a response from the program update server indicating that the remote appliance is to receive the available program update from the program update server.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the means for communicating further comprises means for receiving a response from the program update server having the pre-scheduled update time that the remote appliance is to receive the available program update from the program update server.

38. The system of claim 35, further comprising means for communicating a preferred update time period to the program update server wherein the pre-scheduled update time is selected from the preferred update time period.

39. The system of claim 35, further comprising means for communicating a preferred update time to the program update server wherein the pre-scheduled update time corresponds to the preferred update time.

40. The system of claim 35, further comprising means for initiating communication to the program update server at a predetermined inquiry time to determine if the program update is available when communicating to the program update server has not been performed by the end of the predetermined inquiry time.

41. A computer-readable medium having a program for automated program updating in a remote appliance, the program comprising logic configured to perform:

communicating an inquiry signal to a program update server to determine if a program update is available for at least one program residing in the remote appliance;

communicating a response from the program update server having at least a pre-scheduled update time that the remote appliance is to receive the program update from the program update server;

communicating the program update from the program update server at the prescheduled update time; and

updating the program with the received program update.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising logic specifying a preferred update time period to the program update server wherein the pre-scheduled update time is selected from the preferred update time period.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, further comprising logic specifying a preferred update time to the program update server wherein the prescheduled update time corresponds to the preferred update time.