Update system for facilitating software update and data conversion in an electronic device

• US 20040226008A1
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bitfone Corp. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Pakarinen, Toni, Jacobi, Sid, Rao, Bindu Rama
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of updating an electronic device employing a firmware/software update system. The firmware/software may be updated through use of update information retrieved from a server. The server may support conversion of data associated with an updated firmware/software. An update agent may be capable of processing the update information retrieved from the server and updating the firmware/software in the electronic device. The update agent may also be capable of invoking a converter utility to convert data associated with the firmware/software to be compatible with a newer version of the firmware/software. When the firmware/software is updated, corresponding data may also be updated in a single update event by employing an associated converter utility that may be retrieved along with the update information.

Claims

1. A method for updating an electronic device, the method comprising:

updating at least one of firmware and software in the electronic device using update information; and

converting data associated with the at least one of firmware and software to a form compatible with an updated version of the at least one of firmware and software.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a list of names of converter utilities associated with the update information.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing update information in at least a portion of memory in the electronic device.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating queries regarding availability of update information from the electronic device to a server.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving the update information and a list of names of converter utilities in a single retrieval operation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of firmware and software comprises a plurality of software applications, and each of the plurality of software applications is associated with a corresponding converter utility.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the update information is capable of updating a plurality of software applications in a single update event.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating an update package reference, the update package reference at least comprising:

an update package location memory reference; and

a list of names of converter utilities memory reference.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether one of a firmware and a software update is necessary, wherein if it is determined that an update is not necessary, then performing a reboot operation.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining whether one of a firmware and a software update is necessary, wherein if it is determined that an update is necessary, then:

retrieving data from an update package reference;

verifying authenticity of the update information;

updating at least one of firmware and software;

executing at least one converter utility associated with the at least one application software;

communicating an update confirmation to at least one external system; and

performing a reboot operation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein executing at least one converter utility associated with the at least one application software comprises retrieving and updating associated security information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein retrieving and updating associated security information comprises retrieving an authorization related object and associating it with the at least one application software.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving a list of security information associated with the update information; and

installing the security information after updating the at least one of firmware and software.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein executing at least one converter utility associated with the at least one application software comprises converting security information comprising authentication and authorization information.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein executing at least one converter utility associated with the at least one application software comprises converting subscription information.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one of firmware and software comprises a plurality of software applications, and the at least one converter utility comprises a plurality of converter utilities, each converter utility being associated with a corresponding application software.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein each of the software applications for which an update was determined to be necessary is updated in a single update event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein executing at least one converter utility associated with the at least one of firmware and software further comprises converting data associated with each software application in a single conversion event.

19. A system for updating an electronic device, the system comprising:

an update agent for coordinating updating of at least one of firmware and software in the electronic device using update information; and

a converter for invoking a converter utility associated with the at least one of firmware and software and for converting data associated with the at least one of firmware and software to a form compatible with an updated version of the at least one of firmware and software.

20. The system according to claim 19, further comprising a communication layer for communicating a list of names of converter utilities associated with the update information and communicating queries regarding availability of update information from the electronic device to a server.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the communication layer is adapted to communicate the update information and the list of names of converter utilities in a single communication event.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein the electronic device comprises memory for storing update information.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one of firmware and software comprises a plurality of software applications and each of the software applications is associated with a corresponding converter utility.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the update information is adapted to update a plurality of software applications in a single update event.

25. The system according to claim 19, further comprising a placement layout table for mapping a memory location of update information, the placement layout table at least mapping an update information memory location and a list of names of converter utility memory location.

26. The system according to claim 19, further comprising means for determining whether an update of one of firmware and software is necessary, wherein if it is determined that an update is not necessary, then the electronic device performs a reboot operation.

27. The system according to claim 19, further comprising means for determining whether an update of the at least one of firmware and software is necessary, wherein if it is determined that an update is necessary, then:

the update agent retrieves data from an update package reference, verifies authenticity of the update information, updates the at least one of firmware and software;

the converter executes at least one converter utility associated with the at least one of firmware and software;

the communication layer communicates an update confirmation to at least one external system; and

the electronic device performs a reboot operation.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the at least one of firmware and software comprises a plurality of software applications, and the at least one converter utility comprises a plurality of converter utilities, each converter utility being associated with a corresponding software application.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the update agent is adapted to update each of the software applications for which an update was determined to be necessary in a single update event.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the converter executes at least one converter utility associated with the at least one software application and converts data associated with each of the at least one software application in a single conversion event.

31. The system according to claim 19, further comprising:

the converter converts security data associated with the at least one of firmware and software, the converted security data enabling access to the updated version of the at least one of firmware and software.

32. The system according to claim 21, further comprising a communication layer, the communication layer communicating converter utilities, the converter utilities adapted to converting security data and access control information associated with the update information, and the communication layer also communicating information associated with the updated security data and access control information from the electronic device to a server.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein a converter utility invokes downloading of update information and firmware/software update information.

34. The system according to claim 19, wherein security information is updated after a software/firmware update has been performed.

35. The system according to claim 19, wherein an application is updated when data associated with the application changes.