Mobile handset with update agent implemented in hardware

• US 20050055684A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu Rama, Yang, Xuguang, Okonnen, Harri, Jacobi, Sidney A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,861,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention may be seen in a system and method for speeding up the processing of update packages by an update agent, by implementing at least a portion of the update agent in hardware. In an embodiment of the present invention, the update agent in hardware may process executable instructions in parallel.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates the updating of firmware in an electronic device, using updating information received through a network, the system comprising:

at least one electronic device comprising;

firmware;

hardware; and

an updating function that converts the firmware from one version to another, using updating information, wherein at least a portion of the updating function is implemented in the hardware.

2. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a generator that generates the updating information and makes it available for dissemination to the at least one electronic device, wherein the generated updating information comprises instructions and data that is executable by the at least a portion of the updating function that is implemented in hardware.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device downloads updating information based on device information.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the downloaded updating information is dependent on the device information.

5. The system according to claim 3 wherein the device information comprises at least one of manufacturer identification, model identification, and a firmware version.

6. The system according to claim 3 wherein the device information comprises information regarding whether the updating function is implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software.

7. The system according to claim 2 wherein the generator is capable of determining executable instructions that can be processed in parallel.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the updating information generated by the generator comprises multiple instruction streams for parallel processing and the hardware is capable of processing executable instructions in parallel.

9. The system according to claim 7 wherein the generator outputs information regarding processing executable instructions in parallel for consumption by the at least one electronic device as part of the updating information.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the network is wireless.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device is portable.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of a cellular phone, a pager, and a portable computer.

13. An electronic device that employs an updating function to convert firmware in the electronic device from one version to another, using updating information received via a communication link, wherein at least a portion of the updating function is implemented in hardware.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13 wherein the updating information is based upon device information communicated by the electronic device.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the device information comprises at least one of manufacturer identification, model identification, and a firmware version.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the device information comprises information regarding whether the updating function is implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13 wherein the updating information is produced by a generator that determines executable instructions that can be processed in parallel.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13 wherein the hardware is capable of processing executable instructions in parallel.

19. The electronic device according to claim 13 wherein the electronic device receives information regarding processing executable instructions in parallel as part of the updating information.

20. A generator that generates updating information to convert firmware from one version to another, wherein the updating information comprises executable instructions at least a portion of which is executed in hardware.

21. The generator according to claim 20 wherein the generator determines executable instructions that can be processed in parallel.

22. The generator according to claim 20 wherein the generator is communicatively coupled to at least one electronic device and wherein the generated updating information is communicated to the at least one electronic device.

23. The generator according to claim 20 wherein the generator generates updating information for at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device comprising:

firmware; and

an updating function that converts the firmware from one version to another, using the updating information, wherein at least a portion of the updating function is implemented in hardware.

24. The generator according to claim 20 wherein the updating information comprises a plurality of instructions derived from an instruction set comprising at least one of an instruction to copy a portion of memory in the at least one electronic device from one memory location to another, an instruction to change a portion of memory in the at least one electronic device to a set of predefined values, an instruction that processes run length encoded portions of the updating information, and an instruction that modifies memory in the at least one electronic device using an exclusive-or function and the updating information.

25. The generator according to claim 24 wherein the at least a portion of executable instructions executed in hardware comprises at least one of the instruction to copy a portion of memory in the at least one electronic device from one memory location to another, the instruction to change a portion of memory in the at least one electronic device to a set of predefined values, the instruction that processes run length encoded portions of the updating information, and the instruction that modifies memory in the at least one electronic device using an exclusive-or function and the updating information.

26. A method that facilitates the updating of firmware from one version to another in an electronic device, using updating information received through a network and processed using an updating function, at least a portion of which is implemented in hardware, wherein the updating information comprises executable instructions applied to blocks of memory in the electronic device, the method comprising:

(a) selecting a block of memory to be updated;

(b) moving the contents of the selected block of memory from a first memory to a second memory, wherein the second memory is accessible by the updating function;

(c) applying instructions from the updating information associated with the selected block of memory to the contents of the selected block of memory, wherein at least a portion of the instructions is executed in hardware;

(d) moving the updated contents of the selected block from the second memory to the first memory; and

repeating (a) to (d) for each block of memory to be updated by the updating information.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein selecting the block of memory comprises verifying that the selected block of memory has not yet been updated.

28. An electronic device having an updating function, at least a portion of which is implemented a chipset, wherein the updating function executes instructions provided to the electronic device in updating information.