Updating electronic device software employing rollback

• US 20050132351A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Randall, Roderick K., Rao, Bindu Rama, Okkonen, Harri
• Application Number:
  US10/955,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132351A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1417 Boot up procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a network communicating with a plurality of mobile electronic devices. The network and the mobile electronic devices may support rollback of updated firmware/software from an updated version to a previous version. The previous version may be stored in non-volatile memory in the mobile electronic device. The non-volatile memory may be, for example, a NAND-type flash memory. In an embodiment according to the present invention, a backup zone of non-volatile memory may be employed to backup firmware/software to be updated in the mobile electronic device. An update agent may be provided to update firmware/software in the mobile electronic device. The update agent may include updating software stored in the mobile electronic device. In an embodiment according to the present invention, automatic rollback may be supported. In another embodiment according to the present invention, a user-initiated hard rollback may also be supported.

Claims

1. A method of updating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

storing a copy of one of firmware and software to be updated in the mobile electronic device;

updating the one of firmware and software;

determining whether the update was successful; and

rolling back to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software upon determining that the update was unsuccessful.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising commencing normal operation upon determining that the update was successful.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising deleting the stored copy of one of firmware and software upon determining that the update was successful.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting a rollback command to the mobile electronic device.

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

receiving a rollback command by the mobile electronic device; and

performing an autonomous, automatic rollback to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software.

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

receiving a rollback command by the mobile electronic device; and

prompting an end-user to initiate rollback to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising prompting an end-user to initiate rollback to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether the update was successful is performed by one of the mobile electronic device and an associated mobile electronic device network component.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein updating the one of firmware and software comprises executing at least one program instruction for converting a first version of the one of firmware and software to a second version of the one of firmware and software.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing a copy of one of firmware and software to be updated comprises writing an un-updated version of the one of firmware and software to one of a non-volatile memory component, a NAND-type flash memory component, a NOR-type flash memory component, and a combination NAND/NOR-type flash memory component.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing a copy of one of firmware and software to be updated comprises writing a compressed, un-updated version of the one of firmware and software to one of a non-volatile memory component, a NAND-type flash memory component, a NOR-type flash memory component, and a combination NAND/NOR-type flash memory component.

11. A mobile electronic device adapted to rollback to an un-updated version of one of firmware and software after an update thereof, the mobile electronic device comprising:

updating software adapted to perform an update upon the one of firmware and software;

an update comprising at least one executable program instruction for converting a first version of the one of firmware and software to a second version of the one of firmware and software; and

a memory location adapted to store the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software to be updated at least until the update is completed, wherein upon determining that the update was unsuccessful, the mobile electronic device is adapted to reinstall and employ the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software.

12. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the memory location adapted to store the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software to be updated comprises one of a non-volatile memory component, a NAND-type flash memory component, a NOR-type flash memory component, and a combination NAND/NOR-type flash memory component.

13. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising software adapted to manage memory resources in the mobile electronic device.

14. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to commence normal operation upon determining that the update was successful.

15. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to delete the un-updated version of one of firmware and software upon determining that the update was successful.

16. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to prompt an end-user to initiate rollback to the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software.

17. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to receive a rollback command and perform an autonomous, automatic rollback to the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software.

18. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to receive a rollback command and prompt an end-user to initiate rollback to the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software.

19. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to perform an autonomous, automatic rollback to the un-updated version of the one of firmware and software.

20. The mobile electronic device according to claim 11, further comprises software adapted to determine whether the update was performed successfully.

21. A method of updating a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

storing a copy of one of firmware and software to be updated in the mobile electronic device, wherein the one of firmware and software and the stored copy are compressed;

decompressing the one of firmware and software;

updating the one of firmware and software;

re-compressing the updated one of firmware and software;

rebooting the mobile electronic device; and

executing the updated one of firmware and software, wherein the mobile electronic device is adapted to rollback to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising rolling back to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software upon determining that the update was unsuccessful.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising rolling back to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software upon determining that a limited-time trial period has expired.

24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising rolling back to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software upon determining that service fees are not paid.

25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising enabling an end-user to rollback to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software when dissatisfied with updated services provided by the updated one of firmware and software.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising enabling one of a network component and a network administrator to command the mobile electronic device to rollback to the stored copy of the one of firmware and software by transmitting a rollback command to the mobile electronic device.

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein updating the one of firmware and software comprises executing at least one program instruction for converting a first version of the one of firmware and software to a second version of the one of firmware and software.