Firmware update system for facilitating firmware update in mobile handset

• US 20070169099A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu, Qumei, Iyad
• Application Number:
  US11/637,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20070169099A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A firmware update system comprising a loader module, an update agent, a secure loader manager, an update package reference, a setting service and a memory manager facilitates the download of update packages and subsequent update of firmware/software in mobile handsets. In one embodiment, the secure loader manager populates the update package reference with the appropriate information and flags, employing the setting service, after the successful download and verification of an update package. In another embodiment, an update driver is employed by the mobile handset to communicate information about a downloaded update package to the update agent for subsequent firmware update.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A handheld electronic device supporting code updates, comprising:

one or more processors operably coupled to at least one memory comprising resident operating system code and an update package reference portion, and wherein the operating system code implements a file system in the at least one memory and supports communication via a wireless network;

communication interface circuitry operably coupled to the one or more processors, the communication interface circuitry enabling wireless communication over a network;

loader code executable by the one or more processors that, during a code update of the handheld electronic device, downloads an update package into the at least one memory, the update package comprising update information and an associated type; and

update agent code in the at least one memory, the update agent code executable by the at least one processor to process a downloaded update package before activation of the operating system code, based upon contents of the update package reference portion.

24. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one memory comprises flash memory.

25. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the update package reference comprises a location of an update package in the at least one memory, and a flag used to indicate to the update agent code the availability in the at least one memory of an update package.

26. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the update package reference resides within a removable memory card.

27. The handheld electronic device according to claim 26, wherein the removable memory card comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

28. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the network comprises one of a wireless cellular telephone network and a wireless paging network.

29. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the update package comprises a set of instructions executable by the update agent code for transforming at least a portion of the at least one memory from a first version of code to a second version of code.

30. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the downloaded update package is stored within the file system using functionality of the operating system.

31. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the downloaded update package is stored external to the file system in the at least one memory.

32. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the loader code invokes downloader code selected based upon the associated type.

33. The handheld electronic device according to claim 23, wherein code comprises one of instructions executable by the at least one processor, and data.

34. A computer-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for updating code in at least one memory of a handheld electronic device, the code sections executable by a processor for causing the processor to perform the operations comprising:

under the supervision of an operating system having a file system,

receiving, via a wireless network, information for updating the at least one memory,

storing the received updating information in the file system, and

saving, in the at least one memory, information identifying a location of and an indication of availability of the received updating information; and

following a startup of the handheld electronic device subsequent to the saving and before activation of the operating system,

determining that the updating information is available in the handheld electronic device,

processing the updating information to update code in the at least one memory using the information identifying the location of the updating information, and

after the processing is successfully completed, activating the operating system.

35. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the at least one memory comprises flash memory.

36. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the information identifying a location and an indication of availability of the received updating information resides within a removable memory card.

37. The computer-readable storage according to claim 36, wherein the removable memory card comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.

38. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the wireless network comprises one of a wireless cellular telephone network and a wireless paging network.

39. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the updating information comprises an update package comprising a set of instructions executable by update agent code in the at least one memory of the handheld electronic device for transforming at least a portion of the at least one memory from a first version of code to a second version of code.

40. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the updating information is stored within the file system using functionality of the operating system.

41. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the updating information is stored external to the file system in the at least one memory.

42. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein the receiving comprises invoking downloader code selected by the handheld electronic device to correspond to an associated type of the updating information.

43. The computer-readable storage according to claim 34, wherein code comprises one of instructions executable by the processor, and data.