OVER-THE-AIR CONTENT MANAGEMENT OF WIRELESS EQUIPMENT IN CONFINED-COVERAGE WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20120094643A1
• Filed: 10/14/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Smith, Juan Derrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,020,487 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/12 between access points and access point controllers

Abstract

System(s), apparatus(es), and method(s) are provided for managing content of wireless equipment (WE) over-the-air (OTA). Content is germane to feature(s) of the WE and is related to operation thereof. Management of the content is automatically implemented in response to attachment of the WE to a confined-coverage access point (AP). The WE and a network server enable, in part, such management. The confined-coverage AP enables exchange of signaling and data associated with management of the content amongst the WE and the network server. Content includes software (SW); management OTA of SW can include update of an in-use version of a SW application or related SW component(s). SW update signaling can comprise message(s) conveying a WE identifier and in-use version(s) of SW; request(s) for an update instruction; request(s) for at least one file associated with the SW; message(s) indicative of availability of version(s) of SW newer than the in-use version(s).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

automatically initiating a session to update content of wireless equipment over the air (OTA) in response to recognizing a confined-coverage access point (AP);

as part of conducting the session, delivering an equipment identifier (EID) for the wireless equipment and an indication of a first version of the content;

receiving a request for generating an update instruction in response to a second version of the content being available; and

if the update instruction is indicative of accepting to update the first version of the content with the second version of the content, then;

delivering a request to transfer at least one file that conveys at least a portion of the second version of the content;

receiving the at least one file in response to the delivering; and

implementing an update of the first version of the content with the second version of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating the session if the update instruction is indicative of declining to update the first version of the content with the second version of the content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognizing includes:

attaching to an AP; and

determining if an identifier (ID) code of the AP is within a range of ID codes specific to a group of one or more confined-coverage APs.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

when the determining produces an affirmative outcome, recognizing the AP as the confined-coverage AP, wherein the confined-coverage AP radiates at a transmitted power that is about one or more orders of magnitude smaller than the power transmitted by a macrocell base station, and is owned or leased by owner or lessee of a confined area served by the confined-coverage AP.

5. The method of claim 1, the automatically initiating includes:

executing an update component that consumes a management OTA (MOTA) service; and

in response to the executing, connecting to a network server that hosts the MOTA service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the request to generate the update instruction includes:

determining by the network server if the second version of the content is available, wherein the second version of the content enables improved performance of the wireless equipment over operation thereof with the first version of the content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining includes:

querying a repository accessible to the network server for a current version of the content for the EID.

8. The method of claim 1, the generating includes:

rendering a user-interface in the wireless equipment;

collecting input data from an external source to the wireless equipment; and

based on the input data, issuing the update instruction indicative of at least one of accepting the update or rejecting the update.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the implementing includes:

receiving at least one file of the second version of the content;

wherein, the at least one feature is a hardware feature, a software feature, a security feature, an access clearance feature, a location feature, or a combination thereof; and

committing the at least one file of the second version of the content; and

terminating the session.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one file in response to the delivering comprises:

receiving a directive to acquire the at least one file from a local cache functionally coupled to the confined-coverage AP; and

acquiring the at least one file from the local cache.

11. A device, comprising:

at least one memory that retains at least one set of computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor functionally coupled to the at least one memory, in response to execution by the at least one processor, the at least one set of computer-executable instructions enable a group of components comprising;

an attachment component that enables the device to camp wirelessly on an access point (AP) and is configured to recognize the AP as a confined-coverage AP; and

an update driver that automatically initiates a session to update content of the device over the air (OTA) in response to recognition of the AP as a confined-coverage AP, wherein the content is specific to at least one feature of the wireless equipment and related to operation thereof.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein as part of the automatic initiation of the session, the update driver performs the following:

executes an update component that consumes a management OTA (MOTA) service; and

connects the device to a network server that hosts the MOTA service, wherein the confined-coverage AP couples the device to the network server.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the group of components further comprises:

a version manager that, as part of the session, conveys an indication of an equipment identifier (EID) for the device and an indication of a first version of the content.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the update driver receives a request for an update instruction in response to availability of a second version of the content, wherein the update instruction indicates whether an update of first version of the content with the second version of the content is to be accepted or rejected.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the update driver generates the update instruction through collection of input data indicative of acceptance or rejection of the update.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the group of component further comprises:

a display interface that renders a user-interface for collecting the input data from a source external to the device.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the update driver implements, at least in part, the update in response to acceptance of the update.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein as part of the implementation of the update, the update drivers request for transfer of at least one file related to the second version of the content.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein in response to the request, the update driver performs the following:

receives the at least one file related to the second version of the content, wherein the content is a software application or at least one software component related thereto;

terminates the session to update content of the device OTA; and

restarts the device including the at least one file related to the second version of the content.

20. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

at least one set of computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

recognizing a confined-coverage access point (AP);

automatically initiating a session to update content of wireless equipment over the air (OTA) in response to recognizing the confined-coverage AP;

as part of conducting the session, delivering an equipment identifier (EID) for the wireless equipment and an indication of a first version of the content;

receiving a request for generating an update instruction in response to a second version of the content being available; and

if the update instruction is indicative of accepting to update the first version of the content with the second version thereof, then;

requesting delivery of at least a portion of the second version of the content;

receiving at least the portion of the second version of the content in response to the requesting; and

implementing an update of the first version of the content with the second version of the content.