System and Method for Downloading Software Upgrades

• US 20140096120A1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Elliott M.
• Application Number:
  US14/096,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20140096120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

A method of upgrading a first software file stored at a wireless communication device so that the wireless communication device is provided with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file, and also a wireless communication device and system, are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving a software upgrade file, where the software upgrade file includes second-order difference information. The method also includes storing the upgrade file in a memory portion associated with the wireless communication device, and generating the second software file based upon the upgrade file, the first software file, and additional information. The additional information includes at least one of a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files and at least some first-order difference information representative of at least some actual differences between the first and second software files.

Claims

1. A method of upgrading a first software file stored at a wireless communication device so that the wireless communication device is provided with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file, the method comprising:

receiving, via a wireless communication link, a software upgrade file, wherein the software upgrade file includes second-order difference information;

storing the received software upgrade file in a first memory portion of at least one memory component associated with the wireless communication device; and

generating the second software file based upon the received software upgrade file, the first software file, and an additional file,

wherein the additional file includes a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files, and

wherein the second-order difference information of the software upgrade file is representative of further differences between the additional file and a first-order difference information file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pattern file is also stored at the wireless communication device prior to the receiving of the software upgrade file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first-order difference information file includes an update package file constituting a representation of actual differences between the first and second software files, and wherein the update package file is generated based upon the pattern file and the received software upgrade file by the wireless communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second software file is generated by the wireless communication device based upon the update package file and the first software file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second software file is stored in a segment of a memory component of the wireless communication device that also, at least previously, stored the first software file.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the update package file is stored in a segment of a memory component of the wireless communication device that also, at least previously, stored the pattern file.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the update package file and the pattern file includes respective portions of generator command information, software executable command information, and binary pattern information representative of software resource or application information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional file is received via the wireless communication link in combination with the software upgrade file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating is performed at least in part by a processing device of the wireless communication device interacting with the first memory portion, and further comprising determining the software upgrade file including the second-order difference information at a base station prior to transmission of the software upgrade file to the wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining includes first determining first-order difference information and then subsequently determining the second-order difference information, and wherein the method is repeated in relation to additional, subsequent software upgrades in relation to one or more of the first software file, the second software file and other software files.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a hand-held device and a mobile device, and wherein the base station includes a server computer.

12. A wireless communication device configured to allow for upgrading of a first software file stored thereon with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file, the device comprising:

a wireless receiver;

a processor in communication with the wireless receiver; and

a memory in communication with the processor, wherein the memory includes at least first, second and third memory regions,

wherein the first memory region is configured to store the first software file,

wherein the second memory region is configured to store a software upgrade file received wirelessly via the wireless receiver, wherein the software upgrade file includes second-order difference information that is representative of one or more differences between a first difference file and an additional file, the first difference file comprising at least some first-order difference information representative of at least some actual differences between the first and second software files, and

wherein the third memory region is configured to store the additional file, the additional file including a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files;

wherein the processor operating in conjunction with the memory is configured to reconstruct the second software file based upon the first software file, the software upgrade file, and the additional file.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein the device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a hand-held device and a mobile device.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein both the first software file and the pattern file are stored in the memory prior to the receiving of the software upgrade file.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 13, further comprising an update agent capable of assisting in the reconstructing of the second software file.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the memory stores at least some information in a read-only memory (ROM) region.

17. A wireless communications system configured to allow for upgrading of a first software file with a second software file that is an upgraded version of the first software file achieving software upgrades, the system comprising:

a base station including a differencing component that generates a software upgrade file including second-order difference information representative of differences between first and second intermediate files, wherein at least one of the intermediate files includes first-order difference information representative of actual differences between the first and second software files; and

a mobile device in wireless communication with the base station via a wireless communication link, the mobile device including a processor and an upgrade component including at least a part of a memory of the mobile device, wherein the update component receives the software upgrade file transmitted wirelessly from the base station and generates the second software file based upon the received software upgrade file, the first software file and an additional file,

wherein the additional file is the first intermediate file and includes a pattern file representative of assumed differences between the first and second software files, and the second intermediate file includes the first-order difference information.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein the mobile device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, and a hand-held device.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 17, wherein each of the base station and the mobile device includes means for processing, and wherein the mobile device further includes means for storing information including at least the first software file and the received software upgrade file.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the mobile device further includes an update agent capable of assisting in the reconstructing of the second software file.