Method and apparatus for broadcasting software update information to mobile phones over a wireless communications network

• US 7,542,759 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spectralink Corporation (Mobile Devices Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Bryan T., Durand, Christophe, Colvin, Gerald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arevalo; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/405,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20070243900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 455/428, 455/509, 455/425, 455/426.1, 455/419, 455/517, 455/41.1, 455/420, 455/418, 455/3.01, 455/412.1, 455/403, 455/557, 370/260, 370/259, 370/263, 370/202.01, 370/321, 370/349, 370/389, 717/140
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading

Abstract

A local area wireless communications network includes an MCU which generally operates to manage the placement of audio and other information into frames that are transmitted to a base station which serves to convert the frames from one signal format to another signal format and broadcast the frames over a wireless medium to associated mobile communications devices. The wireless communications system operates in a way that permits the broadcasting of new software files from the base stations to associated mobile communications devices in a parallel manner without having a detrimental affect on the operation of the communications system. The MCU operates to place download alert information and download payload information into the frames in such a format and into certain positions in the frame that this information can be recognized and stored by the mobile phones which use it to update their current software.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications network including a multipoint control unit, a base station and a plurality of mobile communications devices associated with the base station, at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices being in a call mode, a method of replacing a current software file in the plural mobile communications devices with a new software file comprising the steps of:

the multipoint control unit placing a broadcast download opcode, file version information and file size information into an alert time slot in a frame;

the multipoint control unit placing broadcast download payload information into an idle time slot in the frame and transmitting the frame to the base station;

the base station receiving the frame from the multipoint control unit and broadcasting the frame to all of the plural mobile communications devices associated with the base station;

the at least one of the plurality of mobile communications devices being in the call mode receiving the frame broadcast by the base station, detecting the download opcode, storing the file size information and comparing the file version information contained in the alert time slot of the frame with a current file version information stored in a first memory of the mobile communications device; and

the mobile communications device storing the broadcast download payload information contained in the idle time slot of the frame in a second memory of the mobile communications device at a location specified by the broadcast download payload information if the file version information contained in the alert time slot of the frame and the current file version information stored in the first memory of the mobile communications device are not the same.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the file version information is a version number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the file size information is the number of file fragments contained in a complete new software file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the broadcast download payload information is comprised oft least one or more payload characteristics.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the payload characteristics are a fragment address, new file fragment, and cyclic redundancy check information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile communications devices are mobile phones.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of the mobile communications device storing a new software file fragment in a memory location specified by the broadcast download payload information, if the current file version information and the file version information contained in the frame sent by the base station are not the same, further comprises:

the cycle redundancy check payload characteristic and a cycle redundancy check calculated for the new software file fragment by the wireless communications device are the same.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of verifying the accuracy of the new software file comprises:

the mobile communications device determining that the cyclic redundancy check stored in the last new file fragment and the cyclic redundancy check for the entire new software file that is calculated by the mobile communications device are the same.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert time slot is a time slot that contains a ring channel.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the idle time slot is a time slot that contains no audio or data payload information.

11. In a wireless communications network including a multipoint control unit, a base station and a plurality of mobile communications devices associated with the base station, at least one of the plurality of mobile communication devices being in a call mode, a method of replacing a current software file in the plural mobile communications devices with a new software file comprising the steps of:

the multipoint control unit placing a broadcast download opcode, file version information and file size information into an idle time slot of a first portion of a frame;

the multipoint control unit placing broadcast download payload information into an idle time slot of a second portion of the frame and transmitting the frame to the base station;

the base station receiving the frame from the multipoint control unit and broadcasting the frame to all of the plural mobile communications devices associated with the base station;

the at least one of the plurality of mobile communications devices being in the call mode receiving the frame broadcast by the base station, detecting the download opcode, storing the file size information and comparing the file version information contained in the contained in the idle time slot of a first portion of a frame with a current file version information stored in a first memory of the mobile communications device; and

the mobile communications device storing the broadcast download payload information contained in the idle time slot of the second portion of the received frame in a second memory of the mobile communications device at a location specified by the broadcast download payload information if the file version information contained in the broadcast download alert information and the current file version information are not the same.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the file version information is a version number.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the file size information is the number of file fragments contained in a complete new software file.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the broadcast download payload information is comprised of at least one or more payload characteristics.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the payload characteristics are a fragment address, new file fragment and cyclic redundancy check information.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the mobile communication devices are mobile phones.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of the mobile communications device storing a new software file fragment in a memory location specified by the broadcast download payload information, if the current file version information and the file version information contained in the frame sent by the base station are not the same, further comprises:

the cycle redundancy check payload characteristic and a cycle redundancy check calculated for the new software file fragment by the wireless communications device are the same.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of verifying the accuracy of the new software file comprises:

the mobile communications device determining that the cyclic redundancy check stored in the last new file fragment and the for the entire new software file that is calculated by the mobile communications device are the same.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the alert time slot is a time slot that contains a ring channel.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the idle time slot is a time slot that contains no audio or data payload information.