Communication terminal and communication network for partially updating software, software update method, and software creation device and method therefor

• US 7,873,956 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pantech & Curitel Communications Incorporated (Pantech Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae-wook, Yoo, Sung-wook
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, RONGFA PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US10/948,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: 717/122, 717/120, 717/168, 717/169, 717/170, 717/171, 717/172, 717/173
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a communication terminal and communication network for partially updating software, a software update method, and a software creation device and method therefor. The software is divided into a plurality of areas each having a predetermined size, and unique identification keys are assigned to the areas of the software, respectively. A search is made for at least one changed area among the areas of the software on the basis of version information of the software or the identification keys, and data of the changed area is downloaded to upgrade the software. Therefore, it is possible to shorten an upgrade time of the software.

Claims

1. A communication terminal, comprising:

a software including a plurality of areas;

a memory to store identification keys respectively corresponding to the areas; and

an update processor to update a desired one of the plurality of areas,

wherein the identification keys are generated for each area using a hash function, the generated identification keys are compared with identification keys respectively corresponding to areas of an updated software stored in an update terminal, and the desired one of the plurality of areas is identified as an area of the software that is determined to be different from a corresponding area of the updated software stored in the update terminal,

wherein the update processor sends the identification keys in response to an identification key request, and

wherein an identification key corresponding to the updated desired one of the plurality of areas is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace an identification key corresponding to the desired one of the plurality of areas.

2. A communication terminal, comprising:

a memory to store a software including a plurality of areas;

a transmitter to transmit identification keys respectively corresponding to the areas of the software in response to an identification key request; and

an update processor to receive a new version of a desired one of the areas of the software and to update the desired area with the received new version,

wherein the identification keys are generated for each area using a hash function, the generated identification keys are compared with identification keys respectively corresponding to areas of an updated software stored in an update terminal, and the desired one of the plurality of areas is identified as an area of the software that is determined to be different from a corresponding area of the updated software stored in the update terminal, and

wherein an identification key corresponding to the new version of the desired one of the areas is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace an identification key corresponding to the desired one of the areas.

3. A communication terminal, comprising:

a memory to store a software including a plurality of areas;

a requester to request update of the software by transmitting an identification key request; and

an update processor to receive a new version of a desired one of the areas of the software and to update the desired area with the received new version,

wherein identification keys are generated for each area of the software using a hash function, the generated identification keys are compared with identification keys respectively corresponding to areas of an updated software, the updated software including the new version of the desired one of the areas, and the desired one of the areas is identified as an area of the software that is determined to be different from a corresponding area of the updated software, and

wherein an identification key corresponding to the new version of the desired one of the areas is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace an identification key corresponding to the desired one of the areas.

4. A communication network, comprising:

a communication terminal comprising a memory to store an old version software; and

an update system including a new version software corresponding the old version software, to determine a different part between the old version software and the new version software, and to send data of a part of the new version software corresponding to the different part to the communication terminal,

wherein each of the old version software and new version software includes a plurality of areas, each of the areas being assigned an identification key, the identification key being generated using a hash function,

wherein the update system determines the different part between the old version software and the new version software by requesting and receiving the respective identification keys of the areas of the old version software from the communication terminal, comparing the received identification keys with the respective identification keys of the areas of the new version software, and identifying the different part as an area of the old version software corresponding to a received identification key that is different from a respective identification key corresponding to an area of the new version software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the different part of the new version software is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace the identification key corresponding to the different part of the old version software.

5. A communication network, comprising:

a communication terminal comprising a memory to store an old version software with a plurality of areas and to request update of the old version software; and

an update system including a new version software with a plurality of areas corresponding to the old version software, to determine in response to the update request from the communication terminal whether a specific area to be updated is present among the areas of the old version software and, upon determining that the specific area to be updated is present, to send data of one of the areas of the new version software corresponding to the specific area to the communication terminal,

wherein the areas of the old version software and the areas of the new version software are assigned identification keys, respectively, the identification keys being generated using a hash function, and

wherein the update system is adapted to determine the specific area to be updated by requesting and receiving the respective identification keys of the areas of the old version software from the communication terminal, comparing the received identification keys with the respective identification keys of the areas of the new version software, and identifying the specific area to be updated as an area of the old version software corresponding to a received identification key that is different from a respective identification key corresponding to an area of the new version software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the specific area of the new version software is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace the identification key corresponding to the specific area of the old version software.

6. A method for updating an old version software with a new version software, comprising:

determining a different part between the old version software stored in a memory of a communication terminal and the new version software by requesting and comparing identification keys of the old version software with identification keys of the new version software; and

writing data of a part of the new version software corresponding to the different part in a part of the old version software corresponding to the different part,

wherein each of the old version software and new version software includes a plurality of areas, each of the areas being assigned the identification keys, the identification keys being generated using a hash function,

wherein the different part between the old version software and the new version software is determined by comparing the respective identification keys of the areas of the old version software with the respective identification keys of the areas of the new version software, and identifying the different part as an area of the old version software corresponding to an identification key that is different from an identification key corresponding to an area of the new version software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the different part of the new version software is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace the identification key corresponding to the different part of the old version software.

7. A method for updating an old version software with a new version software, comprising:

providing identification keys of the old version software stored in a memory of a communication terminal in response to an identification key request;

receiving data of a part of the new version software corresponding to a different part between the old version software and the new version software; and

writing the received data in a part of the old version software corresponding to the different part,

wherein each of the old version software and new version software includes a plurality of areas, each of the areas being assigned identification keys, the identification keys being generated using a hash function, and

wherein the method further comprises determining the different part between the old version software and the new version software by comparing the respective identification keys of the areas of the old version software with the respective identification keys of the areas of the new version software, and identifying the different part as an area of the old version software corresponding to an identification key that is different from an identification key corresponding to an area of the new version software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the different part of the new version software is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace the identification key corresponding to the different part of the old version software.

8. A method for updating an old version software with a new version software, comprising:

determining a different part between the old version software stored in a memory of a communication terminal and the new version software through a comparison of identification keys therebetween;

sending data of a part of the new version software corresponding to the different part; and

receiving the sent data and writing the received data in a part of the old version software corresponding to the different part,

wherein each of the old version software and new version software includes a plurality of areas, each of the areas being assigned an identification key, the identification keys being generated using a hash function, and

wherein the different part between the old version software and the new version software is determined by requesting and comparing the respective identification keys of the areas of the old version software with the respective identification keys of the areas of the new version software, and identifying the different art as an area of the old version software corresponding to an identification key that is different from an identification key corresponding to an area of the new version software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the different part of the new version software is received at the communication terminal and stored in the memory to replace the identification key corresponding to the different part of the old version software.

9. A software creation device, comprising:

an area divider to divide a desired software to be stored in a memory of a communication device into a plurality of areas, each of the areas having a predetermined size; and

an identification key creator to create respective identification keys of the areas divided by the area divider,

wherein the identification keys are generated for each area using a hash function, and the software is updated in the communication device by comparing the generated identification keys with identification keys respectively corresponding to areas of an updated software stored in an update terminal in response to receiving an identification key request, and identifying a part of the software to be updated as an area of old version software corresponding to a generated identification key that is different from an identification key corresponding to an area of the updated software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the area of the updated software is transmitted to the communication device to be stored in the memory to replace the generated identification key corresponding to the area of the old version software.

10. The software creation device as set forth in claim 9, further comprising an identification key storage unit for storing the identification keys created by the identification key creator.

11. The software creation device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the identification keys are stored in a desired region of the software.

12. The software creation device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the identification keys are stored in a desired memory area.

13. A software creation method, comprising:

dividing a desired software to be stored in a memory of a communication device into a plurality of areas, each of the areas having a predetermined size; and

creating respective identification keys of the divided areas,

wherein the identification keys are generated for each area using a hash function, and the software is updated in the communication device by comparing the generated identification keys with identification keys respectively corresponding to areas of an updated software stored in an update terminal in response to receiving an identification key request, and identifying a part of the software to be updated as an area of old version software corresponding to a generated identification key that is different from an identification key corresponding to an area of the updated software, and

wherein the identification key corresponding to the area of the updated software is transmitted to the communication device to be stored in the memory to replace the generated identification key corresponding to the area of the old version software.

14. The software creation method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising storing the created identification keys in a desired region of the software.

15. The software creation method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising storing the created identification keys in a desired memory area.