Method and apparatus for determining the state of a computing device

• US 8,271,969 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Quin, Spencer, Gao, Yongqian
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US11/836,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20090044182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

According to embodiments described in the specification, a method and apparatus, for determining the state of a computing device is described, by first determining at least one unique code associated with at least one file resident on the computing device, the at least one unique code representative of a state of the at least one file. Then at least one unique reference code associated with at least one update file is determined, the at least one update file for updating said at least one file resident on the computing device, and the at least one unique reference code representative of an expected state of the at least one file resident on the computing device. Finally, the state of the computing device is determined to be in an expected state if the at least one unique code matches the at least one unique reference code, and in an unexpected state if the at least one unique code does not match the at least one unique reference code.

Claims

1. A method, executed by a processor, of determining the state of a computing device comprising,

determining at least one unique code associated with at least one file resident on the computing device, said at least one unique code representative of a state of the at least one file;

determining at least one unique reference code associated with at least one reference file identical to at least one file that at least one update file is intended to update;

determining that the computing device is in an expected state if said at least one unique code matches said at least one unique reference code thereby verifying that said at least one update file is intended to update said at least one file resident on the computing device, and when said computing device is in said expected state, triggering updating of the computing device by using at least one update file for updating said at least one file; and

determining that the computing device is in an unexpected state if said at least one unique code does not match said at least one unique reference code thereby verifying that said at least one update file is not intended to update said at least one file resident on the computing device, and when said computing device is in said unexpected state preventing said triggering said updating of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing device comprises a handheld electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one unique code comprises at least one of a plurality of unique codes, each of the plurality of unique codes associated with one of a plurality of files resident on the computing device, and said at least one unique reference code comprises at least one of a plurality of unique reference codes, each of the plurality of unique reference codes associated with one of a plurality of update files, each update file for updating at least one of said plurality of files resident on the computing device, and further comprising determining that a first portion of the computing device is in said expected state if a first subset of the plurality of unique codes matches a first subset of the plurality of unique reference codes, and that a second portion of the computing device is in said unexpected state if a second subset of the plurality of unique codes does not match a second subset of the plurality of reference codes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining at least one unique code comprises processing state data, said state data representative of a state of the computing device, and further comprising receiving said state data from the computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising requesting said state data from the computing device, and said receiving said state data is responsive to said requesting said state data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said at least one unique reference code comprises processing software update data, and further comprising receiving said software update data from a remote computing entity.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising requesting said software update data from said remote computing entity, and said receiving said software update data is responsive to said requesting said state data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating said at least one unique code by applying a hash algorithm to said at least one file resident on the computing device, and generating said at least one unique reference code by applying said hash algorithm to at least one reference file, wherein said at least one reference file is equivalent to said at least one file resident on the computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said hash algorithm comprises one of SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm)-1, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said triggering said updating comprises:

compiling a message processable by the computing device, said message comprising data for instructing the computing device to request said at least one update file from at least one remote computing entity, and transmitting said message to said computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering remedial action if the computing device is in said unexpected state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said remedial action comprises notifying a user of the computing device that the computing device is in said unexpected state.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said remedial action comprises requesting at least one additional software update from a remote computing entity by transmitting said at least one unique code to said remote computing entity, said at least one additional software update associated with at least one additional unique reference code which matches said at least one unique code.

14. A computing apparatus for determining the state of a handheld electronic device comprising,

an interface enabled to receive state data from the handheld electronic device and software update data from a remote computing entity,

a processor, coupled to said interface, enabled to:

process said state data to determine at least one unique code associated with at least one file resident on the handheld electronic device, said at least one unique code representative of a state of the at least one file;

process said software update data to determine at least one unique reference code associated with at least one reference file identical to at least one file that at least one update file is intended to update;

determine that the handheld electronic device is in an expected state if said at least one unique code matches said at least one unique reference code thereby verifying that said at least one update file is intended to update said at least one file resident on the handheld electronic device, and determining that the handheld electronic device is in an unexpected state if said at least one unique code does not match said at least one unique reference code thereby verifying that said at least one update file is not intended to update said at least one file resident on the computing device; and

when said handheld electronic device is in said expected state, triggering updating of the handheld electronic device by;

compiling a message processable by the handheld electronic device, said message comprising data for instructing the handheld electronic device to request said at least one update file, for updating said at least one file, from at least one remote computing entity; and

causing said message to be transmitted to the handheld electronic device, via said interface; and

when said computing device is in said unexpected state preventing said triggering updating of the handheld electronic device.

15. The computing apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one unique code is at least one of a plurality of unique codes, each of the plurality of unique codes associated with one of a plurality of files resident on the handheld electronic device, and said at least one unique reference code is at least one of a plurality of unique reference codes, each of the plurality of unique reference codes associated with one of a plurality of update files, each update file for updating at least one of said plurality of files resident on the handheld electronic device, and said processor is further enabled for determining that a first portion of the handheld electronic device is in said expected state if a first subset of the plurality of unique codes matches a first subset of the plurality of unique reference codes, and determining that a second portion of the handheld electronic device is in said unexpected state if a second subset of the plurality of unique codes does not match a second subset of the plurality of reference codes.

16. The computing apparatus of claim 14, said processor further enabled to cause a request for said state data to be transmitted to the handheld electronic device via said interface, and receive said state data via said interface, responsive to transmitting said request for said state data.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 14, said processor further enabled to cause a request for said software update data to be transmitted to the remote computing entity via said interface, and receive said software update data via said interface, responsive to transmitting said request for said software update data.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 14, said processor further enabled to trigger remedial action if the handheld electronic device is in said unexpected state.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 18, wherein said remedial action comprises notifying a user of the handheld electronic device that the computing device is in said unexpected state.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 18, wherein said remedial action comprises requesting at least one additional software update from a second remote computing entity by transmitting said at least one unique code to said remote second computing entity, said at least one additional software update associated with at least one additional unique reference code which matches said at least one unique code.