Enabling a wireless device to act as a relay for upgrading an accessory coupled to the wireless device

• US 9,128,796 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chitre, Monica, Rajala, Yoganand
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANCO, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US13/601,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A system and method for updating an accessory device are described. A software upgrade for upgrading an accessory device is received from a wireless network at a wireless device. In response, it is automatically determined at the wireless device whether the accessory device is in communication with the wireless device. Upon determining that the accessory device is in communication with the wireless device, the software upgrade is forwarded from the wireless device to the accessory device to enable upgrade of the accessory device according to the software upgrade.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless device, from a Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) server at a wireless network, a notification of an upgrade that includes information related to a combined software upgrade package;

responsive to the notification, receiving, at the wireless device, directly from the FOTA server and prior to the wireless device being in communication with an accessory device, the combined software upgrade package including a first software upgrade and a second software upgrade for upgrading the wireless device and the accessory device respectively,

in response to receiving the combined software upgrade package and the upgrade information;

upgrading the wireless device according to the first software upgrade that is received by the wireless device from the FOTA server;

determining whether the upgrade of the wireless device according to the first software upgrade was successful;

determining whether a flag is set in the wireless device indicating availability of the second software upgrade for upgrading the accessory device;

automatically determining, at the wireless device, whether the accessory device is in communication with the wireless device;

upon determining that the wireless device was successfully upgraded according to the first software upgrade, that the flag is set, and that the accessory device is in communication with the wireless device, forwarding, from the wireless device and to the accessory device, the second software upgrade to upgrade the accessory device

in response to a notification of the upgrade failure from the accessory device, receiving, from the FOTA server and at the wireless device, a third software upgrade for the accessory device;

forwarding the third software upgrade to the accessory device;

responsive to forwarding the third software upgrade to the accessory device, receiving, from the accessory device and at the wireless device, another notification of an upgrade success or upgrade failure according to the third software upgrade; and

forwarding the other notification of the upgrade success or failure to the FOTA server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the wireless device and from the accessory device, a notification of an upgrade success or an upgrade failure for the second software upgrade; and

forwarding the notification of the upgrade success or the upgrade failure from the wireless device to the FOTA server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

receiving the notification of the upgrade success or the upgrade failure includes receiving the notification of the upgrade failure, and

forwarding the notification of the upgrade success or the upgrade failure includes forwarding the notification of the upgrade failure to the Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) server at the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory device includes a short range wireless communication enabled device in communication with the wireless device over short range wireless communication or a wired device in communication with the wireless device over a physical connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second software upgrade includes a software upgrade for multiple accessory devices having a similar function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second and third software upgrades each includes respective software upgrades for the accessory device and a second accessory device,

the automatically determining includes automatically determining whether the accessory device and the second accessory device are in communication with the wireless device, and

upon determining that the accessory device and the second accessory device are in communication with the wireless device, automatically forwarding, from the wireless device, the respective software upgrades to the accessory device and the second accessory device to upgrade the accessory device and the second accessory device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless device includes a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) module configured to communicate with the wireless network and a dock module configured to communicate with a docking station that is configured to connect the wireless device with another accessory device, and

the combined software upgrade package received at the wireless device includes a CDMA software upgrade, a dock software upgrade, and an accessory software upgrade for the other accessory device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising upgrading the CDMA module in accordance with the CDMA software upgrade, the dock module in accordance with the dock software upgrade and the other accessory device in accordance with the accessory software upgrade.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory device is associated with the wireless device and is incapable of wireless connection to the wireless network.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, to at least one of a user of the wireless device or to the FOTA server at the wireless network, a notification of an upgrade status of at least one of the first software upgrade or the second software upgrade.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessory device is selected from a group consisting of:

a headset, a heart rate monitor, and a weighing scale and, wherein the selected accessory device communicates with the wireless device via Bluetooth communication.

9. A wireless device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing executable instructions for causing the processor to;

receive, at the wireless device, from a Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) server at a wireless network, a notification of an upgrade information that includes information related to a combined software upgrade package;

responsive to the notification, receive, directly from the FOTA server, the combined software upgrade package including a first software upgrade and a second software upgrade for upgrading the wireless device and an accessory device respectively, and prior to being in communication with the accessory device;

responsive to receiving the combined software upgrade package and the upgrade information;

upgrade the wireless device according to the first software upgrade that is received by the wireless device from the FOTA server;

determine whether the wireless device is upgraded according to the first software upgrade, and

determine whether a flag is set in the wireless device that indicates availability of the second software upgrade for upgrading the accessory device;

automatically determine whether the accessory device is in communication with the wireless device;

upon determining that the wireless device is upgraded according to the first software upgrade, that the flag is set, and that the accessory device is in communication with the wireless device, forward to the accessory device the second software upgrade to upgrade the accessory device;

determine whether the accessory device was upgraded according to the second software upgrade;

upon determining that the accessory device was not successfully upgraded, receive, from the FOTA server and at the wireless device, a third software upgrade for the accessory device;

forward the third software upgrade to the accessory device;

responsive to forwarding the third software upgrade to the accessory device, receive, from the accessory device and at the wireless device, another notification of an upgrade success or failure according to the third software upgrade; and

forward the other notification of the upgrade success or failure to the FOTA server.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores executable instructions for causing the processor to:

receive from the accessory device a notification of an upgrade success or an upgrade failure for the second software upgrade; and

forward the notification of the upgrade success or the upgrade failure to the FOTA server at the wireless network.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the memory further stores executable instructions for causing the processor to:

forward the notification of the upgrade success to the Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) server at the wireless network upon receiving the notification of the upgrade success.

12. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the memory further stores executable instructions for causing the processor to:

forward the notification of the upgrade failure to the Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) server at the wireless network upon receiving the notification of the upgrade failure.

13. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the accessory device includes a short range wireless communication enabled device in communication with the wireless device over short range wireless communication or a wired device in communication with the wireless device over a physical connection.

14. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the second and third software upgrades each includes a software upgrade for multiple accessories having a similar function.

19. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the accessory device is selected from a group consisting of:

a headset, a heart rate monitor, and a weighing scale and, wherein the wireless device includes a Bluetooth transceiver for communicating with the accessory device via Bluetooth communication.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless device, from a Firmware Over the Air (FOTA) server at a wireless network, a notification of an upgrade information indicating availability of a combined software upgrade package;

responsive to the notification, receiving, directly at the wireless device and from the FOTA server, the available combined software upgrade package including a first software upgrade and a second software upgrade for upgrading the wireless device and the accessory device respectively, and prior to being in communication with the accessory device;

in response to receiving the combined software upgrade package and the notification;

upgrading the wireless device according to the first software upgrade that is received by the wireless device from the FOTA server;

determining whether the wireless device is upgraded according to the first software upgrade, and

determining whether a flag is set in the wireless device indicating availability of the second software upgrade for upgrading the accessory device;

automatically determining, at the wireless device, whether the accessory device is in a communication range of the wireless device;

upon determining that the wireless device is upgraded according to the first software upgrade, that the flag is set, and that the accessory device is in the communication range of the wireless device, forwarding, from the wireless device to the accessory device, the obtained second software upgrade to upgrade the accessory device;

determining whether the accessory device was upgraded according to the second software upgrade;

upon determining that the accessory device was not successfully upgraded, receiving, from the FOTA server and at the wireless device, a third software upgrade for the accessory device;

forwarding the third software upgrade to the accessory device;

responsive to forwarding the third software upgrade to the accessory device, receiving, from the accessory device and at the wireless device, another notification of an upgrade success or failure according to the third software upgrade; and

forwarding the other notification of the upgrade success or failure to the FOTA server.