Method and system for automatic firmware updates in a portable hand-held device
US6754895B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 26, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 22, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 29, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F8/656
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for automatically updating firmware of a hand-held device. To initiate the automatic update, a reset of the hand-held device is detected. Once a reset is detected, an update application is executed, wherein the update application performs the required updating steps. The update application determines whether a flag has been set in a nonvolatile memory area of the hand-held device. The flag is used to indicate a previous execution of the update application. If the flag is set, the update application terminates, otherwise, the update application performs an identification test by determining whether a device ID of the device matches a device ID stored in a table of the update application. If the device ID does not match, the update application terminates and the flag is set. If the device ID matches, the update application updates the firmware of the hand-held device, sets the flag, and terminates. In so doing, the firmware of the hand-held device to be updated without requiring user intervention or interaction. A parameter can be checked against a predetermined value or range in the same manner as the device ID, in implementing the identification test. The update applicatio…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.