KR101110149B1 - System and method for upgrading a firmware using a mobile communication terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

A firmware upgrade system using a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention includes a first wireless communication module, and has wireless communication with an electronic device having firmware therein and a firmware upgrade method using a mobile communication terminal. A second wireless communication module for transmitting firmware data, the mobile communication terminal that can be connected to the wireless communication network, and the firmware upgrade method using the mobile communication terminal received from the service means at the request of the mobile communication terminal connected through the wireless communication network Firmware upgrade method using a mobile communication terminal firmware data including a firmware providing server for providing a mobile communication terminal via a wireless communication network, the mobile communication terminal, the firmware using the mobile communication terminal through the communication between the first and second wireless communication modules Upgrade method Firmware provides data available from the warehouse server provides the electronic devices to be characterized by upgrading the firmware in the electronic device.

As described above, the present invention receives firmware data for the electronic device and upgrades the firmware of the electronic device using a widely used mobile communication terminal, so that the firmware can be easily downloaded and upgraded without other auxiliary devices.

Mobile terminal, firmware, infrared communication

Description

Firmware upgrade system and method using mobile communication terminal {SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPGRADING A FIRMWARE USING A MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL}

1 is a block diagram showing a firmware upgrade system using a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention;

2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of upgrading firmware in an electronic device by a firmware upgrade system using a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the Related Art

100: electronic device 100a: first wireless communication module

110: mobile communication terminal 110a: second wireless communication module

115: wired terminal 120: wired communication network

130: base station 135: mobile communication exchange

140: firmware providing server 150: message server

160: database 170: firmware delivery group

The present invention relates to a firmware upgrade method for an electronic device, and more particularly, to a firmware upgrade system and method for an electronic device using a mobile communication terminal.

Electronic devices are generally equipped with MICOM for overall control of the system such as power control. In the EEPROM or flash memory constituting the microcomputer, a program called firmware for executing a control algorithm is stored.

The firmware stored in the microcomputer may need to be updated as necessary. In this case, a specific utility program that reads and writes the microcomputer firmware code stored in the CD, USB memory, and other auxiliary devices to write to the microcomputer. You can update it using.

However, such a firmware upgrade method has a problem in that a device, for example, a computer and an electronic device, on which a specific utility program is installed in order to upgrade firmware in a microcomputer of an electronic device, needs to be connected.

In order to overcome this problem, another method of upgrading firmware stored in the microcomputer is to release an electronic device with a specific utility program for firmware upgrade installed, and connect a CD or a USB memory device in which the firmware code is stored to the electronic device. Then, by operating a specific key mounted on the electronic device's dedicated remote control, the specific utility program installed in the electronic device can be driven to load the firmware code stored in other auxiliary devices into the microcomputer.

However, this conventional firmware upgrade method is not only difficult to upgrade the firmware of the electronic device when the remote control of the electronic device is lost, but also connects the other auxiliary device to the computer in order to store the code for the firmware in the other auxiliary device. There is a hassle to do.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, the firmware is downloaded to the mobile communication terminal via the wireless Internet, the firmware of the electronic device with the firmware downloaded through the infrared communication of the mobile communication terminal and the electromagnetic period By upgrading, there is provided a firmware upgrade system and method using a mobile communication terminal that can be easily upgraded firmware without other auxiliary devices.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, the first wireless communication module, a second wireless communication for transmitting firmware data by performing a wireless communication with the electronic device, the firmware is embedded, and the first wireless communication module A mobile communication terminal having a module and accessible to a wireless communication network, a firmware providing server for providing the mobile communication terminal with firmware data received from a service means at the request of the mobile communication terminal connected through the wireless communication network; The mobile communication terminal information of the user who has subscribed to the firmware providing server, the electronic device registered by the user, a database in which the firmware data provided from the service means are stored, and the firmware data is received when the firmware data is received from the service means. After converting it to a message form, And a message server provided to a mobile communication terminal registered in a database, wherein the mobile communication terminal provides the electronic device with firmware data provided from the firmware providing server through communication between the first and second wireless communication modules. It is characterized in that for upgrading the firmware in the electronic device.
In addition, the present invention is a method for upgrading the firmware embedded in each of a plurality of electronic devices by using wireless communication, the step of collecting when the update version of the firmware embedded in the plurality of electronic devices occurs, and the update version When the firmware of the data is collected, notifying the mobile terminal registered in advance by using a wireless communication network, and when a request for the firmware of the updated version is received from any mobile communication terminal, the update through the wireless communication network. And providing a version of firmware data to the arbitrary mobile communication terminal, wherein the arbitrary mobile communication terminal is configured to transmit to the corresponding electronic device to which the updated version firmware requested by the arbitrary mobile communication terminal is to be applied through wireless communication. By upgrading the firmware data of the updated version, the firmware of the corresponding electronic device is upgraded. Characterized in that the de.

delete

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a firmware upgrade system of an electronic device using a mobile communication terminal according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a firmware upgrade system of an electronic device includes an electronic device 100 having a first wireless communication module 100a, a mobile communication terminal 110 having a second wireless communication module 110a, and a wired cable. A wireless communication network consisting of a terminal 115, a wired communication network 120, a base station 130, and a mobile communication exchanger 135, a firmware providing server 140, a message server 150, a database 160, and a plurality of electronic device companies. And a firmware providing group 170 composed of (170/1, ..., 170 / n).

The first and second wireless communication modules 100a and 110a are Infrared Data Association (IrDA) for infrared communication. IrDA has a transmission rate of approximately 4 Mbps, which is relatively faster than a serial cable transmission rate (115 Kbps). The electronic device 100 and the mobile communication terminal 110 may transmit and receive data using the first and second wireless communication modules 100a and 110a mounted therein.

A microcomputer (not shown) is installed in the electronic device 100 to control overall functions of the device, and EEPROM or flash memory constituting the microcomputer is called firmware for performing a control algorithm. The program is saved.

The mobile communication terminal 110 connects to the firmware providing server 140 through the base station 130 and the mobile communication exchange 135, requests update firmware data for the electronic device 100 requiring firmware upgrade, and provides firmware. The update firmware data provided from the server 140 is transmitted to the electronic device 100 through the driving of the second wireless communication module 110a.

The user connects to the firmware providing server 140 through the wired communication network 120 using the wired terminal 115, joins a member, and then receives information of the mobile communication terminal 110 to receive update firmware data, that is, mobile communication. By providing the phone number of the terminal 110 and the information of the electronic device 100 in use to the firmware providing server 140, the update firmware provided from the firmware providing server 140 to its mobile communication terminal 110 You can receive data. In addition, the user may access the firmware providing server 140 using his mobile communication terminal 110 and register as a member.

The firmware providing server 140 may be connected to the mobile communication switch 135 and the wired communication network 120, and connected to the wired terminal 115 or the mobile communication terminal 110 connected through the wired communication network 120 or the wireless communication network. After providing an interface for membership registration, the user receives the user information, the mobile communication terminal 110 of the user, and the electronic device 100 being used by the user, and stores the information in the database 160.

In addition, the firmware providing server 140 receives update firmware data from the firmware providing group 170 and stores the updated firmware data in the database 160.

Each electronic device company of the firmware providing group 170 is operated by a company that manufactures electronic devices, and is a service means for developing firmware and servicing the wired / wireless Internet network.

The firmware providing server 140 extracts the corresponding update firmware data from the database 160 according to the firmware data request of the mobile communication terminal 110 connected through the base station 130 and the mobile communication exchange 135, and then the mobile communication terminal. When the firmware data for updating the electronic device 100 being used by the user who has subscribed or the member is provided from the firmware providing group 170 is provided to the user 110, or provided to the mobile communication terminal 110 of the user, or the message server ( Through 150, a message indicating that an updated version of the firmware is available may be provided to the mobile communication terminal 110.

When the updated version firmware data is received from the firmware providing group 170, the message server 150 provides information about the firmware to the user's mobile communication terminal 110 in a message form based on the member information stored in the database 160. . At this time, the information about the firmware is processed in the form of a short message or a multimedia message is provided to the user's mobile communication terminal (110).

A process of upgrading the firmware of the electronic device by the firmware upgrade system using the mobile communication terminal having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 2. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process of upgrading a firmware of an electronic device by a firmware upgrade system using a mobile communication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Prior to the description, the user connects to the firmware providing server 140 using his mobile terminal 110 or the wired terminal 115 and then joins the mobile terminal 110 to receive the firmware according to the membership. It will be described under the assumption that the information of) and the information of the electronic device 110 in use are provided to the firmware providing server 140. That is, the database 160 stores the information of the mobile communication terminal 110 of the user who is a member and the information of the electronic device 110 in use.

Referring to FIG. 2, when the firmware providing server 140 receives an updated version of firmware data from any one of electronic device companies of the firmware providing group 170 (S200), the firmware providing server 140 is provided. Search the database 160 to extract the information of the mobile communication terminal 110 of the user who registered the electronic device corresponding to the updated version firmware data, and then the information of the updated version of the firmware data and the information of the extracted mobile communication terminal 110. To the message server 150 (S202).

The message server 150 processes the information on the updated version of the firmware data in the form of a short message or a multimedia message, and then transmits the information to the mobile communication terminal 110 corresponding to the information of the mobile communication terminal 110 (S204). ).

Accordingly, the user may be provided with firmware data information, that is, firmware upgrade information of the updated version of the electronic device 110 in use by the mobile communication terminal 110 in the form of a message.

Then, when the user requests an updated version of the firmware data from the firmware providing server 140 using his mobile terminal 110 to upgrade the firmware of the electronic device 110 (S206), the firmware providing server 140 ) Extracts the corresponding firmware data from the database 160 and provides it to the mobile communication terminal 110 (S208).

The mobile communication terminal 110 of the user stores the firmware data provided from the firmware providing server 140 in a storage space such as a memory, and then drives the second wireless communication module 110a under the control of the user. It is connected to the first wireless communication module 110 of the (S210).

Then, the mobile communication terminal 110 transmits the stored firmware data to the second wireless communication module 110a, and the electronic device 100 receives the firmware data through the first wireless communication module 100a and then does this. Upgrade the firmware in the microcomputer of the electronic device 100 by using (S212).

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described as an example of receiving the firmware information in the form of a message after joining the firmware providing server 140, and requesting the firmware data based on this, as another embodiment user without a registration procedure If necessary, the firmware data may be requested after accessing the firmware providing server 140 using its mobile communication terminal 110.

According to the present invention, by receiving the firmware data of the electronic device and upgrading the firmware of the electronic device using a widely spread mobile communication terminal, it is possible to easily download and upgrade the firmware without other auxiliary devices.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described specific preferred embodiments, and various modifications can be made by any person having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. Of course, such changes will fall within the scope of the claims.

As described above, the present invention receives firmware data of an electronic device and upgrades the firmware of an electronic device by using a mobile communication terminal, which is widely used, so that firmware can be easily downloaded and upgraded without other auxiliary devices.

In addition, the present invention by providing the information on the firmware upgrade to the mobile terminal, it is possible to provide the user with upgrade information to the electronic device in use from time to time.

Claims (7)

An electronic device having a first wireless communication module and having firmware therein; A mobile communication terminal having a second wireless communication module for performing wireless communication with the first wireless communication module and transmitting firmware data, the mobile communication terminal connecting to a wireless communication network; A firmware providing server for providing the mobile communication terminal with firmware data provided from a service means in response to a request of the mobile communication terminal connected through the wireless communication network; A database storing mobile communication terminal information of a user who has subscribed to the firmware providing server, an electronic device registered by the user, and firmware data provided from the service means; When the firmware data is received from the service means, and converts the information on the firmware data into a message form and includes a message server for providing it to the mobile communication terminal registered in the database, The mobile communication terminal provides a firmware data provided from the firmware providing server to the electronic device through communication between the first and second wireless communication modules to upgrade the firmware in the electronic device. Firmware upgrade system. delete The method of claim 1, The message server processes the information about the firmware into a short message or a multimedia message to provide only to the mobile communication terminal in which the electronic device corresponding to the firmware data provided from the service means among the mobile communication terminals registered in the database is registered. Firmware upgrade system using a mobile communication terminal, characterized in that. delete A method of upgrading the firmware embedded in each of a plurality of electronic devices by using wireless communication, Collecting when updated versions of firmware embedded in the plurality of electronic devices occur, When the updated version of the firmware is collected, notifying the mobile terminal registered in advance by using a wireless communication network; If a request for the updated version of firmware is received from any mobile communication terminal, providing the updated version of firmware data to the arbitrary mobile communication terminal through the wireless communication network, The mobile communication terminal may be configured to upgrade the firmware of the electronic device by transmitting the firmware data of the update version to the electronic device to which the updated version firmware requested by the mobile communication terminal is to be applied through wireless communication. Characterized Firmware upgrade method using a mobile communication terminal. The method of claim 5, The firmware upgrade method may include notifying generation of the firmware of the updated version only to a mobile communication terminal in which an electronic device corresponding to the firmware of the updated version is registered among the previously registered mobile communication terminals. How to upgrade the firmware. The method of claim 6, The method of notifying the generation of the firmware of the updated version, the firmware upgrade method using a mobile communication terminal, characterized in that to process the information about the firmware of the updated version in the form of a short message or a multimedia message to the mobile communication terminal.

Images