KR20100010761A - Method for firmware update of portable terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for updating firmware of a portable terminal is provided to apply all update files by checking whether firmware is updated. CONSTITUTION: When a plurality of update files exist, the update files are downloaded in a user storage area(S303,S305). One of the downloaded update files is copied to a delta file storage area included in an update agent. The update file saved in the delta file storage area is deleted from the user storage area(S309). Rebooting is performed(S311). An update agent is driven(S315). Firmware is updated using an update file stored in the delta file storage area(S319). The update file saved in the delta file storage area is deleted(S321).

Description

How to update the firmware of a mobile terminal {Method for firmware update of Portable Terminal}

The present invention relates to a porta service, and in particular, when there are a plurality of update files, the plurality of update files are downloaded to a user storage area, and the downloaded update files are sequentially moved to a delta file storage area of an update agent and then firmware It relates to a firmware update method of a mobile terminal for updating the.

An operating system (OS) of a portable terminal is generally operated through firmware. The firmware refers to a program used as hardware by storing essential software which does not need to change data or information, such as a ROM. This firmware can be continuously developed even after the release of the product for stable performance and bug fixes of the mobile terminal. When a new version of the firmware is developed, the user of the portable terminal can update the firmware of the portable terminal. In this case, the user may update the firmware of the portable terminal using various methods such as wired or wireless. In particular, recently, a firmware update method using wireless has attracted attention. A typical example is the Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) service.

The porta service compares existing firmware with a new version of firmware and provides a delta file (Delta file or differential file) extracted only from different parts through a wireless network to update the firmware. To this end, the portable terminal may include an update agent, and the update agent may include a delta file storage area. The general firmware update process includes a process of downloading a delta file to the delta file storage area and checking, by the update agent, that the update agent confirms the update. However, if the firmware update method does not update the firmware for a long time or there are many changes to the firmware, and there are a plurality of update files, the firmware is updated by downloading one update file due to the capacity limitation of the delta file storage area. The process of updating the firmware by downloading the update file must be repeated. This method is inconvenient for the user to check whether the firmware is updated every time. Therefore, when a plurality of update files exist, there is a demand for a firmware update method capable of applying a plurality of update files to firmware by checking whether they are updated once.

Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present invention is to download all the update files to a user storage area when a plurality of update files exist, and to execute a single firmware update command. The present invention provides a method for updating a firmware of a portable terminal which can apply the plurality of update files to the firmware of the portable terminal.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of updating a firmware of a portable terminal, the method comprising: downloading a plurality of update files to a user storage area when a plurality of update files exist; Copy one of the plurality of downloaded update files to the delta file storage area included in the update agent and reboot, and when the reboot, the update agent is driven to update the firmware, and after the firmware update, the delta file storage area is updated. And an update process of deleting and rebooting the stored update file.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable terminal including: a wireless communication unit configured to receive a plurality of update files by forming a wireless communication channel with a porta server; A storage unit including a user storage area for storing the plurality of update files received through the wireless communication unit and an update agent for updating firmware; And a controller for copying one of the plurality of update files stored in the user storage area to a delta file storage area and rebooting the mobile terminal, wherein the update agent uses firmware to update firmware using the update file stored in the delta file storage area. And update the firmware by deleting and rebooting the update file stored in the delta file storage area after the firmware update.

As described above, the firmware update method of the mobile terminal according to the present invention downloads a plurality of update files to a user storage area when a plurality of update files exist, thereby applying all update files to firmware by checking whether the firmware is updated once. Can be.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. At this time, it should be noted that the same components in the accompanying drawings are represented by the same reference numerals as possible. In addition, detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may blur the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

On the other hand, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the specification and drawings are merely presented specific examples to easily explain the technical contents of the present invention and help the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention can be carried out in addition to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Prior to the detailed description of the present invention, the following describes a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention as a mobile communication terminal for convenience of description, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the portable terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention is a terminal that can use a porta service, and preferably, a mobile communication terminal, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, International Mobile Telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) terminal, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) terminal, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) terminal, Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) terminal, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) terminal, EDGE It will be apparent that all information and communication devices such as Enhanced Data GSM Evironment (UM) terminals, Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service (UMTS) terminals, Digital Broadcasting terminals, and the like, and applications thereof.

Hereinafter, the "update file" is a file generated by extracting only the different parts by comparing the existing firmware version and the new firmware version of the mobile terminal, and extracts only the parts that differ from the new firmware and the existing firmware. And the address information on which the data is to be installed. The update file may be a delta file or a differential file.

Hereinafter, the "Update Agent" is a program for updating the firmware of the mobile terminal using the update file. The update agent is generally provided in the form of a module and may include a delta file storage area in which the update file is stored.

Hereinafter, the "user storage area" is an allocated storage area for storing data generated according to the use of the mobile terminal. For example, it is an area for storing a photo or video photographed using a camera function, a music file (for example, an MP3 file), and the like.

1 is a view schematically showing a firmware update system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the firmware update system according to the present invention may include a mobile terminal 100, a base station 300, and a porta server 400.

The portable terminal 100 is a firmware update capable terminal, and includes an update agent for updating the firmware, an operating system and a boot program for performing overall operations of the portable terminal. Can be. The portable terminal 100 may update the firmware by receiving an update file such as a delta file from the porta server 400. In particular, the portable terminal 100 according to the present invention may update the firmware by downloading the plurality of update files to the user storage area when there are a plurality of update files and the download is not possible in the delta file storage area. A detailed firmware update process will be described later.

The base station 300 is a wireless base station installed by a mobile communication service provider to provide a mobile communication service, and may provide a communication path between the portable terminal 100 and the porta server 400. In particular, the base station 300 according to the present invention may transmit the update file provided by the porter server 400 to the portable terminal 100.

The porta server 400 is a server that provides a firmware update service to notify the mobile terminal user when new firmware is developed and to update the firmware. The porta server 400 compares the firmware of the previous version with the new firmware to extract a delta file. It may include a delta file generation function that generates. When the new firmware is developed, the porta server 400 may generate an update file and transmit the update file to the mobile terminal 100 through the base station 300. Alternatively, when the portable terminal 100 accesses the mobile terminal 100 to request an update file, the porta server 400 may receive current firmware version information from the portable terminal 100 and search for an update file of a later version. If there is an update file of the later version, the porta server 400 may check whether the update file of the later version is singular or plural and transmit it to the mobile terminal 100. The porta server 400 may be included in a mobile service provider server.

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 2, the portable terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 110, a wireless communication unit 120, an input unit 130, a storage unit 140, and a display unit 160. It may include.

The wireless communication unit 120 may form a communication channel with a base station for data communication and voice call with another portable terminal. To this end, the wireless communication unit 120 may include a radio frequency transmitter for upconverting and amplifying a frequency of a transmitted signal, and a radio frequency receiver for low noise amplifying and downconverting a received signal. In particular, the wireless communication unit 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention may receive a plurality of update files provided by the porta server 400 through the base station 300. In addition, the wireless communication unit 120 may transmit current firmware version information of the mobile terminal 100 to the porter server 400 under the control of the controller 110.

The input unit 130 may include a plurality of input keys and function keys for receiving numeric or character information and setting various functions. The function keys may include direction keys, side keys, shortcut keys, and the like, which are set to perform a specific function. In addition, the input unit 130 may generate a key input signal input in connection with the function control of the mobile terminal 100 and transmit the generated key input signal to the controller 110. In particular, when a plurality of update files exist, the input unit 130 according to the present invention may transmit a key signal on whether to update the firmware to the controller 110. In addition, the input unit 130 may generate a key input signal for setting an update file reception time when a plurality of update files exist. The update file reception time may be set to a dawn time when the portable terminal 100 is not used.

The storage unit 140 may include a boot program for booting the portable terminal 100, an update agent for updating firmware, and an operating system for controlling overall operations of the portable terminal 100. , OS) and application programs necessary for playing multimedia content. In addition, the storage 140 may store data generated according to the use of the mobile terminal 100. To this end, the storage 140 may include a user storage area for storing a photo, a video, and user data.

The boot program is a program for booting a mobile terminal. When booting, the boot program checks the delta file storage area and starts the update agent when an update file exists, and when the update file does not exist. Operate an operating system.

The update agent is a program for updating firmware of the mobile terminal using an update file, for example, a delta file, and may be driven by the boot program when an update file exists in the delta file storage area. The update agent may include a delta file storage area for receiving and storing an update file. The delta file storage area generally has a limited capacity of several mega bits because the update file is not large and is used only for firmware update.

The user storage area is a storage area allocated for storing data generated by use of the portable terminal. For example, the user storage area is an area for storing a picture or a video taken by a user of the mobile terminal 100 using a camera function. In particular, the user storage area according to an embodiment of the present invention may store the plurality of update files when a plurality of update files exist during firmware update.

The storage unit 140 may include a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), and the like, and the storage unit 140 may include a ROM, a RAM, or a flash. One memory or two memories, for example, a multi chip package (MCP) memory, each of which may be configured or integrated into a memory or the like.

The display unit 160 may display various menu screens of the portable terminal 100, user data input by the user, function setting information, or various information provided to the user. The display unit 160 may be formed of a liquid crystal display (LCD), and may be included in an input means when the LCD is formed in the form of a touch screen. The display unit 160 may display a screen indicating that the firmware is being updated or display a screen indicating that the update file is being received. The screen informing that the firmware is being updated or the update file is being received may be expressed in various ways such as a simple phrase or an image. In particular, the display unit 160 according to the present invention may notify a user when a plurality of update files exist when updating firmware, and display a pop up window for confirming whether or not the update is performed. In addition, the display unit 160 may display a pop-up window for setting a time for downloading a plurality of update files.

The controller 110 may control an overall operation of the portable terminal 100 and signal flow between internal blocks, and may control a data processing function. In particular, the control unit 110 according to the present invention accesses the porta server 400 and checks whether an update file exists, and informs the user when a plurality of update files exist, and displays a pop-up window for checking whether the firmware is updated. The display unit 160 may control the display. In more detail, the controller 110 checks the current firmware version information of the mobile terminal 100 and transmits the current firmware version information to the porta server 400 through the wireless communication unit 120, and then the version. You can check if the update file exists. In this case, if there are a plurality of update files, the controller 110 may control to notify a user and display a pop-up window for confirming the download.

 Thereafter, when the user selects to update the firmware, the controller 110 downloads a plurality of update files to the user storage area, and copies any one of the update files downloaded to the user storage area to the delta file storage area. The copied update file may be deleted from the user storage area. In this case, the controller 110 may compare the version or creation date of the update file downloaded to the user storage area and copy the oldest update file to the delta file storage area. The controller 110 may reboot the portable terminal 100 when copying of the update file to the delta file storage area is completed.

Although not shown, the portable terminal 100 has additional functions such as a camera module, a broadcast receiving module, a connection terminal for exchanging data with an external digital device, a charging terminal, and a digital sound source reproducing module such as an MP3 module. The elements may further optionally be included. These components can not be enumerated because all of them vary according to the convergence trend of digital devices, but the components equivalent to the above-mentioned components are additionally included in the mobile terminal 100. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be constructed.

In the above, the schematic configuration of the mobile terminal 100 according to the present invention has been described with reference to FIG. 2. Hereinafter, a firmware update process of the mobile terminal 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a firmware update process of the mobile terminal 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the portable terminal 100 may access the porta server 400 in order to update the firmware in step S301. Thereafter, the controller 110 may check whether a plurality of update files exist in step S303. In detail, the controller 110 transmits current firmware version information to the porta server 400, and the porta server 400 receiving the current firmware version information searches for an update file of a version after the current firmware. In addition, the searched update file may be identified as a singular individual or a plurality of individual files and transmitted to the mobile terminal 100.

If there is only one update file in step S303, the controller 110 proceeds to step S307 to download the update file to the delta file storage area as in the prior art and update the firmware. On the other hand, when there are a plurality of update files in step S303, the controller 110 can proceed to step S305 to download the plurality of update files to the user storage area. The user storage area is an area allocated to store data generated according to the use of the mobile terminal. The user storage area may be a predetermined area of the internal memory (for example, a flash memory) of the mobile terminal, and is an external device installed in the memory card slot of the mobile terminal. Memory (eg, SD card, T-Flash card).

When the download of the plurality of update files is completed in step S305, the controller 110 proceeds to step S309 and copies one of the downloaded plurality of update files to the delta file storage area and deletes it from the user storage area. Can be. In this case, the controller 110 may check the version information or the creation date of the plurality of update files and copy the oldest update file to the delta file storage area.

When the step S309 is completed, the control unit 110 may proceed to step S311 to reboot the mobile terminal 100. Here, the boot program that is initially operated at the reboot checks whether an update file exists in the delta file storage area, and if the update file does not exist, operates an operating system of the mobile terminal 100, and if the update file exists The update agent may be driven. In this case, since the update file is copied to the delta file storage area in step S309, the portable terminal 100 rebooted in step S311 may drive the update agent in step S315. The update agent is a program for updating the firmware of the portable terminal.

Thereafter, the update agent updates the firmware by using the update file stored in the delta file storage area in step S319. When the firmware update is completed, the update agent proceeds to step S321 and deletes the update file stored in the delta file storage area. . The update agent may reboot the mobile terminal in step S323. Since the update file does not exist in the delta file storage area when the rebooting, the portable terminal 100 may be driven by an operating system. Upon completion of the reboot, the controller 110 proceeds to step S325 and checks whether an update file exists in the user storage area. At this time, the controller 110 may return to step S309 if an update file exists. The above-described steps S309 to S325 are repeated until all of the downloaded plurality of update files are deleted. If the update file does not exist in step S325, the firmware update process may be terminated. Alternatively, the controller 110 compares the version of the current firmware with the version of the update file without deleting the update file stored in the user storage area, and terminates the firmware update process if there is no update file after the current firmware version. Can be. Thereafter, the controller 110 may notify the user that all the updates are completed and check whether the update file has been deleted.

As described above, in the present invention, when a plurality of update files exists, the plurality of update files may be downloaded to the user storage area, and the firmware may be updated with one confirmation. Therefore, the present invention can solve the inconvenience of the conventional firmware update method that receives one update file to update the firmware, repeats the process of receiving the next update file to update the firmware, and checks whether the firmware is updated every time.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the method may further include setting a download time of the plurality of update files between the step S303 and the step S305. This is to prevent the normal use of the mobile terminal 100 due to the load occurring on the mobile terminal 100 due to the download of the plurality of update files. The download time setting process will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of setting a download time according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 4, when there are a plurality of update files in step S303, the controller 110 proceeds to step S401 and checks whether a plurality of update files are downloaded. If the user selects not to download in step S401, the controller 110 may terminate the connection with the porta server 400 and terminate the firmware update process. On the other hand, if the download is selected in step S401, the controller 110 proceeds to step S403 and checks whether a download time is set. If the download time is not set, the controller 110 proceeds to step S405 and displays a pop-up window for setting the download time on the display unit 160 to allow the user to set the download time. Here, the download time may be set to a time when the mobile terminal is not used, for example, dawn.

On the other hand, if the download time is set in step S403, the control unit 110 proceeds to step S407 to determine whether it is a preset download time, and if it is not a preset download time, maintaining the step S407 to determine whether it is a preset download time. Can be maintained. When the preset download time arrives, the controller 110 may proceed to step S305 to download a plurality of update files to the user storage area. The subsequent process is as described in FIG.

In the meantime, the firmware is updated by copying one update file into the delta file storage area, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, when the plurality of update files of the downloaded plurality of update files can be stored in the delta file storage area, the portable terminal 100 can update the firmware after copying the plurality of update files to the delta file storage area. have. For example, if the delta file storage area has a size of 3 megabytes, there are 10 update files, and the update files each have a size of 1 megabyte, the controller 110 displays the three update files at a time. You will be able to copy it to a delta file storage area.

In the above, the firmware update method of the mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the present specification and drawings. Although specific terms have been used, this is merely an easy description of the technical contents of the present invention. It is only used in a general sense to aid the understanding, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, various embodiments based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible to those skilled in the art.

1 is a view schematically showing a firmware update system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

3 is a flowchart illustrating a firmware update process of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of setting a download time according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (18)

In the firmware update method of the mobile terminal, Downloading the plurality of update files to a user storage area when a plurality of update files exists; Copy one of the plurality of downloaded update files to the delta file storage area included in the update agent and reboot, and when the reboot, the update agent is driven to update the firmware, and after the firmware update, the delta file storage area is updated. Update process for deleting and rebooting the stored update file; Firmware update method comprising a. The method of claim 1, The update process Checking the delta file storage area when the rebooting process and starting the update agent when an update file exists in the delta file storage area; And And operating an operating system for controlling the overall operation of the portable terminal when the update file does not exist in the delta file storage area. The method of claim 1, The download process is Accessing a porta server that provides the update file; Transmitting, by the portable terminal, the current firmware version to the porta server; Checking, by the porta server that has received the current firmware version, whether a later version update file exists; And And if the update file of the later version exists, checking whether there are a plurality of update files of the later version. The method of claim 1, The update process Checking whether an update file exists in the user storage area; And Repeating the update process when the update file exists in the user storage area, and terminating the update process when the update file does not exist. The method of claim 1, The download process is Checking whether the plurality of update files are downloaded; Checking whether a download time is set when selecting a download; And And downloading the plurality of update files at the preset download time by checking whether the download time is a preset download time. The method of claim 5, The downloading process And setting a download time when the download time is not set. The method of claim 1, The update process And checking at least one of version information or creation dates of the plurality of update files, and copying the oldest update file to the delta file storage area. The method of claim 1, The update process And copying one of the downloaded plurality of update files to the delta file storage area and then deleting the file from the user storage area. The method of claim 1, The user storage area is Firmware update method comprising an internal memory or an external memory. A wireless communication unit configured to receive a plurality of update files by forming a wireless communication channel with the porta server; A storage unit including a user storage area for storing the plurality of update files received through the wireless communication unit and an update agent for updating firmware; And And a controller for copying one of the plurality of update files stored in the user storage area to a delta file storage area and rebooting the mobile terminal. The update agent updates the firmware using the update file stored in the delta file storage area, and after updating the firmware, deletes the update file stored in the delta file storage area and reboots to perform the firmware update. . The method of claim 10, The control unit Checking whether the update file exists in the user storage area, repeating the firmware update when the update file exists, and terminating the firmware update when the update file does not exist. The method of claim 10, The storage unit A boot program that checks the delta file storage area at boot time and drives the update agent if an update file exists in the delta file storage area, and runs an operating system that controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal if the update file does not exist. The mobile terminal further comprises. The method of claim 10, The control unit And transmitting current firmware version information to the porta server, and receiving from the porta server whether there are a plurality of later update files. The method of claim 10, The control unit When the plurality of update files are downloaded, it is determined whether a download time is set, and when the download time is set, the mobile terminal, characterized in that to download the plurality of update files at a preset download time. The method of claim 14, And a display unit which displays a pop-up window for setting a download time when the download time is not set. The method of claim 10, The control unit And checking at least one of version information or creation dates of the plurality of update files and copying the oldest update file to the delta file storage area. The method of claim 10, The control unit And one of the plurality of update files is copied to the delta file storage area and then deleted from the user storage area. The method of claim 10, The user storage area is A portable terminal comprising an internal memory or an external memory.

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