NZ270702A

NZ270702A - Automatically loading control software into mobile telephone via telephone line

Info

Publication number: NZ270702A
Application number: NZ270702A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Laurent Labbe; Francis Pinault
Original assignee: Alcatel Australia
Priority date: 1994-03-30
Filing date: 1995-03-13
Publication date: 1997-01-29
Also published as: FR2718263B1; AU698341B2; EP0675661A1; FI951493A0; FR2718263A1; AU1612395A; CA2145602A1; JPH07271692A; FI951493A

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> Priority Dato(s): Complete Specification Filed: Class: (0)..ttpl+.sa Publication Date: 2 9 JAN. M97.. P.O. Journal No: 27070? J TRUE COPY NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION " AUTOMATICALLY LOADING CONTROL SOFTWARE INTO MOBILE TELEPHONE " WE, ALCATEL AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CaoJ CP° A Company of the State of New South Wales, of 280 Botany Road, Alexandria, New South Wales, 2015, Australia, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: •"'v ad , !9Q5 *• *0 *r. y. I. ■ 270702 This invention relates to updating of control software in a portable terminal, and in particular, a device for automatically loading control software for controlling a portable terminal, particularly a portable radiotelephone. In GSM-type radiotelephone systems, the portable terminal or radiotelephone at the disposal of each user includes internal control software. Th software is subjected to updating and the user of the radiotelephone has to go to a central office or station in order to reset the software in the device. As this is a tedious procedure, many users do not call at the office to reset their software. An object of the present invention is to produce a design for automatically loading portable terminal control software which the user can implement directly without having to go into an office. A further object of the invention is to provide a loading process for a portable terminal's control software, in which loading of the software is done automatically after connection of the terminal to an automatic loading device. Accordingly, there is provided an automatic loading device for loading the control software of a portable terminal, which automatic loading device includes a control unit, a modem interconnected between the control unit and the telephone network so as to connect the loading device to a central station and to receive the latest version of the software, a reference memory connected to the control unit for automatically storing the latest version of the software, and an interface for connecting the terminal and automatically 270702 loading the latest version of the control software from the reference memory of the device into the memory of the terminal. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided an automatic loading process using the above device and including the following steps which are carried out under the control of the control unit in the device and after connection of the terminal to the interface of the device: detecting that the terminal is connected to the interface of the loading device, sending a request to the terminal requesting transmission of the identification of the software used by the terminal, after transmission of the identification software used by the terminal, comparing that identification with the current identification of the software stored in the reference memory of the loading device, and if the identification of the control software in the terminal is not the current identification, transmitting the control software stored in the reference memory to the terminal for storage of the software in the terminal's internal memory. According to yet a further aspect of the invention there is provided an automatic loading process using the above automatic loading device connected to a central station by means of a modem, which process includes the following steps after transmission by the terminal of the identification of 2707 the current control software currently used by the terminal: sending, through the loading device's control unit to the central station, the identification of the software currently used by the terminal, comparison by the central station between the identification of the software currently used by the terminal and the current identification of the software to be used, if the identification of the software used by the terminal is not the current identification of the software to be used, transmission by the central station of the control software to be used, so as to simultaneously store the software in the buffer memory of the device and to transmit the software to the terminal for storage in its internal memory, and storing, by the control unit, of the control software to be used in the reference memory of the device by transfer from the buffer memory. In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, an embodiment thereof will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 represents a block diagram of the software automatic loading device according to this invention, Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the various steps of the software 2707 automatic loading process using the device represented in Figure 1 when the loader is not connected to the central station, and Figure 3 represents a flow chart illustrating the various steps of the software automatic loading process according to the invention, when the loader is connected to the central station. The automatic loading device 10 according to the invention and represented schematically in Figure 1, includes a control unit (CU) 12, which can be of the microprocessor type, with its screen 14 and keyboard 16. The control unit 12 is connected to a RAM type memory 18 by the bus 20 and also to a permanent reprogrammable memory 22, preferably of the type commonly referred to as "flash" memory. The memory 22 in which the updated control software is stored, is referred to as the reference memory of the device. The control unit 12 is connected by a data bus 24 to a modem 26 so as to be able to transmit and receive data over the telephone line connected to the telephone network. The automatic loading device 10 includes an interface 30 at which a portable terminal 32, such as a portable radiotelephone, will be connected. The connection of a portable terminal at the interface 30 is detected by the proximity detection circuit 34 connected to the control unit with the object of making the control unit aware of the portable terminal's presence. The control unit is connected to the interface 30 by means of a data transfer line 38, preferably a serial transfer line of the 12C type for example. Finally, the automatic loading device 10 also includes a battery charger 36 for recharging the battery of the portable terminal each time the latter is connected to the interface 30. The process for automatic loading of the control software into the portable terminal is illustrated by the flow chart in Figure 2. First of all, verification that the terminal 32 is connected to the interface 30 is done at block 40. This can be easily done by earth loop or microswitch.. If the terminal is connected to the interface, the control unit 12 transmits, at block 42, an identification request to the terminal which transmits in return the identification of the control software used by the terminal. At this point, the control unit checks, at block 44, whether the loading device 10 has been connected to the telephone network by means of the modem 26. If this is not the case, the control unit starts the comparison, at block 46, between the identification of the control software used by the terminal and the identification of the updated software. If the comparison is positive, the process is interrupted and looped to the start. If not, the control software contained in the reference memory 20 is transmitted, at block 48, to the portable terminal for storage in its memory, block 50, by means of the data transfer line 38. The process is then looped to the start. ) 0 At this point of the description, it is worth making clear that invoicing of the control software can be made to the identification number of the terminal or to the loader number. The latter can occur when the loader is provided by the operator (such as an organisation responsible for the telephone network). In both cases, the operator provides, via the central station, a certain number of services (for example, call return) v,nich allows the user access to a certain number of functions. If the user is involved, the operator has two ways of making functions available, other than the new version of the software, depending on the manufacturers of the loaders or terminals: filtering of the subscriber's number (usually termed "discrimination" in telephonists' jargon), at the level of the network part or filtering of the service authorisations (known as "table of authorised services" in GSM language) at the terminal level. Given what has been written so far, after block 44 and apart from the transmission of the software, there is therefore recognition at block 47 of the authorisation of the terminal to receive a certain number of functions. If the terminal is not authorised (the user has not subscribed to the corresponding services), the process is looped to the start. If, on the other hand, the terminal is authorised to receive these functions, functions are transmitted, at block 49, from the loader's memory to the central station, in which loader's 7 memory the updated versions of the functions or new functions during connection of the loader have been stored. The process is completed by storage of the functions in the terminal memory at block 50. Returning to block 44, it is possible to connect the automatic loading device to the telephone network before the portable terminal is connected to the interface of the device. In that case, the operator is connected, by a telephone call, to the central station which has available, usually in an appropriate data base, the latest version of the control software. Referring to Figure 3, at block 52 the control unit transmits the identification of the software used by the portable terminal to the central station. This identification is compared with that of the latest version of the software stored in the station data base, at block 54. If, at block 54, it turns out that the control software used by the terminal is the latest version in the central station, the process comes to an end and is looped to the start. If not, the central station starts, at block 56, transmitting the up-to-date control software to the loading device 10. The control unit 12 then carries out two operations when it receives the software from the central station. It transmits the software over the line 38 to the terminal for storage in the terminal's own memory, block 58. But it also carries out storing the control software into its buffer memory 18, block 60. Then, after the new version of the control software has been stored in the buffer memory 18, transfer is carried out, block 62, from the buffer memory 8 27070; 18 to the reference memory 22. This two-step operation is necessary insofar as if storage was made directly into the reference memory, the potential problems on the telephone line used for transmission between the central station and the loading device could lead to errors in the software transmitted and could result in the loading device no longer having any version (free of errors) of tha control software. As previously, with the identification of the terminal or loader or both, the central station checks whether the terminal is authorised to receive a certain number of functions, at block 64, regardless of the updating of the control software. !f this is not the case, the process loops back to the start. If the terminal is authorised, the said functions are transmitted from the central station, at block 66. As previously, the data are stored in the terminal memory on the one hand (block 58), and on the other hand stored in the buffer memory of the loader (block 60) before being stored in the reference memory of the loader (block 62). It is certainly possible to load the latest version of the control software, as well as updating the functions or new functions made available by the operator (when the loader or terminals which can be connected to it are authorised to receive them), from the central station into the automatic loading device 10. In this case, after connection of the device to the central station by means of the telephone network, transmission of the latest version of the control software and functions is carried out, from the central station 270702 to the loading device, and they are stored in the buffer memory 18, then transferred into the reference memory 22, in the same way as previously in steps 60 and 62. It should be noted that one possibility is for the loader to be kept continually connected to the telephone network. In that case, the simple connection of a terminal which is authorised to be connected to the loader, will allow acquisition of the updated version of the software, or updating of the functions provided by the operator, or acquisition of new functions, without having to call the central station. 10 </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 270J{ What we claim is:

1. An automatic loading device for automatically loading control software for controlling a portable data-communications terminal, which device includes: a control unit a modem interconnected between the control unit and a telephone line, the said telephone line capable of being connected to a central station so as to receive, via the said modem, the latest version of the software of the portable terminal, a reference memory connected to the control unit for automatically storing the latest version of the control software, an interface for connecting the portable terminal and for automatically loading the said latest version of the control software from the said reference memory into the memory of the terminal.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, further including a buffer memory connected to the said control unit and designed to store the said latest version of the said control software received from the said central station via the said telephone line and said modem, the said latest version of the software being automatically stored in the said reference memory from the said buffer memory as soon as the buffer memory has finished receiving the said latest version of the control software.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, further including means for 11 charging the battery of the said portable terminal, which becomes operative when the said portable terminal is connected to the interface of the device.

4. A device as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said portable terminal is a portable radiotelephone.

5. A method of automatically loading control software for controlling a portable data-communications terminal using a device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, the said method including the following steps which are carried out under the control of the control unit of the said automatic loading device and after connecting the portable terminal to the interface of the said automatic loading device: detecting that the said portable terminal is connected to the said interface, sending a request to the said terminal requesting transmission of the identification of the control software currently used by the said portable terminal, after the said control software has been transmitted, comparing the said identification with the current identification of the control software stored in the said reference memory, and if the said identification of the control software currently used by the said portable terminal is not the said current identification, transmitting the control software stored in the said reference memory to the said portable terminal for storage of the said software in the internal memory of the said 2707 terminal.

6. A automatic loading method as claimed in Claim 5, further including the following steps after the request for identification of the control software: verifying that the said terminal is authorised to receive a certain number of functions which are can be implemented by the user of the terminal, and transmitting the said functions if the said terminal is authorised to receive them for storage in its internal memory.

7. A method for automatically loading control software for controlling a portable data-communications terminal by means of a device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, connected to the said central station by means of the said telephone line and modem, the said method including the following steps: connecting the portable terminal to the interface of the said automatic loading device, the said control unit detecting that the said portable terminal is connected to the said interface, sending a request by the said control unit to the said portable terminal requesting transmission of the identification of the control software currently used by the said portable terminal the said control unit sending the said identification of the software used by the portable terminal to the said central station by means of the said modem and said telephone line, 13 270*0? the said central station comparing between the said identification of the software currently used by the said portable terminal and the current identification of the software to be used, if the said identification of the software used by the said portable terminal is not the said current identification of the software to be used, the said central station transmitting the control software to be used so as to simultaneously store the said software in the said buffer memory and to transmit the said software to the said portable terminal for storage in its internal memory, and the said control unit storing the said control software to be used in the said reference memory by transferring the said control software from the said buffer memory.

8. An automatic loading method as claimed in Claim 7, further including the following steps after the request for identification of the control software: verifying that the said terminal is authorised to receive a certain number of functions which can be implemented by the user of the terminal, the said central station transmitting the said functions so as to simultaneously store the said functions in the said buffer memory and to transmit them to the said portable terminal for storage in its internal memory, and the said control unit storing the said functions in the said reference memory by transferring the said functions from the said buffer memory. 14 2707

9. A device and method substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 - 3 of the accompanying drawings ALCATEL AUSTRALIA LIMITED B. O'Connor Authorized Agent P5/1/1703 </div>