Patents Assigned to Bitfone Corporation
  • Patent number: 7082549
    Abstract: Methods for updating an electronic device having a non-volatile memory are disclosed. An embodiment of the present invention may permit the update of an electronic device from a first code version to a second code version using a fault-tolerant, bank-by-bank method. An update package comprising update instructions may be received via a public and/or wireless network, and the update instructions may be used to convert the first code version to the second code version. The bank order of the conversion may be specified in the update package, and may be non-sequential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Bitfone Corporation
    Inventors: Bindu Rama Rao, Patrick O'Neill
  • Patent number: 7047448
    Abstract: A device and method supporting the identification and correction of firmware and/or software errors is described. Upon the occurrence of a firmware/software error or exception, an embodiment in accordance with the present invention may gather parameters for identifying the error or exception, and the execution environment in which the error occurred, and may communicate the parameters or an identifier to a server, to retrieve update information for correcting the firmware/software error or exception. The execution environment may be single or multi-threaded, and may be a java virtual machine. The device may restart/reboot during the update process, and may log an error if update information is not available to correct the error or exception. The device may communicate the error log information to the server via the communication network. The communication network may be a wireless network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Bitfone Corporation
    Inventors: Bindu Rama Rao, Teck Chia, Harri Okonnen
  • Patent number: 6996818
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of updating an electronic device employing a firmware/software update system. The firmware/software may be updated through use of update information retrieved from a server. The server may support conversion of data associated with an updated firmware/software. An update agent may be capable of processing the update information retrieved from the server and updating the firmware/software in the electronic device. The update agent may also be capable of invoking a converter utility to convert data associated with the firmware/software to be compatible with a newer version of the firmware/software. When the firmware/software is updated, corresponding data may also be updated in a single update event by employing an associated converter utility that may be retrieved along with the update information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Bitfone Corporation
    Inventors: Sidney Andrew Jacobi, Toni Pakarinen, Bindu Rama Rao
  • Patent number: 6978453
    Abstract: A system for employing SyncML DM for updating firmware in mobile handsets and other devices. The system employs enhancements to SyncML DM specifications. A SyncML management client employs new commands, specified by the present invention, for retrieving update packages for firmware updates, for the verification of a received update package, the command for saving the update package in an appropriate management object, the command for initiating an update process by an update agent and the command for the subsequent notification of the results of processing by the update agent (success, failure, etc.). More specifically, the SyncML DM management client employs new commands, specified by the present invention, for retrieving update packages for firmware updates and for updating the firmware selectively based on appropriateness, security and authentication, employing fault tolerant means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Bitfone Corporation
    Inventors: Bindu Rama Rao, Patrick C. Lilley
  • Patent number: 6941453
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for updating at least one of firmware, software, device components, and device configuration in an electronic device. The method and apparatus may employ at least one update agent or a plurality of update agents. An electronic device supporting multiple update agents may be adapted to prompt and facilitate an end-user to select at least one of the update agents to process update information contained in at least one update. The electronic device may also be adapted to prompt and facilitate an end-user to apply a particular update agent to update at least one of firmware, software, device components, device configuration, device information, and device parameters. The electronic device may also be adapted to prompt and facilitate an end-user to select an appropriate update agent from a plurality of available update agents based upon some information, such as for example, the type of update that the update agent is adapted to perform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Bitfone Corporation
    Inventor: Bindu Rama Rao
  • Patent number: 6832373
    Abstract: The present invention discloses efficient devices, systems, and methods for updating digital information sequences that are comprised by software (110a), devices (104c), and data (110c). In addition, these digital information sequences may be stored and used in various forms, including but not limited to files, memory locations, and/or embedded storage locations. The disclosed invention is thus suitable for updating many types of digital information sequences and in the context of updating software comprised of multiple files. Furthermore, the devices, systems, and methods described herein provide a developer skilled in the art with an improved ability to generate update information as needed and, additionally, allow users to proceed through a simplified update path, which is not error-prone, and may be performed more quickly than through the use of existing technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Bitfone Corporation
    Inventor: Patrick J. O'Neill