Patents by Inventor Robert Easterling

Robert Easterling has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and system for reducing storage requirements for program code in a communication device
    Patent number: 7278002
    Abstract: A software routine that writes downloaded updated operating system software over existing application code to flash memory of a cable modem in an inverted arrangement. If the download process is interrupted before the update can be verified, a pointer still points to the existing code to facilitate update-interruption recovery. After verifying a successful update, a new pointer is generated that points to the updated operating system. Then, updated application code can be downloaded and stored in the flash memory over the old operating system code. Thus, each time an update is performed, the location of the operating system within the flash memory with respect to the location of the application code is inverted. This allows the size of flash memory to be reduced, as only one copy of the operating system and application code must be stored, while retaining capability to recovery from an incomplete download.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Arris International, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Winters, Allen Walston, Jeff Andrews, Robert Easterling, Russell Enderby
  • Method and system for reducing storage requirements for program code in a communication device
    Patent number: 7100011
    Abstract: A software routine that writes downloaded updated operating system software over existing application code to flash memory of a cable modem in an inverted arrangement. If the download process is interrupted before the update can be verified, a pointer still points to the existing code to facilitate update-interruption recovery. After verifying a successful update, a new pointer is generated that points to the updated operating system. Then, updated application code can be downloaded and stored in the flash memory over the old operating system code. Thus, each time an update is performed, the location of the operating system within the flash memory with respect to the location of the application code is inverted. This allows the size of flash memory to be reduced, as only one copy of the operating system and application code must be stored, while retaining capability to recovery from an incomplete download.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Arris International, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Winters, Allen Walston, Jeff Andrews, Robert Easterling, Russell Enderby
  • Method and system for reducing storage requirements for program code in a communication device
    Publication number: 20060080650
    Abstract: A software routine that writes downloaded updated operating system software over existing application code to flash memory of a cable modem in an inverted arrangement. If the download process is interrupted before the update can be verified, a pointer still points to the existing code to facilitate update-interruption recovery. After verifying a successful update, a new pointer is generated that points to the updated operating system. Then, updated application code can be downloaded and stored in the flash memory over the old operating system code. Thus, each time an update is performed, the location of the operating system within the flash memory with respect to the location of the application code is inverted. This allows the size of flash memory to be reduced, as only one copy of the operating system and application code must be stored, while retaining capability to recovery from an incomplete download.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Derek Winters, Allen Walston, Jeff Andrews, Robert Easterling, Russell Enderby
  • Method and system for reducing storage requirements for program code in a communication device
    Publication number: 20030167373
    Abstract: A software routine that writes downloaded updated operating system software over existing application code to flash memory of a cable modem in an inverted arrangement. If the download process is interrupted before the update can be verified, a pointer still points to the existing code to facilitate update-interruption recovery. After verifying a successful update, a new pointer is generated that points to the updated operating system. Then, updated application code can be downloaded and stored in the flash memory over the old operating system code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: September 4, 2003
    Inventors: Derek Winters, Allen Walston, Jeff Andrews, Robert Easterling, Russell Enderby