Patent Publication Number: US-2010112968-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for cloning contents of a source radio into a target radio

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a radio system and more particularly to a method and apparatus for cloning contents of a source radio into a target radio. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Typically, a radio communication system includes a plurality of radios that communicate with one another over a radio frequency communication link. Each of the radios includes a configuration data which identifies communication options. For example, the configuration data may identify an operating frequency and a private line associated with the radio. In certain cases, it may be necessary to set a configuration of one radio to a configuration of another radio so as to customize features between the radios. 
     Conventionally, radios are configured to operate in a particular radio communication system. In general, the radios are configured with a pre-defined set of features customized by a factory for each user or a group of users. Such a pre-defined set of features is configured by hard coding a flash-code in the radio when the user first purchases the radio. Such a flash-code is typically referred to as a purchased flash-code. The purchased flash-code includes a plurality of bits, wherein each bit or a group of bits corresponds to a feature selected by the user. However, during a process of exchanging configurable data between the radios, known as radio cloning, the radios should have the same purchased flash-codes. Radio functionality which depends on the purchased flash-code cannot be cloned to another radio that does not contain the same functionality or the purchased flash-code. In such a case, the user may have to employ Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to determine the functionality or features to be brought over during cloning. Thus, the cloning process tends to be a cumbersome to implement, and difficult to maintain, especially, when cloning is performed for a plurality of radios. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for cloning radios even when the radios are configured with non-identical purchased flash-codes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a communication system for cloning contents of a source radio into a target radio, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a Computer Programmable Device (CPD), in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method for cloning contents of the source radio into the target radio, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. 
     The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure is directed towards a method for cloning contents of a source radio into a target radio. The method includes determining a configurable flash-code of the source radio. The configurable flash-code is configured from a first purchase flash-code that represents a first set of features employed by a user associated with the source radio. The method then includes receiving a second purchase flash-code from the target radio. The second purchase flash-code represents a second set of features purchased in the target radio. The method further includes determining whether the first set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is at least a subset of the second set of features associated with the second purchase flash-code. The method then includes cloning the contents of the source radio into the target radio, when the first set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is at least a subset of the second set of features associated with the second purchase flash-code. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a communication system for cloning contents of a source radio  104  into a target radio  106 , in accordance with some embodiments. A radio may be a battery powered portable public safety radio that operates in a terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) system, an Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) system, or any other similar system. In general, the radio may be any high tier radio that is substantially used as a marketing model which sells add-on software features in addition to the hardware in the radio. 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the radio may be a wireless device, a mobile station, a battery operated portable two-way hand-held radio, a mobile radio, or any similar device that can transmit and receive signals. The radio may be configured to operate according to any of a number of different 2G, 3G and 4G wireless communication technologies, or according to any other radio standards. 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the radio is initially hard coded with a binary number, known as a purchase flash-code, which indicates features that are actually purchased in the radio. For example, the purchase flash-code may include  16  bits, wherein each bit or a group of bits represents a feature that is purchased and added to the radio. The feature may include type of signaling, number of people handling the call, call list, or other similar applications. 
     The purchase flash-code is programmed by a factory/manufacturer during manufacturing the radio or before shipping the products to an individual user or users within, for example, a public safety environment. The public safety environment may include fire fighters, police officers, paramedics or the like. 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the radio includes another binary number, known as a configurable flash-code, which is automatically configured from the purchase flash-code based on the applications navigated or interacted by the user. For example, the configurable flash-code includes 16 bits, wherein each bit is initially turned OFF, for example bit ‘0’, by default. Further, based on the user using the features, the corresponding bit in the configurable flash-code is turned ON, for example bit ‘1’. The configurable flash-code represents the features that are purchased and also used by the user associated with the radio. 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the radio may be a source radio  104  or a target radio  106 . The source radio  104  is the one where the configurable flash-code is configured, from the purchase flash-code, based on the user using the applications/features in the radio. The target radio  106  is the one which is cloned or configured with the contents of the source radio  104 . The contents may include at least one of configurable data and customized parameters of the source radio. In one embodiment, the source radio and the target radios are government and public safety radios, where the source radio may be a part of one system and the target radio may be a part of another system. 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the computer programmable device (CPD)  102  includes computer programming software (CPS) that monitors the fields or parameters that are gained access in the source radio  104 , and accordingly determines the features, associated with the fields, used in the source radio  104 . The CPS then configures the configurable flash-code in the source radio that represents the set of features used in the source radio  104 . 
     During the process of cloning, the computer programmable device (CPD)  102  obtains the purchase flash-code, from the target radio  106  that represents the set of features purchased in the target radio  106 . For example, the purchase flash-code of the target radio is non-identical to the purchase flash-code of the source radio. Upon receiving the purchase flash-code, the computer programmable device  102  compares the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106  with the configurable flash-code of the source radio  104 . The computer programmable device  102  then determines whether the set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is a subset of the set of features associated with the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 . 
     If the set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is a subset of the set of features associated with the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 , the computer programmable device receives the configurable data from the source radio  104 . The computer programmable device then clones the received configurable data into the target radio  106 . Thus, cloning is performed over the radios even when the radios are configured with non-identical purchased flash-codes. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a Computer Programmable Device (CPD)  202 , in accordance with some embodiments. The exemplary components include a processor  204 , a memory  208 , and a transceiver  206 . Although not shown, the processor  204  may be coupled to an input device and an output device. In one embodiment, the input device may be used to connect the CPD to the radios such as the source radio  104  and the target radio  106  of  FIG. 1 . 
     In accordance with an embodiment, the memory  208  is coupled to the processor  204  to store the configurable flash-code  210  and the purchase flash-code  212 , received from the source radio  104  and the target radio  106  respectively. In one embodiment, the memory  208  may be a flash memory storing the updated flash-codes received from the source and target radios. It should be noted that the memory  208  is not limited to storing only the configurable flash-code  210  of the source radio  104 . It may also store the purchase flash-code and other parameters of the source radio  104 . In one embodiment, the memory  208  includes a list of configurable flash-codes and a list of purchase flash-codes of a plurality of radios that are operating in a particular public safety environment. Further, each of the configurable and purchase flash-codes is associated with a corresponding identification of the radio from which the respective flash-code is received. 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the transceiver  206  coupled to the processor  204  enables the CPD  202  to communicate with at least one radio. The communication may be a wireless communication or a wire-line communication. In general, the transceiver  206  may provide wireless communication due to mobile nature of the CPD  202 . An exemplary function of the CPD  202  as represented by the block diagram, upon reception of wireless signals via the antenna (not shown), the transceiver  206  demodulates the communication signals to recover incoming information, such as voice and/or data, transmitted by the wireless signals. Specifically, the incoming information contains flash-codes and other configurable data for cloning the target radio  106 . 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the transceiver  206  receives cloning data from the source radio, and transmits the received cloning data to the target radio. The cloning data includes at least one of configurable data and customized parameters of the source radio. 
     Operationally, the processor  204  is coupled to the memory  208 , and the transceiver  206 . The processor  204  may perform various operations to store, manipulate and retrieve the flash-codes in the memory  208 . 
     In accordance with the embodiment, the processor  204  tracks the fields/parameters that are gained access due to purchase flash-code in the source radio  104 . Based on the tracking, the processor  204  determines the features used by the user associated with the source radio  104 . Further, the processor  204  configures a flash-code, known as the configurable flash-code in the source radio  104 , based on the features used. The configurable flash-code  210  represents a set of features that are purchased and also used by the user associated with source radio  104 . The configurable flash-code  210  indicates the set of features that may be a subset of the features purchased in the source radio  104 . 
     During the process of cloning the configurable data into the target radio  106 , the processor  204  first determines a configurable flash-code  210  of the source radio. The processor  204  then compares the determined configurable flash-code  210  with the purchase flash-code  212  of the target radio  106 , and further determines whether the set of features associated with the configurable flash-code  210  is a subset of the features associated the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 . For example, the processor determines whether the bits in the configurable flash-code  210  are subset of bits in the purchase flash-code  212  of the target radio  106 . 
     In one embodiment, the processor  204  compares a plurality of activated bits of the configurable flash-code  210  with a plurality of activated bits of the purchase flash-code  212 , wherein each of the activated bits is associated with a corresponding feature. Further, the processor  204  determines whether the activated bits of the configurable flash-code  210  are a subset of the activated bits of the purchase flash-code  212 . 
     Upon determining that the set of features associated with the configurable flash-code  210  is a subset of the features associated the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 , the processor  204  receives the configurable data from the source radio  104 , and copies or clones the received configurable data into the target radio  106 . Basically, the processor  204  customizes the features in the target radio  106  as that of the source radio  104 . It is should be noted that the cloning is not limited to one target radio. The processor  204  may clone the configurable data into a plurality of target radios coupled to the CPD  202 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method  300  for cloning contents of a source radio  104  into a target radio  106 , in accordance with some embodiments. It is to be noted that the method  300  is not limited to only one target radio  106 . The method  300  may be employed for cloning contents of a source radio  104  into a plurality of target radios. Please note that the method  300  is described from the perspective of a Computer Programmable Device (CPD)  102  shown in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the method  300  begins with a step of determining  302  a configurable flash-code of the source radio from a purchase flash-code embedded in the source radio. The configurable flash-code represents a set of features, for example, a first set of features, employed by a user. The configurable flash-code is configured from a purchased flash-code that is hard coded by the manufacturers at the time of purchase of the source radio  104 . 
     In one embodiment, the computer programmable device (CPD)  102  first determines a set of features, used by the user, from a set of features, for example, a third set of features, purchased in the source radio  104 . The CPD  102  then automatically calculates or determines the configurable flash-code based on the determined features used by the user. The configurable flash-code includes a binary number that represents the first set of features used by the user. Also, the CPD  102  may manually modify the configurable flash-code to deactivate at least one feature from the first set of features employed by the user. This provides the option of modifying the configurable flash-code prior to cloning the contents into the target radio  106 . In another embodiment, the source radio  104  automatically configures the configurable flash-code based on the user gaining access to at least one field associated with the first purchase flash-code. The at least one field represents at least one feature of the first set of features associated with the source radio. 
     The method then continues with a step of CPD  102  receiving  304  a second purchase flash-code from the target radio  106 . The second purchase flash-code represents a set of features, for example, a second set of features, purchased in the target radio  106 . In one embodiment, the second set of features may represent the features that are purchased but are not used by a user associated with the target radio. 
     The method then continues with a step of CPD  102  determining  306  whether the first set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is at least a subset of the second set of features associated with the second purchase flash-code. The CPD  102  receives the configurable flash-code and determines the first set of features that are used by the user associated with source radio  104 . Similarly, the CPD  102  receives the second purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 , which indicates the second set of features purchased in the target radio  106 . Further, the CPD  102  compares the configurable flash-code of the source radio  104  with the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 , and determines whether the first set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is a subset of the second set of features associated with the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106 . 
     At an implementation level, the CPD  102  first compares a plurality of activated bits of the configurable flash-code with a plurality of activated bits of the purchase flash-code. Each of the activated bits is associated with a corresponding feature. The CPD  102  then determines whether the activated bits of the configurable flash-code are a subset of the activated bits of the purchase flash-code. 
     The method then continues with a step of CPD  102  cloning  308  the contents of the source radio  104  into the target radio  106 , when the first set of features associated with the configurable flash-code is at least a subset of the second set of features associated with the second purchase flash-code. The contents include configurable data of the source radio  104 . In one embodiment, the CPD  102  customizes features of the target radio  106 , to be similar with the first set of features of the source radio  104 . Thus, the method  300  provides an option of cloning the target radio  106  even when the purchase flash-code of the target radio  106  is non-identical to the purchase flash-code of the source radio  104 . 
     Thus, the method employs configurable flash-code of the source radio for cloning the configurable data of the source radio  104  into the target radio  106  having hard coded purchase flash-code. 
     The cloning technique is particularly advantageous to the public safety arena where the purchase flash-code of each radio is different from one another. Also, the cloning technique provides an additional advantage of pre-buying the features for the current source radio, and later updating the features in the additional radios, for example, target radios, based on requirements in the arena. 
     In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings. 
     The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued. 
     Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has”, “having,” “includes”, “including,” “contains”, “containing” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a”, “has . . . a”, “includes . . . a”, “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially”, “essentially”, “approximately”, “about” or any other version thereof, are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed. 
     It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one or more generic or specialized processors (or “processing devices”) such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, customized processors and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and unique stored program instructions (including both software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the method and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. 
     Moreover, an embodiment can be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform a method as described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage mediums include, but are not limited to, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a Flash memory. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation. 
     The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.