Patent Publication Number: US-8533450-B2

Title: File update system and boot management system of mobile communication terminal, method of updating file in mobile communication terminal, and method of booting mobile communication terminal

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/258,294, filed Oct. 25, 2005, which claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2005-00536, filed on Jan. 4, 2005, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal and, more particularly, to a file update system of a mobile communication terminal which may recover Same Owner ID Error caused by damage of a file header in an Embedded File System (EFS) area of the mobile communication terminal, a boot management system of a mobile communication terminal which may prevent a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal, a method of updating a file in the mobile communication terminal, and a method of booting the mobile communication terminal which may prevent a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In general, when a file stored in a part of an EFS area of a mobile communication terminal is updated, e.g., modified or relocated, the updated file is not overwritten in the part of the EFS area but is stored in another part of the EFS area. As a result, the updated file coexists in the EFS area together with the file prior to updating. 
     Meanwhile, each file stored in the EFS area has its own ID which is used to identify each file. An updated file includes a different file name from that of an existing file prior to updating in its header but includes the same ID information as that of the existing file in its header. 
     If a header of a file block is damaged due to physical or electrical factors while a mobile communication terminal is managing data using EFS, a phenomenon called Same Owner ID Error occurs. 
     In more detail, the Same Owner ID Error occurs in a case where there are file blocks having the same ID but different file names. In this case, when a mobile communication terminal is powered on, a fatal error occurs during performing a process of initializing EFS in a booting process of the mobile communication terminal. As a result, the mobile communication terminal is automatically power-reset and thus becomes irrecoverable. 
     SUMMARY 
     An embodiment of the present invention provides a file update system of a mobile communication terminal which may recover Same Owner ID Error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS (Embedded File System) area of the mobile communication terminal, a boot management system of a mobile communication terminal which may prevent a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal, a method of updating a file in the mobile communication terminal, and a method of booting the mobile communication terminal which may prevent a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a file update system of a mobile communication terminal, including: a file reader reading a file to be updated from an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal; an EFS area assignment unit assigning an EFS area for storing an updated file; and an update processor storing an updated file in the EFS area assigned by the EFS area assignment unit, reading old version information from a header of the file to be updated, and recording newer version information than the old version information in a header of the updated file. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a boot management system of a mobile communication terminal, when a file name is damaged in a header of a file stored in an EFS area so that there are at least two files having the same ID in the EFS area, the boot management system which reads a header of a file of a version preceding to a version of the damaged file, registers the read header in an EFS area table, and boots the mobile communication terminal so that a fatal error caused by damage of the header of the file in the EFS area can be prevented from occurring. 
     The boot management system may include: a header reader reading a header of a file registered in an EFS area table; an error processor, when a file name is damaged in a header of a file registered in the EFS area table, analyzing header information of files stored in the EFS area, retrieving file names of files having the same ID as that of the damaged file, and recording header information of a file of a newest version among the files having the same ID in the EFS area table, thereby recovering the EFS area table; and a boot processor performing a process of initializing the EFS area table using the EFS area table recovered by the error processor. 
     According to still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication terminal equipped with the file update system. 
     According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile communication terminal equipped with the boot management system. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of updating a file in a mobile communication terminal, the method including the operations of: reading a file to be updated from an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal; assigning an EFS area for storing an updated file; and storing an updated file in the EFS area assigned in the operation of assigning an EFS area, reading old version information from a header of the file to be updated, and recording newer version information than the old version information in a header of the updated file. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of booting a mobile communication terminal, the method including the operations of: reading a header of a file registered in an EFS area table; if a file name is damaged in the header of the file registered in the EFS area table, analyzing header information of files stored in an EFS area, retrieving file names of files having the same ID as that of the damaged file, and recording header information of a file of a newest version among the files having the same ID in the EFS area table, thereby recovering the EFS area table; and performing a process of initializing the EFS area table using the recovered EFS area table. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a flash memory structure of a mobile communication terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a file update system of a mobile communication terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a boot management system of a mobile communication terminal in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, which is capable of preventing a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of a method of updating a file in a mobile communication terminal in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of a method of booting a mobile communication terminal in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, which is capable of preventing a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     Exemplary embodiments in accordance with the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a flash memory structure of a mobile communication terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. A flash memory of a mobile communication terminal includes a code area for storing an operating system (OS) and core applications, which are essential in operating the mobile communication terminal, and an embedded file system (EFS) area for storing short messages, pictures, bell sounds, or games. 
     The code area of the flash memory of the mobile communication terminal supporting NAND booting typically includes an area for storing a boot loader which is first run to boot the mobile communication terminal upon power-on of the mobile communication terminal, a boot information block (BIB) for storing information referenced by the boot loader, and a firmware area for storing the OS and core applications in a binary form. 
     A file update system  100  of a mobile communication terminal according to the embodiments of the present invention exists in a software form. The file update system  100  reads a file (file  1 ) to be updated from an EFS area, assigns an EFS area to store an updated file (file  2 ) therein, and stores the updated file (file  2 ) in the assigned EFS area. At this time, the file update system  100  reads old version information from a header (not shown) of the to-be-updated file (file  1 ), and records newer version information than the old version information on a header (not shown) of the updated file (file  2 ). 
     A boot management system  200  of a mobile communication terminal which prevents a fatal error from occurring due to damage of a header of an EFS area exists in a boot loader program run in the mobile communication terminal. The boot management system  200  reads a header (not shown) of a file registered in an EFS area table contained in the BIB of the code area. If a file name is damaged in the header of the file registered in the EFS area table, the boot management system  200  analyzes header information of files stored in the EFS area, and retrieves files having the same ID as that of the file whose file name is damaged. The boot management system  200  records header information of the newest version among the files having the same ID in the EFS area table, thereby recovering the EFS area table. 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a file update system of a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     The file update system  100  includes a file reader  110 , an EFS area assignment unit  120 , and an update processor  130 . The file reader  110  reads a file to be updated from an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal. 
     To update a file stored in the EFS area of the mobile communication terminal, the file update system  100  reads a file to be updated from the EFS area of the mobile communication terminal by means of the file reader  110 . The EFS area assignment unit  120  assigns an EFS area to store an updated file. 
     If the file read from the file reader  110  is updated, the updated file (file  2 ) is stored in an EFS area different from an EFS area in which the file prior to updating is stored. The file update system  100  assigns an EFS area to store the updated file by means of the EFS area assignment unit  120 . Memory assignment technologies are well known in the art and a detailed description thereof will thus be omitted herein. 
     The update processor  130  stores the updated file read from the file reader  110  in the EFS area assigned by the EFS area assignment unit  120 , reads old version information from a header of the to-be-updated file, and records newer version information than the old version information in a header of the updated file. 
     That is, when the header of the updated file is damaged, the file update system  100  records newer version information than old version information in the header of the updated file by means of the update processor  130  and stores the updated file in the assigned EFS area so that Same Owner ID Error occurred due to the damaged header cannot cause the mobile communication terminal to be automatically power-reset. 
     Meanwhile, since the version information is recorded in a header of a file stored in the EFS area, when the Same Owner ID Error occurs due to a damaged header, a boot management system  200  of the mobile communication terminal, which prevents a fatal error caused by the damaged header of the EFS area, recovers the Same Owner ID Error using the file prior to updating. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a boot management system of a mobile communication terminal preventing a fatal error caused by damage of a header of an EFS area in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when a file name is damaged in a header of a file stored in an EFS area so that there are at least two files having the same ID, a boot management system  200  of a mobile communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention reads a header of a file of a version preceding to a version of the damaged file and registers it in an EFS area table so that a fatal error caused by the damage of the header of the EFS area can be prevented from occurring. 
     The boot management system  200  includes a header reader  210 , an error processor  220 , and a boot processor  230 . The header reader  210  reads a header of a file registered on an EFS area table. 
     When the mobile communication terminal is powered on, the boot management system  200 , which prevents a fatal error caused by damage of a header of an EFS area, performs a process of booting the mobile communication terminal. 
     The boot management system  200  performs a process of initializing the EFS area table during the booting process. That is, the boot management system  200  reads a header of a file registered on the EFS area table by means of the header reader  210  by making reference to the EFS area table contained in a BIB of a code area. 
     When a file name is damaged in a header of a file registered on the EFS area table, the error processor  220  analyzes header information of files stored in the EFS area, retrieve file names of files having the same ID as that of the damaged file, and records header information of a newest version among the files having the same ID in the EFS area table, thereby recovering the EFS area table. 
     If a header of the file registered on the EFS area table is not damaged, the boot management system  200  performs a typical process of initializing the EFS area table using a file of a newest version by means of the boot processor  230 . 
     However, if a file name is damaged in a header of a file registered on the EFS area table, the error processor  220  of the boot management system  200  analyzes header information of files stored in the EFS area, retrieves file names of files having the same ID as that of the damaged file, and records header information of a file of a newest version among the files having the same ID in the EFS area table, thereby recovering the EFS area table. 
     The boot processor  230  performs a process of initializing the EFS area table using the EFS area table recovered by the error processor  220 . 
     That is, if a header of a file recognized in the EFS area table is not damaged, the boot management system  200  performs a process of initializing the EFS area table using a file of a newest version by means of the boot processor  230 . 
     However, if a file name is damaged in a header of a file registered on the EFS area table, the boot management system  200  performs a process of initializing the EFS area table using the EFS area table recovered by the error processor  220 . 
     Accordingly, the embodiments may efficiently recover Same Owner ID Error caused by damage of a file header in the EFS area. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart of a method of updating a file of a mobile communication terminal in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In operation S 110 , the file update system  100  reads a file to be updated from an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal. 
     In operation S 120 , the file update system  100  assigns an EFS area to store an updated file. 
     In operation S 130 , the file update system  100  stores an updated file in the EFS area assigned in operation S 120 , reads old version information from a header of the to-be-updated file, and records newer version information than the old version information in the header of the updated file. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart a method of booting a mobile communication terminal preventing a fatal error caused by damage in a header of an EFS area in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     In operation S 210 , the boot management system  200  reads a header of a file registered on an EFS area table contained in a BIB of a code area. 
     In operation S 220 , if a file name is damaged in the header of the file registered on the EFS area table, the boot management system  200  analyzes header information of files stored in the EFS area, retrieves file names of files having the same ID as that of the damaged file, and records header information of a file of a newest version among the files having the same ID in the EFS area table, thereby recovering the EFS area table. 
     In operation S 230 , the boot management system  200  performs a typical process of initializing the EFS area table using the EFS area table recovered in operation S 220 , thereby recovering Same Owner ID Error caused by damage of the header of the file in the EFS area. 
     As apparent from the above description, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it may be possible to recover the Same Owner ID Error caused by damage of a header of a file in an EFS area of a mobile communication terminal. 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims and their equivalents.