Patent Publication Number: US-2006015864-A1

Title: System and method for downloading ROM image to wireless terminal

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a system and method for downloading a ROM image, and more particularly, to a system and method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal using a wireless LAN network.  
      2. Background of the Related Art  
      With the development of communications technologies, research on wireless terminals enabling a data communication using a wireless network has been actively performed. In particular, a personal data assistant (PDA) is a kind of portable computer. The PDA is a portable wireless terminal that permits a reception of a document file made by a computer of a home or an office and a continuous processing of the received document file. The PDA also enables a private information management or a schedule management such as an electronic diary.  
      Since the PDA has advantages in that its display window size is larger than that of a cellular phone but is smaller than that of a notebook computer, it can store data having much more capacity than that of the cellular phone. Also, since the PDA is convenient to carry compared with the notebook computer, it is in the limelight as a next generation terminal.  
      In the wireless terminal such as the PDA, operating system (OS), asset data, boodoader program and the like for a variety of functions of the wireless terminal are stored in a format of a ROM image. The ROM image is stored in a flash memory of the wireless terminal. Since the ROM image stored in the flash memory is recorded or deleted by a selected program, the stored data is kept in spite of powering off the wireless terminal.  
      The functions and specifications of such wireless terminals are being rapidly changed because of the development of technology. Accordingly, when new wireless terminals having advanced functions are released in the market, users want to use the functions of the new wireless terminals.  
      However, since exchanging the old terminals whenever the new terminals are developed is expensive and requires many related costs, it is more general for most of users to update their wireless terminals. In the related art, to update the ROM image of the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal is connected with the original company&#39;s host system (generally, PC system) through a wire to download a new ROM image.  
      As described above, the related art wireless terminals have various disadvantages. For example, in order for a user to download the ROM image of the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal has to be directly connected to a specific host system through a wire. Further, when multiple wireless terminals are connected to one host system to individually download a ROM image from the host system at the same time, each of these terminals must be provided with a wiring LAN card and a network cable, which causes inconvenience or increased costs to the wireless terminal or increased cost/complexity to the host system.  
      The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      An object of the invention is to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages or to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal that substantially obviates one or more problems caused by limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal, in which a wireless LAN network is used to download the ROM image to eliminate a wire for access between the wireless terminal and the host system.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal using a wireless LAN network to enable downloading the ROM image to several wireless terminals at the same time.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for downloading a ROM image to a PDA wireless terminal.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal using a wireless LAN network to decrease loading time or wireless terminal costs.  
      To achieve at least the above objects and other advantages in a whole or in part and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a system for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal, the system including a host system configured to provide the ROM image, wherein the host system includes a wireless LAN AP (Access point) device configured to transmit the ROM image through a wireless LAN network, and the wireless terminal configured to download the ROM image provided from the host system that includes a wireless LAN device, wherein the wireless LAN device is coupled to the wireless LAN AP device of the host system by the wireless LAN network to download the ROM image stored in the host system.  
      To further achieve at least the above objects in a whole or in part, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal, the method including selecting a ROM image download mode at a wireless terminal, performing a security authentication procedure of a wireless LAN network for a wireless network/data transmission path formation between the wireless terminal and a host system providing the wireless terminal with the ROM image, forming the wireless network and the data transmission path between the wireless terminal and a host system providing the wireless terminal with the ROM image, receiving a file data of the ROM image from the host system at the wireless terminal and storing the ROM image in a first memory space and replacing a current ROM image stored in a flash memory of the wireless memory with the ROM image stored in the first memory space.  
      To further achieve at least the above objects in a whole or in part, and in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for downloading a ROM image to a PDA wireless terminal, the method including selecting a ROM image download mode at a PDA wireless terminal, performing a security authentication procedure of a wireless LAN network for a wireless network/data transmission path formation between the PDA wireless terminal and a host system providing the PDA wireless terminal with the ROM image, forming the wireless network and the data transmission path between the PDA wireless terminal and the host system providing the PDA wireless terminal with the ROM image, receiving a file data of the ROM image from the host system at the wireless terminal and storing the ROM image in a first memory space and replacing a current ROM image stored in a flash memory of the wireless memory with the ROM image stored in the first memory space, wherein the ROM image to be downloaded to the PDA wireless terminal is selected according to a language, an application program or a version from among a plurality of corresponding ROM images.  
      Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a system for downloading a ROM image according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a diagram that illustrates an exemplary structure of an ID data package transmitted to a host system in a wireless terminal; and  
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system for downloading a ROM image according to the present invention. In downloading a new version ROM image to update an old ROM image of a wireless terminal, embodiments of the invention can use a wireless local area network (LAN) to get rid of a wiring LAN card and a wiring cable for the connection between a wireless terminal (e.g., wireless terminal  200 ) and a host system (e.g., host system  250 ). Further, in embodiments of the invention, a host system can download a ROM image to a plurality of wireless terminals at the same time.  
      A wireless terminal  200  can be exemplified by a personal data assistant (PDA). However, the present invention is not intended to be so limited. As shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , in the ROM image downloading system, the wireless terminal  200  can include a wireless LAN device  210  such as a compact flash wireless LAN card, which is connected to a wireless LAN access point (AP) device  260  of a host system  250  by a wireless LAN network. According to embodiments of the invention, it is unnecessary to connect or couple the wireless terminal with the host system through a wiring cable, unlike in the related art.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the wireless LAN AP device  260  of the host system  250  can be controlled by a wireless AP control program  282  provided in a RAM memory  270  of the host system  250 . Also, since the wireless terminal  200  and the host system  250  are coupled by the wireless LAN network, serial ports and a serial interface of related art systems would be unnecessary.  
      A user can confirm a ROM image downloading request, a progressive circumstance of a ROM image downloading, etc., to the host system  250  through a monitor console  240  in the wireless terminal  250 . Also, the user can confirm progressive status of downloading of a plurality of wireless terminals that each download the ROM image through the host system  250 , using a monitor console  290  of the host system  250 .  
      For example, according to an embodiment of the invention, the plurality of wireless terminals can concurrently download the ROM image through the host system  250 . Further, the user can confirm such a downloading through the monitor console  290  of the host system  250 .  
      The downloaded ROM image can be stored in a flash memory  220  provided in each of the wireless terminals  200 . If necessary, the ROM image may be stored in a volatile RAM memory  225 .  
      The flash memory  220  can store a boodoader program  230 . The ROM image can be stored by a ‘ROM flash update S/W (software)’  236  of the bootloader program  230 .  
      Also, in an embodiment of the invention, the wireless terminal  200  can be connected to the host system  250  via a predetermined security procedure such as a ‘wireless communication S/W’  232  of the bootloader program  230 . After the connection through such procedures, the wireless terminal  200  can download a new ROM image from the host system  250 .  
      Further, a ‘network device interface system (NDIS) S/W’  234  of the bootloader program  230  can process network data, and thereby a networking between the wireless terminal  200  and the host system  250  can be performed. The RAM memory  270  of the host system  250  is preferably provided with an NDIS S/W  284 .  
      A ‘download menu S/W’  238  of the bootloader program  230  can display a menu to allow a user to select whether to download the ROM image through the monitor console  240 .  
      Also, the RAM memory  270  of the host system  250  can be provided with a ROM image download program  280 , which includes a ‘wireless AP control program’  282  for controlling the wireless LAN AP device  260 , and the ‘NDIS S/W’  284 . The ROM image download program  280  can include a ‘ROM image download manager S/W’  286 . The ‘ROM image download manager S/W’  286  can control the monitor console  290  of the host system to confirm progressive status and the like of downloading of the plurality of wireless terminals  200  through the monitor console  290 .  
      Generally, ROM images are set in a PDA or cell phone in the factory during manufacture and updates are completed only by the original company. However, cell phones do not generally have wireless LANs and personal computers do not use ROM images.  
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  can be applied to and will be described using the system shown in  FIG. 1 . However, the present invention is not intended to be so limited.  
      After a process starts as shown in  FIG. 2 , power of the wireless terminal can be turned on to start the bootloader program  230  of the wireless terminal  200 . (block ST 30 ) The bootloader program  230  can be executed before an operating system (OS) of the wireless terminal  200  starts, and can perform a similar role to BIOS of a general computer.  
      Next, as the bootloader program starts, a user can select the ‘ROM image download mode,’ for example, on the menu displayed on a display part of the wireless terminal  200 , (e.g.,) the monitor console  240  of the wireless terminal  200 . (block ST 31 )  
      In one example, when the bootloader program  230  starts, the monitor console  240  can display the menu of ‘normal operation mode’ and ‘ROM image download mode’ for the user. When the user selects the menu of ‘ROM image download mode’, a flag (e.g., signal) for the selected ‘ROM image download mode’ can be set to 1 (e.g., a prescribed value), and then a procedure for executing the ROM image download can be performed.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the ROM image download means to download a new or updated version image of the ROM image. The updated version of the ROM image can be stored in the flash memory  220  of the wireless terminal as described above.  
      Alternatively, the ‘ROM image download mode’ may be performed by pushing a combination of buttons of the wireless terminal  200 , (e.g., ‘button#1+#4+reset’) instead of displaying the menu on the monitor console  240  and selecting the ‘ROM image download mode’. At this time, a flag (e.g., signal) for the ‘ROM image download’ can be set to 1 (e.g., a prescribed value) such that the ‘ROM image download mode’ instead of the ‘normal operation mode’ can be performed. However, the present invention is not intended to be so limited by the above examples and descriptions.  
      When the user does not select the ‘ROM image download mode’ (block ST 31 ), the wireless terminal can operate in the ‘normal operation mode’. Then, an OS (operating system) using a previously prepared ROM image, and an application program can operate (block ST 32 ) preferably continuously until the power of the wireless terminal is turned off. (block ST 33 )  
      Alternatively, when the user selects the ‘ROM image download mode’, the wireless terminal  200  can perform a procedure for downloading a new ROM image.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1 , the new ROM image to be updated to the wireless terminal can be stored in the RAM memory  270  of the host system  250 . Accordingly, to download the new ROM image from the host system  250 , a data transmission path should be formed between the wireless terminal  200  and the host system  250 .  
      In downloading a new version ROM for the wireless terminal, one aspect of embodiments of the invention can be characterized by removing a wiring LAN card and a wiring cable for the connection between the wireless terminal  200  and a host system  250 , and enabling downloading a ROM image to a plurality of wireless terminals  200  at the same time. Embodiments of the invention can use a wireless LAN network to download an updated version of a ROM for the wireless terminal.  
      To accomplish the above characteristic, the wireless terminal  200  should be provided with the wireless LAN device  210  and the host system  250  should be provided with the wireless LAN AP device  260 . To initiate data protocol between the wireless terminal and the AP of the host system, a security authentication procedure of the wireless LAN network for discriminating a subject wireless terminal from another wireless terminal should be precedingly performed. (block ST 34 )  
      For example, the selected wireless terminal  200  that tries to connect to the host system  250  to download a ROM image can create SSID and security key data of the host system  250  and transmit the created SSID and security key data to the host system  250 . The wireless LAN AP device  260  can confirm whether the transmitted SSID and security key data accord with stored SSID and security key data. The wireless LAN AP device  260  can start data transmission between the wireless terminal  200  and the ROM image download program  280  of the host system  250  when the transmitted SSID and security key data accord with stored SSID and security key data. (block ST 35 )  
       FIG. 3  is a diagram that illustrates a structure of an exemplary ID data package transmitted to a host system in a wireless terminal. As shown in  FIG. 3 , a security field  410  of the ID data package can be provided with an SSID  412 , a security key data  414 , a security type  416  and the like. The data transmission path for downloading the ROM image can be formed between the host system and the wireless terminal only when data provided in the security field  410  accord with data requested by the host system  250 .  
      In one example, when the SSID  412  of the wireless LAN AP device  260  of the host system  250  is set as ‘E1 PDA MFG AP’, the wireless terminal  200  can create the ID data package with respect to the SSID  412  in the ‘wireless communication S/W’  232  of the wireless terminal  200  and transmit to the wireless LAN AP device  260  of the host system  250 . Accordingly, as the host system  250  requests the security key data  414 , the wireless communication S/W  232  of the wireless terminal  200  can create a corresponding key data (e.g., abcd123456) and transmit the created key data to the host system  250 , so that the wireless LAN data protocol between the wireless LAN AP device  260  of the host system  250  and the wireless LAN device  210  of the wireless terminal is initiated. It is noted that the package data structure for the data protocol can be the same as that in a related art wired LAN but the frame data structure of embodiments of the invention for transmission environment (e.g., RF channel selection, RF signal operation, etc.) enabling wireless data transmission through the wireless LAN network is different.  
      Thus, if the data protocol between the wireless terminal  200  and the host system  250  is initiated, the ‘wireless communication S/W’  232  provided in the flash memory  220  of the wireless terminal  200  can receive a new ROM image file data from the host system  250  through the wireless LAN AP device  260  and store the new ROM image file data in a memory space of the wireless terminal  200 , for example, by a size of the file data. Herein, it is noted that the memory space can be the volatile RAM  225  not the flash memory. Also, if necessary, it is possible to store the new ROM image data in a nonvolatile flash memory. (block ST 36 )  
      Thereafter, the size of the downloaded new ROM image data can be checked, and it can be confirmed whether all the ROM image data are downloaded. (block ST 37 ) When it is confirmed that all the ROM image data are downloaded, the ‘ROM flash update S/W’  236  can control storing the new ROM image in the wireless terminal  200 . For example, the ‘ROM flash update S/W’  236  can erase the old ROM image stored in the flash memory, and store the new ROM image stored in the volatile RAM  225  in the flash memory  220 . (block ST 38 )  
      Thus, the ROM image of the wireless terminal can be updated. Then, the wireless terminal can be rebooted for normal operations.  
      Next, for example, the flag (e.g., signal) set to 1 can be changed into 0 such that the ‘normal operation mode’ not the ‘ROM image download mode’ is performed when the wireless terminal is rebooted. Thus, the wireless terminal is reset. (block ST 39 )  
      In this case, resetting the wireless terminal can be performed by software transition to a reset code, or by allowing a software to generate a signal in a hardware reset pin or the like. However, the present invention is not intended to be so limited.  
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention. The method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal shown in  FIG. 4  can be applied to and will be described using the system shown in  FIG. 1 . However, the present invention is not intended to be so limited.  
      Compared with the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the embodiment of  FIG. 4  is similar however the embodiment of  FIG. 4  further can include allowing a user to select the ROM image to be downloaded (block ST 56 ) after passing through the security authentication procedure (block ST 55 ) to initiate the data protocol between the wireless terminal and the host system. Accordingly, a detailed description of portions similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 2  will be omitted here.  
      One wireless terminal (e.g., wireless terminal  200 ) generally can include a plurality of ROM images. Accordingly, there may exist one or more ROM image data that does not need to be updated among the ROM image data provided by the host system.  
      The embodiment described in  FIG. 4  can allow a user to selectively download only the ROM image data that a user selects and wishes to update. Thus, the embodiment of  FIG. 4  can avoid downloading an unnecessary ROM image(s).  
      Further, the embodiment of  FIG. 4  can make it possible to reduce time spent in downloading the ROM image. In addition, the memory capacity can be effectively managed.  
      Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, certain method procedures may have been delineated as separate procedures; however, these separately delineated procedures should not be construed as necessarily order dependent in their performance. That is, some procedures may be able to be performed in an alternative ordering, simultaneously, etc.  
      As described above, embodiments of a wireless terminal, a wireless system including a host system and a wireless LAN network and method for downloading a ROM image to a wireless terminal according to the invention have various advantages. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to make it easier to download (e.g., selectively) the ROM image, reduce costs of a wireless terminal, provide convenience getting rid of a wire for connection between the wireless terminal and the host system, or enable downloading the ROM image to several wireless terminals at one time to enhance productivity.  
      The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures.