James L Gustafson

US Patent:

7313791, Dec 25, 2007

Filed:

Aug 22, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/646324

Inventors:

Shao-Chun Chen - Aliso Viejo CA, US
James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/445

US Classification:

717170, 717171, 717173

Abstract:

A network for updating firmware, drivers, or application software facilitates the access to generated update packages by electronic devices and the update of firmware, drivers, content or application software in a fault tolerant mode. A “Bubbles” technique is employed to generate efficient and compact update packages. A “Bubbles” information is generated employing the “Bubbles” technique that is subsequently sent to the electronic devices as part of an update package. The “Bubbles” information and other related information is used in preprocessing activities and in other update related activities. For example, they are used to prepare the electronic device for an update to a different version of its firmware, software and/or content.

US Patent:

7367027, Apr 29, 2008

Filed:

Aug 22, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/646319

Inventors:

Shao-Chun Chen - Aliso Viejo CA, US
James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US
Jerry Barber - Renton WA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 12/00

US Classification:

717168, 717169, 717170, 707203, 711162

Abstract:

A system for generating efficient and compact update packages makes it possible to process a source binary image of software/firmware for an electronic device and a target binary image in order to generate a compact update package. It generates bubbles information that is optionally packaged with the generated update package. Together, the bubbles information and the update package, when delivered to an electronic device, facilitate the upgrade of the electronic device to a new or different version. The system for generating efficient and compact update packages selectively employs residue generation/computation and entropy computation, in addition to other techniques, in order to make the update package more compact.

US Patent:

7543118, Jun 2, 2009

Filed:

May 9, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/125974

Inventors:

Shao-Chun Chen - Aliso Viejo CA, US
James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US
Sunil Marolia - Dana Point CA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 13/00
G06F 13/28

US Classification:

711154, 717168

Abstract:

A multiple variance platform supports device management of mobile devices in a carrier network. Applications stored in a file system residing in non-volatile memory may be updated, along with firmware code. Updates of files may be performed before file system support is provided by an operating system that enables normal operations of the electronic device. Update agent code may reside in a kernel that runs beneath the operating system, or may act as a separate entity. The non-volatile memory may comprise multiple non-volatile memory chips such as NAND-based flash memory. The firmware code may be compressed as in Linux based mobile devices.

US Patent:

7644406, Jan 5, 2010

Filed:

Jan 20, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/761735

Inventors:

James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US
Toni Pakarinen - Ladera Ranch CA, US
Karl W. Hammerberg - Olathe KS, US
Bindu Rama Rao - Laguna Niguel CA, US
Rafe V. Campbell - Dana Point CA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 15/16

US Classification:

717172, 717173, 709202

Abstract:

Disclosed herein is a mobile services network including an electronic device with an update agent that may be capable of updating firmware and application software stored in non-volatile memory and employing multiple FLASH memory chips. The update agent may employ an update package generated to update firmware/software data segments and code segments. In an embodiment according to the present invention, the update agent may also employ a flash library supporting multiple FLASH memory chips from the same or different manufacturers. In an embodiment according to the present invention, the FLASH memory chips may be grouped. The update agent may also be capable of updating code in the multiple FLASH memory chips in the non-volatile memory of the electronic device.

US Patent:

7657886, Feb 2, 2010

Filed:

Jun 3, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/144537

Inventors:

Shao-Chun Chen - Aliso Viejo CA, US
James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US
Toni Pakarinen - Ladera Ranch CA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 9/26

US Classification:

717170, 717169, 717171, 717172, 711202, 711221

Abstract:

A mobile electronic device with NOR and/or NAND flash memory may be updated using an update agent able to perform fault tolerant updates. The efficiency of an update of the memory of the device may be significantly improved by employing memory management information provided by a generator used to produce update information for updating the memory. Erasures and writes to blocks of flash memory may be reduced by mapping a logical block layout to a physical block layout that helps avoid moves of memory blocks to be updated. Fault tolerance of the update process is maintained.

US Patent:

7689981, Mar 30, 2010

Filed:

Mar 1, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/790340

Inventors:

James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 12/06
G06F 11/00

US Classification:

717168, 714 5, 714 6, 711 5, 711 6

Abstract:

A mobile handset with a fault tolerant update agent employs an efficient interruption point detection technique to recover from interruptions during the update of firmware or software. In one embodiment, the update agent updates firmware and/or software employing a plurality of transforms, each transform employing one pass or a subset of one pass to execute, each pass associated with its own bank order and with its own decision maker bank (for recovery following a fault, such as power failure). The devices and method disclosed are applicable to other electronic devices such as, for example, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal computers (PCs), pagers, and the like.

US Patent:

7689982, Mar 30, 2010

Filed:

May 9, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/124866

Inventors:

Shao-Chun Chen - Aliso Viejo CA, US
James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717168, 717159, 717162

Abstract:

A linker profiler tool facilitates maintenance and management of object ordering between releases of firmware. By maintaining object ordering, code differences between firmware builds are reduced, which reduces the size of a package of update information used to update an electronic device from one version of firmware to another. Information used by an object code linker in a firmware build activity is processed to minimize changes in code object ordering between builds. The impact on the size of the update information caused by updates to firmware/software component in the build is thereby reduced to a minimum.

US Patent:

7725889, May 25, 2010

Filed:

Jan 13, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/756103

Inventors:

James P. Gustafson - Irvine CA, US
Shao-Chun Chen - Aliso Viejo CA, US
Toni Pakarinen - Ladera Ranch CA, US
Do P. Nguyen - San Diego CA, US
Sunil Marolia - Dana Point CA, US
Karl W. Hammerberg - Overland Park KS, US

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 9/445
G06F 11/00

US Classification:

717168, 717174, 714 2

Abstract:

A mobile handset in a mobile services network, with access to a plurality of services including a firmware/software update service, is also capable of updating its update agent using an appropriate update package. The update package is retrieved from an update package repository via a management server. In one embodiment, the existing update agent is copied to a backup section before the update agent itself is updated. On the subsequent reboot, the new update agent is employed unless it is determined that it is corrupted or ineffective, in which case the old update agent is reactivated.