Method, data transfer arrangement, server and terminal device for updating information in a terminal device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and data transfer arrangement for synchronizing information comprised by an application program in a client device. In the method, information comprised by an application program in the client device is updated from a media server maintaining up-to-date information. In addition, the data transfer arrangement comprises a separate license server, which contains two separate license files: the first license file and the second license file. The up-to-date status of information in the client device can be ensured by means of the first license file. The second license file comprises information by which the update required by the client device can be retrieved from a media server maintaining up-to-date information.

1 . A method for synchronizing information comprised by an application program in a client device from a media server maintaining up-to-date information, 
 a) in which method the starting of the application program in the client device or a synchronization starting application causes checking of the up-to-date status of an application program in a client device before said piece of information is taken into use in the application program,    b) in which method for checking the up-to-date status of the information the client device sends a synchronization starting message to a license server, which checks the information comprised by the synchronization starting message it received and sends back to the client device a reply message, and    c) in which method said reply message always comprises the information of an up-to-date first license file and one of the following: a synchronization acceptance message or the information of a second license file, by using which the information of the application program can be updated to the client device from said media server.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein if the client device receives the information of the second license file, the user of the client device is asked, at least on the first time of updating, for permission to carry out the updating from the media server.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein if the update permission has been received, the client device updates the information comprised by said application program from the media server by sending an update request, to which the media server replies by sending to the client device the update information it requested.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein if the client device receives a synchronization acceptance message, the application program used on the client device comprises up-to-date information, which is used as such.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , where the first license file comprises the following information: the licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1 , where the second license file comprises the following information: the name of the information, file or application to be updated, the version number, the search path of the update file, a description of the file to be transferred because of the updating and other information concerning the release.  
   
   
       7 . A data transfer arrangement for synchronizing information comprised by an application program in a client device, 
 a) in which data transfer arrangement, information comprised by an application program in a client device can be updated from a media server maintaining up-to-date information after the starting of said application program or synchronization starting application before said information is arranged to be taken into use in said application program,    b) in which data transfer arrangement the client device has been arranged to send a synchronization starting message to the license server for checking the up-to-date status of the application program in a client device before the application program is used, and the license server has been arranged to check the information comprised by the synchronization message it has received and to send the checking result as a reply message back to the client device, and    c) in which data transfer arrangement said reply message always comprises the information of an up-to-date first license file and one of the following files: a synchronization acceptance message or the information of a second license file, by using which the information of the application program has been arranged to be updated to the client device from said media server.    
   
   
       8 . The data transfer arrangement according to  claim 7 , wherein if the client device has received the information of the second license file, in that case the client device has been arranged to update the information comprised by said application program from the media server by sending an update request, as a reply to which the media server has been arranged to send to the client device the update information asked by it.  
   
   
       9 . The data transfer arrangement according to  claim 7 , wherein if the client device has received a synchronization acceptance message, the application program used on the client device comprises up-to-date information.  
   
   
       10 . The data transfer arrangement according to  claim 7 , where the first license file comprises the following information: the licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.  
   
   
       11 . The data transfer arrangement according to  claim 7 , where the second license file comprises the following information: the name of the information, file or application to be updated, the version number, the search path of the update file, a description of the file to be transferred because of the updating and other information concerning the release.  
   
   
       12 . A license server for synchronizing information comprised by an application program in a client device, which license server comprises 
 a) files concerning the application program in the client device, which files comprise an up-to-date first license file and a second license file, by which the up-to-date status of said application program in the client device can be checked and updated from a media server before using the application program,    b) means for checking the information contained by the first license file of the synchronization message received from the client device against the corresponding first piece of license information maintained by the license server, and    c) means for sending a reply message, which comprises an up-to-date first piece of license information and either a synchronization acceptance message or a second piece of license information, by using which the information of the application program can be updated to the client device from said media server.    
   
   
       13 . The license server according to  claim 12 , where said first license file comprises the following information: the licensee, time of validity of the license and restrictions of the license.  
   
   
       14 . The license server according to  claim 12 , where said second license file comprises the following information: the name of the information, file or application to be updated, the version number, the search path of the update file, a description of the file to be transferred because of the updating and other information concerning the release.  
   
   
       15 . A terminal device of a data transfer network, which comprises means for sending, receiving and processing messages 
 a) means for updating information comprised by an application program used in the terminal device from another device ( 13 ),    b) means for starting the synchronization of information comprised in an application program to be started in the terminal device, which means have been arranged to send a synchronization starting message to a license server, which synchronization starting message comprises information concerning the up-to-date status of the application program to be started, and    c) means for processing a reply message sent by the license server because of the synchronization starting message, which message comprises the information of an up-to-date first license file and the information of either a synchronization acceptance message or a second license file, by using which the information of the application program can be updated to the terminal device from said other device.    
   
   
       16 . The terminal device according to  claim 15 , which also comprises 
 a) means for asking the user of the terminal device for update permission at least on the first time of updating, if the information of the second license file has been received, and    b) means for retrieving the update from a second device on the basis of the information received.    
   
   
       17 . The terminal device according to  claim 15 , wherein said first license file comprises the following information: the licensee, time of validity of the license and the restrictions of the license.  
   
   
       18 . The terminal device according to  claim 15 , wherein said second license file comprises the following information: the name of the information, file or application to be updated, the version number, the search path of the update file, a description of the file to be transferred because of the updating and other information concerning the release.  
   
   
       19 . The terminal device according to  claim 15 , where said means have been implemented by program means.  
   
   
       20 . The terminal device according to  claim 15 , where the terminal is one of the following: a terminal device of a cellular network, a WLAN terminal device, a PDA or a palm computer.