Automated software upgrade utility

Abstract

The automated software upgrade utility allows a customer, product supplier or software vendor to upgrade the operating system, firmware, applications and data files on any product regardless of the product type and characteristics. This upgrade process can be invoked from a remote location or via interaction directly with the target device.

1 . A system for automatically upgrading executable instructions on client devices over a network that selectively provides data communication between the system and the client devices, the system comprising: 
 at least one memory storing at least one version of a set of upgraded instructions selectively loadable to the client device and executable thereby; and    a server coupled to the memory and operable to execute a first set of server instructions to push the at least one version of the set of upgraded instructions to at least one of the client devices based on a current configuration of the client device, and operable to execute a second set of instructions to allow at least one of the client devices to pull the at least one version of the set of upgraded instructions to the client device based on a current configuration of the client device.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the client device is an automatic data collection device selected from the group comprising a radio frequency identification reader, a machine-readable symbol reader; and a magnetic stripe reader.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the current configuration of the client device is stored at the server.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the client device periodically contacts the server to determine the availability of a specific version of the set of upgraded instruction stored in the at least one memory.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein from time to time, the server contacts the client device at a scheduled time to determine the current configuration of the client device.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one version of a set of upgraded instructions stored at the at least memory device comprises at least one of an operating system; an application; and a set of user data.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the at least one version of a set of upgraded instructions stored at the at least memory device comprises an upgraded operating system.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the server operable to organize a plurality of client devices into a logical group and allow for a single event to initiate at least one of a push or a pull of the set of upgraded instructions to each of the client devices in the logical group.  
   
   
       9 . A method for automatically upgrading executable instructions on client devices, the method comprising: 
 storing remotely from the client devices at least two versions of client executable upgraded instructions selectively loadable to the client device and executable thereby;    communicatively coupling a server and at least one of the client devices;    operating the server in at least a first instance to push an installation of at least a first version of client executable upgraded instructions to the client device; and    operating the server in at least a second instance to allow at least one of the client devices to pull an installation of the first version of client executable upgraded instructions to the client device.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the first instance occurs before the second instance.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the second instance occurs before the first instance.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 determining a configuration of the client device;    selecting between the at least two versions of client executable upgraded instructions based on the determined configuration of the client device.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 storing the configuration of the client device at the server.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 determining an availability of a specific version of client executable upgraded instructions.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the installation of a new operating system comprises: 
 determining a configuration of at least one of the client devices;    archiving an application and a set of user data of the client device on the server;    providing a version of installation software of the new operating system to the client device corresponding to the configuration of the client device;    rebooting the client device;    installing a version of the archived application optimized to the new operating system on the client device; and    restoring the archived set of user data to the client device.    
   
   
       16 . A method for automatically upgrading instructions on a client device, the client device having memory for storing instructions, the method comprising: 
 providing data communication between a number of client devices and a server through a network;    storing in a memory accessible by the server, a plurality of versions of client upgrade instructions selectively loadable to the client device and executable thereby;    in at least one instance pushing an installation of at least one of the versions of client upgrade instructions from the server to at least one of the client devices; and    in at least a second instance, pulling an installation of at least one of the versions of client upgrade instructions from the server to at least one of the client devices.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 determining a configuration of at least one of the client devices; and    selecting one of the versions of client upgrade instructions based on the determined configuration of the at least one of the client devices before pushing or pulling an installation of at least one of the versions of client upgrade instructions from the server to at least one of the client devices.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 storing a representation of the configuration of the client device at the server.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 storing a representation of the configuration of the client device at the client device.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 from time-to-time, the client device determining whether a specific version of client upgrade instructions is available on the server.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein storing in a memory accessible by the server, a plurality of versions of client upgrade instructions selectively loadable to the client device and executable thereby comprises storing an upgrade version of an operating system.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 determining a configuration of the client device;    archiving an application and a set of user data of the client device on the server;    providing the upgrade version of the operating system to the client device corresponding to the configuration of the client device;    rebooting the client device;    installing a version of the archived application optimized to the upgraded version of the operating system on the client device; and    restoring the archived set of user data to the client device.