Systems and Methods for Distributing Updates to Devices

Abstract

Users may carry multiple electronic devices that can communicate between each other wirelessly. For example, law enforcement officers may carry several wirelessly connected electronic devices. However, some of these devices may have limited battery power, bandwidth, and/or ranges, restricting their ability to receive software updates. To compensate for these limitations, devices may be updated through associated intermediate devices. The intermediate devices may further provide a conduit for updating devices with restricted communications ability.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for distributing updates from an update distribution server to a device, the method comprising:
 receiving, from the device, a message indicating a device type, a device identifier, and a software version;   determining if the software version is the current version for the device;   in response to the software version not being the current version, transmitting the current software version to the device from the server;   storing, on the server, the device identifier and the current software version on the device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the update distribution server includes an evidence management system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving comprising receiving communications over a network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the network includes the internet. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting comprising transmitting via a high-speed wireless communication link. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein transmitting comprises over a wired communication link from a docking station. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the device includes one of a digital camera, a mobile data terminal, a holster, a conducted electrical weapon, a digital video recorder, and a signal unit. 
     
     
         8 . A method for distributing updates from a server to a device via an intermediate device, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the server, a message from the device via the intermediate device, indicating a device type, a device identifier, and a software version of the device;   in accordance with the device type and the software version, determining whether the software version of the device is a current software version;   in accordance with determining that the software version is not the current version, transmitting the current software version to the intermediate device;   transmitting, by the intermediate device, the current software from the intermediate device to the device;   confirming, by the intermediate device, to the server that the end device has installed the current software version; and   associating, on the server, the device identifier and the current software version.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the device includes one of a digital camera, a mobile data terminal, a holster, a conducted electrical weapon, a digital video recorder, and a signal unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the intermediate device includes one of a digital camera, a mobile data terminal, a digital video recorder, a docking station, and a signal unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein transmitting comprises transmitting via a high-speed, wireless communications link. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein associating includes updating a device data store. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein associating includes updating an association data store. 
     
     
         14 . A method for updating an electronic device, the method comprising:
 broadcasting, by a server, a notice, the notice including one or more device types and a respective current version of software for each device type;   receiving, by the electronic device, the notice;   determining, by the electronic device, whether the software version of the device is the same as the current version of the software for device according to the version notice;   transmitting, by the device, a request to the server, for the current version of software, the request including a device type and a device identifier;   transmitting, by the server, the current version of software to the device; and   storing, on the server, the device identifier and at least one of the current version of the software transmitted to the device and a version identifier of the current version of the software.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein broadcasting comprises transmitting the message to a plurality of devices without a one-to-one connection to any of the plurality of the devices. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein broadcasting comprises transmitting the message to a plurality of devices without receiving an acknowledgement of receipt from any one device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein broadcasting comprises transmitting wirelessly using a wireless protocol. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  wherein determining comprises comparing a date if issue of the software of the device to a date of issue of the current version of software for the device type. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein transmitting the current version comprises transmitting the current version of the software via an intermediate electronic device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein storing comprises:
 associating the device identifier to the version identifier of the current version of the software for the device; and 
 storing the device identifier, the version identifier, and the association in a data store.