Systems and method for remote programming of mobile radio stations and mobile radio station therefor

p0001The invention relates to a a mobile radio system with a service station, which is intermediated switching units having at least one mobile radio station in radio contact and exchange with this digital data, wherein the mobile radio station for controlling the data communication includes a microprocessor that accesses a first storage portion in which is saved by him abzuarbeitendes control program. the invention provides a mobile radio station and a method relates to the operation of the mobile radio system.

p0002A known mobile radio system is the digital cellular mobile radio system D900 by Siemens, which "D900 Mobile System Siemens", 1994, published by the line of business mobile networks, Hoffman Straße 51, D-81539 Munich, Siemens AG, is in a brochure described. Such Mobilfunkystem has a central service station which. Through intermediate switching units, such as base stations for providing cell-like spaces in the radio network, using a mobile phone to exchange digital data On the mobile phone further, digitally operating devices can be connected, such as fax machines. The control of the data communication on the side of the mobile phone accepts a microprocessor, for example the control of the reception, the signaling and the transmission device as well as peripheral components, such as the keyboard and the display unit of the mobile phone. The microprocessor receives its control commands from a control program which is stored in a read only memory. The read only memory, such as a ROM or EPROM is plugged in or soldered as a component on a circuit board of the mobile phone. Another possibility is to program the read only memory with the aid of an external programming device to which the mobile phone is connected via an interface module from the outside.

p0003As part of the development of mobile communications, new control programs, which have a higher performance or were in those encountered in previous control programs error eliminated. To apply new control programs, the mobile phones have usually brought to a service center and loaded the ROM with information about the new control program or the read-only memory module to be replaced. Such an approach is cumbersome and leads to high technical and economic effort.

p0004It is an object of the invention to provide a mobile radio system, provide a method for operating a mobile radio system or a mobile radio station, or in a simple manner for the microprocessor of the mobile device provides a new control program with low hardware complexity.

p0005This object is achieved for a mobile radio system of the type mentioned in that in a second memory portion, a charging control program is stored that the microprocessor of a load instruction to the charging control program accesses dependent and contains in its execution of the service station data of a new control program and the data in a third memory section stores, and that the microprocessor after saving the new Steuerprogramms- accesses to control the data communication between the service station and the radio station to replace the existing control program on the new control program and executes this.

p0006The invention is based on the consideration that the already existing in a mobile radio station hardware components can be used to transfer data of a new control program as part of a data communications. According to the invention, a charging control program is stored in the mobile radio station to which the microprocessor has access. For controlling access, a load instruction is generated which causes the microprocessor to process the charging control program. This charging control program includes instructions that, if executed, the microprocessor communicates with the central Servicesation and transfers the data of the new control program automatically and stores. An interference with the radio station is not required. The charging control program is such that accesses the newly loaded control program after complete processing of the microprocessor during operation of the mobile radio station. By the invention it is thus possible to provide mobile radio stations with a new control program without these radio stations must be brought to a service center. In addition, the reprogramming of the ROM or the replacement of the read only memory device is omitted. Since the invention already existing hardware components can be used to implement the invention is connected with little technical effort.

p0007The initiative for creating the load instruction may be taken on the part of the mobile radio device or on the part of the service station. The mobile radio system according to the invention can be used flexibly by. For system-related changes of the mobile network, all connected to the wireless network radio stations can be centrally provided by the service station with new control programs. Another possibility is that the owner of the radio station renewing its control program wishes to use, for example, additional functions of the cellular network. In such a case, the owner can initiate by entering a code to load the new control program and the data exchange with the service station.

p0008Storing the data of the previous control program, the new control program and the charging control program can be carried out in different sections of one or more memory. The first and the third storage section may coincide with the use of shared memory, because after loading the new control program, the previous control program is no longer needed and can be overwritten. The corresponding first memory section is then available for the new control program.

p0009In a preferred embodiment, the radio station contains a non-volatile memory, preferably an E²PROM or a flash-PROM, as well as a means by which the non-volatile memory at least at sector, electrically erasable and re-writable, wherein the nonvolatile memory includes said first, second and / or third storage section. Combining all the storage sections in a single non-volatile memory leads to a simple technical solution. The device for sector by sector erase the non-volatile memory is disposed within the radio station. Although this, the technical complexity is slightly increased, but the benefits outweigh the simple reprogramming of the control program.

p0010Furthermore, the invention relates to a mobile radio station. This radio station can exchange via radio with a service station digital data. It contains a microprocessor that accesses a first storage section, in which is stored a control program abzuarbeitendes by him. The mobile radio station is characterized in that in a second storage portion, a charging control program is stored that the microprocessor of a load instruction to the charging control program accesses dependent and in its execution of the service station data of a new control program receives and stores in a third memory section and that the microprocessor after saving the new control program for controlling the data communication between the service station and the radio station on the new control program accesses and executes this.

p0011In the mobile radio station according to the invention, the control program can be easily exchanged for another, the already existing hardware components can be used for data communication with the service station.

p0012According to a further aspect of the invention a method of operating a mobile radio system is specified by the features of claim 11.

p0013Embodiments of the invention will be explained below using the drawings. In which:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>figure 1</dt><dd>for the realization of the invention, essential components of a mobile phone in a block diagram,</dd><dt>figure 2</dt><dd>Steps of a control flow according to a first embodiment in a flow chart,</dd><dt>figure 3</dt><dd>Steps of a control flow according to a second embodiment in a flow chart, and</dd><dt>figure 4</dt><dd>the content of a nonvolatile memory to! Various stages in the processing of the charging control program.</dd></dl>

p00141 shows in a block diagram of major hardware components of a mobile phone that are used to implement the invention. A microprocessor 10 is connected via a data bus 12, a control bus 14 and an address bus 16 connected to a non-volatile memory 18 in which in a first memory section 20, a control program for controlling the microprocessor 10 is stored. When the instructions of the control program execution, the microprocessor 10 controls the transmission and reception of the mobile phone. Further, the non-volatile memory 18 includes a second memory area 22 in which a charging control program is stored, which is (not shown) for data communication with a remote service station called for the transmission of data of a new control program. The nonvolatile memory 18 may, for example, an E²be PROM or a flash PROM.

p0015To the data bus 12 is an internal programming device 24 is connected electrically erased by means of which individual sectors of the memory 18 and data can be written into the memory 18 again. As will be described, this command data are data of a new control program or the command data of the charging control program is copied in the memory of the eighteenth The programming device 24 is controlled via a control line 26 from the microprocessor 10th Via a data input line 34 of the microprocessor 10 receives a coded signal which is processed by a matching circuit 32nd The encoded signal is input via a radio link, indicated by the arrow 30, received from the service station or the mobile phone via a keyboard 28th The microprocessor 10 generates the coded signal from a load instruction that triggers the loading of a new control program.

p0016In the address bus 16, a programmable address change circuit 36 ​​is turned on, which is controlled by the microprocessor 10 via a control line 38th The address change circuit 36 ​​may modify the incoming address on the address bus 16 depending on the signal on the control line 38th For example, they can be outputted from the microprocessor 10 after a reset initial sand Resse "H00" (H stands for hexadecimal notation) for the memory 18 to a change value corresponding to the start address of the charging control program in the second memory section 22nd

p0017The operation of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is explained below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2 After the start (step 40) is determined in step 42 whether a load command supplied in the form of a coded signal from the service station via radio or has been entered via the keyboard 28th When the microprocessor 10 decodes such a load instruction, it switches the address changing circuit 36 ​​is active, which changes the incoming on the address bus 16 address. The address change circuit 36 ​​may for example be realized as Addierbaustein which adds a constant to the address output address. After a reset of the microprocessor 10, the start address of the memory 18 is output to the execution of the control program normally. The address change circuit 36 ​​is added to this initial value, for example, "H00", the address value added under which the charging control program is stored in the storage section 22nd In subsequent step 26, the charging control program is thus to replace the previous control program in the storage section 20 46 is activated and executed his orders.

p0018In step 48 causes the charging control program that the service station called by the mobile phone and the charge of a new control program is required. In the next step 50, the microprocessor 10 controls the transfer of data from the service station, the data is temporarily stored in a volatile memory (RAM). In subsequent step 52, programmer 24 is driven, which deletes the information necessary for the new control program in the memory sectors 18th Subsequently, in step 54, the data sent to the new control program starting at a defined address, preferably the address "H00" is stored. The charging control program is now processed (step 56), and the address change circuit 36 ​​is deactivated (step 58), so that the original addresses are connected through to the address bus sixteenth

p0019If after a second the phone is switched on or a reset of the microprocessor 10 is accessing the memory 18, the microprocessor controller 10 starts work off the stored at the initial address "H00" new control program. The mobile phone is now working under the conditions set by the new control program technical functions.

p0020Another embodiment of the invention will be described below in connection with a sequence controller according to the steps of FIG. 3 In this embodiment, the address changing circuit 36 ​​previously described is not needed. After the start (step 60) checks the sequence control whether a load instruction is present or not (step 62). If the loading of a new control program is desired, the programming means 24 is activated in step 64, erases which sectors in the initial region of the nonvolatile memory 18th Then, the charging control program, which is stored at a predetermined location of the memory 18, preferably loaded at the beginning of the memory 18 in the last memory section, (step 64).

p0021In the next step 66, the charging control program is executed. In mobile communications system must for data transmission between the service station and mobile radio station continuously made radio contact to ensure that the data is transferred properly. In the event that an interruption of radio contact occurs, for example, in radio silence in shielded areas, the data transfer must be started again. If the mobile phone is reset by a reset signal, or is turned on again, the microprocessor 10 from the stored in the memory 18 control program works starting with the start address "H00". Since according to the embodiment of the invention with the initial address now the charging control program is stored, the retry of data transfer is ensured by a possible interruption.

p0022During the execution of the charging control program in step 68, the central service station is called and started the data transfer in the subsequent step 70th The data of the new control program are cached in memory, for example, the microprocessor 10th W In step 72 ground predetermined sectors of the memory 18 deleted to save in these sectors the new control program (step 74). Then, in step 76 the data of the new control program are copied to the beginning of the memory 18 and the sectors deleted (step 78), in which the data of the new control program were cached. When copying the data (step 76), the charging control program is overwritten in the top area of the memory 18th To be able to execute commands of the charging control program in this memory (RAM) of the microprocessor 10 are cached.

p00234 shows the contents of the memory 18 at different phases when loading the new control program according to the control flow of FIG 3. Prior to the occurrence of a load instruction, the previous control program 84 is stored in the top area of ​​the memory 18; the loading control program 86 is located in the last sector of the memory 18. Of course, the charging control program 86 may be stored at a different, predetermined location of the memory 18th After the occurrence of the load instruction (phase B) the charging control program 86 is copied to the beginning of the memory 18 as a charging control program 86 '. The data for the new control program 90 is written into a predetermined sector of the memory 18 and buffered there. In the concluding phase C of the initial portion of the memory 18 is deleted, and the data of the new control program 90 at the beginning of the memory 18th When you restart the microprocessor 10 now the new control program 90 is executed by accessing the start address of the memory 18th

p0024With the execution of the charging control program (step 80), the control flow is to load a new control program is terminated (step 82) in FIG. 3 After a reset of the microprocessor 10 or after switching on the mobile phone the new control program 90 is processed starting with the initial address of the memory 18th

p0025The embodiments of the invention described can be modified many times in practice. Thus, the data transfer for the data of the new control program can be repeated several times in order to improve data security. Another variant is that the mobile phone after the call to the service station (steps 48 and 68) waits for the recall of the service station where a Datentverarbeitungsanlage as controller provides the data for the new control program available and transfers.

p0026As intermediate storage for the data of the new control program can be used as an alternative a battery-volatile memory (RAM). Plane is used as memory for the new control program a ferro- or a mirror-RAM into consideration.

p0027The memory 18 has to be increased according to the amount of data of new storage program. As an additional memory section for temporarily storing the new control program is only required in the phase B (see FIG. 4), this memory area can be used in normal operation of the mobile phone for other functions, such as voice messaging features, for the temporary storage of data or as a storage area for an answering machine.

p0028Other variants of the embodiments, device-specific data can be communicated with during the transmission of data for the new control program, for example, the serial number, the model number or the so-called IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity). Use of such data may lead to suspension of the service station, for example, stolen devices, device-specific software loaded, released additional functions for the mobile radio station according to customer requirements or blocked, keeping the Zuschaltliste the delivered radio stations easily up to date and statistics on used functions to the user as a customer profile to be created. Furthermore, it is possible to transmit characteristic signals in the transmission of data for the new control program which trigger device functions that have been previously programmed. As more data between the mobile radio station and service station data over the life of the unit, statistical data on the frequency of use of the radio station, information about the mobile behavior of the radio station (eg a handover statistics), data on the battery status of the radio station etc determined. and are transmitted to the service station.

p0029As mentioned, the initiative to start the transmission of the data for the new control program may emanate from the radio station. It is called by the radio station from the service station, and will transmit once the data for the new control program. In this operation case, the utilization of the data processing system in the service station is unfavorable because the access of many radio stations is spread over time by chance. Another mode is that after the call to the radio station, the service station takes the initiative to start the data transfer and even call back, said subscriber number IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) is transmitted to the radio station with. In this mode, the occupancy of the service station can be improved.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

p0030<dl id="dl0002" compact="compact"><dt>10</dt><dd>microprocessor</dd><dt>12</dt><dd>bus</dd><dt>14</dt><dd>control bus</dd><dt>16</dt><dd>address bus</dd><dt>18</dt><dd>non-volatile memory</dd><dt>20</dt><dd>first storage section</dd><dt>22</dt><dd>third storage section</dd><dt>24</dt><dd>programmer</dd><dt>26</dt><dd>control line</dd><dt>28</dt><dd>keyboard</dd><dt>30</dt><dd>radio icon</dd><dt>32</dt><dd>matching circuit</dd><dt>34</dt><dd>Data input line</dd><dt>36</dt><dd>Address changing circuit</dd><dt>38</dt><dd>control line</dd><dt>40-82</dt><dd>control steps</dd><dt>84</dt><dd>previous control program</dd><dt>86, 86 '</dt><dd>Charging control program</dd><dt>90</dt><dd>new control program</dd></dl>