Method and apparatus for software update management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10200502-B2
Application number	US-201514981268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

A method for software update management is described. The method comprises: comparing sub-files of a plurality of variants of a software program to generate difference information including a list of uncommon sub-files among the plurality of variants; generating one or more increment files based on the difference information and files of a target version of the software program; and transmitting the one or more increment files to a device, wherein the transmission enables the device to merge the one or more increment files with files of one of the plurality of variants to generate files of the target version of the software program.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing software update, comprising:
comparing sub-files of a plurality of variants of a software program of a previous version that have been distributed through a plurality of distribution channels respectively;
generating difference information including a list of uncommon sub-files among the plurality of variants, wherein each of the variants comprises one or more of the sub-files and the uncommon sub-files are sub-files not commonly comprised in all of the plurality of variants;
generating one or more increment files based on the difference information and sub-files of an updated version of the software program, wherein the one or more increment files include:
i) information on first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, when corresponding first one or more of the sub-files of the previous version are included in the list of uncommon sub-files;
ii) difference information of second one or more of the sub-files of the updated version of the software program and corresponding second one or more of the sub-files of the previous version, when the corresponding second one or more of the sub-files of the previous version are not included in the list of uncommon sub-files; and
iii) information on third one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, when corresponding third one or more of the sub-files of the previous version do not exist in the plurality of variants;

transmitting, from a server, the one or more increment files to a device;
merging, by the device, the transmitted one or more increment files with sub-files of one of the plurality of variants of the software program of the previous version and
generating sub-files of the updated version of the software program based on the merging.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information on the first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version includes content of the first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, and the information on the third one or more of the sub-files of the updated version includes content of the third one or more of the sub-files of the updated version.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating similarity information including a list of common sub-files among the plurality of variants, wherein the common sub-files are sub-files commonly comprised in all of the plurality of variants.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to perform a software update from the device, after the comparing the sub-files of the plurality of variants of the software program of the previous version.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to perform a software update from the device, wherein the comparing sub-files of the plurality of variants of the software program of the previous version is carried out in response to the request.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more increment files are commonly applicable to the plurality of distribution channels.

7. A system for software update management, comprising: a device associated with a client; and
a server comprising:
a memory device that stores instructions; and
at least one hardware processor configured to execute the instructions to:
compare sub-files of a plurality of variants of a software program of a previous version that have been distributed through a plurality of distribution channels respectively;
generate difference information including a list of uncommon sub-files among the plurality of variants wherein each of the variants comprises one or more of the sub-files and the uncommon sub-files are sub-files not commonly comprised in all of the plurality of variants;
generate one or more increment files based on the difference information and sub-files of an updated version of the software program, wherein the one or more increment files include:
i) information on first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, when corresponding first one or more of the sub-files of the previous version are included in the list of uncommon sub-files;
ii) difference information of second one or more of the sub-files of the updated version of the software program and corresponding second one or more of the sub-files of the previous version, when the corresponding second one or more of the sub-files of the previous version are not included in the list of uncommon sub-files; and
iii) information on third one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, when corresponding third one or more of the sub-files of the previous version do not exist in the plurality of variants; and

transmit the one or more increment files to the device, wherein the device is configured to merge the transmitted one or more increment files with sub-files of one of the plurality of variants of the software program of the previous version and generate sub-files of the updated version of the software program based on the merge.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the information on the first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version includes content of the first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, and the information on the third one or more of the sub-files of the updated version includes content of the third one or more of the sub-files of the updated version.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to execute the instructions to generate similarity information including a list of common sub-files among the plurality of variants, wherein the common sub-files are sub-files commonly comprised in all of the plurality of variants.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to execute the instructions to receive a request to perform a software update from the device after comparing the sub-files of the plurality of variants of the software program of the previous version.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to execute the instructions to receive a request to perform a software update from the device and compare the sub-files of the plurality of variants of the software program of the previous version in response to the request.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more increment files are commonly applicable to the plurality of distribution channels.

13. A non-transitory readable medium that stores one or more programs that, when executed by one or more processors of a server and a device associated with a client, causes the one or more processors to perform a method for managing software update, the method comprising:
comparing sub-files of a plurality of variants of a software program of a previous version that have been distributed through a plurality of distribution channels respectively;
generating difference information including a list of uncommon sub-files among the plurality of variants, wherein each of the variants comprises one or more of the sub-files and the uncommon sub-files are sub-files not commonly comprised in all of the plurality of variants;
generating one or more increment files based on the difference information and sub-files of an updated version of the software program, wherein the one or more increment files include:
i) information on first one or more of the sub-files of the updated version, when corresponding first one or more of the sub-files of the previous version are included in the list of uncommon sub-files;
ii) difference information of second one or more of the sub-files of the updated version of the software program and corresponding second one or more of the sub-files of the previous

Assignees

• Guangzhou Ucweb Computer Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liang Jie
• Sun Xiaozhi

Classifications

• G06F8/658

  Incremental updates; Differential updates · CPC title

• H04L67/34 Primary

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title