Apparatus and method for upgrading software of a wireless mobile station

For use in a mobile station capable of being upgraded by a delta file received from a software upgrade server via a wireless network, a method of upgrading an original image file stored in a memory of the mobile station comprising the steps of:

• transmitting to the software upgrade server information associated with the original image file, including a target address in the memory;
• receiving from the software upgrade server a delta file generated in accordance with the information and capable of upgrading the original image file stored in the memory of the mobile station;
• storing the delta file in the memory of the mobile station;
• and
• modifying the original image file according to instructions stored in the delta file to thereby generate the upgraded image file in the memory of the mobile station.

For use in a software upgrade server, a method of upgrading a wireless mobile station via a wireless network comprising the steps of:

• storing in a database a plurality of software upgrade files as a plurality of object files and storing in the database a plurality of image files suitable for use in the wireless mobile station;
• and
• receiving from the mobile station a select message selecting one of the plurality of software upgrade files and a target address associated with an original image file in a memory of the mobile station;
• in response to receipt of the target address, linking selected ones of the plurality of object files to form a dynamically linked library (DLL) file based on the target address;
• retrieving from the database a copy of the original image file;
• generating a delta file corresponding to differences between the original image file and the DLL file;
• and
• transmitting the delta file to the wireless mobile station via the wireless network.