Firmware management
AssigneeSquare, Inc.
InventorsJeremy Wade, Dan Post
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure provide a card reader for receiving payment card information at a mobile point-of-sale terminal. In some implementations, a reader of the subject technology can include a memory, a conditioning module and a 3.5 mm audio plug including an audio bus that is configured for insertion into a headphone port of a host device, such as a smart phone or tablet computer. Implementations of the subject technology also include a microprocessor configured to perform operations for determining whether a newer firmware version is available for the card reader or whether a download of such a firmware needs to be completed, and in response to determining such a download is needed, performing a download of the firmware via the audio plug during periods of inactivity.
Claims16
A card reader, comprising:
- a read head;
- an audio plug for engaging a corresponding audio jack associated with a host mobile device;
- at least one processor communicatively coupled to the card reading device and the audio plug;
- and a memory comprising a plurality of instructions for causing the processor to detect when the audio plug is engaged with the audio jack and perform, upon detecting the engaging of the audio plug with the audio jack, the steps comprising:
- obtaining version information for a first firmware stored in first portion of the memory and a second firmware stored in a second portion of the memory,
- determining whether either of the first firmware or the second firmware is usable for operating the card reader,
- operating the card reader using one of the first firmware or the second firmware that is usable and for which the version information is most recent,
- detecting an inactivity in communications via the audio plug between the card reader and the host mobile device,
- upon detecting the inactivity, initiating a download via the audio plug to complete or replace another of the first firmware or the second firmware.
A media reader comprising:
- a media reading device;
- an audio connector for engaging an audio port associated with a networked computing device;
- a processor communicatively coupled to the media reading device and the connector;
- and
- a memory having a first partition storing a first firmware and comprising a plurality of instructions for causing the processor to:
- detect the audio connector being engaged with the audio port;
- detecting an inactivity in communications via the audio plug between the card reader and the networked computing device;
- and
- upon detecting the inactivity, initiating a download via the audio plug to complete or replace the first firmware by downloading a second firmware, the download being stored in a second partition of the memory.
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program for operating device electronics in a media reader with at least one media reading device and a connector for engaging a communications port associated with a networked computing device, the computer program comprising a plurality of code sections for:
- obtaining version information and usability information associated with at least one firmware stored in the device electronics;
- determining whether version information for a preferred firmware for the media reader corresponds to the version information for any of the at least one firmware;
- upon determining that the version information for the preferred firmware fails to correspond to the version information for any of the at least one firmware or upon determining that the version information for the preferred firmware corresponds to the version information for one of the at least one firmware and the usability information for the one of the at least one firmware fails to meet a usability criteria, performing a download of the preferred firmware to the device electronics via the connector during periods of inactivity of the media reader.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.