McAfee said Monday that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had awarded it a patent regarding methods to update computer files on mobile devices. The company says that the technology could be used to update a file on a mobile device with a newer versions that exists on another device.

For example, a communication link is established between two devices with the file. The wireless device first determines whether the file stored is updated. If there is an up-to-date version on the other device, the file is downloaded. Once the file is fully downloaded, it can then replace the older file.

"This technology caters to wireless environments," said Victor Kouznetsov, senior vice president of McAfee Mobile. "To accommodate updating wireless devices, portions of updates may be stored as and when they become available."

McAfee says that the method would also save bandwidth, as the complete file would not need to be updated, rather only the segments of the file that have changed.

No specific methods of usage were given, but the technology could be used for the company's mobile antivirus offerings. McAfee could also license the technology to other companies that need to download files over a wireless connection from nearby devices.