System and method for wireless re-programming of memory in a communication system

• US 10,218,516 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2017
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Vuyst, Chris H., Witkowski, Todd R., Shearer, Carl L., Geerlings, Steven L., Klaver, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haile, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US15/811,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20180123806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/66 of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00865 remotely by wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/21 Programming remote control devices via third means
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/92 Universal remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0631 Substitution permutation network [SPN], i.e. cipher composed of a number of stages or rounds each involving linear and nonlinear transformations, e.g. AES algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method of re-programming memory, and in particular, to wirelessly re-programming software, such as the application code, residing in memory of a trainable transceiver. The wireless re-programming of memory allows for software in the trainable transceiver to be updated or replaced from a remote location, where a direct or wired connection to the product is not otherwise available.

Claims

1. A method of programming memory in a wireless control system using a remote device, comprising:

providing new application code to the remote device, the new application code configured to enable the wireless control system to train and to control a first one or more remote receiver devices;

independent of receiving a communication from one of the first one or more remote receiver devices, receiving the new application code from the remote device using wireless communication between the wireless control system and the remote device;

updating, by a boot loader of the wireless control system, an existing application code stored in the memory of the wireless control system with the new application code by controlling reprogramming of the existing application code in the memory of the wireless control system, the existing application code configured to enable the wireless control system to train and to control a second one or more remote receiver devices, wherein the first one or more remote receiver devices includes at least one remote receiver device not included in the second one or more remote receiver devices, such that updating the existing application code with the new application code newly enables the wireless control system to train and to control the at least one remote receiver device not included in the second one or more remote receiver devices;

entering into a programming mode on the wireless control system;

transmitting information including at least one of a part number, a serial number, an application version, or a boot loader version of the wireless control system from the wireless control system to the remote device;

verifying, by the remote device, whether the new application code is compatible with the wireless control system;

generating a random counter value; and

creating, in response to verification that the application code is compatible with the wireless control system, a challenge for authentication.

3. The method of programming memory of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the communication between the wireless control system and the remote device, wherein the authentication of the communication includes:

transmitting information including at least one of a part number, a serial number, or an application version from the wireless control system to the remote device.

4. The method of programming memory of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the application code being compatible with the information:

sending the challenge and the random counter value from the remote device to the wireless control system;

storing, by the wireless control system, the random counter value; and

sending an acknowledgement of the challenge from the wireless control system to the remote device.

5. The method of programming memory of claim 1, further comprising in response to the application code not being compatible with the information:

ending communication between the remote device and the wireless control system; and

indicating a status of the authentication of the communication.

8. The method of programming memory of claim 1, wherein the application code is encrypted with a common key and appended with header information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending, from the wireless control system, an encrypted application to the remote device.

10. The method of programming memory of claim 9, further comprising:

extracting the header information;

decrypting at least a first block of data with the common key; and

storing data in a program code buffer in the remote device for sending to the wireless control system.

11. The method of programming memory of claim 10, wherein the wireless control system further comprises:

receiving the at least first block of data from the remote device;

verifying the integrity of the at least first block of data;

determining an end of transmission of the at least first block of data; and

programming at least part of the memory of the wireless control system with the application code.

12. The method of programming memory of claim 10, wherein the remote device further comprises:

verifying that the application code is compatible with the remote electronic device; and

sending the at least one data block to the wireless control system until an end of data is reached.

2. A system for programming memory, comprising:

a wireless control system including at least a transceiver circuit, a boot loader, and memory, the memory storing an existing application code configured to enable the wireless control system to train to and control a first one or more remote receiver devices; and

a remote device including at least a second transceiver circuit and second memory and configured to be provided a new application code configured to enable the wireless control system to train to and control a second one or more remote receiver devices, wherein the second one or more remote receiver devices includes at least one remote receiver device not included in the first one or more remote receiver devices;

wherein the remote device is configured to wirelessly transmit the new application code stored in the second memory of the remote device to the wireless control system;

wherein the wireless control system is configured to receive the new application code using the transceiver circuit independent of receiving a communication from one of the first one or more remote receiver devices;

wherein the boot loader of the wireless control system is configured to update the existing application code with the new application code by controlling reprogramming of the existing application code in the memory of the wireless control system, such that the updating newly enables the wireless control system to train to and control the at least one remote receiver device not included in the first one or more remote receiver devices;

wherein the wireless control system is configured to;

enter into a programming mode in response to an input; and

transmit information including at least one of a part number, a serial number, a boot loader version, or an application version to the remote device;

wherein the remote device is configured to verify that the new application code is compatible with the information, generate a random counter value, and, in response to the application code being compatible with the information, generate a challenge to be sent to the wireless control system.

6. The system for programming memory of claim 2, wherein the remote device is configured, in response to the application code being compatible with the information, to send the challenge and the random counter value to the wireless control system and receive an acknowledgement of the challenge from the wireless control system.

7. The system for programming memory of claim 2, wherein the remote device is configured, in response to the application code not being compatible with the information, to end communication between the remote device and the wireless control system.

13. The system for programming memory of claim 2, wherein the application code is encrypted with a common key and appended with header information.

14. The system for programming memory of claim 13, wherein the remote device:

extracts the header information;

decrypts at least a first block of data with the common key; and

stores data in a program code buffer in the remote device for sending to the wireless control system.

15. The system for programming memory of claim 14, wherein the wireless control system:

receives the at least first block of data from the remote device;

verifies the integrity of the at least first block of data;

determines an end of transmission of the at least first block of data; and

programs at least part of the memory of the wireless control system with the application code.

16. The system for programming memory of claim 14, wherein the remote device:

verifies that the application code is compatible with the remote electronic device; and

sends the at least one data block to the wireless control system until an end of data is reached.