Low-power device recovery using a backup firmware image

• US 10,394,542 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Poenaru, Dragos Ionel
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thatcher, Clint
• Application Number:
  US15/953,892
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 717171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1443 Transmit or communication errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/24 for communication between two or more posts wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Some examples described herein may involve receiving, via a wireless transmission, a firmware code update that is to be installed in a main memory of the electronic device, determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received; determining, based on determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, that a secondary memory, of the electronic device, includes a firmware image; and installing the backup firmware image, from the secondary memory, in the main memory to provide the set of functionalities to the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a main memory;

a secondary memory;

one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the main memory and the secondary memory, configured to;

receive, via a wireless transmission, a firmware code update that is to be installed in the main memory,

determine that the firmware code update is not successfully received,

determine, based on determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, an amount of power remaining in a battery,

send a request to retransmit the firmware code update based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery satisfies a threshold,

determine, based on sending the request and determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, and based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery does not satisfy the threshold, that the secondary memory includes a backup firmware,

wherein the backup firmware includes a set of functionalities for the electronic device, and

install the backup firmware, from the secondary memory, in the main memory to provide functionality to the electronic device; and

the battery to supply power to the main memory, the secondary memory, and the one or more processors.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, when determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, are configured to:

determine that the firmware code update is not successfully received based on at least one of;

a failure associated with the wireless transmission;

the firmware code update being corrupt;

the firmware code update failing an integrity check;

or

the firmware code update failing an authentication check.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission, received from a master device associated with the electronic device, is a first wireless transmission;

and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to;

accept an update request from the master device to retransmit, via a second wireless transmission, the firmware code update when the amount of power satisfies the threshold; and

determine the backup firmware is to be installed in the main memory when the firmware code update is not successfully received via the second wireless transmission.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

erase the firmware code update stored in the main memory before installing the backup firmware.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, when installing the backup firmware, are configured to:

copy the backup firmware from the secondary memory; and

write the backup firmware to the main memory.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises one or more sensor elements.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the battery is not rechargeable.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the secondary memory stores only the backup firmware or only data associated with the backup firmware.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the backup firmware comprises:

a program that, when executed by the one or more of the processors, is capable of communicating with another device associated with the electronic device.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when sending the request, are configured to:

send a request to retransmit a portion of the firmware code update that was not successfully received.

10. A tire pressure monitoring system, comprising:

a sensor device to measure a tire pressure status of a tire,

wherein the sensor device includes a reprogrammable memory and a non-programmable memory, and

wherein the sensor device is configured to;

receive a firmware code update that is to be installed in the reprogrammable memory,

determine that the firmware code update is not successfully received,

determine, based on determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, an amount of power remaining in a battery of the sensor device,

send a request to retransmit the firmware code update based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery satisfies a threshold,

determine, based on sending the request and determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, and based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery does not satisfy the threshold, that the non-programmable memory includes a backup firmware,

wherein the backup firmware includes a set of functionalities for the sensor device, and

install the backup firmware, from the non-programmable memory, in the reprogrammable memory to provide functionality to the sensor device.

11. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 10, wherein, when the firmware code update is not successfully received, one or more functions of the sensor device are rendered inoperable.

12. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the sensor device is to receive the firmware code update via a wireless transmission.

13. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 10, wherein the sensor device is further to:

execute a program of the backup firmware to communicate with another device associated with the tire pressure monitoring system.

19. The tire pressure monitoring system of claim 10, where the threshold is a first threshold;

and

where the sensor device is further configured to;

determine a quantity of times that the firmware code update has not been successfully received; and

stop, based on determining that the quantity of times satisfies a second threshold, requesting to retransmit the firmware code update.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an electronic device via a wireless transmission, a firmware code update that is to be installed in a main memory of the electronic device,

determining, by the electronic device, that the firmware code update is not successfully received,

wherein, when the firmware code update is not successfully received, one or more functions of the electronic device are rendered inoperable;

determining, by the electronic device and based on determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, an amount of power remaining in a battery of the electronic device;

sending, by the electronic device and based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery satisfies a threshold, a request to retransmit the firmware code update,

determining, by the electronic device, based on sending the request and determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, and based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery does not satisfy the threshold, that a secondary memory, of the electronic device, includes a backup firmware,

wherein the backup firmware includes a set of functionalities for the electronic device; and

installing, by the electronic device, the backup firmware, from the secondary memory, in the main memory to provide the set of functionalities to the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

executing a program of the backup firmware to cause the electronic device to transmit a wireless signal.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the wireless transmission corresponds to a last wireless transmission of a threshold number of wireless transmissions of the firmware code update; and

installing the backup firmware in the main memory based on the wireless transmission corresponding to the last wireless transmission.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the main memory comprises a reprogrammable memory and the secondary memory comprises a non-programmable memory implemented by a different type of memory.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

sending, based on sending the request and determining that the firmware code update is not successfully received, and based on determining that the amount of power remaining in the battery satisfies the threshold, another request to retransmit the firmware code update.