Method for updating a firmware on a low memory device

• US 10,564,873 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thales DIS France SAS (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales DIS France SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Durand, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Sumil M
• Application Number:
  US15/108,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 713 2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• 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 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for updating a firmware on a device, from a current version to a new version, said firmware being split into: —a core part, —an extended part comprising a plurality of entry points callable by the core part, said method comprising: —inhibiting the entry points between the core part of the current version, called current core part, and the extended part of the current version, called current extended part; —erasing the current extended part; —downloading the core part of the new version, called new core part; —erasing the current core part; —downloading—the extended part of the new version, called new extended part; —activating the entry points between the new core part and the new extended part.

Claims

1. A method for updating a firmware on a device, said device comprising a memory configured to store at least a version of a firmware, the firmware being updated when applying the method from a current version to a new version, said firmware including:

a core part comprising means for connecting to a remote server and means for downloading data from this remote server,

an extended part comprising a plurality of entry points callable by the core part, the core part being able to work independently from the extended part if the entry points are inhibited, and

a list of the entry points callable by the core part, the list being accessible by the core part and providing a binding between the core part and the entry points of the extended part;

said method comprising;

inhibiting the entry points between the core part of the current version, called current core part, and the extended part of the current version, called current extended part, the inhibition being performed by cutting off at least the binding between the current core part and the current extended part by inserting a code at the beginning of each entry point, such that each time an entry point is called by the current core part, a void function is called, so that the current core part has no functional dependencies on the extended part, this step being realized by the current core part;

erasing the current extended part, this step being realized by the current core part;

downloading in the memory the core part of the new version, called new core part, this step being realized by the current core part;

erasing the current core part, this step being realized by a boot loader of the device;

downloading in the memory the extended part of the new version, called new extended part, this step being realized by the new core part;

activating the entry points between the new core part and the new extended part, this step being realized by the new core part.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising, between the step of downloading the new core part and the step of erasing the current core part, the steps of:

rebooting the device, by the current core part;

detecting an update is pending, by the boot loader.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein:

the current core part is initially stored in a first memory space of the memory,

the current extended part is initially stored in a second memory space of the memory, distinct from the first memory space,

the new core part is downloaded on a third memory space of the memory such as;

the third memory space is distinct from the first memory space, and

the third memory space and the second memory space overlap at least in part.

4. The method according to claim 3, comprising a step of copying the new core part from the third memory space on a fourth memory space of the memory such as:

the fourth memory space is distinct from the third memory space,

the fourth memory space and the first memory space overlap at least in part.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of downloading the new core part comprises setting a first marker indicating progression of said download.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of downloading the new extended part comprises setting a second marker indicating progression of said download.

7. The method according to claim 2, comprising, prior to the step of inhibiting the entry points, a step of terminating internal activities not related to the update method.

8. The method according to claim 2, comprising, between the steps of inhibiting the entry points and the step of erasing the second memory space, a step of rebooting the device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the current core part is initially stored in a first memory space of the memory,

the current extended part is initially stored in a second memory space of the memory, distinct from the first memory space,

the new core part is downloaded on a third memory space of the memory such as;

the third memory space is distinct from the first memory space, and

the third memory space and the second memory space overlap at least in part.

10. The method according to claim 9, comprising, between the step of erasing the current extended part and the step of downloading the new core part, the steps of:

evaluating the size of the new core part, comparing said size with the current core part size,

determining the third memory space emplacement in the memory such as;

if said size is larger than the current core part size, then sparing free memory space between the first memory space and the third memory space, such as the total size of the first memory space and the free memory space is at least equal to the size of the new core part.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprising a step of copying the new core part from the third memory space on a fourth memory space of the memory such as:

the fourth memory space is distinct from the third memory space,

the fourth memory space and the first memory space overlap at least in part.

12. The method according to claim 9, comprising a step of copying the new core part from the third memory space on a fourth memory space of the memory such as:

the fourth memory space is distinct from the third memory space,

the fourth memory space and the first memory space overlap at least in part.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the new extended part is downloaded on a fifth memory space of the memory such as:

the fifth memory space is distinct from the fourth memory space,

the fifth memory space and the second memory space overlap at least in part.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of downloading the new core part comprises setting a first marker indicating progression of said download.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of downloading the new extended part comprises setting a second marker indicating progression of said download.

16. The method according to claim 1, comprising, prior to the step of inhibiting the entry points, a step of terminating internal activities not related to the update method.

17. The method according to claim 1, comprising, between the steps of inhibiting the entry points and the step of erasing the current extended part, a step of rebooting the device.

18. The method according to claim 1, comprising, after the step of downloading the new core part, a step of propagating connection parameters to the new core part.

19. The method according to claim 1, comprising, after the step of activating the entry points, a step of checking the activation of these entry points.