Methods and apparatus for use in updating application programs in memory of a network device

• US 20070169080A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John J. Oskorep, Chipcon AS (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Chipcon AS (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

An illustrative method of the present application is for use in updating an application program in memory of a network device. An application program having a length L1 is initially stored in memory of the network device from a memory address A1 to a memory address A2−1. A download procedure is performed by the network device to receive an updated application program having a length L2>L1. This updated application program is stored in the memory from a memory address A3=A2+(L2−L1) for the length L1, and continuing in a circular buffer fashion from the memory address A2 for the length L2−L1. The application program is then copied over with the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1. With this technique, if a failure occurs while copying over the application program, no portion of the original updated application program will be written over.

Claims

1. A method of updating an application program in memory of a network device, the method comprising:

maintaining storage of an application program having a length L1 in memory from a memory address A1 to a memory address A2−

1;

performing a download procedure to receive an updated application program having a length L2>

L1;

storing the updated application program in the memory from a memory address A3=A2+(L2−

L1) for the length L1 and continuing in a circular buffer fashion from the memory address A2 for the length L2−

L1; and

copying over the application program with the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of storing the updated application program comprises the further act of sequentially storing the updated application program from the memory address A3 for the length L1 and continuing storage in the circular buffer fashion sequentially from the memory address A2 for the length L2−

L1.

3. The memory of claim 1, wherein the act of copying over the application program with the updated application program comprises the further act of copying over the application program beginning at the memory address A1 and ceasing at the memory address A2.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a validity check on data of the updated application program; and

if the validity check fails, recopying the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein available memory space of the memory is less than 2*L2.

6. The method of claim 1, which is embodied as a computer program product comprising a storage medium and computer instructions stored in the storage medium which are executable by one or more processors to perform the method.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of copying comprises sequentially reading data blocks of the updated application program beginning at the memory address A3 and, for each data block, copying the data block over the application program in a sequential fashion beginning at the address A1.

8. A network device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a network interface coupled to the one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

the one or more processors being operative to;

maintain storage of an application program having a length L1 in the memory from a memory address A1 to a memory address A2−

1;

perform a download procedure with use of the network interface to receive an updated application program having a length L2>

L1;

store the updated application program in the memory from a memory address A3=A2+(L2−

L1) for the length L1 and continuing in a circular buffer fashion from the memory address A2 for the length L2−

L1; and

copy over the application program with the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to sequentially store the updated application program from the memory address A3 for the length L1 and continuing in the circular buffer fashion beginning at the memory address A2 for the length L2−

L1.

10. The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to copy over the application program beginning at the memory address A1 and ceasing at the memory address A2.

11. The network device of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to perform a validity check on data of the updated application program and, if the validity check fails, recopy the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1.

12. The network device of claim 8 wherein, if a failure occurs while copying over the application program, no portion of the updated application program is written over.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises a flash memory.

14. The network device of claim 8, wherein the network device comprises a wireless network device which further comprises:

a wireless network interface of the network interface; and

an antenna means coupled to the wireless network interface.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a storage medium;

computer instructions stored in the storage medium;

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of a network device for;

maintaining storage of an application program having a length L1 in memory from a memory address A1 to a memory address A2−

1;

performing a download procedure to receive an updated application program having a length L2>

L1;

storing the updated application program from a memory address A3=A2+(L2−

L1) for the length L1 and continuing in a circular buffer fashion from the memory address A2 for the length L2−

L1; and

copying over the application program with the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for storing the updated application program by sequentially storing the updated application program from the memory address A3 for the length L1 and continuing storage in the circular buffer fashion sequentially from the memory address A2 for the length L2−

L1.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for copying over the application program with the updated application program by copying over the application program beginning at the memory address A1 and ceasing at the memory address A2.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for:

performing a validity check on data of the updated application program; and

if the validity check fails, recopying the updated application program beginning at the memory address A1.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein available memory space is less than 2*L2.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer instructions are further executable for copying over the application program by sequentially reading data blocks or the updated application program beginning at the memory address A3 and, for each read data block, copying the read data block over the application program in a sequential fashion beginning at the address A1.