Methods and Systems for Distributing Firmware Through an Over-the-Air Network

• US 20090235246A1
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Landis+Gyr Technology, Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Cellnet Innovations, Inc. (Landis+Gyr Group AG)
• Inventors: Bettendorff, John, Seal, Brian Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

Systems and methods for over-the-air firmware distribution to battery-powered devices are disclosed. Such over-the-air distribution is accomplished, for example, using a non-battery-powered device as a buffer, for example, to reduce or eliminate the delay time of the over-the-air network. The firmware can be sent to and stored on a nearby, non-battery-powered device and then sent from there to the battery-powered endpoint device. The distribution of firmware to battery-powered devices may be implemented in an AMI system, a mesh network, a multi-channel radio network, or any other environment in which firmware distribution is desirable.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a firmware-providing host for providing firmware to network node devices; and

a mesh network comprising network node devices;

wherein a battery-powered network node device of the mesh network comprises firmware downloaded from a non-battery-powered network node device to the battery-powered network node device, the firmware originating from the firmware-providing host and stored on the non-battery-powered network node device before download to the battery-powered network node device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the firmware downloaded from the non-battery-powered network node device to the battery-powered network node device is different from firmware controlling the operation of the non-battery-powered network node device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the firmware downloaded from the non-battery-powered network node device to the battery-powered network node device is the same as firmware controlling the operation of the non-battery-powered network node device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the network node devices are endpoint devices.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the endpoint devices collect commodity consumption-related or event data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery-powered network node device comprises two storage areas.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the non-battery-powered network node device is capable of operating without interruption as new firmware is downloaded.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is an AMI system.

9. A method comprising:

providing a mesh network comprising network node devices;

providing firmware to a non-battery-powered network node device of the mesh network;

storing the firmware on the non-battery-powered network node device in a memory; and

providing the firmware to a battery-powered network node device of the mesh network from the memory of the non-battery-powered network node device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting the non-battery-powered network node device based on its network proximity to the battery-powered network node device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the firmware on the battery-powered network node device is different from firmware controlling the operation of the non-battery-powered network node device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the firmware on the battery-powered network node device is the same as firmware controlling the operation of the non-battery-powered network node device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein at least some of the network node devices are endpoint devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the endpoint devices collect commodity consumption-related data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the battery-powered network node device comprises transmission hardware powered by a battery.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-battery-powered network node devices comprises transmission hardware powered by a non-battery power source.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the system is an AMI system.

18. A method comprising:

providing a mesh network comprising network node devices;

storing firmware in a memory of a non-battery-powered network node device of the mesh network;

providing a first portion of the firmware in a first transmission to a battery-powered network node device of the mesh network from the memory of the non-battery-powered network node device,

providing a second portion of the firmware in a second transmission to the battery-powered network node device of the mesh network from the memory of the non-battery-powered network node device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first transmission is a first acknowledgement transmission and the second transmission is a second acknowledgement transmission.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising configuring a transmission component of the battery-powered network node to send data to the non-battery-powered network node and remain awake after sending data only while awaiting an acknowledgement.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data is commodity consumption or event data.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmission component of the battery-powered network node is asleep for a period of time between a receipt of the first acknowledgement and a receipt of the second acknowledgement.

23. A method comprising:

providing a mesh network comprising network node devices;

configuring a transmission component of the battery-powered network node to send data to the non-battery-powered network node and remain awake after sending data only while awaiting acknowledgement of receipt of the data;

storing firmware in a memory of a non-battery-powered network node device of the mesh network; and

providing the firmware in a series of acknowledgement transmissions to the battery-powered network node device from the memory of the non-battery-powered network node device, each of the acknowledgment transmissions acknowledging receipt of data from the battery-powered network node and comprising a portion of the firmware;

wherein the transmission component of the battery-powered network node is not awake for a download time period over which the firmware is provided to the battery-powered network node.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the transmission component of the battery-powered network node is not awake for a time period after each acknowledgement of the series of acknowledgements is received.