SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING SETTOP BOX ARCHITECTURE

• US 20100058425A1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Masimore, Tony R.
• Granted Patent: US 11,553,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25

Abstract

A system and method for updating a settop box (STB) architecture that can be used to immediately update a device without requiring the device to be reset/restarted. The device may be any type of device that simultaneously supports multiple applications. The architecture may be used to update one of the applications with new functionality in a seamless manner that allows the applications including the one application to continue to operate without interruption.

Claims

1. A method of updating a settop box (STB) programmed to execute established functionality according to instructions associated with a core STB system, the method comprising:

loading the STB with a plurality of filters that include instructions for implementing functionality updates; and

immediately implementing the functionality updates.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a first application that is already in use is different from a second application that implements the functionality updates.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second application implements the functionality updates without requiring the first application to be restarted.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a first application that is already in use is the same application that implements the functionality updates.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first application implements the functionality updates without restarting.

6. A method of updating a settop box (STB), the STB including established functionality and operating conditions, the method comprising:

loading the STB with at least one filter, the at least one filter specifying a functionality update for the STB and STB operating conditions necessary to implement the functionality update;

operating the STB according to the established functionality and periodically checking if the established STB operating conditions match the filter specified STB operating conditions; and

if the specified functionality update and operating conditions match the current STB operating conditions, immediately implementing the functionality update.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein implementing the functionality update includes operating the STB according to instructions specified in one of the filters instead of according to instructions associated with the established functionality.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the instructions associated with the established functionality are stored within a core STB system.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein implementing the functionality update includes operating the STB to execute an operation according to the functionality update that would otherwise be processed according to the established functionality

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising checking for functionality updates upon receipt of an incoming message and processing the incoming message according to the functionality updates if one of the loaded filters corresponds to the incoming message, otherwise processing the incoming message according to established functionality.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising storing the filters that are applicable to the incoming message within an internal message filter holding area of the STB.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising checking for functionality updates prior to transmitting an outgoing message and transmitting the outgoing message according to the functionality updates if one of the loaded filters corresponds to the outgoing message, otherwise transmitting the outgoing message according to established functionality.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the filters that are applicable to the outgoing message within an outgoing message filter holding area of the STB.

14. The method of claim 6 further comprising checking for functionality updates upon occurrence of an event internal to the STB and implementing functionality updates if one of the loaded filters corresponds to the event, otherwise continuing STB processing according to established functionality.

15. A settop box (STB) configured to output signals to a display comprising:

a core STB system having a plurality of applications that support operations of the STB; and

at least one filter that includes instructions for updating functionality to one or more of the plurality of applications, wherein the filters add the functionality update to the one or more applications without interrupting the one or more applications that are running at a time when the functionality update is implemented.

16. The STB of claim 15 wherein the filters add the functionality update without requiring the one or more applications that are already running to be restarted.

17. The STB of claim 15 wherein the filters are comprised of non-compiling code.

18. The STB of claim 15 wherein the STB checks for the functionality update upon receipt of an incoming message and processes the incoming message according to the functionality update if one of the filters corresponds to the incoming message, otherwise the STB processes the incoming message according to established functionality associated with the core STB system.

19. The STB of claim 15 wherein the STB checks for the functionality update prior to transmitting an outgoing message and transmits the outgoing message according to the functionality update if one of the filters is applicable, otherwise the STB transmits the outgoing message according to established functionality associated with the core STB system.

20. The STB of claim 15 wherein the STB checks for the functionality update upon occurrence of an event internal to the STB and implements the functionality update if one of the filters is applicable to the event, otherwise the STB continues processing according to established functionality associated with the core STB system.