ROBUST FIRMWARE UPGRADE IN A NETWORK TERMINAL

• US 20100122246A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Vanschoren, Ronald, Adamushka, Dmitry, Gesquiere, Lieven
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

The present invention concerns a network terminal, and method in a broadband terminal for upgrading a firmware, said terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non volatile memory adapted to store only one version of the firmware, the firmware comprising a first firmware and a second firmware, the method comprising, at the terminal, the step of erasing the first firmware from the non volatile memory, downloading a rescue firmware to the non volatile memory from a server located on the network, the rescue firmware being adapted to allow the terminal to download the firmware from the server, rebooting the terminal with the second firmware and the rescue firmware, downloading a new version of the first and second firmware from the server to the non volatile memory, erasing the rescue firmware from the non volatile memory, and rebooting the terminal with the new version of the first and second firmware.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. Method for upgrading a firmware in a network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non volatile memory adapted to store only one version of the firmware, the firmware comprising a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non essential network terminal services, said non essential services being suspended during said firmware upgrade, said method comprising, at the terminal, the step of:

erasing the extended firmware from the non volatile memory,

downloading a rescue firmware to the non volatile memory from a server located on the network, the rescue firmware being adapted to allow the terminal to download firmware from the server;

rebooting the terminal with the core firmware and the rescue firmware,

downloading a new version of the core and extended firmware from the server to the non volatile memory,

erasing the rescue firmware from the non volatile memory, and

rebooting the terminal with the new version of the core and extended firmware.

9. Method according to claim 7, wherein the rescue firmware comprises means for downloading a new version of the firmware from said server.

10. Method according to claim 7, wherein the rescue firmware comprises a networking stack software that allows access to the Internet.

11. Method according to claim 7, wherein the rescue firmware comprises a management protocol compliant to DSL Forum Technical Report TR-069.

14. Network terminal according to claim 7, comprising means for configuring the list of essential and non essential services.

8. Method for upgrading a firmware in a network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non volatile memory adapted to store only one version of the firmware, the firmware comprising a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non essential network terminal services, said non essential services being suspended during said firmware upgrade, said core firmware comprising a core kernel comprising files not required at run-time once loaded at boot time, and a core file system comprising the essential services, said method comprising the steps of:

erasing the extended firmware from the non volatile memory,

downloading a rescue firmware to the non volatile memory from a server located on the network, the rescue firmware being adapted to allow the terminal to download firmware from the server;

downloading a new version of the core kernel to the non-volatile memory;

downloading a new version of the core file system to the non-volatile memory;

rebooting the terminal with the core kernel, the core file system and the rescue firmware, and

downloading a new version of the extended firmware from the server to the non volatile memory.

12. Network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non volatile memory adapted to store only one version of a firmware, the firmware comprising a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non essential network terminal services, said non essential services being suspended during said firmware upgrade said terminal further comprising:

downloading means for erasing the extended firmware from the non volatile memory, downloading a rescue firmware to the non volatile memory from a server located on the network, the rescue firmware being adapted to allow the terminal to download firmware from the server;

rebooting the terminal with the core firmware and the rescue firmware, downloading a new version of the core and extended firmware from the server to the non volatile memory, erasing the rescue firmware from the non volatile memory, and rebooting the terminal with the new version of the core and extended firmware.

13. Network terminal comprising an interface to a network and a non volatile memory adapted to store only one version of a firmware, the firmware comprising a core firmware comprising essential network terminal services and an extended firmware comprising non essential network terminal services, said non essential services being suspended during said firmware upgrade said terminal further comprising:

downloading means for erasing the extended firmware from the non volatile memory, downloading a rescue firmware to the non volatile memory from a server located on the network, the rescue firmware being adapted to allow the terminal to download firmware from the server, downloading a new version of the core kernel to the non-volatile memory, downloading a new version of the core file system to the non-volatile memory, rebooting the terminal with the core kernel, the core file system and the rescue firmware, and downloading a new version of the extended firmware from the server to the non volatile memory.