METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING FIRMWARE OVER THE AIR SERVICE TO USER EQUIPMENTS

• US 20140366012A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jamadagni, Satish Nanjunda Swamy, Hampali, Mallikarjuna
• Granted Patent: US 10,083,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing a firmware over the air service to user equipments in a wireless network environment are provided. In one embodiment, a device management server sends a notification to a base station indicating availability of a new firmware version for associated user equipments. The base station obtains a firmware update resource identifier from the device management server upon receiving the notification. Further, the base station fetches a firmware update associated with the new firmware version from a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) server and caches the firmware update in a cache memory. Thereafter, the base station sends a paging message indicating availability of the cached firmware update to the user equipments currently attached to the base station. Upon receiving a paging response from the respective user equipments, the base station transmits the cached firmware update to the respective user equipments over a wireless air interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) service to user equipments in a wireless network environment, the method comprising:

obtaining a firmware update intended for a plurality of user equipments in a wireless network environment from a FOTA server by a base station;

caching the firmware update intended for the plurality of user equipments in a cache server of the base station; and

providing the cached firmware update to one or more user equipments associated with the base station over a wireless air interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining identity information associated with the one or more user equipments from a core network entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the firmware update intended for the plurality of user equipments in the wireless network environment from the FOTA server comprises:

obtaining a firmware update resource identifier associated with the firmware update from a device management server when a notification indicating availability of the firmware update for the plurality of user equipments is received from the device management server; and

obtaining the firmware update from the FOTA server using the firmware update resource identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station comprises:

sending a local paging message indicating availability of the cached firmware update to each of the one or more user equipments in a cell associated with the base station;

receiving a request for the cached firmware update from each user equipment in response to the local paging message; and

providing the cached firmware update to each user equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station comprises:

providing the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station when a request for firmware update received from respective user equipment is re-directed to the base station by the device management server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing of the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station comprises:

determining whether the user equipment is currently attached to the base station when the request for firmware update received from the user equipment is re-directed to the base station by the device management server;

providing the cached firmware update to the user equipment associated with the base station if the user equipment is currently associated with the base station; and

forwarding the request for firmware update received from the user equipment to another base station if the user equipment is not currently associated with the base station.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing of the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station comprises:

determining whether any user equipment is currently attached to the base station when the request for firmware update received from the user equipment is re-directed to the base station by the device management server;

providing the cached firmware update to the user equipment associated with the base station if the user equipment is currently associated with the base station; and

providing the cached firmware update to the user equipment currently associated with another base station over an X2 interface if the user equipment is not currently associated with the base station.

8. A cache server of a base station, the cache server comprising:

a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) service module configured to obtain a firmware update intended for a plurality of user equipments in a wireless network environment from a FOTA server and to provide the firmware update to associated one or more user equipments over a wireless air interface; and

a cache memory configured to store the firmware update intended for the

9. The cache server of claim 8, wherein the FOTA service module is configured to obtain identity information associated with the one or more user equipments from a core network entity.

15. The cache server of claim 8, wherein the FOTA service module obtains the firmware update intended for the plurality of user equipments in the wireless network environment from the FOTA server by obtaining a firmware update resource identifier associated with the firmware update from a device management server when a notification indicating availability of the firmware update for the plurality of user equipments is received from the device management server and by obtaining the firmware update from the FOTA server using the firmware update resource identifier.

16. The cache server of claim 8, wherein the FOTA service module provides the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station by sending a local paging message indicating availability of the cached firmware update to each of the one or more user equipments in a cell associated with the base station, receiving a request for the cached firmware update from each user equipment in response to the local paging message, and providing the cached firmware update to each user equipment.

17. The cache server of claim 8, wherein the FOTA service module provides the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station by providing the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station when a request for firmware update received from respective user equipment is re-directed to the base station by the device management server.

18. The cache server of claim 17, wherein the FOTA service module provides the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station by determining whether the user equipment is currently attached to the base station when the request for firmware update received from the user equipment is re-directed to the base station by the device management server, providing the cached firmware update to the user equipment associated with the base station if the user equipment is currently associated with the base station, and forwarding the request for firmware update received from the user equipment to another base station if the user equipment is not currently associated with the base station.

19. The cache server of claim 17, wherein the FOTA service module provides the cached firmware update to the one or more user equipments associated with the base station by determining whether any user equipment is currently attached to the base station when the request for firmware update received from the user equipment is re-directed to the base station by the device management server, providing the cached firmware update to the user equipment associated with the base station if the user equipment is currently associated with the base station, and providing the cached firmware update to the user equipment currently associated with another base station over an X2 interface if the user equipment is not currently associated with the base station.

10. A method of providing a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) service to user equipments in a wireless network environment, the method comprising:

notifying of the availability of a firmware update for a plurality of user equipments to each of a plurality of base stations in a wireless network environment; and

providing a firmware update resource identifier associated with the firmware update to each base station so that each base station obtains the firmware update from a FOTA server using the firmware update resource identifier and caches the firmware update for providing to associated one or more of the plurality of user equipments.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request for firmware update from at least one of the plurality of user equipments;

obtaining location information associated with the at least one user equipment from a core network entity;

identifying a base station associated with the at least one user equipment based on the location information associated with the at least one user equipment; and

re-directing the request for firmware update from the at least one user equipment to the identified base station so that the identified base station provides the cached firmware update to the at least one user equipment.

12. A device management server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) management module configured for;

notifying of the availability of a firmware update for a plurality of user equipments to each of a plurality of base stations in a wireless network environment; and

providing a firmware update resource identifier associated with the firmware update to each base station so that each base station obtains the firmware update from a FOTA server using the firmware update resource identifier and caches the firmware update for providing to associated one or more of the plurality of user equipments.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the FOTA management module is configured for:

receiving a request for firmware update from at least one of the plurality of user equipments;

obtaining location information associated with the at least one user equipment from a core network entity;

identifying a base station associated with the at least one user equipment based on the location information associated with the at least one user equipment; and

re-directing the request for firmware update from the at least one user equipment to the identified base station so that the identified base station provides the cached firmware update to the at least one user equipment.

14. A system comprising:

a device management server;

a Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) server;

a plurality of base stations coupled to the device management server and the FOTA server; and

a plurality of user equipments attached to the plurality of base stations,

wherein the device management server is configured for sending a notification indicating availability of a firmware update for the plurality of user equipment to each base station and for providing a firmware update resource identifier associated with the firmware update to each base station, and wherein each base station is configured for obtaining a firmware update from the FOTA server using the firmware update resource identifier, for caching the firmware update in the cache memory, and for providing the cached firmware update to associated one or more of the plurality of user equipments over a wireless air interface.