Architecture for Field Upgrade of A Health Monitoring System

• US 20150143356A1
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG (PHC Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Healthcare LLC (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Charlton, Steven, Chen, Jun, Fu, Qiang, Gofman, Igor, Harris, Steven B., Johnson, Gary J., Inman, Paul L., Li, Qiong, Lieber, Harris, Lok, Derek, Nguyen, Tony, Ripley, Paul M., Stefkovic, Gregory, Sun, Hoi-Cheong Steve, Chen, Lin
• Granted Patent: US 9,471,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An architecture allows individual system components to be developed and tested individually, i.e., as distinct modules, and to be subsequently combined through standardized electrical and communication interfaces. Any combination of these modules can be implemented to form different products that provide any number of functions, such as an integrated system for monitoring a health condition and/or delivering a medication. The architecture also provides an approach for dynamically updating the product and offering its users the latest generation of technology even after the users have already purchased the product. In particular, the embodiments employ the communication interfaces to also provide connection to a remote network that can update or upgrade the product'"'"'s software when the product is out in the field.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A system comprising:

a central circuit including a processor;

a module circuit including a memory area storing updatable software relating to a healthcare function, the central circuit and the module circuit coupled and combining to provide the health care function;

a communication interface providing a connection between the central circuit and an external device;

a download engine configured to update, via the communication interface, a first version of the updatable software stored in the memory area of the module circuit with a second version of the updatable software, the second version of the updatable software being stored on the external device; and

a restore component coupled to the module circuit, the restore component being configured to restore the first version of the updatable software when the second version of the updatable software operates incorrectly or has not been downloaded properly, thereby ensuring that the system, including the healthcare function, continues to operates as expected.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the download engine transfers the second version of the upgradable software to the memory area of the module circuit via the communication interface.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the download engine is disposed on the external device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the restore component is disposed on the external device.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising a version management component coupled to the module circuit, wherein the version management component determines whether the second version of the upgradable software is compatible with the module circuit before the download engine updates the first version of the upgradable software.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the second version of the upgradable software is transferred to a second memory area that is separate and distinct from the memory area storing the first version of the upgradable software such that the first version of the upgradable software remains in the system on the memory area of the module circuit for use in performing the restoring.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the second version of the upgradable software provides a patch for the upgradable software running on the module circuit.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the second version of the upgradable software provides a new function to be executed by the module circuit.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the second version of the upgradable software includes configuration information for the upgradable software running on the module circuit.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the download engine is manually triggered by a user to update the first version of the upgradable software.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the download engine is automatically triggered to identify the second version of the upgradable software when communication to the external device is established.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the communication interface includes a USB interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, a Wi-Fi interface, an Ethernet interface, or a combination thereof.

30. The system of claim 18, further comprising a data validation component coupled to the module circuit, the data validation component being configured to validate the second version of the upgradable software before the second version of the upgradable software is installed.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the data validation component determines whether the second version of the upgradable software is corrupted.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the data validation component determines, with a check-sum routine, whether the second version of the upgradable software has been completely transferred from the external device by the download engine.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the second version of the upgradable software is removed if the data validation component determines that the second version of the upgradable software is corrupted.

34. The system of claim 18, wherein a security component controls access by the download engine to the memory area of the module circuit.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the security component prompts a user for authentication information and validates the authentication information before the download engine accesses the memory area.

36. The system of claim 18, wherein the module circuit comprises a blood glucose meter.