SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING OVER THE AIR FIRMWARE UPDATES

• US 20180046452A1
• Filed: 08/07/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TTi (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: TTi (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Preus, Michael, McNabb, William
• Application Number:
  US15/670,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20180046452A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A garage door opener includes a wireless transceiver, a memory storing a first firmware image and a second firmware image, and a device electronic processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the memory. The device electronic processor is configured to receive, via the wireless transceiver, an over-the-air firmware update message including a command to begin an over-the-air firmware update and a location of a firmware update image on a server. The device electronic processor is further configured to receive, via the wireless transceiver, the firmware update image from the server and to determine an inactive firmware image of the first firmware image and the second firmware image. The device electronic processor overwrites, in the memory, the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image, and reboots using the firmware update image from the memory.

Claims

1. A garage door opener equipped for updating a firmware of the garage door opener, the garage door opener comprising:

a motor configured to move a movable door;

a wireless transceiver;

a memory storing a first firmware image and a second firmware image; and

an electronic processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the memory, wherein the electronic processor is configured to

receive, via the wireless transceiver, an over-the-air firmware update message including a command to begin an over-the-air firmware update and a location of a firmware update image on a server,

receive, via the wireless transceiver, the firmware update image from the server,

determine an inactive firmware image of the first firmware image and the second firmware image,

overwrite, in the memory, the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image, and

reboot using the firmware update image from the memory.

2. The garage door opener of claim 1, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

attempt to verify that the firmware update image is stable, and

responsive to a failure to verify that the firmware update image is stable, mark the firmware update image as unstable and reboot using the initially active firmware image.

3. The garage door opener of claim 1, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

attempt to connect to the server via a network and the wireless transceiver by sending a test message to the server, and

responsive to a failure to receive a reply from the server within a certain amount of time, mark the firmware update image as unstable and reboot using the initially active firmware image.

4. The garage door opener of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

attempt to connect to the server via a network and the wireless transceiver by sending a test message to the server, and

responsive to a reply from the server, mark the firmware update image as stable and continue operating using the firmware update image.

5. The garage door opener of claim 1, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

continue to execute one or more functions of the garage door opener by continuing to execute the initially active firmware image during at least one selected from a group of

receiving the firmware update image from the server, and

overwriting the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image.

6. The garage door opener of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

transmit to the server, via the wireless transceiver, a read request for the firmware update image with the location of the firmware update image on the server.

7. The garage door opener of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing that supports the motor, the wireless transceiver, the memory, and the electronic processor;

a radio frequency receiver coupled to the electronic processor and configured to receive wireless commands;

the electronic processor is further configured to;

drive the motor in response to a door command received by the radio frequency receiver, during at least one selected from a group of

receiving the firmware update image from the server, and

overwriting the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image.

8. A method for updating firmware of a garage door opener via a wireless data connection, the method comprising:

driving a motor of the garage door opener to move a garage door;

receiving, via a wireless transceiver of the garage door opener, an over-the-air firmware update message including a command to begin an over-the-air firmware update;

receiving, via the wireless transceiver, a firmware update image from a server;

determining, by an electronic processor of the garage door opener, an inactive firmware image of a first firmware image and a second firmware image stored on a memory of the garage door opener;

overwriting, in the memory of the garage door opener, the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image; and

rebooting, by the electronic processor, using the firmware update image from the memory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and the method further comprising:

attempting to verify that the firmware update image is stable, and

responsive to a failure to verify that the firmware update image is stable, marking the firmware update image as unstable and rebooting using the initially active firmware image.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and the method further comprising:

attempting to connect to the server via a network and the wireless transceiver by sending a test message to the server, and

responsive to a failure to receive a reply from the server within a certain amount of time, mark the firmware update image as unstable and rebooting using the initially active firmware image.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

attempting to connect to the server via a network and the wireless transceiver by sending a test message to the server, and

responsive to a reply from the server, marking the firmware update image as stable and continuing to operate using the firmware update image.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a radio frequency receiver of the garage door opener, a door command;

operating the motor in response to the door command during at least one selected from a group of

receiving the firmware update image from the server, and

overwriting the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting to the server, via the wireless transceiver, a read request for the firmware update image and a location of the firmware update image on the server,

wherein the over-the-air firmware update message received from the server included the location of the firmware update image on the server.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, the method further comprising:

continuing to execute the initially active firmware image during the over-the-air firmware update.

15. A system for updating firmware, the system comprising:

a firmware update server, comprising;

a network communication interface;

a server memory storing a firmware update image; and

a server electronic processor coupled to the network communication interface and the server memory, wherein the server electronic processor is configured to transmit, via the network communication interface, the firmware update image from the firmware update server; and

a motorized device comprising;

a motor;

a wireless transceiver;

a memory storing a first firmware image and a second firmware image; and

a device electronic processor coupled to the wireless transceiver and the memory, wherein the device electronic processor is configured to

responsive to a command to begin an over-the-air firmware update, receive, via the wireless transceiver, the firmware update image,

determine an inactive firmware image of the first firmware image and the second firmware image,

overwrite, in the memory, the inactive firmware image with the firmware update image, and

reboot using the firmware update image from the memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and wherein the device electronic processor is further configured to:

attempt to verify that the firmware update image is stable, and

responsive to a failure to verify that the firmware update image is stable, mark the firmware update image as unstable and reboot using the initially active firmware image.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the server electronic processor is further configured to:

receive a test message from the motorized device via the network communication interface, and

reply to the test message.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the device electronic processor is further configured to:

attempt to connect to the firmware update server via a network and the wireless transceiver by sending the test message to the firmware update server, and

responsive to the reply from the firmware update server, mark the firmware update image as stable and continue operating using the firmware update image.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the second firmware image is the inactive firmware image that is overwritten and the first firmware image is an initially active firmware image, and wherein the device electronic processor is further configured to:

continue to execute one or more functions of the motorized device by continuing to execute the initially active firmware image during the over-the-air firmware update.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the device electronic processor is further configured to:

transmit to the firmware update server, via the wireless transceiver, an over-the-air firmware update message including a read request for a firmware update and a location of the firmware update image on the firmware update server.