COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20190056927A1
• Filed: 08/08/2018
• Published: 02/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: SATO, Fuyuta
• Granted Patent: US 10,445,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A communication system includes a first node and a second node, the first node is configured to obtain first information indicating reachability of data to the second node, specify a number of frames when transmitting, to the second node, a file to be used for updating of software at the second node, specify, based on the first information and the number of frames, a transmission method candidate to transmit the file, and notify the second node of the specified transmission method candidate, the second processor is configured to, generate updating information indicating whether the software can be updated based on the file to be transmitted by the transmission method candidate, and notify the first node of the updating information, the first processor is configured to, specify a transmission method of the file, based on the updating information, transmit the file to the second node by using the specified transmission method.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first node including a first memory and a first processor coupled to the first memory; and

a second node including a second memory and a second processor coupled to the second memory, wherein

the first processor is configured to;

obtain first information indicating reachability of data to the second node in a case of transmitting the data to the second node;

specify a number of frames in a case of transmitting, to the second node, a file to be used for updating of software at the second node;

specify, based on the first information and the number of frames, a transmission method candidate to transmit the file from the first node to the second node; and

notify the second node of the specified transmission method candidate,

the second processor is configured to;

generate updating information indicating whether the software can be updated based on the file to be transmitted by the transmission method candidate; and

notify the first node of the updating information, the first processor is configured to;

specify a transmission method of the file from the transmission method candidate, based on the updating information; and

transmit the file to the second node by using the specified transmission method, and

the second processor is configured to execute the updating of the software by using the file transmitted from the first node.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the first node and the second node are coupled to each other with wireless communication,

the first processor is configured to transmit a request signal for each operation levels of the wireless communication,

the second processor is configured to transmit a response signal to the request signal, and

the first processor is configured to specify the first information for each operation levels, based on the response signal.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

the first processor is configured to transmit the request signal controlled in accordance with Long Range (LoRa) for each of the operation levels.

4. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein

the first processor is configured to:

specify a resource to be used for transmission of the file, based on the first information and the number of frames;

specify the transmission method candidate that allows the transmission with the resource satisfying a requirement requested from a system management apparatus; and

transmit, to the second node, an update-feasibility inquiry request including resource information indicating the resource and the transmission method candidate.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the requirement includes at least one of an update coverage of the second node, a priority level of the second node to be updated, and a temporal restriction on transmission of the frames.

6. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein

the second processor is configured to:

based on the update-feasibility inquiry request, determine that the updating is feasible when the amount of expected consumable power including remaining battery power of the second node is greater than the amount of power to be consumed by the resource, and determine that the update is infeasible when the amount of expected consumable power is equal to or less than the amount of power to be consumed by the resource.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein

the second processor is configured to cancel reception of the file when the second processor determines that the updating is infeasible.

8. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third node, wherein

the first processor is configured to output an updating instruction to the second node that has completed the update when the first processor detects that the updating is not completed by the third node, and

the second processor is configured to transmit the file to the third node, based on the updating instruction.

9. The communication system according to claim 1, further comprising

a fourth node, wherein

the second processor is configured to receive the frames transmitted from the fourth node that has completed the update when the updating is not completed by the second node.

10. A method executed by a first node and a second node, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the first node, first information indicating reachability of data to the second node in a case of transmitting the data to the second node;

specifying, by the first node, a number of frames in a case of transmitting, to the second node, a file to be used for updating of software at the second node;

specifying, by the first node, based on the first information and the number of frames, a transmission method candidate to transmit the file from the first node to the second node;

notifying, by the first node, the second node of the specified transmission method candidate;

generating, by the second node, updating information indicating whether the software can be updated based on the file to be transmitted by the transmission method candidate;

notifying, by the second node, the first node of the updating information;

specifying, by the first node, a transmission method of the file from the transmission method candidate, based on the updating information; and

transmitting, by the first node, the file to the second node by using the specified transmission method; and

executing, by the second node, the updating of the software by using the file transmitted from the first node.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein

the first node and the second node are coupled to each other with wireless communication, and the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the first node, a request signal for each operation levels of the wireless communication;

transmitting, by the second node, a response signal to the request signal; and

specifying, by the first node, the first information for each operation levels, based on the response signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprises:

transmitting, by the first node, the request signal controlled in accordance with Long Range (LoRa) for each of the operation levels.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprises:

specifying, by the first node, a resource to be used for transmission of the file, based on the first information and the number of frames;

specifying, by the second node, the transmission method candidate that allows the transmission with the resource satisfying a requirement requested from a system management apparatus; and

transmitting, by the second node, to the second node, an update-feasibility inquiry request including resource information indicating the resource and the transmission method candidate.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein

the requirement includes at least one of an update coverage of the second node, a priority level of the second node to be updated, and a temporal restriction on transmission of the frames.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

based on the update-feasibility inquiry request, determining, by the second node, that the updating is feasible when the amount of expected consumable power including remaining battery power of the second node is greater than the amount of power to be consumed by the resource, and determining, by the second node, that the update is infeasible when the amount of expected consumable power is equal to or less than the amount of power to be consumed by the resource.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

cancelling, by the second node, reception of the file when the second processor determines that the updating is infeasible.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

outputting, by the first node, an updating instruction to the second node that has completed the update when the first processor detects that the updating is not completed by a third node; and

transmitting, by the second node, the file to the third node, based on the updating instruction.

18. The method according to claim 10, further comprising

receiving, by the second node, the frames transmitted from a fourth node that has completed the update when the updating is not completed by the second node.