Method for dynamically updating master controllers in a control system

• US 6,609,127 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harman Professional, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Amx Corporation (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Barber, Ronald W., Partridge, Charles W., Lee, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/328,885
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/200, 707/203, 709/203, 709/208, 709/209, 709/210, 709/211, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 709/221, 700/10, 710/2, 370/257
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN

Abstract

A master controller in a control area network system in a larger control area network may have a plurality of devices coupled thereto. Software and firmware on the master controller may be updated using an FTP server to contact a content provider in order to retrieve upgrades, updates and patches for the software and firmware on the master controller. In addition, a user may user a web browser in order to perform remote updates over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a master controller in a control area network, wherein the master controller includes software and firmware, the software including a software version identifier, the method comprising:

creating a communications connection with a content provider;

selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider including selecting the file based on the software version identifier;

retrieving the selected file from the content provider; and

modifying the software or the firmware as a function of the retrieved file.

2. A method for modifying a master controller in a control area network, wherein the master controller includes software and firmware, the firmware including a firmware version identifier associated with the firmware, the method comprising;

creating a communications connection with a content provider;

selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider including selecting the file as a function of the firmware version identifier;

retrieving the selected file from the content provider; and

modifying the software or the firmware as a function of the retrieved file.

3. The method according to the claim 2 wherein the software includes an interpreter and an interpreter version identifier associated with the interpreter and wherein selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider further includes selecting the file as a function of the firmware version identified and the software version identifier.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein modifying the software and the firmware as a function of the retrieved file includes modifying the firmware version identifier and the software version identifier as a function of the retrieved file.

5. A method for modifying a master controller in a control area network, wherein the master controller includes software and firmware, comprising:

creating a communications connection with a content provider;

selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider;

retrieving the selected file from the content provider; and

modifying the software or the firmware as a function of the retrieved file, including utilizing a loadable object manager to perform a modification.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein utilizing a loadable object manager to perform the modification includes:

locating a portion of the software to be modified while the software is executing; and

changing the location portion of the software as a function of the retrieved file while the software is executing.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein utilizing a loadable object manager to perform the modification includes:

locating a portion of the software to be modified while the software is executing; and

overwriting the located portion of the software with a portion of the retrieved file while the software is executing.

8. A method for modifying a master controller in a control area network, wherein the master controller includes software and firmware, the firmware including a device manager, an interpreter, a CGI gateway, a message dispatcher, a diagnostics manager, a connection manager, an HTTP server, an FTP server, a configuration manager and an IP port manager, the method comprising:

creating a communications connection with a content provider;

selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider;

retrieving the selected file from the content provider, and

modifying the software or the firmware as a function of the retrieved file.

9. A method for modifying a master controller in a control area network, wherein the master controller includes software and firmware, comprising:

creating a communications connection with a content provider using the Internet;

selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider;

retrieving the selected file from the content provider; and

modifying the software or the firmware as a function of the retrieved file.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein creating the communications connection with the content provider further includes using a web browser to contact the content provider.

11. A method for modifying a master controller in a control are a network, wherein the master controller includes software and firmware, comprising:

creating a communications connection with a content provider including initiating communication with the content provider by the master controller;

selecting a file to be retrieved from the content provider;

retrieving the selected file from the content provider; and

modifying the software or the firmware as a function of the retrieved file.

12. The method according to claim 11 further including searching for firmware upgrades by the master controller based on a version identifier associated with the firmware.

13. The method according to claim 11, further including searching for software upgrades by the master controller based on a version identifier associated with the software.