Settop cable television control device and method including bootloader software and code version table for maintaining and updating settop receiver operating system software

• US 7,069,578 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lett, David B., Prus, Bohdan
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau, Scott
• Application Number:
  US09/549,292
• Time in Patent Office: 2,265 Days
• Field of Search: 725/132, 725/140, 725/152, 717/168, 717171-173, 707/203
• US Class Current: 725/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8402 involving a version number, e.g. version number of EPG data arrangements for version control in computers G06F8/71

Abstract

A cable television settop receiver and method includes a software component and a frequency acquisition method for determining the ability of the operating system/control program in the settop receiver to operate the settop receiver. The software component, referred to as a “bootloader”, executes on the processor contained in the settop receiver and determines the capability and version of the settop receiver operating system/control program. If the bootloader determines that the operating system/control program should be updated, the bootloader initiates a download sequence, the performance of which allows the proper operating system/control program to be downloaded to the settop receiver. The download occurs after receipt, by the settop receiver, of a code version table (CVT). The CVT includes information that the settop receiver uses to determine which frequency to tune to receive the replacement operating system/control program. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the bootloader initiates a frequency hunt sequence to determine the proper frequency to which to tune to receive the CVT. The frequency hunt sequence covers the entire spectrum of possible frequencies over which to receive the CVT.

Claims

1. A settop receiver in a cable television system, the settop receiver comprising:

a tuner adapted to tune to frequencies carrying digital streams, wherein at least one of the digital streams includes a code version table having hardware information, a frequency identifier, and a code identifier included therein, and wherein at least one of the digital streams is transmitted at the frequency identified by the frequency identifier and carries a replacement code portion identified by the code identifier;

a receiver in communication with the tuner, the receiver adapted to receive a digital stream from the tuner;

a first memory element having a first code portion and a second code portion stored therein as a current operating system, the first code portion permanently stored in the first memory element;

a second memory element adapted to store a replacement second code portion therein;

a processor in communication with the tuner, the receiver, first memory element, and the second memory element,

wherein upon initialization of the settop receiver and independent of and before any executing of the second code portion after initialization, the first code portion is executed by the processor to determine, at least, whether the first code portion is itself error free, whether the second code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver, and whether a second code portion download request has been received by the settop receiver through one of the digital streams, wherein the processor determines whether the second code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver regardless of whether the first code portion is found to contain at least one error and further initiates a first code portion failure indicator responsive to determining that the first code portion includes at least one error,

wherein responsive to determining the second code portion is not capable of operating the settop receiver, the processor evaluates a code version table from the receiver and uses the frequency identifier and code identifier to download the replacement second code portion, the processor checks identification data on the replacement second code portion to verify and validate source of the replacement second code portion, the processor determines whether the replacement second code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver, and responsive to the replacement second code portion being capable of operating the settop receiver, the processor executes the replacement second code portion, and

wherein responsive to determining that a second code portion download request has been received by the settop receiver through one of the digital streams, the processor evaluates the code version table from the receiver and uses the frequency identifier and code identifier to download the replacement code portion, the processor checks identification data on the replacement code portion to verify and validate source of the replacement code portion, the processor determines whether the replacement code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver, and responsive to the replacement code portion being capable of operating the settop receiver, the processor executes the replacement code portion.

2. The settop receiver of claim 1, further including:

an input port in communication with the processor, the input port adapted to receive a smart card, wherein during execution of the first code portion upon initialization of the settop receiver and independent of and before any executing of the second code portion after initialization, the first code portion is executed by the processor to further determine, prior to determining whether the first code portion is itself error free and prior to determining whether the second code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver, whether the input port has the smart card received therein, and responsive to the input port having the smart card received therein, the processor executes a third code portion stored in the smart card.

3. The settop receiver of claim 2, wherein the processor executes the third code portion to operate the settop receiver responsive to the input port having the smart card received therein.

4. The settop receiver of claim 2, wherein the processor executes the third code portion to determine whether the second code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver.

5. The settop receiver of claim 1, wherein responsive to the executing the second code portion, the processor executes the first code portion in a watchdog operation subsequent to completion of initialization execution of the first code portion and hand over of control from the first code portion to the second code portion, and when the tuner is tuned to a given digital stream, the processor receives code version tables from the receiver and determines therefrom whether to download the replacement code portion.

6. The settop receiver of claim 5, wherein the code version tables include a version identifier, and responsive to the version identifier being updated, the processor determines whether to download the replacement second code portion.

7. The settop receiver of claim 5, wherein a given code version table includes a forced second code portion download request, and responsive to the processor receiving the given code version table, the processor executes the first code portion and downloads the replacement second code portion.

8. The settop receiver of claim 5, wherein the processor receives a deferred second code portion download request through one of the digital streams and stores the deferred second code portion download request, and responsive to re-initializing the settop receiver, the processor accesses the deferred second code portion download request and downloads the replacement second code portion.

9. The settop receiver of claim 1, wherein the hardware information included in the given code version table corresponds to the settop receiver.

10. The settop receiver of claim 1, wherein only if the hardware information included in the given code version table corresponds to the settop receiver does the processor uses the frequency identifier and the code identifier to download the replacement second code portion.

11. The settop receiver of claim 1, further including:

a transceiver in communication with the processor and adapted to communicate with a headend of the cable television system and receive therefrom a second code version table addressed to the settop receiver, wherein the processor uses information included in the second code version table to download the replacement second code portion.

12. The settop receiver of claim 1, further including:

a keyboard, wherein during execution of the first code portion upon initialization of the settop receiver and independent of and before any executing of the second code portion after initialization, the first code portion is executed by the processor to further determine whether input through the keyboard has been received corresponding to a manual override second code portion download request,

wherein responsive to determining that a manual override second code portion download request has been received by the settop receiver through the keyboard, the processor evaluates the code version table from the receiver and uses the frequency identifier and code identifier to downloads the replacement second code portion, the processor checks identification data on the replacement second code portion to verify and validate source of the replacement second code portion, the processor determines whether the replacement second code portion is capable of operating the settop receiver, and responsive to the replacement second code portion being capable of operating the settop receiver, the processor executes the replacement second code portion.