Embedded system employing component architecture platform

• US 7,669,197 B1
• Filed: 09/03/2003
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.), Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Eugene, O'Neill, Patrick, Rao, Bindu Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam; Tuan Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dao; Thuy
• Application Number:
  US10/654,149
• Time in Patent Office: 2,365 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a component architecture platform (CAP) framework that provides a mechanism to update firmware, drivers, and/or application software in an embedded system, such as in mobile electronic devices. The framework also facilitates access to generated update packages by the embedded system and provides updates to firmware, drivers, content or application software in a fault tolerant mode. Generation of update packages is more efficient and the update packages employing CAP are more compact than prior solutions. A distributed version of CAP, (DCAP), also provides access to functionality or components located at remote locations on other platforms.

Claims

1. A method for updating an embedded system comprising components, the method comprising:

generating update information adapted to modify the embedded system, wherein at least one processor in the embedded system executes program instructions for which symbolic references rather than physical memory addresses are used to execute the program instructions;

disseminating the update information;

retrieving the update information;

communicating the update information to the embedded system;

updating the embedded system with the update information; and

the embedded system accesses resources of high performance network computers and terminals/(PCs) and invokes a remote component upon determining that the high performance network computers and terminals/(PCs) can execute the remote component more efficiently, wherein invoking the remote component is initiated upon determining that a local power supply is providing power locally below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising updating individual components independently in the embedded system.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein updating comprises updating individual components without impacting the rest of the embedded system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising safely locking down and preventing updates to certain critical sections of the system to increase update quality.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dividing firmware/software into a plurality of core components and expansion components wherein the expansion components are uploaded as necessary and the core components are shared.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising creating an update package for delivery of update information, wherein the update information is adapted to update at least one component of the embedded system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein disseminating the update information further comprises storing an update package in a distribution environment.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the update information further comprises communicating a reference lookup table along with an update package to the embedded system.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising locating an update agent in the embedded system, wherein the update agent applies an update package to update the embedded system.

10. A method of updating software in an electronic device comprising:

generating update information, wherein the update information comprises at least one of meta information, reference lookup information, and a reference lookup table, and wherein at least one processor in the electronic device executes program instructions for which symbolic references rather than physical memory addresses are used to execute the program instructions;

creating an update package from the generated update information;

communicating the update package to the electronic device;

updating the electronic device with the update package; and

the electronic device accesses resources of high performance network computers and terminals/(PCs) and invokes a remote component upon determining that the high performance network computers and terminals/(PCs) can execute the remote component more efficiently, wherein invoking the remote component is initiated upon determining that a local power supply is providing power locally below a predetermined threshold.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising distributing the update package to the electronic device to which the update package corresponds.

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

mapping at least one of embedded system components, program modules, and variable references, and addresses associated with the at least one of embedded system components, program modules, and variable references in the reference lookup table.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

retrieving modification information corresponding to a modification event;

generating at least one modification module containing the modification information;

performing the modification event; and

updating entries in the reference lookup table which correspond to the modification event.

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

updating entries in at least one of a local reference lookup table and a non-local reference lookup table.

15. A component architecture platform (CAP) network including an electronic device having an embedded system, the embedded system comprising:

at least one processor operable to execute program instructions for which symbolic references rather than physical memory addresses are used to execute the program instructions;

an operating system;

at least one application comprising a plurality of software components employing symbolic references for execution of software instructions;

a first distributed component architecture platform (DCAP) framework;

a software communication mechanism communicatively connecting the operating system, the at least one application, and the first DCAP;

generating update information adapted to modify the embedded system;

communicating the update information to the embedded system;

updating the embedded system with the update information; and

the embedded system accesses resources of high performance network computers and terminals/(PCs) and invokes a remote component upon determining that the high performance network computers and terminals/(PCs) can execute the remote component more efficiently, wherein invoking the remote component is initiated upon determining that a local power supply is providing power locally below a predetermined threshold.

16. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein the embedded system further comprises a wireless application protocol browser communicatively coupled to the software communication mechanism.

17. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein the embedded system further comprises messaging software communicatively coupled to the software communication mechanism.

18. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein individual components can be either replaced by a new version of the individual components or replaced by a reference to a remote version of the same.

19. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein the embedded system further comprises at least one of reference lookup tables, non-volatile memory, and volatile memory.

20. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein the CAP network further comprises a carrier network, the carrier network comprising:

a device application environment;

a second distributed component architecture platform DCAP framework operatively coupled to the device application environment; and

a device proxy, wherein the device proxy is communicatively coupled to the device application environment and manages commands and requests from the embedded system within the carrier network.

21. The CAP network according to claim 20, further comprising a marshalling agent located within the embedded system, the marshalling agent marshalling and unmarshalling at least one of data, requests, and commands in the embedded system.

22. The CAP network according to claim 20, wherein the device application environment is a distributed application environment, wherein applications are partitioned amongst available computing resources and managed by the carrier network in the distributed application environment permitting independent modification of individual components in the embedded system.

23. The CAP network according to claim 22, wherein the carrier network comprises a remote computer and the electronic device comprises a mobile cellular phone, wherein the phone is adapted to receive information from the computer, send information to the computer, and execute program instructions remotely therein.

24. The CAP network according to claim 20, wherein the electronic device and the carrier network are bi-directionally communicatively coupled via one of a wireless circuit, wireless packet, and wired connection.

25. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein the embedded system further comprises chipsets, wherein the chipsets maintain and manage at least one reference lookup table, and the chipsets are provided with micro-coding to provide access to references concurrent with program execution.

26. The CAP network according to claim 15, wherein the embedded system invokes a remote component on a high performance network computer or terminal/PC even when an equivalent local component exists upon determining that the high performance network computer or terminal/PC can execute the remote component more efficiently.