Sensor node included in sensor network, update server updating the same, and method of updating sensor node

• US 8,667,481 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Bong Wan, Ruy, Jae Hong, Joo, Seong-Soon, Chae, Jong-Suk
• Primary Examiner(s): SNYDER, STEVEN G
• Application Number:
  US12/630,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Provided are a sensor node included in a sensor network, an update server updating the sensor node, and a method of updating a sensor node. The update server updating a sensor node included in a sensor network includes an execution code manager managing execution codes for a plurality of sensor nodes included in the sensor network, a rule generator generating an update rule based on a result of comparing an existing execution code managed by the execution code manager with an update execution code required for a new function update of the sensor node, and a downloader causing the sensor node to download the update rule generated by the rule generator. Accordingly, an execution code can be updated by a small amount of data transmission.

Claims

1. An update server updating a sensor node included in a sensor network, comprising:

an execution code manager managing execution codes for a plurality of sensor nodes included in the sensor network;

a rule generator generating an update rule based on a result of comparing an existing execution code managed by the execution code manager with an update execution code required for a new function update of the sensor node; and

a downloader causing the sensor node to download the update rule generated by the rule generator,

wherein the rule generator generates the update rule in the form of a function address table (FAT) containing starting and ending addresses of the existing execution code and the update execution code,

wherein the rule generator generates the update rule in the form of a modification table (MT) including information about a memory requiring code modification based on the result of the simulation performed in the virtual node where the modification table includes addresses of bytes to be modified.

2. The update server of claim 1, further comprising:

a virtual sensor node having the same execution-code execution environment as the sensor node; and

a simulator providing the update rule generated by the rule generator to the virtual sensor node and performing a simulation.

3. The update server of claim 2, wherein the rule generator generates one or more update rules and the downloader selects an update rule involving the least amount of transmission from among the one or more update rules generated by the rule generator according to the result of the simulation performed by the simulator, and causes the sensor node to download the selected update rule.

4. The update server of claim 1, wherein the rule generator includes information of a function code added to a function updated based on the result of the comparison operation and information of an execution start address of the function in the update rule.

5. The update server of claim 2, wherein the rule generator generates the update rule in the form of a modification table (MT) including information about a memory requiring code modification based on the result of the simulation performed in the virtual node.

6. A sensor node included in a sensor network, comprising:

a rule receiver receiving an update rule from an update server, the update rule is generated by comparing existing execution codes with an update execution code required for a new function update of the sensor node to minimize transmission of the execution code, where the update rule is in the form of a function address table (FAT) containing starting and ending addresses of the existing execution code and the update execution code; and

an updater interpreting the update rule received by the rule receiver and updating previously stored execution codes,

wherein the update rule is in the form of a modification table (MT) including information about a memory requiring code modification based on the result of the simulation performed in the virtual node where the modification table includes addresses of bytes to be modified.

7. The sensor node of claim 6, wherein the updater moves the previously stored execution codes of respective functions in a memory space based on the update rule received in the form of a function address table (FAT) by the rule receiver.

8. The sensor node of claim 7, wherein the updater moves the execution codes beginning with a function execution code having the largest memory address when the execution codes are moved in a direction in which a memory address increases, and moves the execution codes beginning with a function execution code having the smallest memory address when the execution codes are moved in a direction in which a memory address decreases.

9. The sensor node of claim 7, wherein the updater modifies a function call code included in the execution codes according to a function start address changed by the movement of the execution codes.

10. The sensor node of claim 9, wherein the updater updates the previously stored execution codes by adding an additional execution code downloaded from the update server to the previously stored execution codes.

11. The sensor node of claim 6, wherein the rule receiver and the updater are included in a bootloader of the sensor node.

12. The sensor node of claim 6, wherein the previously stored execution codes are stored in an application flash section.

13. A sensor node update method performed in an update server, comprising:

managing execution codes for a plurality of sensor nodes included in a sensor network;

comparing the managed existing execution codes with an update execution code required for a new function update of the sensor nodes, and generating an update rule to minimize transmission of the execution code where the update rule is in the form of a function address table (FAT) containing starting and ending addresses of the existing execution code and the update execution code; and

causing a corresponding sensor node to download the generated update rule,

wherein the rule generating generates the update rule in the form of a modification table (MT) including information about a memory requiring code modification based on the result of the simulation performed in the virtual node where the modification table includes addresses of bytes to be modified.

14. The sensor node update method of claim 13, further comprising simulating a function update in a virtual node according to the generated update rule.

15. The sensor node update method of claim 14, wherein the generating generates one or more update rules and the causing of the download includes selecting an update rule involving the least amount of transmission from among the generated one or more update rules according to the result of the simulation, and causing the sensor node to download the update rule.

16. A sensor node update method performed in a sensor node, comprising:

receiving an update rule from an update server, where the update rule is in the form of a function address table (FAT) containing starting and ending addresses of the existing execution code and the update execution code and is generated by comparing existing execution codes with an update execution code required for a new function update of the sensor node to minimize transmission of the execution code; and

interpreting the received update rule and updating previously stored execution codes,

wherein the update rule is in the form of a modification table (MT) including information about a memory requiring code modification based on the result of the simulation performed in the virtual node where the modification table includes addresses of bytes to be modified.

17. The sensor node update method of claim 16, wherein the updating of the previously stored execution codes includes:

interpreting the received update rule having the form of a function address table (FAT), and moving the previously stored execution codes of respective functions in a memory space; and

modifying a function call code included in the execution codes according to a function start address changed by the movement of the execution codes.

18. The sensor node update method of claim 17, wherein the updating of the previously stored execution codes further includes:

receiving an additional execution code from the update server; and

updating the previously stored execution codes by adding the received additional execution code to the previously stored execution codes.