Cost optimization for firmware updates for globally mobile machine-to-machine devices

• US 8,938,731 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Valentine, Eric Lee, Syed, Inayat
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Ben C
• Application Number:
  US13/659,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20140115574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• 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: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

A firmware control management device and a method implemented by the firmware control management device are described herein which are configured to determine whether or not to push a firmware update to a machine-to-machine (M2M) device.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether or not to push a current firmware upgrade to a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, the method implemented by a firmware control management device in a wireless communication system comprising the steps of:

receiving a notification from the M2M device;

retrieving M2M configuration information associated with the M2M device, wherein said M2M configuration information comprises at least a current loaded firmware in the M2M device;

obtaining information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device;

obtaining information which indicates a network currently connected to the M2M device, wherein the network currently connected to the M2M device is a visited network of the M2M device rather than a home network of the M2M device;

obtaining information related to the visited network currently connected to the M2M device, wherein the information related to the visited network currently connected to the M2M device comprises data costs associated with using the currently connected visited network to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device; and

,

determining whether or not to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device based at least on the following parameters;

(1) the current loaded firmware in the M2M device, (2) the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device, and (3) the data costs associated with using the currently connected visited network to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after the steps of retrieving the M2M configuration information associated with the M2M device and obtaining the information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device but before the step of obtaining the information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device further comprising the steps of:

determining, based on the M2M configuration information and the information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device, if the current loaded firmware in the M2M device is a latest version;

if the current loaded firmware in the M2M device is the latest version, then ending the process since no further firmware updating is needed with respect to the M2M device; and

if the current loaded firmware in the M2M device is not the latest version, then proceeding to obtain information indicative of the network currently connected to the M2M device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device further comprises the steps of:

determining, based on the M2M configuration information, if the M2M device is capable of providing information which identifies the network currently servicing the M2M device;

if the M2M device is not capable of providing the information, then sending a query a remote node to obtain the information indicative of the network connected to the M2M device; and

if the M2M device is capable of providing the information, then sending a query to the M2M device to obtain information identifying the network connected to the M2M device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of sending the query to the remote node to obtain information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device further comprises the steps of:

triggering a query to a mobile location center to receive information about a location of the M2M device; and

using a lookup table along with the location of the M2M device to determine the network which is likely connected to the M2M device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of sending the query to the remote node to obtain information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device further comprises the steps of:

triggering a query to an external storage unit to obtain an address where the M2M device is registered; and

using the address to determine the network currently connected to the M2M device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein if the information indicative of the network connected to the M2M device is Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates of the M2M device then further comprising a step of using a map function along with the GPS coordinates to determine the network currently connected to the M2M device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether or not to push the firmware update to the M2M device further comprises the steps of:

determining if the current firmware upgrade is a critical firmware update or a non-critical firmware update;

if the current firmware upgrade is a critical firmware update, then pushing the critical firmware update to the M2M device;

if the current firmware upgrade is a non-critical firmware update, then determining if the data costs of using the currently connected visited network to push the non-critical firmware update to the M2M device exceeds a threshold;

if the data costs exceed the threshold, then do not push the non-critical firmware update to the M2M device;

or

if the data costs do not exceed the threshold, then push the non-critical firmware update to the M2M device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein if there is a determination to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device then performing the steps of:

pushing a single firmware update to the M2M device;

or

pushing one or more non-critical firmware updates to the M2M device and then pushing a critical firmware update to the M2M device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein if there is a determination not to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device then performing the step of:

instructing the M2M device to enter a quite mode until the M2M device connects to another network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of:

sending a message to the M2M device instructing the M2M device to send the notification.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

sending a message to the M2M device where the message has one or more conditions which when satisfied result in the M2M device sending the notification and once the notification is received then enabling a lawful intercept of data which is transmitted from the M2M device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein in addition to obtaining the information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device also obtain information about:

past firmware upgrades;

a number of firmware images to be updated at the M2M device;

an installation order of the firmware images;

dependencies between the firmware images to be updated at the M2M device; and

firmware file size for each of the updates.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the firmware control management device is in the home network; and

the M2M device roamed from the home network to the visited network.

14. A firmware control management device in a wireless communication system for determining whether or not to push a current firmware upgrade to a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, the firmware control management device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable operations as follows;

receive a notification from the M2M device;

retrieve M2M configuration information associated with the M2M device, wherein said M2M configuration information comprises at least a current loaded firmware in the M2M device;

obtain information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device;

obtain information which indicates a network currently connected to the M2M device, wherein the network currently connected to the M2M device is a visited network of the M2M device rather than a home network of the M2M device;

obtain information related to the visited network currently connected to the M2M device, wherein the information related to the visited network currently connected to the M2M device comprises data costs associated with using the currently connected visited network to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device; and

,

determine whether or not to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device based at least on the following parameters;

(1) the current loaded firmware in the M2M device, (2) the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device, and (3) the data costs associated with using the currently connected visited network to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device.

15. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein after retrieve the M2M configuration information associated with the M2M device and obtain the information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device but before obtain the information indicative of the network connected to the M2M device the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to enable operations as follows:

determine, based on the M2M configuration information and the information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device, if the current loaded firmware in the M2M device is a latest version;

if the current loaded firmware in the M2M device is the latest version, then end process since no further firmware updating is needed with respect to the M2M device; and

if the currently loaded firmware in the M2M device is not the latest version, then proceed to obtain information indicative of the network connected to the M2M device.

16. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to obtain the information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device by enabling operations as follows:

determine, based on the M2M configuration information, if the M2M device is capable of providing information which identifies the network currently servicing the M2M device;

if the M2M device is not capable of providing the information, then query a remote node to obtain the information indicative of the network connected to the M2M device; and

if the M2M device is capable of providing the information, then send a query to the M2M device to obtain information identifying the network connected to the M2M device.

17. The firmware control management device of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to query the remote node to obtain information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device by enabling operations as follows:

trigger a query to a mobile location center to receive information about a location of the M2M device; and

use a lookup table along with the location of the M2M device to determine the network which is likely connected to the M2M device.

18. The firmware control management device of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to query the remote node to obtain information which indicates the network currently connected to the M2M device by enabling operations as follows:

trigger a query to an external storage unit to obtain an address where the M2M device is registered; and

use the address to determine the network currently connected to the M2M device.

19. The firmware control management device of claim 16, wherein if the information indicative of the network connected to the M2M device is Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates of the M2M device then the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to use a map function along with the GPS coordinates to determine the network currently connected to the M2M device.

20. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to determine whether or not to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device by enabling operations as follows:

determine if the current firmware upgrade is a critical firmware update or a non-critical firmware update;

if the current firmware upgrade is a critical firmware update, then push the critical firmware update to the M2M device;

if the current firmware upgrade is a non-critical firmware update, then determine if the data costs of using the currently connected visited network to push the non-critical firmware update to the M2M device exceeds a threshold;

if the data costs exceed the threshold, then do not push the non-critical firmware update to the M2M device;

or

if the data costs do not exceed the threshold, then push the non-critical firmware update to the M2M device.

21. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein if there is a determination to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device then the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to enable operations as follows:

push a single firmware update to the M2M device;

or

push one or more non-critical firmware updates to the M2M device and then push a critical firmware update to the M2M device.

22. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein if there is a determination not to push the current firmware upgrade to the M2M device then the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to enable operations as follows:

instruct the M2M device to enter a quiet mode until the M2M device connects to another network.

23. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to enable operations as follows:

send a message to the M2M device instructing the M2M device to send the notification.

24. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to enable operations as follows:

send a message to the M2M device where the message has one or more conditions which when satisfied result in the M2M device sending the notification and once the notification is received then enable a lawful intercept of data which is transmitted from the M2M device.

25. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein in addition to obtaining the information related to the current firmware upgrade associated with the M2M device also obtain information about:

past firmware upgrades;

a number of firmware images to be updated at the M2M device;

an installation order of the firmware images;

dependencies between the firmware images to be updated at the M2M device; and

firmware file size for each of the updates.

26. The firmware control management device of claim 14, wherein;

the firmware control management device is in the home network; and

the M2M device roamed from the home network to the visited network.