Systems and methods for updating firmware over a network

• US 8,966,101 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Network Technologies India Private Limited
• Original Assignee: Sling Media Pvt Ltd. (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Thiyagarajan, Venkatesan
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza
• Application Number:
  US12/538,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Firmware is updated over a network by providing an update server having a number of stored firmware files and a list file, the list file including entries uniquely identifying the identity and location of each of the firmware files. One networked device (e.g., a media player device) determines the current firmware version of a second networked device (e.g., a placeshifting device) via communication over the network and queries the update server as to the most recent version of the firmware file associated with the second networked device. If the most recent version is newer than the current firmware version, the first networked device downloads the most recent version of the firmware file and then uploads it to the second networked device.

Claims

1. A method of updating firmware over a network, comprising:

determining, using setup software residing within a first device, the current version of a firmware file stored in the second device by reading the current version of the second device from the second device via communication over the network;

querying, from the first device, a server as to the most recent version of a firmware file associated with the second device;

receiving, from the server, information indicating a most recent version of the firmware file, information indicating a minimum required version of the firmware file, and user-selectable download links associated therewith;

determining a selected firmware file based on user interaction with the user-selectable download links;

transmitting the selected most recent version of the firmware file from the server to the first device; and

transmitting the selected firmware file from the first device to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a media player, and the second device is a placeshifting device, further wherein the media player is configured to display streamed media provided by the placeshifting device over the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the firmware file is included in an XML list file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the XML list file includes a uniform resource locator pointing to the location of the most recent firmware file on the server.

5. The method of claim 1, where the determining step is performed during startup of the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device performs the querying step at predetermined times.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the XML file includes at least a product ID associated with the second device and a date associated with the most recent version of the firmware file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, during startup of the first device, the firmware file is downloaded to the first networked device.

9. A networked firmware update system comprising:

a first networked device;

a second networked device having a current firmware file stored therein, wherein the first networked device is configured to read the version of the current firmware file from the second networked device using setup software residing within the first networked device;

an update server comprising a processor and having a plurality of firmware files and a list file stored therein, wherein the list file includes download links uniquely identifying the identity and location of each of the plurality of firmware files, including a first download link associated with a minimum required firmware file, and a second download link associated with a most recent version firmware file;

wherein the first network device is configured to provide the first and second download links to a user for selection of a selected firmware file; and

wherein the update server is configured to transmit the most selected firmware file to the first networked device.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the first networked device is a media player, and the second networked device is a placeshifting device.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the list file is an XML file.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the XML file includes a uniform resource locator pointing to the location of the firmware files on the server.

13. The server of claim 9, where the server receives the query from the first networked device during startup of the first networked device.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the server receives the query at predetermined times.

15. The server of claim 11, wherein the XML file includes at least a product ID associated with the second networked device and a date associated with the most recent version of the firmware file.

16. The server of claim 9, wherein, during startup of the first networked device, the list file is downloaded to the first networked device.

17. A method of updating firmware on a media player configured to stream media from a placeshifting device over a network, the method comprising:

determining, using the media player, a current firmware version for a first firmware file resident on the placeshifting device, wherein the media player reads the current firmware version from the placeshifting device using setup software residing within the media player;

querying, via the media player, whether a second firmware file having a more recent firmware version than the current firmware version exists on an update server communicatively coupled to the media player;

receiving, from the update server, information indicating a most recent version of the firmware file, information indicating a minimum required version of the firmware file, and user-selectable download links associated therewith;

determining a selected firmware file based on user interaction with the user-selectable download links;

and

receiving at the media player the selected firmware file.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the querying step includes inspecting an XML list file associated with a plurality of firmware files stored on the update server.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein inspecting the XML file includes inspecting at least a product ID associated with the second networked device and a date associated with the most recent version of the firmware file.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining step is performed during startup of the media player and at predetermined times thereafter.