Systems and methods for provisioning equipment

• US 9,021,462 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Gupta, Vivek V.
• Primary Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US13/802,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Systems and methods for provisioning building equipment are provided. A disclosed provisioning system includes a main control unit having a processing circuit, a memory device, and a data communications interface. The provisioning system further includes an auxiliary control unit and a portable data storage device. The portable data storage device is physically separate from the main control unit and has an update file stored therein. The update file includes a plurality of partitions, each partition including provisioning data and metadata. The main control unit identifies a first partition of the update file containing first provisioning data for the main control unit and a second partition of the update file containing second provisioning data for the auxiliary control unit. The processing circuit is configured to extract the provisioning data from the identified partitions and to apply the extracted provisioning data to the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit.

Claims

1. A system for updating building equipment, the system comprising:

a main control unit including a processing circuit, a memory device, and a data communications interface;

an auxiliary control unit connected with the main control unit via a communications network; and

a portable data storage device physically separate from the main control unit and having an update file stored therein, wherein the update file includes a plurality of partitions, each partition containing provisioning data for a programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit and associated metadata;

wherein the processing circuit comprises a provisioning manager configured to identify a first partition of the update file containing first provisioning data targeted for the main control unit using first metadata associated with the first partition and to identify a second partition of the update file containing second provisioning data targeted for the auxiliary control unit using second metadata associated with the second partition;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to extract the provisioning data from the identified partitions and to apply or update the extracted provisioning data to the auxiliary control unit via the communications network and to the memory device of the main control unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the main control unit includes a user interface element,

wherein the main control unit is configured to identify the partitions, extract the provisioning data, and apply the extracted provisioning data to the auxiliary control unit in response to an input received via the user interface element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the main control unit extracts the provisioning data directly from the portable data storage device without an intermediate communications network between the main control unit and the portable data storage device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable data storage device does not include a user interface element and wherein the main control unit exercises exclusive control over the extraction of the provisioning data from the identified partitions without assistance from another device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of partitions contains a single type of provisioning data selected from a group consisting of:

executable firmware data, executable application data, and configuration data; and

wherein each of the plurality of partitions contains provisioning data targeted for a single control unit selected from a group consisting of;

the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata for each partition includes a device identifier indicating a device to which the provisioning data contained in the same partition is targeted,

wherein the provisioning manager identifies the partitions containing provisioning data targeted for the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit by comparing the device identifiers with identity attributes of the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata for each partition further includes a version identifier indicating a version of the provisioning data contained in the same partition,

wherein the provisioning manager identifies the partitions containing updated provisioning data targeted for the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit by comparing the version identifiers with version attributes of existing provisioning data used by the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the metadata for each partition includes validity metadata,

wherein the provisioning manager is configured to validate the extracted provisioning data by generating a validity code based on the extracted provisioning data and comparing the generated validity code with the validity metadata.

9. A method for updating building equipment, the method comprising:

establishing a communications link between a main control unit and a portable data storage device physically separate from the main control unit, wherein the portable data storage device includes an update file having a plurality of partitions, each partition containing provisioning data and associated metadata;

identifying a first partition of the update file containing first provisioning data targeted for a programmable component of the main control unit, wherein the first partition is identified by a provisioning manager of the main control unit using first metadata associated with the first partition;

identifying a second partition of the update file containing second provisioning data targeted for a programmable component of an auxiliary control unit connected with the main control unit via a communications network, wherein the second partition is identified by the provisioning manager using second metadata associated with the second partition;

extracting the first and second provisioning data from the first and second identified partitions; and

applying or updating the first provisioning data to a memory device of the main control unit and applying or updating the second provisioning data to the auxiliary control unit via the communications network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an input via a user interface element of the main control unit,

wherein the provisioning manager identifies the first and second partitions, extracts the first and second provisioning data from the first and second identified partitions, and applies or updates the extracted provisioning data to the memory device of the main control unit and to the auxiliary control unit connected with the main control unit via the communications network in response to the input received via the user interface element.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications link between the main control unit and the portable data storage device is a direct link without any intermediate components, wherein the portable data storage device does not include a user interface element, and wherein the main control unit exercises exclusive control over the extraction of the provisioning data from the identified partitions without assistance from another device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of partitions contains a single type of provisioning data selected from a group consisting of:

executable firmware data, executable application data, and configuration data; and

wherein each of the plurality of partitions contains provisioning data targeted for a single control unit selected from a group consisting of;

the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata for each partition includes a device identifier indicating a device to which the provisioning data contained in the same partition is targeted, the method further comprising:

comparing the device identifiers with identity attributes of the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit,

wherein the provisioning manager identifies the partitions containing provisioning data targeted for the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit based on the comparison.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata for each partition includes a version identifier indicating a version of the provisioning data contained in the same partition, the method further comprising:

comparing the version identifiers with version attributes of existing provisioning data used by the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit,

wherein the provisioning manager identifies the partitions containing updated provisioning data for the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit based on the comparison.

15. A method for provisioning building equipment, the method comprising:

identifying first provisioning data currently in use by a main control unit, wherein the first provisioning data is identified by a provisioning manager of the main control unit;

identifying second provisioning data currently use by an auxiliary control unit connected with the main control unit via a communications network, wherein the second provisioning data is identified by the provisioning manager of the main control unit;

receiving, into a memory device of the main control unit, the second provisioning data from the auxiliary control unit;

generating first metadata based on the first provisioning data and second metadata based on the second provisioning data;

generating a backup file containing the first provisioning data, the first metadata, the second provisioning data, and the second metadata;

establishing a communications link between the main control unit and a portable data storage device physically separate from the main control unit; and

copying the backup file to the portable data storage device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an input via a user interface element of the main control unit,

wherein the provisioning manager identifies the first and second provisioning data, receives the second provisioning data, generates the first and second metadata, generates the backup file, and applies the backup file to the portable data storage device, in response to the input received via the user interface element.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second provisioning data are selected from a group consisting of:

executable firmware data, executable application data, and configuration data; and

wherein the first and second metadata include a device identifier indicating a device to which the associated provisioning data is targeted.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the communications link between the main control unit and the portable data storage device is a direct link without any intermediate components, wherein the portable data storage device does not include a user interface element, and wherein the main control unit exercises exclusive control over data transfer between the main control unit and the portable data storage device without assistance from another device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

restoring the first and second provisioning data from the backup file to the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit by performing steps comprising;

identifying the first provisioning data contained in the backup file on the portable data storage device, wherein the first provisioning data is identified by the provisioning manager using the first metadata;

identifying the second provisioning data contained in the backup file on the portable data storage device, wherein the second provisioning data is identified by the provisioning manager using the second metadata;

extracting the first and second provisioning data from the backup file; and

applying the first provisioning data to a memory device of the main control unit and applying the second provisioning data to the auxiliary control unit via the communications network.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

cloning the first and second provisioning data from the backup file to another main control unit and another auxiliary control unit connected with the other main control unit via another communications network unit by performing steps comprising;

identifying in the backup file on the portable data storage device first provisioning data targeted for the other main control unit, wherein the first provisioning data is identified by a provisioning manager of the other main control unit using metadata associated with the first partition;

identifying in the backup file stored on the portable data storage device second provisioning data targeted for the other auxiliary control unit, wherein the second provisioning data is identified by the other provisioning manager using second metadata associated with the second partition;

extracting the first and second provisioning data from the backup file; and

applying the first provisioning data to a memory device of the other main control unit and applying the second provisioning data to the other auxiliary control unit via the other communications network.