UTILITY NODE SOFTWARE/FIRMWARE UPDATE THROUGH A MULTI-TYPE PACKAGE

• US 20140173579A1
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Barrett, Gregory Shane, McDonald, Brett, Whitfield, Samuel Lee, Guthrie, Kevin David, Collins, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Software and/or firmware of a utility node device may be updated by utilizing an update package that includes multiple update items related to different types of the software and/or firmware. The utility node device may selectively install one or more of the multiple update items based on a type of the software and/or firmware that is currently installed on the device. The different types of software and/or firmware may relate to different versions of the software and/or firmware and/or different types of hardware. In some instances, an update item of the update package comprises a delta file that contains differences between different versions of the software and/or firmware. The utility node device may comprise a smart utility meter, sensor, control device, transformer, switch, relay, or the like.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

under control of a utility node of a utility node network, the utility node being configured with specific executable instructions;

receiving an update package comprising a plurality of update items for updating different types of software and/or firmware stored on the utility node;

identifying one or more of the plurality of update items to apply to the utility node; and

updating the software and/or firmware of the utility node by applying the one or more identified update items to the utility node while refraining from applying one or more other update items of the plurality of update items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the different types of the software and/or firmware of the utility node relate to different versions of the software and/or firmware; and

the one or more of the plurality of update items to apply to the utility node are identified based at least in part on a version of the software and/or firmware that is currently installed on the utility node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the different types of the software and/or firmware of the utility node relate to different types of hardware; and

the one or more of the plurality of update items to apply to the utility node are identified based at least in part on a type of hardware of the utility node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of update items of the update package comprises a delta file containing a difference between two versions of the software and/or firmware of the utility node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the update package is received along with package description data describing the plurality of update items, the package description data identifying at least one of a type of device to which one of the plurality of update items is to be applied, a version of one of the plurality of update items, or a prerequisite update item to be applied before one of the plurality of update items is applied.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more of the plurality of update items to apply to the utility node are identified based at least in part on the package description data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before updating the software and/or firmware of the utility node, performing one or more validation checks related to a particular update item of the one or more identified update items; and

determining a level of compliance with the one or more validation checks,

wherein the software and/or firmware of the utility node is updated based at least in part on the level of compliance with the one or more validation checks.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more validation checks comprise at least one of checking that a device type of the utility node matches a device type of the particular update item or checking that a prerequisite update item has been applied to the utility node.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting consumption data from another utility node of the utility node network while the utility node is being updated.

10. A utility node comprising:

a radio configured to communicate over a wireless connection with another utility node of the utility node network;

memory communicatively coupled to the radio and storing;

a metrology module configured to collect consumption data from the other utility node of the utility network; and

an update module configured to update the software and/or firmware of the utility node by performing the method of claim 1.

11. A method comprising:

under control of a head-end device of a utility node network, the head-end device being configured with specific executable instructions;

receiving an update package including a plurality of update items for updating different types of utility node software and/or utility node firmware;

identifying one or more utility nodes of the utility node network to update;

repackaging the update package to include one or more update items, from among the plurality of update items, that are applicable to updating the one or more identified utility nodes; and

causing the repackaged update package to be sent to the one or more identified utility nodes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of update items of the update package comprises firmware update data to update utility node firmware of the one or more identified utility nodes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of update items of the update package comprises a delta file containing a difference between two versions of the utility node software and/or the utility node firmware.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after causing the repackaged update package to be sent to the one or more identified nodes, causing an activation message to be sent to the one or more identified nodes to instruct the one or more identified nodes to update the utility node software and/or the utility node firmware by applying the one or more update items that are included in the repackaged update package.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying information related to updating the one or more identified utility nodes, the information identifying at least one of a version of the utility node software and/or the utility node firmware that is currently installed on the one or more identified utility nodes, a device type of the one or more identified utility nodes, or an end-version of the software and/or firmware to which the one or more identified utility nodes will be updated,

wherein the update package is repackaged based at least in part on the information related to updating the one or more identified utility nodes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the update package is repackaged based at least in part on package description data describing the plurality of update items, the package description data identifying at least one of a type of device to which one of the plurality of update items is to be applied, a version of one of the plurality of update items, or a prerequisite update item to be applied before one of the plurality of update items is applied.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying one or more utility nodes comprises:

causing a plurality of utility node icons to be displayed to a user, the plurality of utility node icons representing a plurality of utility nodes of the utility node network, respectively;

receiving a selection of one or more of the plurality of utility node icons; and

identifying one or more utility nodes from among the plurality of utility nodes based at least in part on the selection.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, instruct one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining an update package comprising a plurality of update items for updating different types of software and/or firmware of a utility node;

identifying one or more of the plurality of update items to install on the utility node; and

causing the software and/or firmware of the utility node to be updated by installing the one or more identified update items.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the different types of software and/or firmware of the utility nodes relate to at least one of different versions of the software and/or firmware or different types of hardware.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the operations are performed by at least one of the utility node or a head-end device of a utility network in which the utility node is located.