Upgrading peripheral devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, at a network device, an upgrade package over a computer network sent from a client device, the upgrade package including a flash erase file containing null data and upgrade software;
determining upgrade information for a peripheral device installed in the network device, the upgrade information comprising a type and version of the peripheral device and an upgrade process for the peripheral device;
determining if the update package is compatible with the peripheral device based on the upgrade information; and
automatically upgrading internal software of the peripheral device if the upgrade package is compatible with the peripheral device by appending contents of the flash erase file to a packet header, the packet header containing instructions for the peripheral device for overwriting contents of software in the peripheral device with the appended contents, and by transferring the packet header and the upgrade software to the peripheral device by a connection.
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Abstract
Upgrading a peripheral device in a network device includes sending an upgrade package to the network device over a computer network and automatically upgrading the internal software of the peripheral device using the upgrade package.
31 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a network device, an upgrade package over a computer network sent from a client device, the upgrade package including a flash erase file containing null data and upgrade software; determining upgrade information for a peripheral device installed in the network device, the upgrade information comprising a type and version of the peripheral device and an upgrade process for the peripheral device; determining if the update package is compatible with the peripheral device based on the upgrade information; and automatically upgrading internal software of the peripheral device if the upgrade package is compatible with the peripheral device by appending contents of the flash erase file to a packet header, the packet header containing instructions for the peripheral device for overwriting contents of software in the peripheral device with the appended contents, and by transferring the packet header and the upgrade software to the peripheral device by a connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 27)
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8. A system comprising:
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a computer network; a network device coupled to the network; and a peripheral device installed within the network device; wherein the network device comprises a processor configured to; receive over the network an upgrade package that includes a flash erase file containing null data and upgrade software to update the peripheral device; determine upgrade information for a peripheral device installed in the network device, the upgrade information comprising a type and version of the peripheral device and an upgrade process for the peripheral device; determine if the update package is compatible with the peripheral device based on the upgrade information; append contents of the flash erase file to a packet header if the peripheral device is compatible with the upgrade information, the packet header containing instructions for the peripheral device to overwrite contents of software in the peripheral device with the appended contents; and transfer the packet header and the upgrade software to the peripheral device by a connection to automatically upgrade the peripheral device if the contents of the flash erase file are appended to the packet header. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for causing a computer system to:
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recognize a received package as an upgrade package intended for a peripheral device installed in a network device, the upgrade package including a flash erase file containing null data and upgrade software; determine upgrade information for a peripheral device installed in the network device, the upgrade information comprising a type and version of the peripheral device and an upgrade process for the peripheral device; determine if the update package is compatible with the peripheral device based on the upgrade information; append contents of the flash erase file to a packet header if the peripheral device is compatible with the upgrade information, the packet header containing instructions for the peripheral device to overwrite contents of software in the peripheral device with the appended contents; and transfer the packet header a;
id the upgrade software to the peripheral device by a connection to automaticallyupgrade internal software in the peripheral device if the contents of the flash erase file rare appended to the packet header. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus comprising:
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a port for coupling the apparatus to a network; a peripheral device installed in the apparatus; and a processor; wherein the processor is configured to; receive an upgrade package through the port, the upgrade package including a flash erase file containing null data and upgrade software; determine upgrade information for a peripheral device installed in the network device, the upgrade information comprising a type and version of the peripheral device and an upgrade process for ;
he peripheral device;determine if the update package is compatible with the peripheral device based on the upgrade information; append contents of the clash erase file to a packet header if the peripheral device is compatible with the upgrade information, the packet header containing instructions for the peripheral device to overwrite contents of software in the peripheral device with the appended contents; and transfer the packet header and the upgrade software to the peripheral device by a connection to automatically upgrade internal software of the peripheral device if the contents of the flash erase file are appended to the packet header. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification