Over-the-air download (OAD) methods and apparatus for use in facilitating application programming in wireless network devices of ad hoc wireless communication networks

• US 7,539,488 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John J. Oskorep, Chipcon AS (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments Norway AS (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Larry Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/270,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 455/420, 455/419, 455/418, 455/13.1, 455/16, 455/7, 455/403
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• 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 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

In one illustrative example, a wireless network device of a low data rate wireless personal area network (WPAN) or the like includes a controller, memory for storing one or more application programs, and a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller and operative for communications in the wireless network. The controller is adapted to receive, through the wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the wireless device to operate as a client in performing an OAD procedure for receiving the program from another wireless device which is operated as a server in the wireless network, and to operate the wireless device as the client in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instruction. The controller is further adapted to receive, through the wireless transceiver, one or more instructions for the wireless device to operate as a server in performing the OAD procedure for sending the program to one or more other wireless devices which are operated as clients in the wireless network, and to operate the wireless device as the server in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instructions. A, commissioner device of the wireless network may coordinate the assignment of client and server roles of the wireless devices for OAD procedures based on a variety of different heuristic or algorithmic techniques for optimal results.

Claims

1. A wireless network device, comprising:

a controller;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller and operative for communications in a wireless communication network;

memory for storing an application program;

the controller being adapted to execute the application program for controlling operation of the wireless network device;

the controller being further adapted to receive, through the wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the wireless network device to operate as a client in performing an over-the-air download (OAD) procedure for receiving the application program from another wireless network device which is operated as a server in the wireless communication network, and to operate the wireless network device as the client in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instruction; and

the controller being further adapted to receive, through the wireless transceiver, one or more instructions which cause the wireless network device to operate as a server in performing the OAD procedure for sending the application program to another wireless network device which is operated as a client in the wireless communication network, and to operate the wireless network device as the server in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instructions.

2. The wireless network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to operate the wireless network device as the client in performing the OAD procedure by sending, through the wireless transceiver, one or more instructions to receive the application program from the wireless network device operating as the server and receiving the application program in response, and the controller is further adapted to operate the wireless network device as the server in performing the OAD procedure by receiving, through the wireless transceiver, the one or more instructions to send the application program to the wireless network device and sending the application program in response.

3. The wireless network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive the instruction which causes the wireless network device to operate as the client in performing the OAD procedure from a commissioner device different from the other wireless network device.

4. The wireless network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive the instruction which causes the wireless network device to operate as the client in performing the OAD procedure from a commissioner device, and the controller is further adapted to receive the one or more instructions which cause the wireless network device to operate as the server in performing the OAD procedure from the other wireless network device which operates as the client in receiving the application program.

5. The wireless network device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further adapted to receive, through the wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the application program stored in the memory to be replaced by the application program received in the OAD procedure.

6. The wireless network device of claim 1, which comprises one of an end device and a router device in the wireless communication network.

7. The wireless network device of claim 1, wherein each one of a plurality of the other wireless network devices in the wireless communication network has a controller, memory, and a wireless transceiver which are adapted to operate in the same manner as the wireless network device.

8. The wireless network device of claim 1, which is part of a wireless network comprising a wireless personal area network (WPAN).

9. A wireless personal area network, comprising:

at least a first wireless network device, a second wireless network device, and a third wireless network device;

the first wireless network device having;

a first controller;

a first wireless transceiver coupled to the first controller and operative for communications in the wireless network;

a first memory for storing an application program;

the first controller being adapted to execute the application program for controlling operation of the first wireless network device;

the first controller being further adapted to receive, through the first wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the first wireless network device to operate as a client in performing an over-the-air download (OAD) procedure for receiving the application program from the third wireless network device which is operated as a server in the wireless network, and to operate the first wireless network device as the client in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instruction;

the first controller being further adapted to receive, through the first wireless transceiver, one or more instructions which cause the first wireless network device to operate as a server in performing the OAD procedure for sending the application program to the second wireless network device which is operated as a client in the wireless network, and to operate the first wireless network device as the server in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instructions;

the second wireless network device having;

a second controller;

a second wireless transceiver coupled to the second controller and operative for communications in the wireless network;

a second memory for storing the application program;

the second controller being adapted to execute the application program for controlling operation of the second wireless network device; and

the second controller being further adapted to receive, through the second wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the second wireless network device to operate as a client in performing the OAD procedure to receive the application program from the first wireless network device which is operated as the server in the wireless network, and to operate the second wireless network device as the client in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instruction.

10. The wireless personal area network of claim 9,further comprising:

the second controller being further adapted to receive, through the second wireless transceiver, one or more instructions which cause the second wireless network device to operate as a server in performing the OAD procedure for sending the application program to one or more other wireless network devices which are operated as clients in the wireless network, and to operate the second wireless network device as the server in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instructions.

11. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, wherein the first controller is further adapted to operate the first wireless network device as the client in performing the OAD procedure by sending, through the first wireless transceiver, one or more instructions to receive the application program from the third wireless network device operating as the server and receiving the application program in response, and the first controller is further adapted to operate the first wireless network device as the server in performing the OAD procedure by receiving, through the first wireless transceiver, the one or more instructions to send the application program to the second wireless network device and sending the application program in response.

12. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, wherein the first controller is further adapted to receive the instruction which causes the first wireless network device to operate as the client in performing the OAD procedure from a commissioner device different from the other wireless network device.

13. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, comprising a monitoring and/or control system.

14. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, wherein the second controller is further adapted to receive, through the second wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the application program stored in the second memory to be replaced by the application program received in the OAD procedure.

15. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, wherein the first and the second wireless network devices comprise one of an end device and a router in the wireless personal area network.

16. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, further comprising:

a commissioner device which is operative to send the instructions which cause the first and the second wireless network device to operate as the clients in the OAD procedures.

17. The wireless personal area network of claim 9, further comprising:

a commissioner device which is operative to send the instructions which cause the first and the second wireless network devices to operate as the clients in the OAD procedures;

a wireless network device which serves as a proxy device comprising;

a controller;

a wired communication interface coupled to the controller and adapted for connecting with the commissioner device;

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller; and

the controller being operative to communicate the instructions to the first and the second wireless network devices through the wireless transceiver.

18. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored in the computer readable medium;

the computer instructions being executable by a controller of a wireless network device for performing over-the-air download (OAD) procedures in a wireless communication network by;

receiving, through a wireless transceiver of a wireless network device, an instruction which causes the wireless network device to operate as a client in performing the OAD procedure for receiving an application program from another wireless network device which is operated as a server in a wireless communication network, and to operate the wireless network device as the client in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instruction; and

receiving, through the wireless transceiver, one or more instructions which cause the wireless network device to operate as a server in performing the OAD procedure for sending the application program to another wireless network device which is operated as a client in the wireless communication network, and to operate the wireless network device as the server in performing the OAD procedure in response to such instructions.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer instructions are further executable to receive the instruction which causes the wireless network device to operate as the client in performing the OAD procedure from a commissioner device, and to receive the one or more instructions which cause the wireless network device to operate as the server in performing the OAD procedure from the other wireless network device which operates as the client in receiving the application program.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer instructions are further executable to receive, through the wireless transceiver, an instruction which causes the application program stored in the memory to be replaced by the application program received in the OAD procedure.