Systems and methods for updating device software

• US 8,332,838 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Matlin, Gabriel Alan, D'Avello, Robert F., Mulderink, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Cheneca
• Application Number:
  US11/940,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20090125897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,854 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/63 Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Methods and systems for updating device software are disclosed, including a method for updating an information handling system, the method comprising: rebooting the information handling system; loading operational software for operating the information handling system; applying one or more updates to the operational software to obtain updated operational software; and executing the updated operational software.

Claims

1. A method for updating an information handling system, the method comprising:

loading, upon reboot or reset, an original form operational software for operating the information handling system, the original form operational software not including any updates;

copying, previous updates, from an active update memory block to an inactive update memory block of at least two non-volatile update memory blocks;

adding at least one update to the inactive update memory block;

designating the inactive update memory block as a newly designated active update memory block;

applying the at least one update and the previous updates from the newly designated active update memory block to the operational software to obtain updated operational software; and

executing the updated operational software.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least one update and previous updates were correctly added to the inactive update memory block prior to designating the inactive update memory block as the newly designated active update memory block.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the loading and the applying after every reboot of the information handling system.

4. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

non-volatile memory; and

a communications unit, the information handling system being configured to;

load, upon reboot or reset, an original form operational software for operating the information handling system, the original form operational software not including any updates;

copy, previous updates, from an active update memory block to an inactive update memory block of at least two non-volatile update memory blocks of said non-volatile memory;

add at least one update to the inactive update memory block;

designate the inactive update memory block as a newly designated active update memory block;

apply the at least one update and the previous updates from the newly designated active update memory block to the operational software to obtain updated operational software; and

execute the updated operational software.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, being further configured to determine that the at least one update and previous updates were correctly added to the inactive update memory block prior to designating the inactive update memory block as the newly designated active update memory block.

6. The information handling system of claim 4, being further configured to perform the loading and the applying after every reboot of the information handling system.

7. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer operable medium, the computer program product comprising software code being effective to:

load, upon reboot or reset, an original form operational software for operating the information handling system, the original form operational software not including any updates;

copy, previous updates, from an active update memory block to an inactive update memory block of at least two non-volatile update memory blocks of said non-volatile memory;

add at least one update to the inactive update memory block;

designate the inactive update memory block as a newly designated active update memory block;

apply the at least one update and the previous updates from the newly designated active update memory block to the operational software to obtain updated operational software; and

execute the updated operational software.

8. The product of claim 7, being further effective to determine that the at least one update and previous updates were correctly added to the inactive update memory block prior to designating the inactive update memory block as the newly designated active update memory block.

9. The product of claim 7, being further effective to perform the loading and the applying after every reboot of the information handling system.