Firmware rollback method for electronic equipment, control module, electronic equipment and program product

Abstract

The invention provides a firmware rollback method of electronic equipment. The method comprises the following steps: monitoring the operation of the electronic equipment to obtain operation data; according to the operation data and historical data of the electronic equipment, whether firmware backspacing is carried out or not is determined; responding to firmware rollback, and judging whether the current state of the electronic equipment meets a rollback condition or not; if the backspacing condition is met, firmware backspacing is started, so that firmware of the electronic equipment is backspacing from the latest version to the previous version; and entering self-adaptive processing when rollback abnormity occurs when rollback is performed from the latest version to the previous version.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to upgrade technology for electronic devices, and more specifically, to firmware rollback technology. Background Technology

[0002] Firmware upgrade failures on embedded devices will cause the device to malfunction. To avoid this, backup software is typically installed in the embedded device to initiate a backup if the upgrade fails. However, this is extremely costly for embedded devices with limited storage space. Another solution is to set up a remote backup, downloading it when the upgrade fails. However, due to network speed limitations, remote downloads can negatively impact the user experience.

[0003] It is necessary to improve the firmware upgrades for embedded devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of this application, a firmware rollback method for an electronic device is provided, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring the operation of the electronic device to obtain operating data; determining whether to perform firmware rollback based on the operating data and historical data of the electronic device; in response to performing firmware rollback, determining whether the current state of the electronic device meets rollback conditions; if the rollback conditions are met, initiating firmware rollback to roll back the firmware of the electronic device from the latest version to the previous version; and when a rollback exception occurs when rolling back from the latest version to the previous version, entering adaptive processing.

[0005] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additionally, includes the adaptive processing comprising: performing a firmware rollback from the previous version to an earlier version to revert the firmware to an earlier firmware version, and, if a rollback exception occurs when reverting to the earlier version, reverting the firmware to a minimized running version.

[0006] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additionally, includes one or more of the following: storing recorded data related to at least the rollback anomaly in a preset storage area and / or sending it over a network; issuing an alert signal to indicate the rollback anomaly, the alert signal being at least one of an audible signal and a visible signal.

[0007] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additional example, includes monitoring the operation of the electronic device by monitoring one or more of the following: the load of the electronic device, the network of the electronic device, the power supply of the electronic device, abnormal restarts of the electronic device, and the natural environment in which the electronic device operates.

[0008] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additional example, determines whether to perform firmware rollback based on the operational data and the historical data of the device, including: inputting the operational data into a rollback prediction model, and having the rollback prediction model determine whether to perform firmware rollback based on the historical data and the operational data; wherein the historical data includes previously recorded operational data of the electronic device.

[0009] The firmware rollback method, for example or additionally, involves training the rollback prediction model as follows: comparing the running data with the historical running data, and determining whether to rollback based on the rollback status of the electronic device under the historical running data when the similarity rate between the two is higher than a similarity rate threshold.

[0010] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additional example, involves training the rollback prediction model to determine whether to roll back the firmware based on the running data and the weighted values ​​of each monitoring item, wherein the weighted values ​​for each monitoring item are determined according to the firmware rollback status corresponding to the corresponding monitoring item in the historical data.

[0011] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additionally, further includes: during the execution of each step, recording data related to the rollback and feeding it back to the rollback prediction model to optimize the model.

[0012] The firmware rollback method, as an example or additionally, is performed when the electronic device begins a firmware upgrade.

[0013] A control module for firmware rollback is also provided, both the control module and the firmware being configured in the electronic device, the control module being configured to perform any of the methods described above.

[0014] An electronic device is also provided, comprising: a firmware storage area for storing multiple backups of firmware, the versions of which are different from each other; a memory storing program instructions; and a processor that, when executing the program instructions, implements any one of the methods. As an example, the electronic device includes a microcontroller unit in which the processor may be disposed.

[0015] In the examples above, the electronic device can be any of the following: a microcontroller unit (MCU), an electronic controller including an MCU, or an embedded device.

[0016] The program product also provides program instructions that, when executed, implement any one of the methods. Attached Figure Description

[0017] This application will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same elements, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 These are schematic diagrams of the structure of electronic devices according to some examples of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating some examples of firmware rollback methods based on this application;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating firmware rollback methods based on some specific examples of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the described implementation methods are only a part of the implementation methods of the technical solutions of this application, and not all of them. All other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art based on the implementation methods described in this application document without creative effort are covered by the protection scope of this application.

[0022] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the structure of an electronic device according to some examples of this application, which includes a microcontroller unit (MCU). In some examples, the electronic device may be an embedded device. In still other examples, the electronic device is an electronic controller including an MCU, such as an electronic control unit (ECU) in a vehicle or a microcontroller in building control.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, electronic device 1 includes a microcontroller unit 10. The microcontroller unit 10 includes a processor 100 and a memory 102. The memory 102 includes different storage units, such as a read-only memory (ROM) containing a bootloader and an application storage area, which may be flash memory. In this example, the application storage area is shown as part of the memory 102 and is illustrated as the internal storage area of ​​the microcontroller unit 10; however, applications can also be stored on external storage media. Furthermore, it should be noted that only the components of electronic device 1 and microcontroller unit 10 relevant to this application are illustrated here. In reality, electronic device 1 and microcontroller unit 10 may each include more components and devices, and this application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0024] For example, when power is turned on to the embedded device (electronic device 1), the MCU 10 is powered on and reset. The bootloader initializes the MCU's hardware resources, such as the clock, memory controller, and interfaces, to ensure the MCU can function properly. After hardware resource initialization is complete, the bootloader begins loading the application program. Once the application program is loaded into the MCU 10's memory, the bootloader transfers control to the application program to execute the various functions and tasks defined by the user through the application.

[0025] According to the examples in this application, the electronic device 1 may further include a firmware storage area 20 to store multiple backups of firmware. The firmware storage area 20 is, for example, flash memory, which is communicatively connected to the MCU 10. The firmware backups stored in the firmware storage area 20 include the latest firmware version, the current firmware, the previous firmware, and the minimized firmware. "Latest firmware version" in this application refers to the target version used for upgrades; "previous firmware" refers to a firmware version earlier than the current firmware version, usually the version preceding the current version, and in some cases, it may be an earlier version, which is not limited in this application; "minimally run firmware" in this application refers to the initial firmware version set at the factory.

[0026] The firmware rollback method according to the example of this application can begin execution after the electronic device 1 is powered on. This allows for continuous monitoring of the electronic device's operation to determine if the firmware is running stably and whether a rollback to the previous firmware version is necessary. For example, if the electronic device 1 downloads a target firmware or a user sends it a target firmware, the electronic device 1 can begin an upgrade to update the current firmware to the target firmware. The firmware rollback method according to the example of this application monitors this upgrade process and promptly detects firmware anomalies, performing a rollback or taking adaptive measures if a rollback fails. The method according to the example of this application can be executed when the electronic device begins a firmware upgrade, and in some cases, it can continue until the electronic device is running stably based on the upgraded firmware or any backup of the firmware; of course, execution can also be terminated in other ways, such as through manual control or by meeting other conditions.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a firmware rollback method according to some examples of this application, the firmware being configured in an electronic device. Figure 2 The method shown can be derived from Figure 1 The illustrated electronic device 1 performs this action. As an example... Figure 2 The method shown can be executed during firmware upgrade of electronic device 1, that is, when the electronic device has downloaded the target firmware version and wants to upgrade the current version to the target version; it can be executed after the firmware upgrade is completed (that is, the firmware of the electronic device has been upgraded to the target version) but it is not yet determined whether the firmware and the electronic device can run stably based on the upgraded firmware.

[0028] In step S200, the operation of the electronic device is monitored to obtain operational data. For example, the operational data includes monitoring items and the data recorded for those monitoring items. For instance, monitoring the electronic device 1 includes monitoring one or more of the following: monitoring the device load of the device 1, more specifically, monitoring the utilization rate of the MCU processor of the device 1; monitoring the network of the device 1, more specifically, monitoring the bandwidth of the communication network to which the device 1 is connected; monitoring the power supply of the device 1, more specifically, monitoring the power status of the device 1, such as battery level; monitoring abnormal restarts of the device 1, more specifically, monitoring abnormal restarts of the embedded device 1 and recording the context and number of abnormal restarts; and monitoring the natural environment in which the device 1 operates, specifically including the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the device 1 is located. Monitoring the temperature and humidity in the natural environment can be achieved, for example, by installing temperature sensors and humidity sensors on the electronic device 1. Correspondingly, the monitoring items in this example are one or more of the load of the electronic device 1, the network of the electronic device 1, the power supply of the electronic device 1, abnormal restarts of the electronic device 1, and the natural environment in which the electronic device 1 operates.

[0029] In step S202, based on the operational data and the historical data of the electronic device, it is determined whether to perform a firmware rollback. The historical data includes at least previously recorded operational data of the electronic device 1. In some cases, the historical data also includes log records, diagnostic records, and data recorded when the device malfunctions. That is, the historical data can include data recorded when the device is working normally as well as data recorded when the device malfunctions. As an example, the electronic device 1 is equipped with a pre-trained rollback prediction model, which is trained to determine whether a rollback is needed based on historical data and operational data.

[0030] In some specific examples, the rollback prediction model compares the currently monitored operational data (i.e., the operational data obtained in step S200) with the corresponding operational data in historical data to determine the similarity rate between the two. Specifically, it retrieves monitoring items corresponding to the monitoring items in the current operational data from historical data, such as processor utilization, network bandwidth, power supply, and restart status, and obtains the values ​​of these monitoring items from historical data. In a more specific example, the obtained monitoring item values ​​are the monitoring item values ​​recorded in the same recording period during past recording processes, such as data from time period T1, rather than one monitoring value being taken from a morning monitoring value and another monitoring value being taken from an afternoon monitoring value. In this way, using monitoring items as comparison targets, the similarity between historical data and current operational data is determined. If the data similarity reaches a similarity threshold, it is considered that the current operation of the electronic device is very similar to the operation of that period in historical data. Therefore, predictions can be made based on the firmware operation during that period: if the firmware was running well at that time, no rollback is needed; if the firmware was running poorly at that time, there is a certain rollback requirement; if a firmware rollback was performed at that time, the probability of needing a rollback is very high. In this way, the rollback prediction model can determine the probability of needing to roll back. With a pre-set rollback probability threshold, the determined rollback probability is compared with the rollback probability threshold. When the determined probability is greater than the rollback probability threshold, a signal indicating rollback is output.

[0031] In other specific examples, the rollback prediction model calculates the probability of needing to roll back based on the current operational data obtained from monitoring and the weighting values ​​set for each monitoring item. The weighting values ​​for each monitoring item are determined based on the firmware rollback situations corresponding to different monitoring items in historical data. Similarly, when the calculated probability is greater than the rollback probability threshold, a signal indicating rollback is output.

[0032] If a rollback is determined in step S202, proceed to step S204. If a firmware rollback is not performed in step S202, execution can end, or step S202 can continue. In step S204, the current state of the electronic device is detected to determine whether its state meets the rollback conditions. For example, detecting the current state of the electronic device includes checking whether the hardware of the electronic device is normal and whether the main software functions are normal, based on the operating data recorded in step S200 and, if logs are available, in conjunction with the logs. This includes checking whether the processor is functioning normally, whether the processor usage is too high, and whether the RTOS is functioning normally if one is present. The detection targets can be set, but at least the most basic hardware and software functions that ensure the normal operation of the electronic device should be set as the detection target state. For example, if the processor, as the detection target, has an abnormal hardware state, the electronic device cannot operate. Or, if the processor usage, as the detection target, is too high, it indicates that the processor is currently executing an application. Performing a rollback at this time may cause the user's application to exit abnormally; therefore, high usage is set as not meeting the rollback conditions.

[0033] If it is determined in step S204 that the electronic device meets the rollback conditions, a firmware rollback operation is performed, as shown in step S206. If it is determined in step S204 that the electronic device does not meet the rollback conditions, proceed to step S210 and end; or, in some examples, alternatively, step S204 can continue to be executed to continuously determine whether the electronic device has met the rollback conditions based on new data.

[0034] In step S206, the electronic device performs a rollback operation. The rollback operation may include, for example, deleting the latest version (i.e., the target firmware version, e.g., V4) and retrieving the current firmware from the firmware storage area (i.e., the firmware version used before upgrading to the target version, e.g., V3). In the example provided, the electronic device is running based on this firmware during or after the upgrade process. Either way, this can be performed after the electronic device is powered on. Figure 2 The method is illustrated. In this example, the electronic device deletes version V4 in this step, retrieves the backed-up version V3 from the firmware storage area before upgrading to V4, and expects to re-install the V3 firmware onto the embedded device 1 so that it can be used as the device's firmware. According to the example of this application, if the rollback from the latest version V4 to the current firmware version V3 (S207) is successful, the electronic device runs with the V3 firmware. According to some examples, in this case, the method can be executed again from step S200 to continue monitoring the operation of the electronic device under the current firmware version V3.

[0035] According to the example in this application, if the rollback from the latest version V4 to the current firmware V3 version fails, the process proceeds to step S208 to enter the adaptive processing procedure. If the rollback is successful, the process proceeds to step S210 to end; or, alternatively, the process can return to step S200 to monitor the operating data to determine if the firmware and electronic device are operating normally after the rollback.

[0036] The adaptive processing includes step S2080, which involves rolling back the firmware from the current firmware to an earlier version, such as version V2. This earlier version is also stored in the firmware storage area. If the rollback in step S2080 is successful, in some examples, the method can be executed again from step S200 to continue monitoring the operation of the electronic device under that earlier version. If the rollback in step S2080 fails, step S2082 is executed to roll back to the minimal running version. For example, but not as a limitation, when rolling back the firmware to an earlier version in S2080, step S204 can be executed again to detect in real time whether the electronic device meets the current rollback conditions. If it does, the rollback is executed; otherwise, proceed to step S2082.

[0037] In the various examples of this application, rollback anomalies and rollback failures may include various situations such as rollback not being completed or rollback being completed but not running normally.

[0038] In this example, the adaptive processing includes the steps (not shown): storing recorded data related to at least the rollback anomaly in a preset storage area and / or sending it via a network; issuing an alert signal to indicate the rollback anomaly, the alert signal being at least one of an audible signal and a visible signal. For example, when detecting electronic equipment based on operational data or in step S204, if the monitoring or detection results indicate that the electronic equipment is faulty; or, firmware anomalies cause serious malfunctions in the electronic equipment, relevant data can be recorded, stored, or sent via a network for subsequent fault handling. Additionally, a notification can be issued via flashing lights or a buzzer to inform on-site personnel.

[0039] According to a specific example of this application, monitoring ( Figure 2Step S200) involves the operation of the electronic device and the process of determining whether to perform a rollback by the rollback prediction model (step S202), which can be referred to as the intelligent rollback detection stage S1 of the firmware rollback method according to this application. Steps S204 to S207 involve detecting the electronic device to determine whether its state meets the rollback conditions, which is a real-time fault diagnosis of the electronic device. If a fault is diagnosed, the rollback conditions are not met. In this specific example, this process is referred to as the real-time fault diagnosis stage S2. Furthermore, the adaptive processing starting from step S208 can be regarded as the adaptive recovery stage S3. According to this specific example, each of the above stages S1, S2, and S3 can be implemented as a software module by a program.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the firmware rollback method for this specific example, which can be implemented by... Figure 1 The scenario in which the electronic device 1 executes the method is that the firmware of the electronic device 1 has downloaded the target firmware and wants to upgrade the current firmware from the current version to the target firmware. The firmware storage area 20 of the electronic device stores the downloaded target firmware, the backup of the current version, the backup of an earlier version, and the minimized running version (in this example, the firmware version at the factory). Each backup version is a firmware version that can run stably.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, in step S300, the process begins. In step S302, the MCU 10 starts the bootloader. Then, it enters stage S1. In step S304, the operation of the electronic device is monitored to obtain operational data. In step S306, a rollback prediction model is used to determine whether to roll back based on operational data and historical data. If a rollback is determined, the process enters the real-time fault diagnosis stage S2. If the determination result is no rollback, the process proceeds to step S500, ending the upgrade process. If the determination result is a rollback, the process proceeds to step S308, initiating real-time fault detection. In step S310, the electronic device is monitored in real-time to determine if its status meets the rollback conditions. If the determination result is met, the process proceeds to step S312. If the determination result is not met, the process proceeds to step S500, ending the upgrade process. In step S312, the rollback process is executed, reverting the firmware of the electronic device from the target version being upgraded to the current version.

[0042] The current version is the stable firmware version used by the electronic device before upgrading to the target version. During the rollback process, step S310 is continuously executed to check the status of the electronic device. In this example, during the check in step S310, relevant data can also be recorded as diagnostic data, log data, and operational data. In step S314, it is determined whether the rollback from the target version to the current version has failed or succeeded. If the upgrade is successful, the upgrade process ends. If the result of step S314 is that the rollback has failed, the adaptive recovery phase S3 begins.

[0043] In the adaptive recovery phase S3, data such as diagnostic data and log data recorded in phase S2, and in some cases, possibly also in phase S1, can be reported or stored. Optionally, an alert signal can be issued to inform on-site personnel. This process is shown in step S400. In step S402, the rollback process of the adaptive recovery phase is initiated, that is, the process of rolling back the firmware to an earlier version (i.e., a version prior to the current version) is initiated. During the rollback process, the status of the electronic device is continuously checked, that is, returning to step S310 of phase S2. If the electronic device meets the rollback conditions, the rollback operation continues; otherwise, the upgrade process ends. In step S312, the rollback operation is performed, here, the rollback process of phase S3 to an earlier version is performed. In step S404, it is determined whether the rollback is successful. If the rollback is successful, the upgrade process ends. If the rollback fails, proceed to step S406 to restore the firmware to the factory firmware version of the electronic device. Proceed to step S500 to end the upgrade process. After the upgrade process is completed, the MCU starts the application and enters the normal working state.

[0044] This application also provides a firmware control module. The control module and firmware can be configured in the same electronic device, such as in a device including the same MCU, the same embedded device, or within the same MCU. The control module can be implemented as software via program instructions and set within the electronic device. Alternatively, the control module can be implemented using a combination of software and hardware, thereby being constructed within the electronic device. Regardless of the implementation method, the control module is configured to implement any of the methods described in this application.

[0045] This application also provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a firmware storage area, multiple backups for storing firmware, the versions of which are different from each other, a memory for storing program instructions, and a processor for executing the program instructions, thereby implementing any of the methods described in this application. The electronic device is, for example,... Figure 1 Electronic devices.

[0046] This application also provides a program product, including program instructions that, when executed, implement any of the methods described in this application.

[0047] By executing the method described in this application, or using a control module or electronic device employing this method, the system automatically monitors / detects the operating status of the electronic device during firmware upgrades or immediately after an upgrade before it reaches stable operation. During the upgrade process, it predicts whether a rollback is necessary due to the current situation based on operating data and historical data. If a rollback is predicted, it immediately determines whether the current state of the electronic device is suitable for rollback. If rollback is deemed suitable, it is executed. Compared to rollback only after an upgrade has unexpectedly caused the electronic device to malfunction, the solution in this application can determine whether to rollback as early as possible through prediction, effectively reducing the possibility of electronic devices becoming inoperable due to upgrade failures.

[0048] Furthermore, the examples in this application provide multiple firmware backups. If the first rollback to the previous version fails, an earlier version can be rolled back. If it fails again, it can be rolled back to the minimal running version that is usually the factory setting. In this way, the rollback method can be dynamically adjusted to ensure that the electronic device is always in a working state and will not crash due to the failure of the rollback.

[0049] In short, the examples in this application implement a mechanism for automatically rolling back to the earlier version when the device upgrade fails without manual intervention. Through rollback detection and dynamic adjustment strategies, the device can intelligently roll back during the firmware update process, which improves the operational stability and reliability of the device and effectively reduces device abnormalities and user inconvenience caused by firmware update failures.

[0050] The technical features in the various embodiments of this application can be combined with each other to form new implementation methods without departing from the spirit of this application and without conflicting with each other. Although specific embodiments of this application have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the principles of this application, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in other ways without departing from such principles.

Claims

1. A firmware rollback method for electronic devices, characterized in that, The method includes: Monitor the operation of the electronic device to obtain operational data; Based on the operational data and the historical data of the electronic device, determine whether to perform firmware rollback; In response to firmware rollback, determine whether the current state of the electronic device meets the rollback conditions; If the rollback conditions are met, firmware rollback is initiated to revert the firmware of the electronic device from the latest version to the previous version; and When a rollback exception occurs when reverting from the latest version to the previous version, adaptive processing is initiated.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive processing includes: Perform a firmware rollback from the previous version to an earlier version, so that the firmware reverts to a firmware version earlier than the previous version, and If a rollback anomaly occurs when reverting to the earlier version, the firmware will be reverted to the minimized version.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The adaptive processing includes one or more of the following: Store the recorded data, at least those related to the rollback exception, in a pre-defined storage area and / or send it over the network; A warning signal is issued to indicate that the rollback is abnormal, and the warning signal is at least one of an audible signal and a visible signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the current state of the electronic device does not meet the rollback conditions, a warning signal indicating that the electronic device is malfunctioning is issued.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Monitoring the operation of the electronic device includes monitoring one or more of the following: the load of the electronic device, the network of the electronic device, the power supply of the electronic device, abnormal restarts of the electronic device, and the natural environment in which the electronic device operates.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the operational data and the device's historical data, determining whether to perform a firmware rollback includes: The running data is input into the rollback prediction model, which then determines whether to perform a firmware rollback based on the historical data and the running data. The historical data includes previously recorded operating data of the electronic device.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rollback prediction model is trained by comparing the running data with the running data in the historical data, and determining whether to roll back based on the rollback status of the electronic device under the historical running data when the similarity rate between the two is higher than the similarity rate threshold.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rollback prediction model is trained by determining whether to roll back the firmware based on the running data and the weighted values ​​of each monitoring item, wherein the weighted values ​​for each monitoring item are determined according to the firmware rollback status corresponding to the corresponding monitoring item in the historical data.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: during the execution of each step, recording data related to the rollback and feeding it back to the rollback prediction model to optimize the model.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method is executed when the electronic device begins a firmware upgrade.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The electronic device is any one of a microcontroller unit (MCU), an electronic controller including an MCU, or an embedded device.

12. A control module for firmware rollback, characterized in that, Both the control module and the firmware are configured in the electronic device, and the control module is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. The control module according to claim 12, characterized in that, The electronic device is any one of a microcontroller unit (MCU), an electronic controller including an MCU, or an embedded device.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes: A firmware storage area is used to store multiple backups of firmware, wherein the versions of the backups are different from each other; A memory, wherein program instructions are stored; A processor that, when executing the program instructions, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a microcontroller unit, and the processor is disposed in the microcontroller unit.

16. The electronic device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that, The electronic device is an embedded device.

17. A program product comprising program instructions, characterized in that, When the program instructions are executed, they implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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