Battery-Aware Software and Firmware Update Scheduling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile computing systems face challenges in updating software and firmware due to limited battery capacity, lack of resource guarantees, inefficient resource use, and forced updates, leading to potential system failures and security vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for dynamic resource determination that ensures required resources are available before initiating a system update, using a predictive resource evaluator and Min-Power-Update mode to guarantee resource availability, ensuring a successful update without wasting resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rudimentary heuristic based residual battery requirements are used to avoid system failure, then system reliability is improved, but user experience deteriorates and resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary resource assessment and prediction before initiating an update. The predictive resource evaluator determines whether sufficient resources will be available during the update process, and only initiates the update if the assessment is positive. This prevents mid-point failures while maintaining good user experience by avoiding forced updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors available resources (battery capacity, storage space, processing power) and uses this feedback to dynamically determine whether to proceed with an update. The predictive resource evaluator provides feedback about future resource availability, allowing the system to make informed decisions that balance reliability with user experience.
2Reliability
If forced updates are implemented to ensure system updates, then system reliability is improved, but user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Before initiating a forced update, the system performs a preliminary resource assessment to ensure sufficient resources are available. The predictive resource evaluator predicts whether the update can complete successfully given current resource constraints, allowing the system to proceed with reliability while respecting user experience by avoiding disruptive forced updates when resources are insufficient.
3Productivity
If updates are initiated without resource guarantees, then update speed is improved, but resource waste increases and system reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary resource assessment using the predictive resource evaluator before initiating an update. This determines whether sufficient battery capacity, storage space, and processing resources are available. The update is only initiated if the assessment confirms resource sufficiency, preventing resource waste from failed updates while maintaining efficient update speed when resources are available.
4Reliability
If pre-OS UEFI/BIOS level resource control is implemented, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a predictive resource evaluator as an intermediary component that operates at the pre-OS UEFI/BIOS level. This mediator assesses resource availability and makes decisions about update initiation without requiring complex low-level control mechanisms, thereby improving reliability while managing device complexity through a dedicated assessment layer.
Data Source
AI summary
The technology disclosed herein includes getting a system update configuration for managing updating of at least one of a software component and a firmware component of a computing system powered by a battery; determining an estimated system update time of usage of the battery to update the at least one of the software component and the firmware component based at least in part on the system update configuration; updating the at least one of the software component and the firmware component when resource requirements of the system update configuration are met and the estimated system update time is less than or equal to a minimum remaining time of usage of the battery; and deferring the updating when the resource requirements of the system update configuration are not met or the estimated system update time is greater than the minimum remaining time of usage of the battery.