Cable Card Firmware Upgrade Deferral Mechanism
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for upgrading firmware in cable broadcasting receivers often disrupt ongoing applications, such as video on-demand, audio on-demand, and digital video recorder services, leading to user dissatisfaction and potential billing issues due to immediate reboots during firmware updates.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a cable broadcasting receiver with multiple inband tuners and a controller that selects an available tuner for firmware updates, deferring resets based on the type and importance of applications, allowing for either immediate or deferred reboots to minimize service disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If firmware upgrading is performed immediately using inband tuner, then firmware update speed is improved, but application service continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tuner resource into multiple independent inband tuners, allowing one tuner to handle firmware upgrading while another maintains application services. This segmentation enables parallel operations without mutual interference, resolving the contradiction between update speed and service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary checks to determine whether applications are currently using the tuner before initiating firmware upgrading. If the tuner is in use, the upgrading operation is deferred until the application completes, preventing service disruption while maintaining update capability.
2Reliability
If multiple inband tuners are provided for firmware upgrading, then application service continuity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing inband tuners multi-functional by enabling them to serve both application services and firmware upgrading operations depending on availability. This universality allows the system to maintain service continuity without adding dedicated hardware, thus avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service mechanisms where the tuner automatically determines its own availability status and manages firmware upgrading operations accordingly. The tuner can autonomously defer upgrading when in use by applications, eliminating the need for complex external coordination mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A broadcasting receiver and a method for upgrading firmware of a cable card are disclosed. When firmware upgrading of the cable card is completed and a reset request is transmitted from the cable card to a host, if an application which is being executed is affected by rebooting of the cable card, the host defers the reset, so that a user can normally use the existing application service through the cable broadcasting receiver.