IoT Firmware Update via Access Point Caching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for updating firmware in IoT devices are inefficient, as each device individually checks for and downloads updates, leading to multiple secure session setups and excessive network bandwidth usage, especially when multiple devices require the same firmware updates.

Innovation Solution

An access point in the wireless network receives registration requests from IoT devices, determines firmware update availability, downloads the update, and broadcasts or unicast notifications to the devices, allowing them to download from the access point instead of individual servers, optimizing network bandwidth.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If each IoT device individually checks for and downloads firmware updates from remote servers, then each device can receive updates independently, but network bandwidth consumption increases significantly and update delays occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefirmware update deliveryVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The access point acts as an intermediary between remote firmware servers and IoT devices. It receives firmware updates from servers, caches them locally in non-volatile memory, and distributes them to connected devices, eliminating the need for devices to directly contact servers and reducing redundant network traffic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple IoT devices that need the same firmware update are merged into a single download operation at the access point. The access point retrieves the firmware once and serves all requesting devices from its local cache, combining multiple individual download requests into one centralized operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If each IoT device sets up individual secure sessions with remote servers for firmware downloads, then each device can securely receive updates, but the number of session setups increases and processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure firmware updateVSAvoidsession setup time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The access point performs preliminary actions by establishing secure sessions with remote servers in advance and caching firmware updates locally. When devices need updates, they receive them from the already-established local cache, avoiding the need for each device to set up new secure sessions with remote servers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple IoT devices download the same firmware update from remote servers, then each device receives the update, but network bandwidth is excessively consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefirmware update distributionVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The access point creates local copies of firmware updates in its non-volatile memory cache. Instead of multiple devices downloading identical firmware from remote servers, each device receives a copy from the access point's local cache, eliminating redundant network transmissions of the same data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10182304B2Updating firmware of IOT devices

Publication Date: 2019.01.15 TELIT IOT SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

An access point (AP) of a wireless network receives registration requests for a firmware update from a set of Internet of Things (IOT) devices. The AP determines availability of the firmware update at a remote server, and upon determining the availability, downloads the firmware update from the remote server into to a non-volatile storage and provides the firmware update to the set of IOT devices.