Mobile Update Delivery for Offline IoT and Vehicle Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Many intelligent devices, such as IoT devices and vehicles, lack the ability to directly communicate over wireless networks to receive software updates due to bandwidth restrictions, hardware limitations, or geographical constraints, leading to outdated functionality and potential device failure.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device, acting as a mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) transport, communicates with a server to acquire software updates and then establishes peer-to-peer connections with other devices in need, navigating to their locations to facilitate direct software updates via short-range wireless communication, ensuring updates are transferred effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If devices communicate over wireless networks to receive updates, then updates can be distributed, but bandwidth restrictions and network access issues prevent devices from receiving updates
Solution Approach 1:
A mobile device acts as an intermediary carrier that downloads updates from a server and directly transports them to target devices via peer-to-peer communication. This mediator bypasses network restrictions by physically carrying the update data from the server to devices that cannot access the network independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electronic/network-based update delivery system with a mobile physical transport system. Instead of relying on wireless network infrastructure, the update is delivered through a mobile device that physically travels to the target device location, substituting network communication with mobile transport.
2Ease of operation
If mobile devices navigate to device locations to deliver updates, then updates reach devices without network access, but this requires complex routing and location coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device autonomously performs update distribution by independently navigating to target devices, establishing peer-to-peer connections, and transferring updates without requiring complex external coordination. The system self-manages the entire delivery process from download to installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device performs multiple functions: it acts as a server client to download updates, a navigation system to locate target devices, a communication hub to establish peer-to-peer connections, and a data transfer medium to deliver updates. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system architecture.
3Reliability
If peer-to-peer connections are established for update transfer, then devices without network access can receive updates, but connection establishment requires precise location matching
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device pre-downloads update packages from the server before needing to deliver them. This preliminary action ensures that the update data is already available in the mobile device's storage, eliminating the need for real-time network connectivity during the actual update transfer to the target device.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the server and the target device. It maintains the update data in its own storage and uses its positioning capabilities to locate and connect with target devices, acting as a mobile update distribution point that doesn't require the target device to have network access.
Data Source
AI summary
System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to updating distributed devices. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to acquiring, in a delivery device that is mobile, an update for a software package, identifying an update target that is associated with at least one update device that includes the software package that is to be updated. The method includes communicating, upon locating the update target, the update directly to the at least one update device to permit the at least one update device to revise the software package using the update.