Ventilator Firmware Modular Update Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilator update methods require significant resources and time, and interruptions during firmware and software updates can result in lost data and delayed processes, as they often involve whole-system updates rather than modular updates.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing ventilator firmware and software into individual modules, allowing for separate updates to be transmitted and stored, with the ability to resume transmission after interruptions and prioritize updates based on importance and connection stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the firmware and software of a ventilator is updated with a major update as a whole, then all existing ventilators can receive new functions and error corrections, but the update process consumes a lot of time and resources, and interruptions cause complete loss of transmitted data requiring retransmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the firmware and software into individual modules that can be updated separately. Each module is transmitted as independent data packets, allowing selective updating without requiring complete system overhaul. This segmentation enables resumption of interrupted transmissions for individual modules while other modules remain operational, directly resolving the contradiction between update reliability and time consumption.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the firmware and software are updated as a complete system, then consistency across all components is maintained, but the complexity of the update process increases and resource consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments firmware into modular components with defined interfaces and dependencies. Each module can be updated independently while maintaining system consistency through version management and dependency checking. This reduces update process complexity by allowing targeted updates rather than complete system replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic update strategies where modules can be updated in different sequences based on dependencies, and multiple versions can coexist during transition periods. The system adapts the update process dynamically based on current system state, resolving the contradiction between maintaining consistency and reducing complexity.
3Reliability
If data packets are transmitted and stored on the ventilator, then interrupted transmissions can be resumed, but the ventilator requires additional storage capacity and memory management resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential data packets required for resumption from the complete update package. Instead of storing all possible update data, the system identifies and stores only the specific packets that were transmitted but not yet completed, minimizing memory usage while maintaining transmission reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a mechanism to discard successfully transmitted data packets after confirmation of successful reception and to recover only the interrupted packets for retransmission. This selective retention strategy reduces memory consumption while preserving the ability to resume interrupted updates.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Method for updating the firmware and software of a ventilator (1), wherein the firmware and software of the ventilator (1) is divided into individual modules (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90) and separate updates in the form of module updates are provided for each module (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90) and these module updates are transferred from at least one remote station (10) spatially separate from the ventilator (1) to the ventilator (1) via at least one interface of the ventilator (1) and the module updates are performed on the ventilator (1).