Systems and methods for updating system devices in a cloud-based system for monitoring and controlling physical environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684845-B2
Application number	US-201716094905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2016
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for updating a system device in a cloud-based system for monitoring and controlling physical environments. A system comprises a computing cloud with a project service module for responding to requests to access project data, an update module for providing access to data associated with a project hierarchy, and an images repository module for providing data identifying the location of update data. The system also comprises a building server communicatively coupled with the computing cloud, a gateway communicatively coupled with the building server and associated with the system device in need of an update.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for updating a system device, the system comprising:
a computing cloud comprising:
a project service module for receiving and responding to a request to access project data comprising a project hierarchy,
an update module for providing access to data associated with the project hierarchy, the data comprising data associated with a particular system device located on a particular floor, building and site identified in the project hierarchy, and
a images repository module for receiving a request for update data applicable to the particular system device, and for providing at least data identifying a location of the update data,
a building server communicatively coupled with the computing cloud, and comprising
a Firmware (FW) update Building Server (BS) module for receiving a request to update the particular system device, and for initiating retrieval of update data associated with the particular system device from the images repository module;
a gateway communicatively coupled with the building server, the gateway being associated with the particular system device, receiving a notification of a pending update for the particular system device from the FW update BS module, and retrieving the update data associated with the pending update; and
the particular system device communicatively coupled with the gateway, for receiving notification from the gateway of the pending update, and applying the update.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data identifying the location of the update data is a URL of the update data, and the gateway is a wireless gateway.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request received by the FW update BS module comprises one or more of a URL identifying the particular system device's update file, a device MAC, and a communication path, the communication path comprising one of an empty path, an IP address of a gateway device, and a ZigBee short address of a device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the FW update BS module initiates retrieval of the update file based upon the results of a check the FW update BS module conducts to determine if the device MAC belongs to a building server, and wherein the gateway retrieves the update file associated with the pending update using the URL.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication between the building server, the gateway and the computing cloud is conducted using a communication protocol, the protocol comprising HTTPS and MQTT.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the project hierarchy is associated with at least one site, the at least one site being associated with at least one building, the at least one building being associated with at least one floor, and the at least one floor being associated with at least one system device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular system device responds to the notification by requesting additional information regarding the pending update from the gateway, and wherein the gateway responds to the request for additional information by providing information comprising version data associated with the pending update.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the particular system device receives the entirety of the data associated with the pending update from the gateway in one or more image blocks, the receipt of the pending update data being initiated by the particular system device's request to the gateway for the first image block of the pending update data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the particular system device only applies the received pending update data upon receiving a notification to do so from the gateway, the gateway receiving the notification from the FW update BS module, and the FW update BS module receiving the notification from the update module.

10. A method for updating a particular system device in a system for cloud-based monitoring and control of physical environments, the method comprising the steps:
project service module configured to operate in a computing cloud, receiving and responding to a request to access project data comprising a project hierarchy;
an update module configured to operate in the computing cloud, providing access to data associated with the project hierarchy, the data comprising data associated with the particular system device located on a particular floor, building and site identified in the project hierarchy;
a images repository module configured to operate on the computing cloud, receiving a request for update data applicable to the particular system device, and providing at least data identifying a location of the update data;
a Firmware (FW) update Building Server (BS) module associated with a building server that is communicatively coupled with the computing cloud, the FW update BS module receiving a request to update the particular system device, and initiating retrieval of update data associated with the particular system device from the images repository module;
a gateway, communicatively coupled with the building server and associated with the particular system device, receiving a notification of a pending update for the particular system device from the FW update BS module, and retrieving the update data associated with the pending update;
and the particular system device, communicatively coupled with the gateway, receiving a notification from the gateway of the pending update, and applying the update.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data identifying the location of the update data is a URL of the update data, and the gateway is a wireless gateway.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the request received by the FW update BS module comprises one or more of a URL identifying the particular system device's update file, a device MAC, and a communication path, the communication path comprising one of an empty path, an IP address of a gateway device, and a ZigBee short address of a device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the FW update BS module initiates retrieval of the update file based upon the results of a check the FW update BS module conducts to determine if the device MAC belongs to a building server, and wherein the gateway retrieves the update file associated with the pending update using the URL.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the particular system device responds to the notification by requesting additional information regarding the pending update from the gateway, and wherein the gateway responds to the request for additional information by providing information comprising version data associated with the pending update.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the particular system device receives the entirety of the data associated with the pending update from the gateway in one or more image blocks, the receipt of the pending update data being initiated by the particular system device's request to the gateway for the first image block of the pending update data.

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Vangeel Jurgen Mario
• Fitski Peter
• Verberkt Mark Henricus

Classifications

• G06F8/63

  Image based installation; Cloning; Build to order · CPC title

• G06F9/4411

  Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers · CPC title

• H04L63/0876

  based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title