Securely updating software on connected electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10949189-B2
Application number	US-201715636356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Techniques for securely updating a point-of-sale (POS) system that includes a merchant-facing device and a buyer-facing device are described. For instance, the merchant-facing device may execute first software that provides first POS functionality and the buyer-facing device may execute second software that provides second POS functionality. To update both devices, the merchant-facing device may receive a software update from a payment service via a network connection, and update the first software using the software update. The merchant-facing device can then cause, via a physical connection, the buyer-facing device to reboot in an update mode and send the software update to the buyer-facing device. In response, the buyer-facing device can update the second software using the software update and then reboot in a payments mode. In some instances, the buyer-facing device can then update a secure enclave on the buyer-facing device using the software update.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a payment service that communicates with a first point-of-sale (POS) device via a network connection, the payment service configured to:
store a software update that includes an updated version of first software configured for the first POS device and an updated version of second software configured for a second POS device;
receive, from the first POS device via the network connection, an identifier associated with the first POS device;
identify the first POS device using the identifier;
receive, from the first POS device via the network connection, an indication that the first POS device has installed a previous version of the first software; and
send, to the first POS device via the network connection, the software update;

the first POS device that communicates with the payment service via the network connection and communicates with the second POS device via a physical connection, the first POS device configured to:
receive, from the payment service via the network connection, the software update;
store, on the first POS device, the software update for the second POS device;
update the first software to the updated version of the first software using the software update;
detect a connection with the second POS device via the physical connection;
in response to detecting the connection and as a security measure to protect at least one of the first POS device or the second POS device, send, to the second POS device via the physical connection, a request for information indicating a current version of the second software that is installed on the second POS device;
receive, from the second POS device via the physical connection, an indication that the second POS device includes a previous version of the second software;
cause, via the physical connection, the second POS device to reboot into an update mode; and
based at least in part on the second POS device rebooting into the update mode, send the updated version of the second software to the second POS device via the physical connection; and

the second POS device that communicates with the first POS device via the physical connection, the second POS device configured to:
receive the updated version of the second software from the first POS device via the physical connection;
update the second software to the updated version of the second software; and
based at least in part on updating the second software, reboot into a payments mode.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first POS device is further configured to:
store one or more preferences associated with the second POS device;
determine that the second POS device has rebooted into the payments mode; and
send, via the physical connection, data associated with the one or more preferences to the second POS device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second POS device includes a secure payments enclave and the software update further includes an updated version of third software, and wherein the second POS device is further configured to:
determine that one or more microcontrollers within the secure payments enclave include a previous version of the third software; and
update the third software to the updated version of the third software using the software update.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the payment service is further configured to:
encrypt the software update using a first encryption key to generate an encrypted software update, wherein sending the software update to the first POS device comprises sending, to the first POS device via the network connection, the encrypted software update;
retrieve a second encryption key associated with the first POS device;
encrypt the first encryption key using the second encryption key to generate an encrypted first encryption key; and
send the encrypted first encryption key to the first POS device via the network connection; and

the first POS device is further configured to:
decrypt the encrypted first encryption key using a local version of the second encryption key to generate the first encryption key; and
decrypt the encrypted software update using the first encryption key.

5. A method comprising:
storing a software update that includes an updated version of first software configured for a first point-of-sale (POS) device and an updated version of second software configured for a second POS device;
receiving, from the first POS device via a network connection, an identifier associated with the first POS device;
identifying the first POS device using the identifier;
receiving an indication that the first POS device has installed a previous version of the first software configured for the first POS device;
sending the software update to the first POS device;
receiving, by the first POS device via the network connection, the software update;
storing, on the first POS device, the software update for the second POS device;
updating the previous version of the first software on the first POS device using the updated version of the first software;
detecting, by the first POS device via a physical connection, a connection with the second POS device;
in response to detecting the connection, sending, to the second POS device via the physical connection, a request for information about the second software that is installed on the second POS device;
receiving, from the second POS device via the physical connection, an indication that the second POS device includes a previous version of the second software;
causing, by the first POS device via the physical connection, the second POS device to reboot into an update mode;
based at least in part on the second POS device rebooting into the update mode, sending, by the first POS device via the physical connection, the updated version of the second software to the second POS device;
receiving, at the second POS device, the updated version of the second software from the first POS device via the physical connection;
updating the second software to the updated version of the second software; and
based at least in part on updating the second software, rebooting the second POS device into a payments mode.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting, by the first POS device, an additional connection with a third POS device;
receiving, by the first POS device, and from the third POS device, an indication that the third POS device includes the updated version of the second software; and
refraining, by the first POS device, from sending the updated version of the second software to the third POS device.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the software update is encrypted using a first encryption key, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the first POS device and via the network connection, an encrypted version of the first encryption key;
decrypting, by the first POS device, the encrypted version of the first encryption key using a second encryption key associated with the first POS device; and
decrypting, by the first POS device, the software update using the first encryption key.

8. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
storing, by the first POS device, one or more preferences associated with the second POS device;
determining, by the first POS device via the physical connection, that the second POS device has rebooted into the payments mode; and
sending, by the first POS device via the physical connection, data associated with the one or more preferences to the second POS device.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the software update further includes an updated version of third software, and wherein the method further comprises:

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Kelley John
• Guise Max
• Ristov Todor
• Khan Imran
• Monti Eric

Classifications

• G06Q20/20

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• H04L2463/062

  applying encryption of the keys · CPC title

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• G06Q20/34

  using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards · CPC title

• G06F8/71

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title