Updating firmware of peripheral devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025362897-A1
Application number	US-202418655398-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2024
Priority date	May 24, 2024
Publication date	Nov 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Updating firmware at a peripheral device, including identifying a firmware update package for a first peripheral device connected to a docking station, the docking station connected to i) a plurality of peripheral devices including the first peripheral device and ii) the information handling system, the firmware update package associated with a total storage size; providing a notification indicating i) the particular peripheral device associated with the firmware update package and ii) the firmware update package, wherein a storage capacity of the docking station is less than the total storage size of the firmware update package; providing a request for access to additional storage capacity, and in response: identifying a connected computing device to the docking station; determining a storage availability of the connected computing device; and storing a second portion of the firmware update package at the connected computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method of updating firmware, the method including:
identifying, by an external computing device in communication with a docking station and an information handling system, a firmware update package for a first peripheral device connected to the docking station, the docking station connected to i) a plurality of peripheral devices including the first peripheral device and ii) the information handling system, the firmware update package associated with a total storage size; providing, by the external computing device and to the docking station, a notification indicating i) the particular peripheral device associated with the firmware update package and ii) the firmware update package, wherein a storage capacity of the docking station is less than the total storage size of the firmware update package; storing, by the docking station and based on the storage capacity of the docking station, a first portion of the firmware update package at the docking station; providing, by the docking station and to the external computing device, a request for access to additional storage capacity; in response to the request:
identifying, by the external computing device, a connected computing device to the docking station, the connected computing device including a second peripheral device of the plurality of peripheral devices or the information handling system;
determining, by the external computing device, a storage availability of the connected computing device; and
storing, at the connected computing device, a second portion of the firmware update package at the connected computing device.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
establishing a connection between the information handling system and the external computing device, including identifying an available storage capacity of the information handling system; establishing a connection between the docking station and the external computing device, including identifying an available storage of each of the plurality of peripheral devices connected to the docking station; and establishing a connection between the docking station and the information handling system.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein storing the second portion of the firmware update package at the connected computing device further includes:
providing, by the external computing device, the second portion of the firmware update package to the connected computing device.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further including storing, at the docking station, metadata associated with the firmware, the metadata indicating the connected computing device and the second portion of the firmware package.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , further including:
updating, by the docking station, the first peripheral device with the firmware update package.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein updating the first peripheral device with the firmware update package further includes:
copying the first portion of the firmware update package to the first peripheral device; determining, by the docking station and based on the metadata, that the firmware update package includes one or more portions stored at differing storage locations; in response to determining that that the firmware update package includes one or more portions stored at differing storage locations, obtaining the second portion of the firmware update package from the connected computing device; copying the second portion of the firmware update package to the first peripheral device; and providing a notification to the first peripheral device to perform an update based on the first and the second portion of the firmware update package.

7 . A computing environment, including:
an information handling system comprising a processor having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations; a plurality of peripheral devices; a docking station connected to the plurality of peripheral devices and the information handling system, the docking station comprising a processor having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations; an external computing device in communication with the docking station and the information handling system, the external computing device comprising a processor having access to memory media storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations, comprising:
identifying a firmware update package for a first peripheral device of the plurality of peripheral devices connected to the docking station, the firmware update package associated with a total storage size;
providing, to the docking station, a notification indicating i) the first peripheral device associated with the firmware update package and ii) the firmware update package, wherein a storage capacity of the docking station is less than the total storage size of the firmware update package;
wherein the docking station is configured to perform operations:
storing, based on the storage capacity of the docking station, a first portion of the firmware update package at the docking station;
providing, to the external computing device, a request for access to additional storage capacity;
wherein the external computing device is further configured to perform operations:
in response to the request:
identifying a connected computing device to the docking station, the connected computing device including a second peripheral device of the plurality of peripheral devices or the information handling system;
determining a storage availability of the connected computing device; and
storing, at the connected computing device, a second portion of the firmware update package at the connected computing device.

8 . The computing environment of claim 7 , further comprising:
wherein the information handling system is configured to perform operations:
establishing a connection between the information handling system and the external computing device, including identifying an available storage capacity of the information handling system;
wherein the docking station is configured to perform operations:
establishing a connection between the docking station and the external computing device, including identifying an available storage of each of the plurality of peripheral devices connected to the docking station; and
establishing a connection between the docking station and the information handling system.

9 . The computing environment of claim 7 , wherein storing the second portion of the firmware update package at the connected computing device further includes:
providing, by the external computing device, the second portion of the firmware update package to the connected computing device.

10 . The computing environment of claim 7 , wherein the docking station is configured to perform operations storing, at the docking station, metadata associated with the firmware, the metadata indicating the connected computing device and the second portion of the firmware package.

11 . The computing environment of claim 10 , wherein the docking station is configured to perform operations:
updating, by the docking station, the first peripheral device with the firmware update package.

12 . The computing environment of claim 11 , wherein updating the first peripheral device with the firmware update package further includes:
copying the first portion of the firmware update package to the first peripheral device; determining, by the docking station and based on the metadat

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Vajravel Gokul Thiruchengode
• Rajagopalan Srinivasa Ragavan
• Dheeraj Reddy Nalapareddy Reddy

Classifications

• G06F8/654

  using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

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