Method and equipment for generating a differential upgrade package, and method for upgrade

A differential upgrade package generation equipment, adaptable for generating a differential upgrade package, allowing an embedded system to read the differential upgrade package in a per-block fashion to upgrade an original file in a firmware of the embedded system to a new file, comprising:

• a storage device, storing a program code executable to perform the method for generating a differential upgrade package;
• a memory device, coupled to the storage device for use by the program code;
• and
• a processor, coupled to the memory device and the storage device, configured to execute the program code to generate the differential upgrade package;
• wherein:
• the processor executes the program code to perform a differential comparison on the original file and the new file to generate global discrepancy information, comprising addresses and lengths of matched data portions in the new file and the original file;
• based on the global discrepancy information, the processor divides the new file into a plurality of blocks, and determines patch parameters for each of the blocks;
• based on the patch parameters, the processor performs differential comparisons on each of the plurality of blocks in the original file to generate a plurality of differential blocks respectively corresponding to each block of the plurality of blocks;
• and
• the processor combines the differential blocks into the differential upgrade package wherein each of the differential blocks from the differential upgrade package is sequentially loaded to the upgrade firmware;
• wherein the patch parameters for each block comprises a start address, a direction, and a sequential order to process the each of the differential blocks,
• wherein the direction of at least one of the differencial blocks is a forward direction and the direction of at least one of the differential blocks is a reverse direction, wherein the forward direction indicates processing a block of the each of the differential blocks from a low address to a high address and the reverse direction specifies processing the block of the each of the differential blocks from the high address to the low address.

A method for upgrading firmware in an embedded system, comprising:

• receiving a differential upgrade package generated from a differential upgrade package generation equipment;
• sequentially reading each of the differential blocks in the differential upgrade package, and each of the patch parameters respectively;
• and upgrading the firmware in a per-block fashion based on each of the patch parameters;
• wherein the differential upgrade package is generated comprises the steps of:
• performing a differential comparison based on an original file and a new file to generate global discrepancy information, comprising addresses and lengths of matched data portions in the new file and the original file;
• based on the global discrepancy information, dividing the new file into a plurality of blocks, with patch parameters for each of the blocks determined;
• based on the patch parameters, performing differential comparisons on each of the blocks in the original file to generate a plurality of differential blocks respectively corresponding to each block of the plurality of blocks;
• and
• combining the differential blocks into the differential upgrade package;
• wherein the patch parameters for each block comprises a start address, a direction, and a sequential order to process the each of the differential blocks,
• wherein the direction of at least one of the differencial blocks is a forward direction and the direction of at least one of the differential blocks is a reverse direction, wherein the forward direction indicates processing a block of the each of the differential blocks from a low address to a high address and the reverse direction specifies processing the block of the each of the differential blocks from the high address to the low address.