Secure, non-disruptive firmware updating

A thin client device comprising:

• at least one peripheral device facilitating interaction with a user;
• a processor;
• a network interface;
• and
• writable, nonvolatile memory for storing a digital certificate and firmware instructions executable by the processor, the firmware instructions defining:
• a caching loader which, when executed by the processor, causes (A) communication, via the network interface, with a remote firmware server, (B) identification of at least one firmware application needed by the client device but not stored thereon, (C) downloading for storage, in the nonvolatile memory, of the at least one identified firmware application, (D) verification of the at least one identified firmware application based on the digital certificate, (E) identification of at least one newer versions of the at least one identified firmware application following initial download thereof, (F) management of transition, on the thin client device, to the downloaded at least one newer version of the at least one identified firmware application, and
• (ii) a self-launching base loader which, when executed by the processor, causes (A) communication, via the network interface, with the remote firmware server, (B) downloading for storage, in the nonvolatile memory, of the caching loader, and (C) verification of the caching loader based on the digital certificate.

A method of managing firmware on a thin client device, the thin client device comprising a processor, the method comprising:

• executing, by the processor, a base loader stored in nonvolatile memory of the thin client device to download, from a remote firmware server, a caching loader for nonvolatile storage on the thin client device;
• and
• executing, by the processor, the caching loader to
• (i) identify, via the remote firmware server, at least one firmware application needed by the thin client device but not stored thereon and download the at least one identified firmware application for nonvolatile storage on the thin client device;
• (ii) verify the at least one identified firmware application based on a digital certificate;
• (iii) identify, via the remote firmware server, at least one newer version of the at least one identified firmware application following initial download thereof and download the at least one newer version of the at least one identified firmware application for storage in the nonvolatile memory;
• (iv) verify the at least one newer version based on the digital certificate;
• and
• (v) manage transition to the at least one downloaded newer version of the at least one firmware application.

A system for managing firmware on a thin client device, the system comprising:

• a firmware server storing (i) a caching loader comprising processor-readable firmware instructions, and (ii) at least one firmware application;
• and
• a client device comprising
• (i) at least one peripheral device facilitating interaction with a user,
• (ii) a processor,
• (iii) a network interface,
• (iv) an authentication device, and
• (v) writable, nonvolatile memory storing (A) a digital certificate and (B) a self-launching base loader comprising processor-readable firmware instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause communication, via the network interface, with the firmware server and facilitate downloading of the caching loader for storage in the nonvolatile memory and verification of the caching loader based on the digital certificate,
• wherein, upon downloading and installation of the caching loader, execution of the processor-readable firmware instructions thereof by the processor causes (i) communication, via the network interface, with a remote firmware server, (ii) identification of at least one firmware application stored on the firmware server and needed by the client device but not stored thereon, (iii) downloading for storage, in the nonvolatile memory, of the at least one identified firmware application, (iv) verification of the at least one identified firmware application based on the digital certificate, (v) identification of at least one newer version of the at least one identified firmware application following initial download thereof, and (vi) management of transition, on the thin client device, to the at least one downloaded newer version of the at least one identified firmware application.