Method and apparatus for upgrading software

An apparatus for upgrading software, which is applicable to a front-end device connectable to a back-end device through a coaxial cable, comprising:

• an software upgrade instruction receiving module, configured to receive an instruction for software upgrade, which is inserted into a horizontal blanking region of a video signal, from the back-end device through the coaxial cable, wherein the instruction for software upgrade includes a maximum data packet number of data packet numbers of data packets inserted into the horizontal blanking region of the video signal;
• a data packet receiving module, configured to receive, in sequence, the data packets inserted into the horizontal blanking region of the video signal, from the back-end device through the coaxial cable, wherein the data packets comprise data for software upgrade, and the data packet numbers are determined based on a preset numbering rule, and wherein the data packets are inserted into the horizontal blanking region of the video signal in sequence according to the data packet numbers, and the data for software upgrade in each of the data packets is inserted into a designated area in the horizontal blanking region of the video signal;
• and
• an upgrading module, configured to upgrade software in the front-end device based on the received data packets, after receiving a data packet having the maximum data packet number.

A front-end device connectable to a back-end device through a coaxial cable, comprising a processor, a memory, a communication interface, and a bus, wherein,

• the processor, the memory, and the communication bus are communicatively connected with each other by the bus;
• the memory is configured to store executable program codes;
• the processor is configured to execute a program corresponding to the executable program codes by reading the executable program codes stored in the memory, in order to perform the following operations:
• receiving an instruction for software upgrade, which is inserted into a horizontal blanking region of a video signal, from the back-end device through the coaxial cable, wherein the instruction for software upgrade includes a maximum data packet number of data packet numbers of data packets inserted into the horizontal blanking region of the video signal;
• receiving, in sequence, the data packets inserted into the horizontal blanking region of the video signal, from the back-end device through the coaxial cable, wherein the data packets comprise data for software upgrade, and the data packet numbers are determined based on a preset numbering rule, and wherein the data packets are inserted into the horizontal blanking region of the video signal in sequence according to the data packet numbers, and the data for software upgrade in each of the data packets is inserted into a designated area in the horizontal blanking region of the video signal;
• and
• upgrading software in the front-end device based on the received data packets, after receiving a data packet having the maximum data packet number.