Patent ID: 8762494
Filing Date: 2014-06-24
Classification: G06F,H04L,H05B

Abstract:
1. A process for loading firmware into a group of interconnected control devices, said process comprising: (a) transmitting a set of communication frames that include at least a portion of the firmware, said set of communication frames being addressed to at least one of the control devices in the group for reaching all of the interconnected control devices in said group; (b) sending collectively to said group a first inquiry regarding validity of said set of communication frames and a second inquiry regarding invalidity of said set of communication frames; (c) upon receiving one or more replies that are not indicative of a fatal error from any of said control devices that have received at least one of said inquiries, either re-transmitting said set of communication frames or transmitting a successive set of communication frames with a successive portion of the firmware in accordance with said replies; (d) repeating the process from (a) to (c) until all frames are transmitted and all portions of the firmware are loaded; and (e) aborting the process if any of said replies is indicative of a fatal error; wherein said set of communication frames includes a virus code that is transmitted to at least one of the control devices, said virus code being programmed to infect and load other ones of said control devices with said firmware and wherein said virus code is activated automatically after a predetermined time frame set by the control devices following arrival of said virus code.