Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software upgrading or updating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-24
2004-04-27
Das, Chameli C. (Department: 2762)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software upgrading or updating
C717S169000, C717S170000, C717S171000, C717S172000, C712S220000, C712S225000, C713S178000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728956
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processor, a program updating method and a storage medium, and more specifically a data processor, a program updating method and a storage medium which update a program with data sent from outside.
2. Related Background Art
In a data processor which executes various kinds of application programs such as those for personal data management functions, it is general to write a program such as firmware for obtaining executing environments for the application programs into a nonvolatility memory.
The program written in the nonvolatility memory is rewritten when a bug exists in the program or when a version of the program is to be upgraded.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-44064 discloses a method to rewrite the program stored in the nonvolatility memory. This method is configured by receiving and temporarily holding an updating program sent from outside by way of a broadcast wave or a telephone network, and automatically rewriting the program stored in the nonvolatility memory into the received program.
Furthermore, digital broadcast has a high possibility to provide new kinds of services one after another as compared with conventional analog broadcast. Accordingly, a receiver for the digital broadcast which is newly purchased may soon be out-of-date when its functions remain unchanged from those at a time of purchase and cannot cope with the new kinds of services.
In order to solve such a problem, there is a concept to modify a software program to cope with the new kinds of services without changing any hardware of the receiver. That is, there is a method which sends a program in a condition overlapped with a broadcast wave for downloading, thereby updating a program in an instrument which is capable of receiving the digital broadcast.
However, the method disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-44064 is configured by rewriting the program stored in the nonvolatility memory into a new program and may update the program incompletely when a power supply is intercepted due to power failure during the updating of the program, thereby resulting in a situation where a system cannot start up due to the incomplete updating of the program.
Furthermore, the method does not take an operating condition of the instrument into consideration for downloading and may update the program even while the receiving instrument is operating, thereby resulting in an erroneous operation of the instrument.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a data processor, a program updating method and a storage medium which are capable of preventing a system from being started up improperly due to incomplete program updating.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data processor, a program updating method and a storage medium which update a program on the basis of an operating condition on a receiving side.
In order to attain these objects, the data processor according to the present invention is a data processor operating on the basis of a program stored in first memory means, and comprising receiving means which receives an updating program sent from outside, comparing means which compares a version of the program stored in the first memory means with a version of the updating program, and control means which stores the updating program into second memory means different from the first memory means when the comparing means judges that the version of the updating program is newer than the version of the program stored in the first memory means.
Furthermore, the data processor according to the present invention is a data processor having processing means which processes data transmitted from outside on the basis of a program stored in the first memory means and outputs the data to an output device, and comprising receiving means which receives an updating program sent from outside, control means which stores the received updating program into second memory means different from the first memory means, and changing means which changes processing by the processing means on the basis of the program stored in the first memory means to processing by the processing means on the basis of the updating program stored in the second memory means.
Furthermore, the data processor according to the present invention is a data processor having processing means which processes data sent from outside on the basis of a program stored in memory means and outputs the data to an output device, and comprising judging means which judges whether or not processing is executed by the processing means, receiving means which receives an updating program sent from outside, memory control means which stores the received updating program into the memory means when the processing is not executed by the processing means and a processing control means which controls the processing means on the basis of the updating program stored in the memory means.
Moreover, the program updating method according to the present invention is a program updating method which updates a program in a data processor operating on the basis of a program stored in first memory means, and is configured to receive an updating program sent from outside using receiving means, compare a version of the program stored in the first memory means with a version of the updating program and store the updating program into second memory means different from the first memory means when the comparison indicates that the version of the updating program is newer than the version of the program stored in the first memory means.
Moreover, the program updating method according to the present invention is a program updating method which updates a program in a data processor having processing means for processing data sent from outside on the basis of a program stored in first memory means and outputting the data to an output device, and is configured to receive an updating program sent from outside using receiving means, store the received updating program into the second memory means different from the first memory means and change processing by the processing means on the basis of the program stored in the first memory means to processing by the processing means on the basis of the updating program stored in the second memory means.
Moreover, the program updating method according to the present invention is a program updating method which updates a program in a data processor having processing means for processing data sent from outside on the basis of a program stored in memory means and outputting the data to an output device, and is configured to judge whether or not processing is executed by the processing means, store an updating program sent from outside into the memory means when the processing is not executed by the processing means and control the processing means on the basis of the updating program stored in the memory means.
In addition, the storage medium according to the present invention is a memory means which is to be used in a data processor operating on the basis of a program stored in first memory means, and comprises a step to receive an updating program sent from outside using receiving means, a step to compare a version of the program stored in the first memory means with a version of the updating program and a step to store the updating program into second memory means different from the first memory means when the comparison indicates that the version of the updating program is newer than the version of the program stored in the first memory means.
In addition, the storage medium according to the present invention is a storage medium which is to be used in a data processor having processing means for processing data sent from outside on the basis of a program stored in first memory means and outputting the data to an output device, and comprises a step to receive an updating program sent from outside using receiving means, a step to store the received updating program into second memory means di
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Das Chameli C.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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