Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral adapting
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-12
2001-01-30
Lee, Thomas C. (Department: 2782)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral adapting
C710S001000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for replacing a program stored in portable information terminal equipment, and more particularly, to a method for replacing a program stored in a program storage unit of a portable information terminal using a communication unit.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a portable information terminal operating as a multi-media product having many functions (e.g., a cellular phone, a wireless facsimile, a wireless pager, and an electronic pocketbook) can search for information at any time or place while being carried in a user's hand, and transmit and receive data by being connected to external devices such as a computer.
The portable information terminal cannot provide as many functions as a computer, since it must be manufactured as small as possible, and can run only a small program because of its small memory capacity. That is, portable information terminals generally include a small-capacity ROM (read only memory) or EPROM (programmable ROM), and a random access memory (RAM) or a personal computer memory card industry association (PCMCIA) card. Although the ROM is low-priced, a program stored therein cannot be changed. On the other hand, a program stored in a RAM can be easily be changed, but the RAM is expensive and prone to damage by events such as power failure. Likewise, the PCMCIA card is expensive. As a result of the small memory capacity, the portable information terminal must be able to add a new program or replace a prestored program with a new program, as needed.
FIG. 1
shows the configuration of a conventional portable information terminal which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,373. A new program which is to replace a prestored program in a ROM
122
is recorded in a PCMCIA card
126
. Also, a utility program operates to replace the prestored program recorded in the ROM
122
with the new program. The utility program is executed by being transferred through a PCMCIA receptacle
124
to a RAM
128
together with the new program. A particular bit combination in an option connector
120
informs a controller
130
that the PCMCIA card
126
having the new program recorded therein is being inserted into the terminal's main body. At this time, the controller
130
transfers the utility program in the PCMCIA card
126
to the RAM
128
and then executes the transferred utility program. Here, the utility program operates to replace the prestored program in the ROM
122
with the new program in the PCMCIA card
126
. A decoder
116
interprets an option of the option connector
120
. A power supply
112
supplies current to a static current generating device (not shown) of the option connector
120
through a connector receptacle
118
. A program replacement method in the conventional portable information terminal cannot be applied to equipment which does not include the PCMCIA card
126
. Further, special units such as the option connector
120
and the connector receptacle
118
are required to begin replacing the program in the ROM
122
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for replacing a program stored in a program storage unit via a communication unit.
To accomplish the above object, there is provided a method of replacing a program in portable information terminal equipment including a communication unit for transmitting to and receiving data from an external device, a memory unit for temporarily storing a new program and a utility program operating to carry out the replacement of a prestored program, which are received from the communication unit, and a program storage unit for storing the prestored program and replacing the prestored program with the new program. The method comprises the steps of (a) receiving the new and utility programs from an external device via the communication unit, and storing the new and utility programs in the memory unit; and (b) replacing the prestored program in the program storage unit with the new program, using the utility program.
The step (a) comprises the substeps of: storing in the memory unit the new and utility programs received via the communication unit from the external device; and (a2) checking the size and checksum of the new and utility programs stored in the memory unit to determine whether the new and utility programs were correctly transmitted.
The step (b) comprises the substeps of: (b1) changing the program storage unit into a deletion and writing mode when the new program was normally stored in the memory unit; (b2) deleting the prestored program in the program storage unit; (b3) storing the new program in the program storage unit; (b4) changing the program storage unit into a reading mode when the storage of the new program in the program storage unit is completed; and (b5) initializing the new program stored in the program storage unit if the new program was correctly stored in the program storage unit.
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patent: 8-123678 (1996-06-01), None
Hong Jun-il
Lee Jin-chul
Won Chae-hee
Lee Thomas C.
Nguyen Tanh Quang
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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