Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-27
2001-07-17
Chaki, Kakali (Department: 2762)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C717S152000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263497
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for, by remote maintenance, updating the version of software in remote equipment connected to wired or wireless broadcasting networks, or replacing or adding the software.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, in a network using a wired or wireless, digital broadcasting system, digital data transmitted via the network is received and processed by an apparatus with software suitable for the exclusive hardware of the apparatus.
An example of such a conventional network is a broadcasting system using broadcasting satellites. In the system, all broadcasting stations produce and transmit programs with the same broadcasting format (video transmission format, video coding format, etc.), such as MPEG. The receiver receives and presents the programs with the exclusive hardware of a receiving apparatus handling the same broadcasting format.
An improvement in performance of computers achieves video signal processing, which only exclusive hardware has ever performed, by using software exploiting all-purpose hardware. Therefore, a receiving apparatus having no exclusive hardware can decode plural broadcast data of different formats, if all-purpose hardware of the receiving apparatus is loaded with software programs which decode the respective broadcast data. This makes possible broadcasting in which plural formats are mixed, such as data broadcasting different from conventional video/audio broadcasting.
Consequently, it is predictable that there will be much demand for a system in which programs executed in a receiving apparatus are downloaded via wired or wireless digital broadcasting.
However, a software program must be able to be handled by terminal hardware receiving the software program. In other words, if an inappropriate program is input to a terminal, the terminal no longer works. For this reason, to produce a software program suitable for terminal hardware, it is required to know complete information about the details of the terminal hardware. Terminals in the market have various kinds of specifications. Hence, it is difficult to transmit the software programs suitable for all the respective terminal hardware, because the amount of transmission is large.
An idea is conceived that a software program is divided into module programs, the module programs are transmitted, and each terminal stores only some of the module programs that the terminal hardware can execute. According to this idea, it is possible to update the version of a software program by replacing part of the software program with, or adding, other programs, without storing the whole software program. Therefore, in updating a version, it is, of course, necessary to know information about terminal hardware. Besides, information about the version of software currently stored in the terminal is required.
As described above, to secure the update of the version of software in a terminal due to programs being downloaded by remote maintenance, it is important to match software stored in a terminal to the terminal hardware.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a remote maintenance method and a remote maintenance apparatus for updating the version of software while matching the version of software to that of hardware, via a wired or wireless network capable of transmitting digital data.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description desired hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific embodiment are desired by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a remote maintenance method in which the transmitter transmits a program which is a collection of functions performing the respective tasks, via wired or wireless digital broadcasting, and the receiver updates the version of software comprising a group of the programs by changing the programs or adding other programs to the programs,
the transmitter transmitting, by data packet, download information including machine type codes indicating the version of hardware able to receive the program data, version information indicating the version of software corresponding to the machine type code, program names being the names of the programs to replace with or be added to for the version of software, and the identifiers of program data packets (PID) including program codes necessary for updating the version of software corresponding to the machine type code, and program data including the program codes of the program, the program name, and the identifier of the packet (PID), and
the receiver comparing a machine type code indicating the version of the receiver hardware, and version information indicating the version of software corresponding to the machine type code, with the machine type codes and version information described in the received download information, and, when the versions of software do not match each other and thus the version of software is not updated, updating the version by receiving and storing the data packet including program data necessary for updating the version, based on the PID described in the download information.
Thereby, a remote maintenance method can update the version of software, securing the matching of software and hardware in the receiver executing received programs.
According to a second aspect of this invention, there is provided the remote maintenance method of the first aspect wherein the program data further includes allocation information about where functions included in the program are to be located at the receiver, and, the receiver replaces transmitted programs with, or adds the transmitted programs to, the programs stored at the receiver, based on the allocation information.
Thereby, a software program can be certainly executable by updating the version.
According to a third aspect of this invention, there is provided the remote maintenance method of the first aspect wherein in updating the version, the receiver checks whether a transmission error occurs or not, and informs the transmitter of a result of the check.
Thereby, the transmitter, when there are transmission errors, can instruct the receiver how to appropriately handle the errors, and, when there are no errors, can know that programs are certainly downloaded.
According to a fourth aspect of this invention, there is provided the remote maintenance method of the first aspect wherein the transmitter transmits program data including the program codes of test programs, and the receiver, in updating the version, executes the test program, and informs the transmitter whether an execution error occurs or not.
Thereby, the transmitter, when there are execution errors, can instruct the receiver how to appropriately handle the errors, and, when there are no errors, can know that programs are executable when the version is updated.
According to a fifth aspect of this invention, there is provided a remote maintenance method in which the transmitter transmits a program which is a collection of functions performing the respective tasks, via wired or wireless digital broadcasting, and the receiver updates the version of software comprising a group of the programs by changing the programs or adding other programs to the programs,
the transmitter transmitting, by data packet, download information including machine type codes indicating the version of hardware able to receive program data, version information indicating the version of software corresponding to the machine type code, program names being the names of the programs to replace with or be added to for the version of software, and the identifiers of program data packets (PID) including program codes necessary for updating the version of software corresponding to the machine type code, and
the receiver comparing a machine t
Maeda Tetsuji
Mori Toshiya
Burr & Brown
Chaki Kakali
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Vo Ted T.
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