Data communication program product transmitting firmware in divisional manner

• US 20020143884A1
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomita, Atsushi, Hino, Hideki, Mae, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,262,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable

Abstract

When electronic mail indicating termination of firmware rewriting has arrived from an image formation apparatus that has received divided firmware, the transmitter side of the firmware determines whether rewriting has ended properly or not from the mail. When rewriting has ended properly, electronic mail with the next divided firmware attached is transmitted based on the division number, divisor value, machine type and module indicated in a Subject field. When rewriting has not ended properly, the same firmware indicated in the Subject field is transmitted again. Accordingly, divided firmware can be transmitted appropriately. Thus, firmware of a large size can be transmitted appropriately even in the case where the size set at the mail server is restricted.

Claims

1. A program product for data communication to cause a computer to execute:

a divide step of dividing firmware into a plurality of parts,

a first transmission step of attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to an addressee,

an acquirement step of acquiring information relating to a firmware rewrite result sent from the addressee acquiring said one firmware attached to electronic mail, and

a second transmission step of attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to the addressee based on information relating to said acquired rewrite result.

2. The data communication program product according to claim 1, wherein said second transmission step transmits another one firmware differing from said one of the plurality of divided firmware transmitted at said first transmission step when the information relating to a rewrite result acquired at said acquirement step is information of success in rewriting

3. The data communication program product according to claim 1, wherein said second transmission step transmits again said one of the plurality of divided firmware transmitted at said first transmission step when said information related to a rewrite result acquired at said acquirement step is information of failure in rewriting.

4. The data communication program product according to claim 1, wherein said second transmission step and said acquirement step are repeated for a predetermined number of times until the entire firmware is transmitted.

8. A computer-readable recording medium in which is recorded a data communication program defined in claim 1.

5. A program product for data communication to cause a computer to execute:

a reception step of receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware attached,

a derive step of deriving said firmware from said received electronic mail,

a write step of writing said derived firmware into a predetermined memory,

a determination step of determining whether writing into the memory at said write step has succeeded or not, and

a notification step of notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail a determination result by said determination step.

6. The data communication program product according to claim 5, wherein said determination step comprises

a step of calculating a first check sum of said derived firmware before said firmware is written by said write step,

a step of calculating a second check sum of said written firmware after said firmware has been written by said write step, and

a comparison step of comparing said first check sum to said second check sum,

determination being made that writing has succeeded or failed when a comparison result by said comparison step indicates a match or a mismatch, respectively.

7. A program product for data communication to cause a computer to execute:

a first reception step of receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware attached,

a derive step of deriving said firmware from said received electronic mail,

a step of transmitting said derived firmware to a predetermined control module,

a second reception step of receiving whether writing of firmware of a control module into a memory has succeeded or not, and

a notification step of notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail a write result received by said second reception step.

9. A data communication apparatus comprising:

a divide portion for dividing firmware into a plurality of parts,

a first transmission portion for attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to an addressee,

an acquirement portion for acquiring information relating to a firmware rewrite result sent from the addressee acquiring said one firmware attached to electronic mail, and

a second transmission portion for attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to the addressee based on said acquired information relating to a rewrite result.

10. A data communication apparatus comprising:

a reception portion for receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware attached,

a derive portion for deriving said firmware from said received electronic mail,

a writing portion for writing said derived firmware into a predetermined memory,

a determination portion for determining whether writing into a memory by said writing portion has succeeded or not, and

a notification portion for notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail a determination result by said determination portion.

11. An image formation apparatus comprising a data communication apparatus defined in claim 10.

12. A data communication method comprising:

a divide step of dividing firmware into a plurality of parts,

a first transmission step of attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to an addressee,

an acquirement step of acquiring information relating to a firmware rewrite result sent from the addressee acquiring said one firmware attached to electronic mail, and

a second transmission step of attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to the addressee based on said acquired information relating to a rewrite result.

13. A data communication method comprising:

a reception step of receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware attached,

a derive step of deriving said firmware from said received electronic mail,

a write step of writing said derive firmware into a predetermined memory,

a determination step of determining whether writing into a memory at said write step has succeeded or not, and

a notification step of notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail a determination result by said determination step.