Information processing apparatus and method

• US 20040015708A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nobori, Masahiro, Obayashi, Masayuki, Oyama, Masami
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information apparatus and method suitable for use in upgrading control programs readily by a user. In step S501, a storage area to store an upgraded firmware is determined. In step S502, the upgraded firmware is provided. In step 503, the provided firmware is decrypted and re-encrypted. In step S504, re-encrypted firmware is written into the storage area determined in step S501. In step S505, a maximum marker is detected. In step S506, a value obtained by adding 1 to the maximum marker provides the marker corresponding to the storage area in which the firmware was stored in step S504. The present invention is applicable to, for example, an audio data server.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

detection means for detecting either one of two or more storage areas each storing a program, said one storage area having the oldest update information, or a storage area storing no program; and

storage means for storing another program into said storage area detected by said first detection means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

second detection means for detecting one of said programs that has most recent update information in a predetermined timed relation; and

instruction means for instructing the execution of said program detected by said second detection means.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined timed relation is immediately after a power-on sequence.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said storage areas are arranged in a first information storage medium and said instruction means loads said program detected by said second detection means into a second information storage medium and then executes said loaded program.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first information storage medium is a flash RAM and said second information storage medium is a synchronous DRAM.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

decryption/encryption means for decrypting said encrypted another program and encrypting said decrypted another program again,

said instruction means decrypting said encrypted program detected by said second detection means, loading said decrypted program into said second information storage medium, and then instructing the execution of said loaded program.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said another program is updated one of said programs, and further comprising input means for inputting said updated program.

8. An information processing method comprising:

a detection step for detecting either one of two or more storage areas each storing a program, said one storage region storage area having the oldest update information, or a storage area storing no program; and

a storage step for storing another program into said storage area detected by said first detection step.

9. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program comprising:

a detection step for detecting either one of two or more storage areas each storing a program, said one storage region storage area having the oldest update information, or a storage area storing no program; and

a storage step for storing another program into said storage area detected by said first detection step.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute:

a detection step for detecting either one of two or more storage areas each storing a program, said one storage region storage area having the oldest update information, or a storage area storing no program; and

a storage step for storing another program into said storage area detected by said first detection step.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first information storage medium having a control program for controlling the entire apparatus, a load program for reading said control program and loading said control program into another information storage medium, an execution instruction program for instructing the execution of the loaded program, update information indicative of an update situation of an area in which programs are stored, a read program for reading a program from an external information storage medium, and a write program for writing said program read by said read program into said program storing area;

a second information storage medium for storing the program loaded by said load program; and

a controller for performing control such that said load program loads, when power is turned on, a part of said program into said second information storage medium in accordance with update information stored in said first information storage medium, said execution instruction program executes said loaded control program, said read program loaded in said second information storage medium reads a program from an external information storage medium in response to a user request during the execution of said control program, and said write program loaded in said second information storage medium writes said program read by said read program into said first information storage medium.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said first information storage medium has a first area and a second area, said first area having at least said load program for reading a program stored in said second area and loading this program into said second information storage medium, said execution instruction program, and update information indicative of an update situation of said second area and

said second area having at least said read program, said write program, and said control program.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said controller, when power is turned on, performs control such that said update information stored in said first area of said first information storage medium for most recent update information is searched,

said load program loads the program corresponding to the searched area into said second information storage medium, and said execution instruction program executes said loaded control program.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controller, in response to a user request,

searches the update information stored in said first information storage medium for the oldest update information or update information indicative that the area is still free,

reads a program from an external information storage medium as executed by said read program loaded in said second information storage medium,

writes the program as executed by said write program loaded in said second information storage medium into a predetermined area, corresponding to said retrieved update information, in said first information storage medium, and

rewrites said update information corresponding to said predetermined area to most recent update information.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first area has at least a first read program for reading an encrypted program from an external information storage medium and instructing the decryption thereof, said load program for reading an encrypted program in said second area from said first information storage medium, instructing the decryption thereof, and loading the decrypted program in said second information storage medium, said execution instruction program, and update information indicative of update situations of all areas subsequent to said second area, and

said second area has at least a second read program for reading an encrypted program from an external information storage medium and instructing the decryption thereof, said write program for encrypting again said program read and decrypted by said second read program and writing the encrypted program to said second area, and an encrypted control program for controlling the entire apparatus.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, said controller, in response to a user request,

searches the update information in said first information storage medium for the oldest update information or update information indicative that the area is still free,

reads an encrypted program from an external information storage medium and instructs the decryption thereof as executed by said read program loaded in said second information storage medium

encrypts again the decrypted program and writes the encrypted program to a predetermined area corresponding to said retrieved update information, in said first information storage medium as executed by said write program loaded in said second information storage medium, and

rewrites said update information corresponding to said predetermined area to most recent update information.

17. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus comprising a first information storage medium having a control program for controlling the entire apparatus, a load program for reading said control program and loading said control program into another information storage medium, an execution instruction program for instructing the execution of the loaded program, update information indicative of an update situation of an area in which programs are stored, a read program for reading a program from an external information storage medium, and a write program for writing said program read by said read program into said program storing area and

a second information storage medium for storing the program loaded by said load program, said information processing method comprising the steps of:

when power is turned on,

loading, by said load program, a part of said program into said second information storage medium in accordance with update information stored in said first information storage medium, executing the loaded control program by said execution instruction program, and

in response to a user request during the execution of said control program,

reading a program from an external information storage medium as executed by the read program loaded in said second information storage medium, and

writing said program read by said read program to said first information storage medium as executed by said write program loaded in said second information storage medium.

18. A storage medium storing a program for controlling an information processing apparatus comprising a first information storage medium having a control program for controlling the entire apparatus, a load program for reading said control program and loading said control program into another information storage medium, an execution instruction program for instructing the execution of the loaded program, update information indicative of an update situation of an area in which programs are stored, a read program for reading a program from an external information storage medium, and a write program for writing said program read by said read program into said program storing area and

a second information storage medium for storing the program loaded by said load program, said program comprising the steps of:

when power is turned on,

loading, by said load program, a part of said program into said second information storage medium in accordance with update information stored in said first information storage medium, executing the loaded control program by said execution instruction program, and

in response to a user request during the execution of said control program,

reading a program from an external information storage medium as executed by the read program loaded in said second information storage medium, and

writing said program read by said read program to said first information storage medium as executed by said write program loaded in said second information storage medium.

19. A program for causing a computer comprising a first information storage medium having a control program for controlling the entire apparatus, a load program for reading said control program and loading said control program into another information storage medium, an execution instruction program for instructing the execution of the loaded program, update information indicative of an update situation of an area in which programs are stored, a read program for reading a program from an external information storage medium, and a write program for writing said program read by said read program into said program storing area and

a second information storage medium for storing the program loaded by said load program to execute the steps of:

when power is turned on,

loading, by said load program, a part of said program into said second information storage medium in accordance with update information stored in said first information storage medium, executing the loaded control program by said execution instruction program, and

in response to a user request during the execution of said control program,

reading a program from an external information storage medium as executed by the read program loaded in said second information storage medium, and

writing said program read by said read program to said first information storage medium as executed by said write program loaded in said second information storage medium.