Update data transmission method, computer program for practicing the method, host device and firmware writing system

• US 20080028387A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Masayuki, Takamoto, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The time required to send firmware update data to a printer or other peripheral device is shortened without changing the communication speed. A server sequentially reads records of source data in a first format, deletes blocks of consecutive blank data that are contained in the object data in records of the first format and are longer than the management data in a second format, and segments the object data before and after the blanks, connects the object data in records of the first format into units of a certain length, generates management data for the segmented object data and generates management data for the connected object data to produce target records in the second format, and sends the update data composed of the target records of the second format to the printer. Records of the first format written in ASCII code are binary converted, and binary records in the second format are sent to the printer.

Claims

1. An update data transmission method for transmitting firmware update data from a host device to a peripheral device, the method comprising steps of:

(a) sequentially reading, as source records having a first format including source object data and source management data, data records of the firmware update data to be transmitted;

(b) converting the source records into target records having a second format including target object data and target management data generated therefor; and

(c) sending the target records to the peripheral device;

wherein step (b) comprises;

(b1) arranging the source object data of the source records in a sequence of object data blocks of a predetermined maximum length by appending the source object data of a respective source record to the source object data of one or more preceding source records and beginning the next object data block once the previous object data block has reached the predetermined maximum length;

(b2) checking, while performing step (b1), if there is any block of consecutive blanks among the source object data that is longer than the target management data in the target records, and, if a block is detected, executing step (b1) up to the source object data that immediately precedes the detected block, and beginning the next object data block with the source object data immediately following the detected block, such that a detected block is not included in an object data block and the source object data immediately preceding such block and those immediately following it are arranged in two consecutive subsequent ones of the object data blocks; and

(b3) generating target management data for each of the object data blocks, and generating a target record including the respective object data block as the target object data and the target management data generated therefor.

2. The update data transmission method of claim 1, wherein step (b2) comprises checking if there is any block of consecutive blanks among the source object data of a respective source record.

3. The update data transmission method of claim 1, wherein:

the first format is an ASCII code format, and the second format is a binary format; and

the method further comprises a step of converting the source records into binary format source records.

4. The update data transmission method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second format are ASCII code formats, and step (b) further comprises converting the target records resulting form step (b3) into binary format target records.

5. The update data transmission method of claim 1, wherein the maximum length is less than or equal to the length of a data writing unit of the flash memory in the peripheral device used for storing the firmware.

6. The update data transmission method of claim 1, wherein the maximum length is set according to the type of interface to which the peripheral device is connected.

7. The update data transmission method of claim 1, further comprising a step of measuring the communication speed between the host device and the peripheral device and setting the maximum length based on the measured communication speed.

8. A computer program for transmitting firmware update data from a host device to a peripheral device in accordance with the steps of:

(a) sequentially reading, as source records having a first format including source object data and source management data, data records of the firmware update data to be transmitted;

(b) converting the source records into target records having a second format including target object data and target management data generated therefor; and

(c) sending the target records to the peripheral device;

wherein step (b) comprises;

(b1) arranging the source object data of the source records in a sequence of object data blocks of a predetermined maximum length by appending the source object data of a respective source record to the source object data of one or more preceding source records and beginning the next object data block once the previous object data block has reached the predetermined maximum length;

(b2) checking, while performing step (b1), if there is any block of consecutive blanks among the source object data that is longer than the target management data in the target records, and, if a block is detected, executing step (b1) up to the source object data that immediately precedes the detected block, and beginning the next object data block with the source object data immediately following the detected block, such that a detected block is not included in an object data block and the source object data immediately preceding such block and those immediately following it are arranged in two consecutive subsequent ones of the object data blocks; and

(b3) generating target management data for each of the object data blocks, and generating a target record including the respective object data block as the target object data and the target management data generated therefor.

9. A recording medium for storing the computer program of claim 8.

10. A host device having a computer program for transmitting firmware update data from the host device to a peripheral device comprising:

(a) means for sequentially reading, as source records having a first format including source object data and source management data, data records of the firmware update data to be transmitted;

(b) means for converting the source records into target records having a second format including target object data and target management data generated therefor; and

(c) means for sending the target records to the peripheral device;

wherein the means for converting the source records into target records initiates the execution of the computer program including the steps of;

(b1) arranging the source object data of the source records in a sequence of object data blocks of a predetermined maximum length by appending the source object data of a respective source record to the source object data of one or more preceding source records and beginning the next object data block once the previous object data block has reached the predetermined maximum length;

(b2) checking, while performing step (b1), if there is any block of consecutive blanks among the source object data that is longer than the target management data in the target records, and, if a block is detected, executing step (b1) up to the source object data that immediately precedes the detected block, and beginning the next object data block with the source object data immediately following the detected block, such that a detected block is not included in an object data block and the source object data immediately preceding such block and those immediately following it are arranged in two consecutive subsequent ones of the object data blocks; and

(b3) generating target management data for each of the object data blocks, and generating a target record including the respective object data block as the target object data and the target management data generated therefor.

11. A firmware writing system comprising:

a host device and a peripheral device connected to the host device with the host device having a computer program for transmitting firmware update data from the host device to the peripheral device according to a method comprising steps of;

(a) sequentially reading, as source records having a first format including source object data and source management data, data records of the firmware update data to be transmitted;

(b) converting the source records into target records having a second format including target object data and target management data generated therefor; and

(c) sending the target records to the peripheral device;

wherein step (b) comprises;

(b1) arranging the source object data of the source records in a sequence of object data blocks of a predetermined maximum length by appending the source object data of a respective source record to the source object data of one or more preceding source records and beginning the next object data block once the previous object data block has reached the predetermined maximum length;

(b2) checking, while performing step (b1), if there is any block of consecutive blanks among the source object data that is longer than the target management data in the target records, and, if a block is detected, executing step (b1) up to the source object data that immediately precedes the detected block, and beginning the next object data block with the source object data immediately following the detected block, such that a detected block is not included in an object data block and the source object data immediately preceding such block and those immediately following it are arranged in two consecutive subsequent ones of the object data blocks; and

(b3) generating target management data for each of the object data blocks, and generating a target record including the respective object data block as the target object data and the target management data generated therefor;

wherein the peripheral device comprises

a reception unit that receives the firmware update data composed of the target records in the second format; and

a writing unit that rewrites firmware stored in flash memory based on the firmware update data received by the reception unit.