Terminal apparatus updating method, data writing apparatus, and terminal apparatus

• US 20120005497A1
• Filed: 04/13/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Sotaro, Harada, Atsuhiro, Ueda, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US13/064,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005497A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories

Abstract

A terminal apparatus updating method is disclosed which includes: performing a wireless power supply process of wirelessly supplying power to a terminal apparatus equipped with a wireless power reception portion so as to start up the terminal apparatus thus powered; performing a wireless transmission process of wirelessly transmitting firmware write data to the terminal apparatus started up in the wireless power supply process using a suitable wireless communication function; performing a write process of causing the terminal apparatus having received the firmware write data in the wireless transmission process to write the firmware write data to a storage portion inside the terminal apparatus; and stopping the wireless power supply process upon determination that the write process is completed.

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus updating method comprising:

performing a wireless power supply process of wirelessly supplying power to a terminal apparatus equipped with a wireless power reception portion so as to start up said terminal apparatus thus powered;

performing a wireless transmission process of wirelessly transmitting firmware write data to said terminal apparatus started up in said wireless power supply process using a suitable wireless communication function;

performing a write process of causing said terminal apparatus having received said firmware write data in said wireless transmission process to write said firmware write data to a storage portion inside said terminal apparatus; and

stopping said wireless power supply process upon determination that said write process is completed.

2. The terminal apparatus updating method according to claim 1, wherein said wireless transmission process provides filter characteristics determined by two frequencies, one frequency being a resonant frequency of an antenna used by an entity transmitting said firmware write data, the other frequency being set to a frequency shifted from the resonant frequency of an antenna attached to said terminal apparatus.

3. The terminal apparatus updating method according to claim 2, wherein said wireless transmission process includes transmitting a query command to the terminal apparatuses and wirelessly transmitting said firmware write data to the terminal apparatuses that have responded to said query command.

4. The terminal apparatus updating method according to claim 3, wherein said query command includes a command to switch start-up mode of the terminal apparatuses to write start-up mode;

and

the terminal apparatuses having received the command to switch to said write start-up mode start up solely a processing portion thereof related to the writing of firmware.

5. The terminal apparatus updating method according to claim 4, wherein said terminal apparatuses powered wirelessly in said wireless power supply process are started up when they are not provided with batteries.

6. The terminal apparatus updating method according to claim 4, wherein said terminal apparatuses are updated by the firmware written to the storage portions thereof in said write process in such a manner that once said wireless power supply process is stopped, said terminal apparatuses are not started up when wirelessly supplied with power.

7. A data writing apparatus comprising a control portion configured to supply power wirelessly to a terminal apparatus equipped with a wireless power reception portion so as to start up said terminal apparatus thus powered;

to transmit firmware write data wirelessly to said terminal apparatus started up when wirelessly supplied with power using a suitable wireless communication function so that said firmware write data is written to said terminal apparatus; and

to stop the wireless power supply following the writing of said firmware write data.

8. The data writing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a wireless power transmission portion configured to transmit power under control of said control portion;

a wireless communication portion configured to communicate wirelessly with said terminal apparatus under control of said control portion; and

a storage portion configured to store said firmware write data.

9. The data writing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an antenna attached to said wireless power transmission portion has a resonant frequency set to a frequency shifted from the resonant frequency of a wireless communication antenna attached to said terminal apparatus, the two resonant frequencies providing filter characteristics permitting communication over a frequency band delimited by the resonant frequencies of the two antennas.

10. The data writing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control portion identifies the terminal apparatus that has completed the writing of said firmware write data;

said data writing apparatus further comprising a database portion configured to manage the terminal apparatuses thus identified.

11. The data writing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, under control of said control portion, said wireless communication portion transmits a command to switch start-up mode of the terminal apparatuses to write start-up mode.

12. The data writing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a sealed box configured to house said terminal apparatuses;

wherein said terminal apparatuses inside said sealed box are supplied wirelessly with power from said wireless power transmission portion and communicate wirelessly with said wireless communication portion.

13. A terminal apparatus comprising a control portion configured to start up said terminal apparatus upon detecting reception of power in a wireless power reception process and, upon receiving firmware write data in the start-up state using a suitable wireless communication function, to perform a control process of writing the received firmware write data to a storage portion of said terminal apparatus.

14. The terminal apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said control portion transmits a serial number of said terminal apparatus in response to a command received using said wireless communication function and performs a control process of writing to said storage portion said firmware write data received after the serial number transmission.

15. The terminal apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a wireless power reception portion configured to perform said wireless power reception process;

a wireless communication portion configured to operate said wireless communication function; and

a storage portion configured to store said firmware write data received by said wireless communication portion.

16. The terminal apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a battery housing portion;

wherein, with no battery attached to said battery housing portion, said control portion performs a control process of starting up said terminal apparatus when said wireless power reception portion receives power; and

if said terminal apparatus remains turned off with a battery attached to said battery housing portion, said control portion performs a control process of not starting up said terminal apparatus when said wireless power reception portion receives power.

17. The terminal apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, after said firmware write data is stored into said storage portion and while said terminal apparatus remains turned off, said control portion performs a control process of not starting up said terminal apparatus when said wireless power reception portion receives power.