Terminal device capable of remote download, download method of loader program in terminal device, and storage medium storing loader program

• US 6,209,127 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kino, Hisayuki, Kakiuchi, Takashi, Miyabe, Yoshiyuki, Mori, Toshiya, Maeda, Tetsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T.
• Application Number:
  US09/090,685
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 395/707, 395/708, 395/709, 395/710, 395/712, 717/1, 717/11
• US Class Current: 717/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions

Abstract

Memory is divided into a plurality of banks to store software which is upgraded one bank at a time. By doing so, a memory with the same size as one bank is only needed as the temporary storage used when performing an upgrade. The terminal device only needs a memory that is “1+1/n” times as large as a total software when there are n banks, while a conventional terminal device needs a memory that is twice as large as the total software. Two loader programs are stored in different banks as a master loader program used for download processing and a backup loader program. On receiving a new loader program, one loader program is used to write the new loader program over the other loader program so as to upgrade the loader program. The backup loader program is activated when the new loader program is to be written over the master loader program.

Claims

1. A download method applied to a loader program used in a terminal device which includes:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, two loader programs being respectively stored in two different areas of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new set of software modules to which a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas is to be upgraded, wherein the reception unit receives the new set of software modules together with target area information indicating the area into which the new set of software modules is to be written; and

an execution unit for executing one of the loader programs, the download method comprising;

an identification step of identifying the area which stores the set of software modules corresponding to the received new set of software modules, as a target area wherein the identification step includes a first recognition substep of recognizing the target area information accompanying the received new set of software modules, and;

a judgment step of judging whether the target area is an area that stores the loader program which is currently active wherein the judgment step includes;

a second recognition substep of recognizing the area that stores the currently active loader program, after the target area information is recognized and a judgment substep of judging whether the area indicated by the target area information recognized in the first recognition substep is the area recognized in the second recognition substep;

a write step of writing the received new set of software modules into the target area to upgrade the set of software modules in the target area, if the target area is an area other than the area that stores the currently active loader program; and

,

an activation step performed by the execution unit for activating, if the target area is the area that stores the currently active loader program, the other inactive loader program.

2. A download method applied to a loader program used in a terminal device which includes:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, the loader program being stored in one of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new set of software modules corresponding to a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas; and

an execution unit for executing the loader program,

the download method comprising;

an identification step of identifying the area which stores the set of software modules corresponding to the received new set of software modules;

a first judgment step of judging whether the identified area is the area that stores the currently active loader program;

a first write step of writing, if the identified area is an old loader area that stores the currently active loader program, the received new set of software modules into an area, hereinafter called a new loader area, that is different from the old loader area;

an activation step performed by the execution unit, for activating a new loader program included in the new set of software modules written in the new loader area;

a second judgment step of judging after the new loader program is activated, whether the reception unit receives a new set of software modules corresponding to a set of software modules which was previously stored in the new loader area; and

a second write step of writing, once the reception unit has received the new set of software modules corresponding to the set of software modules previously stored in the new loader area, the received new set of software into the old loader area.

3. A download method applied to a loader program used in a terminal device which includes:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, the loader program being stored in one of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new software module corresponding to a software module included in a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas;

a buffer having a capacity of storing a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas; and

an execution unit for executing the loader program

the download method comprising;

an identification step of identifying the area which stores the software module corresponding to the received new software module;

a first write step of writing the set of software modules stored in the identified area into the buffer;

a replacement step of replacing the software module in the buffer which corresponds to the received new software module, with the new software module;

a second write step of writing the set of software modules in which the new software module has replaced the software module, from the buffer into the identified area.

4. A storage medium storing a loader program that is readable by a terminal device which includes:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, two loader programs being respectively stored in two different areas of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new set of software modules to which a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas is to be upgraded wherein the reception unit receives the new set of software modules together with target area information indicating the area into which the new set of software modules is to be written; and

an execution unit for executing one of the loader programs;

the loader program comprising;

an identification step of identifying the area which stores the set of software modules corresponding to the received new set of software modules, as a target area wherein the identification step includes a first recognition substep of recognizing the target area information accompanying the received new set of software modules;

a judgment step of judging whether the target area is an area that stores the currently active loader program wherein the judgment step includes;

a second recognition substep of recognizing the area that stores the currently active loader program, after the target area information is recognized; and

a judgment substep of judging whether the area indicated by the target area information recognized in the first recognition substep is the area recognized in the second recognition substep;

a write step of writing the received new set of software modules into the target area to upgrade the set of software modules in the target area, if the target area is an area other than the area that stores the currently active loader program; and

an activation step performed by the execution unit for activating, if the target area is the area that stores the currently active loader program, the other loader program.

5. A storage medium storing a loader program that is readable by a terminal device which includes:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, the loader program being stored in one of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new set of software modules corresponding to a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas; and

an execution unit for executing the loader program,

the loader program comprising;

an identification step of identifying the area which stores the set of software modules corresponding to the received new set of software modules;

a first judgment step of judging whether the identified area is the area that stores the currently active loader program;

a first write step of writing, if the identified area is an old loader area that stores the currently active loader program, the received new set of software modules into an area, hereinafter called a new loader area, that is different from the old loader area;

an activation step performed by the execution unit, for activating a new loader program included in the new set of software modules written in the new loader area;

a second judgment step of judging, after the new loader program is activated, whether the reception unit receives a new set of software modules corresponding to a set of software modules which was previously stored in the new loader area; and

a second write step of writing, once the reception unit has received the new set of software modules corresponding to the set of software modules previously stored in the new loader area, the received new set of software modules into the old loader area.

6. A storage medium storing a loader program that is readable by a terminal device which includes:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, the loader program being stored in one of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new software module corresponding to a software module included in a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas;

a buffer having a capacity for storing a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas; and

an execution unit for executing the loader program,

the loader program comprising;

an identification step of identifying the area which stores the software module corresponding to the received new software module;

a first write step of writing the set of software modules stored in the identified area into the buffer;

a replacement step of replacing the software module in the buffer which corresponds to the received new software module, with the new software module;

a second write step of writing the set of software modules in which the new software module has replaced the software module, from the buffer into the identified area.

7. A terminal device including:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, two loader programs being respectively stored in two different areas of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new set of software modules to which a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas is to be upgraded wherein the reception unit receives the new set of software modules together with target area information indicating the area into which the new set of software modules is to be written; and

an execution unit for executing one of the loader programs, through the execution of the loader program by the execution unit the terminal device performing;

an identification process of identifying the area which stores the set of software modules corresponding to the received new set of software modules, as a target area wherein the identification process includes a first recognition subprocess of recognizing the target area information accompanying the received new set of software modules;

a judgment process of judging whether the target area is an area that stores the loader program which is currently active wherein the judgment step includes;

a second recognition subprocess of recognizing the area that stores the currently active loader program, after the target area information is recognized; and

a judgment subprocess of judging whether the area indicated by the target area information recognized in the first recognition subprocess is the area recognized in the second recognition subprocess;

a write process of writing the received new set of software modules into the target area to upgrade the set of software modules in the target area, if the target area is an area other than the area that stores the currently active loader program; and

,

an activation process of activating, if the target area is the area that stores the currently active loader program, the other program.

8. A terminal device including:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, a loader program being stored in one of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new set of software modules corresponding to a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas; and

an execution unit for executing the loader program, through the execution of the loader program by the execution unit the terminal device performing;

an identification process of identifying the area which stores the set of software modules corresponding to the received new set of software modules;

a first judgment process of judging whether the identified area is the area that stores the loader program that is currently active;

a first write process of writing, if the identified area is an old loader area that stores the currently active loader program, the received new set of software modules into a new loader area, that is different from the old loader area;

an activation process of activating a new loader program included in the new set of software modules written in the new loader area;

a second judgment process of judging, after the new loader program is activated, whether the reception unit receives a new set of software modules corresponding to a set of software modules which was previously stored in the new loader area; and

a second write process of writing, once the reception unit has received the new set of software modules corresponding to the set of software modules previously stored in the new loader area, the received new set of software into the old loader area.

9. A terminal device including:

a memory having n areas that store a total of m software modules, wherein m≧

n≧

2, a loader program being stored in one of the n areas;

a reception unit for receiving a new software module corresponding to a software module included in a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas;

a buffer having a capacity of storing a set of software modules stored in any of the n areas; and

an execution unit for executing the loader program, through the execution of the loader program by the execution unit the terminal device performing;

an identification process of identifying the area which stores the software module corresponding to the received new software module;

a first write process of writing the set of software modules stored in the identified area into the buffer;

a replacement process of replacing the software module in the buffer which corresponds to the received new software module, with the new software module;

a second write process of writing the set of software modules in which the new software module has replaced the software module, from the buffer into the identified area.