System for changing a program stored in a terminal device and a terminal device used in the system

• US 7,120,909 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2000
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shibuya, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiss, Eric B.
• Application Number:
  US09/639,879
• Time in Patent Office: 2,245 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 455/418, 455/419
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

There is provided a system for changing programs stored in a terminal device, including (a) a base station, (b) a program-transferring device which transfers a program to the base station, and (c) a terminal device which downloads a program thereinto from the program-transferring device through the base station, the terminal device including (c1) a memory storing therein at least two programs grouped into at least two groups with respect to a function of a program, and (c2) a management table which stores first data about whether the programs are used or not, and removes a non-used program from the memory. In accordance with the present invention, it is no longer necessary to write all programs into a memory of a terminal device when a function of the terminal device is to be changed. Hence, a function of the terminal device can be changed merely by writing a necessary part of a program into the terminal device, ensuring that a working time can be shortened.

Claims

1. A terminal device, comprising:

a memory including;

a program storage area to store at least two programs grouped into at least two groups with respect to overall functions of said terminal device, as supported by said programs, said at least two groups including categorization whether a program is necessary for a change of an overall function to be executed by said terminal device, said program storage area thereby including a to-be-used program and, optionally, a to-be-removed program, according to a selection by a terminal device user to change a current overall function of said terminal device to a new overall function;

a program executing area to store programs for executing said new overall function; and

a memory management table that stores data designating which of any programs in said program storage area are necessary for said new overall function, thereby allowing each said to-be-used program and said to-be-removed program to be identified for said new overall function and allowing said to-be-used program to contain only programs necessary to execute said new overall function, when used in combination with programs already stored in said terminal device for executing said current overall function; and

a controller causing said to-be-used program to be transferred to said program executing area with reference to said data, if a check sum of said program storage area is not coincident with a check sum of said program executing area,

wherein said data allows any of said to-be-removed program to be removed when said new overall function is activated.

2. The terminal device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said to-be-used program is added to said program storage area from a program-transferring device that is external to said terminal device and transferred to said program executing area, in accordance with said data.

3. The terminal device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said terminal device comprises a portable terminal device.

4. A terminal device, comprising:

a program storage area that stores at least one to-be-used program transferred from a base station in response to a selection by a user to change an overall function of said terminal device;

a program executing area that stores a main program and at least one application program, each said at least one application program being necessary for executing device functions of said terminal device and said main program controlling said at least one application program to provide an overall terminal device function selected by a terminal device user;

a memory management table that stores data relative to which application programs are necessary for said overall terminal device functions and which application programs are unnecessary;

a signal-receiving and -transmitting circuit for receiving and transmitting a signal to said base station; and

a central processing unit which controls said program storage area, said program executing area, said memory management table, and said signal-receiving and -transmitting circuit,

wherein a change of overall terminal device functions is achieved by adding any of one or more application programs necessary for a selected new overall terminal device function and a new main program for executing said selected new overall terminal device function, using the added one or more application programs, along with any application programs already stored in said terminal device for a previously-selected function that are also necessary for said selected new overall terminal device function and

wherein said central processing unit causes said program storage area to transfer a to-be-used program to said program executing area with reference to said data stored in said memory management table, if a check sum of said program storage area is not coincident with a check sum of said program executing area.

5. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said memory management table stores a program ID of said main program, said application program, and said at least one to-be-used program, a flag indicating whether said main program, said application program, and said at least one to-be-used program is to be used or to be removed, a packet number transferred from a program-transferring device, a final packet number transferred from said program-transferring device, an initial storage address of said main program, said application program, and said at least one to-be-used program, and a length of said main program, said application program, and said at least one to-be-used program.

6. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said program storage area receives said to-be-used program from a program-transferring device, in accordance with said data stored in said memory management table, and

wherein said to-be-used program comprises one of said main program, and said main program and said application program.

7. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said program storage area comprises an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

8. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said program executing area comprises a random access memory (RAM).

9. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said memory management table comprises an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

10. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a power source electrically connected to said program executing area, such that said program executing area stores data even when said terminal device is turned off.

11. The terminal device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said terminal device comprises a portable terminal device.

12. A system for changing programs stored in a terminal device, said system comprising:

a base station;

a program-transferring device which transfers a to-be-used program to said base station, based on a request from a user to change a function of a terminal device; and

a terminal device which downloads said to-be-used program from said program-transferring device through said base station, said terminal device including;

a memory including;

a program storage area to store said downloaded to-be-used program, according to a selection by a terminal device user; and

a program executing area to store a program for executing said selected function; and

a memory management table that stores data related to whether a program is necessary for said selected function, said data permitting;

programs necessary for said selected function to be booted into said program executing area;

programs not necessary for said selected function to be removed from said memory; and

a function of said terminal device to be changed by downloading only program sections necessary to execute a newly selected function, in conjunction with program sections already stored in said terminal device for a previously-selected function,

wherein said terminal device further includes a controller, said controller transferring said to-be-used program to said program storage area with reference to said data, if a check sum of said program executing area is not coincident with a check sum of said program storage area, and copying programs stored in said program storage area into said program executing area.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12,

wherein said program-transferring device transfers said to-be-used program to said program storage area in accordance with said data, and

wherein said to-be-used program comprises one of a main program, and a main program and an application program.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said program-transferring device encodes said to-be-used program transferred to said terminal device, in response to a password transmitted from said terminal device.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said password comprises one of a serial number and a telephone number of said terminal device.

16. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said program-transferring device comprises:

a memory storing a to-be-used program;

a circuit which encodes said to-be-used program and transmits said to-be-used program, which is encoded, to said base station; and

a controller which controls an operation of said memory and said circuit.

17. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said terminal device comprises a portable terminal device.

18. A system for changing programs stored in a terminal device, comprising:

a base station;

a program-transferring device which transfers a to-be-used program to said base station in response to a request from a terminal device user to select a function of a terminal device in said system; and

a terminal device which downloads said to-be-used program from said program-transferring device through said base station, said terminal device including;

a program storage area that stores said to-be-used program;

a program executing area that stores programs to execute a selected function of said terminal device; and

a memory management table that stores data designating whether programs are necessary to a function selected by a terminal device user, said data allowing programs for said selected function to be loaded into said program execution area and programs not necessary for said selected function to be removed from a memory of said terminal device, thereby allowing a change in function of said terminal device by adding only program sections necessary for said change in function, as viewed to be in conjunction with programs already stored in said terminal device for a previously-selected function;

a signal-receiving and -transmitting circuit for receiving and transmitting a signal from or to said base station; and

a central processing unit which controls an operation of said program storage area, said program executing area, said memory management table, and said signal-receiving and -transmitting circuit,

wherein said central processing unit causes said program storage area to transfer said to-be-used program to said program executing area with reference to said data stored in said memory management table, if a check sum of said program storage area is not coincident with a check sum of said program executing area.

19. The system as set forth in claim 18,

wherein said program-transferring device transfers only a to-be-used program to said program storage area, in accordance with said data, and

wherein said to-be-used program comprises one of a main program and said main program and an application program.

20. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said program-transferring device encodes a to-be-used program transferred to said terminal device, in response to a password transmitted from said terminal device.

21. The system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said password comprises one of a serial number and a telephone number of said terminal device.

22. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said memory management table stores data designating whether said main program comprises one of said to-be-used program and said to-be-removed program, and whether said application program comprises one of said to-be-used program and said to-be-removed program.

23. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said memory management table stores a program ID of said main program, said application program, and said to-be-used program, a flag indicating whether said main program, said application program, and said to-be-used program is to be used or to be removed, a packet number transferred from a program-transferring device, a final packet number transferred from said program-transferring device, an initial storage address of said main program, said application program, and said to-be-used program, and a length of said main program, said application program, and said to-be-used program.

24. The system as set forth in claim 18,

wherein said program storage area receives only a to-be-used program from said program-transferring device, in accordance with said data stored in said memory management table, and

wherein said to-be-used program comprises one of a main program and said main program and an application.

25. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said program-transferring device comprises:

a memory storing a to-be-used program;

a circuit which encodes said to-be-used program and transmits said to-be-used program, which is encoded, to said base station; and

a controller which controls an operation of said memory and said circuit.

26. The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein said terminal device comprises a portable terminal device.

27. A method of changing programs stored in a terminal device including a memory that includes a program storage area to store a to-be-used program transferred from a base station, a program executing area including a plurality of programs, and a memory management table that stores data designating each of said plurality of programs stored in said program executing area as to be used or to be removed, the method comprising:

calculating a check sum of said program storage area that includes the to-be-used program and a to-be-removed program;

calculating a check sum of said program executing area;

comparing said check sum of said program storage area to said check sum of said program executing area; and

booting said to-be-used program from said program storage area to said program executing area in accordance with said data stored in said memory management table, if said check sum of said program storage area is not coincident with said check sum of said program executing area.