Data communication program product transmitting firmware in divisional manner

• US 7,262,875 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomita, Atsushi, Hino, Hideki, Mae, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murphy; Dillon
• Application Number:
  US10/106,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/402, 714/18, 714/748, 714/38, 714/52, 714/54, 717/168, 717/169, 717/175, 710/19, 709/203, 709/206, 719/313, 379/100.08
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable

Abstract

When electronic mail indicating termination of firmware rewriting has arrived from an image formation apparatus that has received divided firmware, the transmitter side of the firmware determines whether rewriting has ended properly or not from the mail. When rewriting has ended properly, electronic mail with the next divided firmware attached is transmitted based on the division number, divisor value, machine type and module indicated in a Subject field. When rewriting has not ended properly, the same firmware indicated in the Subject field is transmitted again. Accordingly, divided firmware can be transmitted appropriately. Thus, firmware of a large size can be transmitted appropriately even in the case where the size set at the mail server is restricted.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for data communication which causes a computer to execute:

a divide step of dividing firmware into a plurality of parts,

a first transmission step of attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware parts to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to an addressee,

an acquirement step of acquiring information relating to a firmware rewrite result sent from the addressee acquiring said one firmware part attached to electronic mail, and

a second transmission step of attaching another firmware part differing from said one of plurality of divided firmware parts to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to the addressee when the information relating to said acquired rewrite result is information of success in rewriting.

2. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein said second transmission step transmits again said one of the plurality of divided firmware parts transmitted at said first transmission step when said information related to a rewrite result acquired at said acquirement step is information of failure in rewriting.

3. The computer-readable medium according to claim 1, wherein said second transmission step and said acquirement step are repeated for a predetermined number of times until the entire firmware is transmitted.

4. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for data communication which causes a computer to execute:

a reception step of receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware parts attached,

a derive step of deriving said firmware part from said received electronic mail,

a write step of writing said derived firmware part into a predetermined memory,

a determination step of determining whether writing into the memory at said write step has succeeded or not, which includes the following steps;

calculating a first check sum of said derived firmware part before said firmware part is written by said write step,

calculating a second check sum of said written firmware part after said firmware part has been written by said write step, and

comparing said first check sum to said second check sum,

wherein a determination is made that writing has succeeded or failed when a comparison result by said comparison step indicates a match or a mismatch, respectively, and

a notification step of notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail a determination result by said determination step.

5. A data communication apparatus comprising one or more circuits that perform the following functions:

dividing firmware into a plurality of parts,

attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware parts to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to an addressee,

acquiring information relating to a firmware rewrite result sent from the addressee acquiring said one firmware part attached to electronic mail, and attaching another firmware part differing from said one of said plurality of divided firmware parts to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to the addressee when said acquired information relating to a rewrite result is information of success in rewriting.

6. A data communication apparatus comprising one or more circuits that perform the following functions:

receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware parts attached,

deriving said firmware part from said received electronic mail,

writing said derived firmware part into a predetermined memory,

determining whether writing into a memory by said writing portion has succeeded or not, by calculating a first check sum of said derived firmware part before said firmware part is written, calculating a second check sum of said written firmware part after said firmware part has been written, comparing said first check sum to said second check sum, and determining that writing has succeeded or failed when a comparison result indicates a match or a mismatch, respectively, and

notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail of the result of said determination.

7. An image formation apparatus comprising a data communication apparatus defined in claim 6.

8. A data communication method comprising:

a divide step of dividing firmware into a plurality of parts,

a first transmission step of attaching one of said plurality of divided firmware parts to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to an addressee,

an acquirement step of acquiring information relating to a firmware rewrite result sent from the addressee acquiring said one firmware part attached to electronic mail, and

a second transmission step of attaching another firmware part differing from said one of said plurality of divided firmware parts to electronic mail and transmitting said electronic mail to the addressee when the acquired information relating to a rewrite result is information of success in rewriting.

9. A data communication method comprising:

a reception step of receiving electronic mail with one of a plurality of divided firmware parts attached,

a derive step of deriving said firmware part from said received electronic mail,

a write step of writing said derived firmware part into a predetermined memory,

a determination step of determining whether writing into a memory at said write step has succeeded or not, which includes the following steps;

calculating a first check sum of said derived firmware part before said firmware part is written by said write step,

calculating a second check sum of said written firmware part after said firmware part has been written by said write step, and

comparing said first check sum to said second check sum,

wherein a determination is made that writing has succeeded or failed when a comparison result by said comparison step indicates a match or a mismatch, respectively, and

a notification step of notifying a transmission source of said electronic mail a determination result by said determination step.