JP2008173798A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can carry out firmware updating from a portable recording medium by a surer form (by a form which prevents use of an update file different from an intended one). <P>SOLUTION: The printer 10 equipped with an attachment opening for attaching the portable recording medium such as a USB memory 30 is configured to be an apparatus with the function of searching for the update file for its own model focusing on only a specific folder on the portable recording medium attached to the attachment opening, and of carrying out updating of content designated by the searched update file to firmware on a ROM. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of mounting a portable recording medium such as a USB memory.

  Among printing devices that can be loaded with a portable recording medium such as a USB memory (a printing device that can print a JPEG file or the like stored on a portable recording medium without using a PC) Some firmware update files (hereinafter referred to as update files) can be downloaded to a portable recording medium and the firmware can be updated by loading the portable recording medium into the device. The existing printing device searches each folder on the portable recording medium in turn for the update file for its own model, and updates the firmware according to the update file for its own model that was searched first. It is something to do.

  For this reason, an existing printing device capable of updating firmware from a portable recording medium is a device that can update firmware without problems when there is only one update file on the portable recording medium. When multiple update files (update files of various versions) are stored on a portable recording medium, the firmware may be updated according to an update file that is not the latest. .

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of updating firmware from a portable recording medium in a more reliable form (in a form in which an update file different from the intended one is not used). It is in.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a mounting port for mounting a portable recording medium, a non-volatile storage means for storing firmware, and a mounting port mounted in the mounting port. Firmware update means for searching for an update file for its own model only for a specific folder on the portable recording medium, and for updating the firmware on the nonvolatile storage means with the contents specified by the searched update file Are provided.

  That is, the printing apparatus according to the present invention only needs to save (download) the update file of the latest version (or a specific version) in a specific folder (for example, a root folder) on the portable recording medium. Even if an update file of another version is already stored in another folder on the portable recording medium, the device can perform a firmware update using the stored update file this time. Therefore, by using this printing apparatus, it is possible to realize an environment in which firmware update can be performed more reliably (in a form in which an update file different from the intended one is not used).

  When realizing (manufacturing) the printing apparatus of the present invention, the firmware update means is provided on a portable recording medium so that the user can grasp the storage location of the update file without reading a manual or the like. If there is no update file for your model in a specific folder, a message stating that the location where the update file should be saved is the specific folder, and various information that the printer has to display It is desirable that the display means (LCD or the like) be displayed on the display means. The firmware update means is a means for starting the firmware update when a predetermined operation is performed after displaying the searched firmware version information and the current firmware version information on the display device. Also good.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a printing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus that includes an operation panel 11, a control unit 12, and a print engine 13. Further, the printing apparatus 10 is an apparatus in which a mounting port for mounting a USB memory (USB flash memory) 30 is provided in the casing.

  The operation panel 11 of the printing apparatus 10 is a unit provided in the casing of the printing apparatus 10 as an interface unit with the user. The operation panel 11 is a unit including an LCD, a plurality of push button switches, and the like. The print engine 13 is a unit that prints on the paper the content instructed by the control unit 12.

  The control unit 12 includes a CPU, a memory control ASIC, a RAM, a ROM, a USB host (a circuit for reading / writing to the USB memory 30), an IO control ASIC, various PC interface circuits (a circuit for communicating with the host PC; 1 is a unit composed of a network interface circuit “NW I / F” and the like.

  When the printing apparatus 10 is turned on, the control unit 12 determines whether the power is turned on while pressing a predetermined two buttons on the operation panel 11, and the two buttons are not pressed. In this case, the unit is configured (programmed) so that the normal mode control process is started, and when the two buttons are pressed, the update mode control process is started.

  The normal mode control process executed by the control unit 12 is a process for operating the printing apparatus 10 as a printer capable of printing an image file stored in the USB memory 30 (a control unit in an existing printing apparatus is used). The same processing as that to be executed).

  The update mode control process is a process for updating the firmware on the ROM with the content specified by the update file on the USB memory 30 attached to the attachment port. Here, the update file is an information file (in this embodiment, a kind of EXE file) that defines the contents of processing that the control unit 12 (CPU) should execute in order to update the firmware. This update file is a file in which a model ID and a version number indicating the model of the printing apparatus 10 that can update the firmware using its own file are set, and, like a general firmware update file, It is a file that can be downloaded from the website. The update file is a file in which there are uncompressed files (file name = “˜.rcx”) and compressed files (file name = “˜.efu”).

  Then, the update mode control process executed by the control unit 12 of the printing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment has the procedure shown in FIG.

  That is, when the printing apparatus 10 is turned on while the predetermined two buttons are pressed, the control unit 12 starts the update mode control process, and first, the USB memory 30 attached to the attachment port is started. A process (step S101) for specifying the file name of the update file (file name with extension “.efu” or “.rcx”) existing in the root folder (root directory) is performed.

  When the control unit 12 succeeds in specifying the file name (step S102; YES), the control unit 12 selects an update file on the USB memory 30 (hereinafter referred to as a process target update file) having the specified file name. A process of copying / decompressing to RamDisk (storage area used as a drive on the RAM) is performed (step S103). More specifically, when the processing target update file is not compressed (when the specified file name is “˜.rcx”), the control unit 12 stores the update file on the USB memory 30. If the update file to be processed is copied to RamDisk and the update file to be processed is compressed (if the specified file name is "~ .efu"), the decompression destination is RamDisk The process of decompressing the processing target update file on the USB memory 30 is performed.

  After completing the process of step S103, the control unit 12 determines whether or not the model ID in the processing target update file copied / decompressed on RamDisk matches the model ID of the own device (the processing target update file is for the own model). Whether the file is an update file or not (step S104).

  If the two model IDs do not match (step S104; NO), the control unit 12 deletes the update file copied / decompressed on the RamDisk (step S105), and then repeats the processing from step S102 onward. Start.

  Then, when the model ID in the update file copied / decompressed on the RamDisk matches the model ID of its own device (step S104; YES), the control unit 12 stores the model ID on the RamDisk. Based on the copy / decompressed update file (process target update file), the firmware update process (step S106), which is the actual firmware update process, is performed, and then the update mode control process (the process of FIG. 2) is terminated. To do.

  Note that the firmware update process in step S106 is performed on the operation panel 11 with a screen configured as shown in FIG. 3, that is, a screen showing the current version number of the firmware and the new version number (version number of the updated firmware). After a process for displaying on the LCD, a process for starting an actual firmware update when a predetermined button on the operation panel 11 is pressed (when another predetermined button is pressed) The process is terminated without updating the firmware). Further, the firmware update process is a process of displaying on the LCD a screen for notifying the user that the power should be turned on again at the end of the firmware update process. That is, the control unit 12 is a unit that shifts to a state of waiting for the power to be turned on again when the update mode control processing is completed.

  In addition, the control unit 12 may not have stored an update file for its own model in the root folder of the USB memory 30 attached to the attachment port, or may not have the USB memory 30 attached to the attachment port ( In step S102; NO), a process (step S107) for displaying an update file storage location notification screen configured as shown in FIG. 4 on the LCD is performed, and then the update mode control process is terminated. The update file storage location notification screen shown in FIG. 4 is displayed in the process of step S107 when the update file for the own model is not stored in the root folder of the USB memory 30 attached to the attachment port. The update file storage location notification screen that is displayed when the USB memory 30 is not installed in the installation slot shows a slightly different message from that shown in FIG.

  As is clear from the above description, the printing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment only has to save (download) the latest version (or specific version) update file in the root folder on the USB memory 30. Even if an update file of another version is already stored in another folder on the USB memory 30, the device can perform a firmware update using the update file stored this time. Therefore, if this printing apparatus 10 is used, an environment in which firmware update can be performed more reliably (in a form in which an update file different from the intended one is not used) can be realized.

  Further, when the printing apparatus 10 saves the update file in the wrong folder and starts the firmware update, the update file storage location notification screen (FIG. 4) showing a message indicating the location where the update file should be saved is displayed. Is displayed. Therefore, it can be said that the printing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that allows the user to grasp the storage location of the update file without reading a manual or the like.

<Deformation>
The above-described printing apparatus 10 can perform various modifications. For example, the printing device 10 may be transformed into a device that searches for an update file for its own model only from a folder (a folder with a predetermined name) other than the root folder of the USB memory 30 (or another type of portable recording medium). I can do it. Of course, the printing apparatus 10 may be transformed into a device that performs firmware update without reading the update file therein or a device that reads the update file into the HDD.

1 is a configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart of an update mode control process executed by a control unit of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment. The flowchart of the screen displayed when the control process for update modes is started. The flowchart of the update file storage location notification screen displayed at the time of update mode control processing.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printing apparatus, 11 Operation panel, 12 Control part, 13 Print engine 30 USB memory

Claims (4)

A mounting port for mounting a portable recording medium;
Non-volatile storage means for storing firmware;
Search for an update file for its own model only for a specific folder on the portable recording medium attached to the attachment port, and update the contents designated by the searched update file to the nonvolatile storage means Firmware update means for applying to the above firmware. The display means for displaying various information is further provided,
The firmware update means is
If there is no update file for the own model in the specific folder on the portable recording medium, a message indicating that the location where the update file should be stored is the specific folder is displayed on the display unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is a display unit. The firmware update means is
The firmware update information and the current firmware version information are displayed on the display device and then a firmware update is started when a predetermined operation is performed. The printing apparatus according to 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific folder is a root folder.