JP2009134474A - Firmware reprogramming method, firmware reprogramming program, and firmware management device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a printer operate by a version of firmware requested by a user. <P>SOLUTION: This firmware reprogramming method for reprogramming the version of the firmware of a printer connected to terminal equipment into a specific version includes: a version confirmation step for confirming the version of the firmware of a printer; a version matching determination step for determining whether or not the confirmed version is matched with the version of the firmware stored in the defined region of the terminal equipment; and a firmware reprogramming step for, when it is decided that the mutual versions are not matched, reprogramming the version of the firmware of the printer into the same version of the firmware stored in the defined region. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a firmware rewriting method for rewriting a firmware version of a printer connected to a terminal device to a specific version, and a firmware rewriting program. The present invention also relates to a firmware management apparatus that manages the firmware of a connection destination printer.

  A manufacturer of a printer or the like creates a new version of firmware when distributing a printer function or changing specifications, and distributes the firmware to users via the Internet or the like. In the case of a newly produced printer, the latest version of the firmware is installed in the printer in advance and shipped to the user. When the repair is requested by the user, the defective part is resolved and the latest version of the firmware is installed and sent back to the user.

  However, after upgrading the firmware to the latest version, the OS (Operating System) of the host terminal (PC (Personal Computer) or other terminal that controls the operation of the printer), driver software, upper-layer applications, etc. are upgraded. Incompatible with other firmware, problems that the manufacturer does not expect may occur. In some cases, the printer may malfunction, and in such a situation, it is desirable to control the operation of the printer with an appropriate version of firmware. Thus, an example of a technique for solving such a problem is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

In the following Patent Document 1, when there are a plurality of components to be referred to, there is upward compatibility among them, and furthermore, the latest version of the upward compatible components is loaded and processed. An information processing method for executing is described. When such a technique is applied to the firmware of the printer, the printer operates with an appropriate version of firmware corresponding to the host terminal, and the problem of malfunction of the printer is solved or reduced.
JP 2001-331324 A

  However, the case where the printer is requested to operate with an appropriate version of firmware is not limited to the case for the purpose of avoiding the above-described problem. For example, if the printer operation is changed by upgrading the firmware, a downgrade to a version desired by the user may be desired.

  For example, it is assumed that a printer used for business has failed, and the user purchases a printer of the same model number again or requests a repair from the manufacturer. Further, it is assumed that a printer that is newly purchased or returned from repair has a newer version of firmware than the printer that was used before, and the operation has been changed between the versions. The operation change here is, for example, a change in the color, blinking interval, and the like of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that notifies a power source, data transmission, error, and the like provided in the printer.

  The operation change as described above responds to the needs of the user, for example, and is generally accepted by the user. On the other hand, it is necessary for the user to grasp the state of the printer by looking at LEDs that are lit in a different form from the past, and some users may find it difficult to use a newly purchased or repaired printer. Therefore, it may be desirable for such users to downgrade the firmware version to a familiar version (ie, the previous printer firmware version).

  Here, there is a method of performing customer management on the manufacturer side and installing the firmware of the version desired by the user for each printer to be sold or repaired. However, this method is not desirable because it is complicated for the manufacturer and there is a concern that the sales and repair costs will increase. For this reason, for example, a mechanism for automatically selecting an appropriate version of firmware on the apparatus side is desired, as in Patent Document 1 described above.

  However, even if the technique of Patent Document 1 is applied to a printer, the firmware version is only a version that is determined to be optimal for the printer, and there is a disadvantage that the version is not necessarily familiar to the user.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a firmware rewriting method, a firmware rewriting program, and a firmware management apparatus that allow a printer to operate with a firmware version desired by a user.

  A firmware rewriting method according to an aspect of the present invention that solves the above problem is a firmware rewriting method for rewriting a firmware version of a printer connected to a terminal device to a specific version, and confirming the firmware version of the printer When it is determined that the version confirmation step, the confirmed version and the version of the firmware stored in the specified area of the terminal device match, and a version match determination step that determines whether the versions do not match And a firmware rewriting step of rewriting the firmware of the printer so that it has the same version as the firmware stored in the specified area.

  According to such a method, regardless of the version of the printer firmware before connection to the terminal device, the firmware of the printer after connection to the terminal device is the same version as the firmware held in the terminal device. Therefore, the user can always operate the connection destination printer with the desired version by providing the terminal device with the firmware of the desired version.

  Here, in the firmware rewriting method, when it is determined that the versions match in the version matching determination step, the printer firmware may not be rewritten.

  Further, in the above firmware rewriting method, when the printer is connected to the terminal device or when an instruction is given by a user operation, the version confirmation step, the version matching determination step, and the firmware rewriting step may be sequentially executed. good.

  The firmware rewriting method may further include a printer restarting step of restarting the printer when rewriting of the printer firmware is completed.

  In addition, the firmware rewriting method described above can be performed when the printer firmware cannot be confirmed at the version confirmation step, when it is not possible to determine whether the versions match at the version matching determination step, or when the firmware of the printer is not confirmed at the firmware rewriting step. When the rewriting of the firmware fails, the firmware rewriting method may be terminated without executing the subsequent steps.

  Moreover, the firmware rewriting program which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention which solves said subject is a program which makes a computer perform the said firmware rewriting method.

  According to such a program, regardless of the version of the printer firmware before connection to the terminal device, the firmware of the printer after connection to the terminal device is the same version as the firmware held in the terminal device. Therefore, the user can always operate the connection destination printer with the desired version by providing the terminal device with the firmware of the desired version.

  Also, a firmware management apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above-described problem is an apparatus for managing firmware of a printer at a connection destination, firmware storage means for storing firmware for the printer in a specified area, and a printer Version confirmation means for confirming the version of the firmware, version matching judgment means for judging whether or not the confirmed version matches the version of the firmware stored in the specified area, and the versions do not match And a firmware rewriting means for rewriting the firmware of the printer so that the firmware of the printer becomes the same version as the firmware stored in the specified area when the determination is made.

  According to such a firmware management apparatus, regardless of the version of the printer firmware before connection to the terminal device, the printer firmware after connection to the terminal device is the same version as the firmware held in the terminal device. Become. Therefore, the user can always operate the connection destination printer with the desired version by providing the terminal device with the firmware of the desired version.

  Here, the firmware management apparatus may be configured such that the firmware of the printer is not rewritten when the version match determination unit determines that the versions match each other.

  The firmware management apparatus may further include an operation unit that receives an input operation by a user. When the firmware management apparatus configured in this way is connected to the firmware management apparatus or when a predetermined input operation is accepted for the operation means, the version confirmation means confirms the version of the printer firmware, and the version The match determination unit determines whether or not the versions match each other, and when it is determined that the versions do not match, the firmware rewriting unit operates to rewrite the printer firmware to the firmware stored in the specified area. .

  The firmware management apparatus may further include a printer restarting unit that restarts the printer when rewriting of the printer firmware by the firmware rewriting unit is completed.

  Further, the firmware management apparatus may be configured such that when the version confirming unit cannot confirm the firmware of the printer, or when the version coincidence determining unit cannot determine whether the versions match each other, or the firmware rewriting unit determines whether the firmware of the printer It may be configured to further include an error processing means for performing a predetermined error process and forcibly terminating the process being executed when rewriting of the data fails.

  According to the firmware rewriting method, the firmware rewriting program, and the firmware management apparatus of the present invention, the printer firmware after the terminal device connection is transferred to the terminal device regardless of the version of the printer firmware before the terminal device connection. It becomes the same version as the firmware that is held. Therefore, the user can always operate the connection destination printer with the desired version by providing the terminal device with the firmware of the desired version.

  In addition, if the firmware versions on the printer side and the terminal device side do not match, the printer firmware will be upgraded or downgraded as a result. Is intended to make the firmware desired by the user. Therefore, when comparing versions, it is determined not only whether the firmware of the printer is newer or older than the firmware that can be installed from the terminal device, but only whether it is the same or not. Yes. Therefore, according to the present invention, any version of the printer firmware can be rewritten to the version desired by the user, and the benefit provided to the user is great.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a printer system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer system 1 includes a PC 100 and a printer 200. A port driver 160 is mounted on the PC 100 and is configured as a communication interface that supports USB (Universal Serial Bus), IrDA standard infrared communication, and the like. The port driver 160 is configured to transmit data to and from the printer 200 via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable 300 or by infrared communication or the like, and plays a role of transferring print data, for example.

  The PC 100 includes a CPU 110 that performs overall control of the PC 100 as a whole. In addition, the HDD 120 includes an OS 130, a printer driver 140, an application 150, a version check / rewrite application 170, a firmware file 180, and the like.

  The OS 130 resides in a main memory (not shown) such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), for example, when the PC 100 is turned on, and operates in conjunction with the CPU 110 to provide a common function used by various applications. The application 150 and the version check / rewrite application 170 operate on an application execution environment provided by the OS 130. The printer driver 140 functions as an interface between the OS 130 and the printer 200.

  More specifically, the printer driver 140 is a device driver for the printer 200, and data from the application 150, the version confirmation / rewrite application 170, and the like located in the upper layer is converted into a format that conforms to a predetermined protocol according to a request from the OS 130. Process and pass to port driver 160. The processed print data is output from the port driver 160, transmitted through the USB cable 300, and received by the printer 200.

  The application 150 is an application that provides a GUI (Graphical User Interface) environment such as software for creating a document, spreadsheet, or the like, or a setting utility for the printer 200, for example, in which a printing function is implemented. In the latter case, the printer driver 140 and the application 150 may be configured as a single program, or may be configured by a more detailed program module group.

  The version check / rewrite application 170 is an application that executes version check / rewrite processing using the firmware file 180, and will be described in detail later. The version checking / rewriting application 170 may be configured as a single program with the printer driver 140 so that the version checking / rewriting application 170 is also provided as a part of the function of the printer driver 140, or as a separate program module additionally mounted on the printer driver 140. It may be configured.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer 200. The printer 200 is, for example, a mobile type thermal printer that can be carried by a user, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 210 that performs overall control of the printer 200 as shown in FIG.

  Various components are connected to the CPU 210 via a data transmission path such as an external bus. The CPU 210 implements various functions of the printer 200 by exchanging data with each component. These components include an infrared interface 222, USB interface 224, flash ROM (Read Only Memory) 232, DRAM 234, mask ROM 236, paper sensor 242, motor driver 244, motor 246, A / D converter 248, thermal head 250, There are LEDs 262, 264, 266 and a power supply control circuit 272.

  Further, the power of the printer 200 is supplied to each component from the battery 274 or an AC adapter connected to the AC adapter input 276. In addition, in the printer 200, the CPU 210 and the power supply control circuit 272 operate in cooperation to supply a drive voltage to each component.

  Here, the operation of the printer 200 during the printing process will be briefly described.

  For example, when print data is transferred from the port driver 160 by infrared communication (or via the USB cable 300), the infrared interface 222 (or USB interface 224) receives the print data. Then, the received print data is processed into a format that conforms to a predetermined protocol and passed to the CPU 210. The CPU 210 holds the received print data in the flash ROM 232 or the DRAM 234 as necessary, and executes print processing according to the print data.

  Specifically, the CPU 210 monitors the output of the paper sensor 242 and detects whether or not paper (thermal paper) is set on the conveyance path of the printer 200. When it is detected that the paper is set, a control signal is transmitted to the motor driver 244. The motor driver 244 drives the motor 246 according to the control signal, so that the paper is transported on the transport path.

  Further, the CPU 210 uses the font data stored in the mask ROM 236 to generate a data signal, a clock signal, a strobe signal, and the like corresponding to the print data, and outputs the data signal to the thermal head 250. The thermal head 250 is driven based on the input data signal, clock signal, and strobe signal, and outputs the thermistor voltage, head voltage, and the like. When these voltages (signals) are converted by the A / D converter 248 and then input to a predetermined port of the CPU 210, the CPU 210 controls the applied voltage to the thermal head 250 based on the input signal.

  As described above, the CPU 210 transmits various signals and executes applied voltage control based on the signal obtained by feedback, whereby the print contents corresponding to the print data are thermally transferred to the paper by the thermal head 250. Then, when the paper on which the printing content is transferred is discharged from the printer 200, the printing process ends.

  Further, at the time of operation of the printer 200, at least one of the LEDs 262, 264, and 266 emits light to notify the user of the current state of the printer 200. The LEDs 262, 264, and 266 have, for example, a configuration in which a plurality of LEDs having different emission colors are integrated into one chip, and emit light with colors, blinking intervals, and the like according to control of the CPU 210.

  Specifically, the LED 262 is a power lamp and always lights up when the printer 200 is turned on. An LED 264 is a data transmission lamp and lights up during a period when print data is transferred from the PC 100 to the printer 200. An LED 266 is an error lamp. For example, when a paper error or a thermal head error (paper is not set, the thermal head does not operate normally, etc.), the state is eliminated, or the power is turned off. Keeps flashing until

  Here, it is assumed that the user purchases the printer 200 again for reasons such as failure. Further, it is assumed that the printer 200 that has been used so far has version ver1.1 firmware installed therein, and the printer 200 that has been newly purchased has version ver2.0 firmware installed therein. Version ver2.0 is different from version ver1.1 in that some changes relating to the LED operation mode (color, blinking interval, etc.) are made. Note that the installation destination of the firmware is a specified folder in the flash ROM 232. In FIG. 2, the firmware installed in the specified folder in the flash ROM 232 is shown as a firmware file 232a. The firmware file 232a has its own version information 232b as metadata.

  The newly purchased printer 200 is shipped with a version-ver2.0 firmware file and a CD-ROM storing a printer driver optimal for the version-ver2.0 firmware. Although the printer driver is created for version ver. 2.0 firmware, it has upward compatibility and supports version ver. 1.1 firmware.

  The above firmware file is not intended only for backup or recovery, but is stored in the bundled CD-ROM to satisfy the conflicting user's request for whether or not the operation of the printer 200 should be changed by upgrading the firmware. Has been.

  In addition, the instructions attached to the newly purchased printer 200 include a document instructing the user who wants to operate the printer 200 with the latest version of firmware to install the printer driver and firmware of the included CD-ROM. Has been. In addition, there is written a text instructing a user who wants to operate the printer 200 with a previous version (for example, a version used up to now) not to install the firmware of the bundled CD-ROM.

  Therefore, for example, a user who is accustomed to operating peripheral devices such as a PC and a printer and wants to operate the printer 200 with the version 2.0 firmware installs the bundled CD-ROM printer driver and firmware on the PC 100. Become. When the user sets a bundled CD-ROM in a drive (not shown) of the PC 100 and selects an installation execution file, the printer driver and firmware of the bundled CD-ROM are installed in a specified folder in the HDD 120. At this time, the old version of the printer driver and firmware (for example, version ver1.1 used up to now) installed in the specified folder is overwritten and erased in version ver2.0.

  In FIG. 1, the printer driver and firmware installed in the specified folder in the HDD 120 are shown as a printer driver 140 and a firmware file 180, respectively. The firmware file 180 has its own version information 182 as metadata.

  Further, a user who is unfamiliar with the operation of peripheral devices such as a PC and a printer and wants to use the new printer 200 without being aware of the difference from the printer 200 used so far, installs the firmware of the included CD-ROM on the PC 100. Will not be installed. That is, the firmware file in the HDD 120 is kept at the same version as before (for example, version ver1.1). However, since the printer driver has upward compatibility, it does not matter whether installation is necessary.

  As a result, in the former case, firmware of version ver2.0 is installed on both the PC 100 and the printer 200. In the latter case, version ver1.1 is installed on the PC 100 and version 2.0 is installed on the printer 200. Firmware is installed.

  Next, when the PC 100 and the printer 200 are connected, the version check / rewrite application 170 operates to check the firmware version of the printer 200 and rewrite the firmware as necessary. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the version confirmation / rewrite process executed by the version confirmation / rewrite application 170. FIG. 4 shows a sequence diagram of processing executed between the PC 100 and the printer 200.

  When the PC 100 and the printer 200 are connected by USB, for example, the PC 100 can control the operation of the printer 200 by the plug-in play function of the OS 130. On the other hand, the version checking / rewriting application 170 periodically exchanges data with the OS 130, for example, and detects the connection of the printer 200 when the plug-in play function is activated (Step 1, FIG. 3, hereinafter in the description and drawings). Step is abbreviated as “S”).

  When the version check / rewrite application 170 detects the connection of the printer 200, the version check / rewrite application 170 then creates a message command (hereinafter referred to as “version information request command”) for requesting the firmware 200 version information. Then, the created version information request command is transferred to the OS 130 to request transmission to the printer 200 (S2).

  The version information request command received by the OS 130 is processed into a format conforming to a predetermined protocol by the printer driver 140 and passed to the port driver 160. The version information request command is output from the port driver 160, transmitted through the USB cable 300, and received by the printer 200 (S101 in FIG. 4).

  When the version information request command is received by the printer 200, it is passed to the CPU 210 via the USB interface 224. Next, the CPU 210 reads the version information 232 b of the firmware file 232 a stored in the flash ROM 232 and outputs it to the USB interface 224. The version information 232b is output from the USB interface 224, transmitted through the USB cable 300, and received by the PC 100 (S102).

  If the OS 130 does not receive any response from the printer 200 even after the elapse of a predetermined time after sending the version information request command, for example, there is a possibility that the communication path or the printer 200 may be defective. Is executed to forcibly terminate the communication with the printer 200 and notify the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 that the communication has been forcibly terminated. When the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 receives the notification, the version confirmation / rewrite process in FIG. 3 is terminated.

  When the version information 232b is received by the PC 100, it is passed to the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 via the port driver 160, the printer driver 140, and the OS 130.

  In the above description, the operation of components (that is, the printer driver 140, the port driver 160, the USB cable 300, and the USB interface 224) located between the OS 130 and the CPU 210 has been described. Therefore, description of these components is omitted. That is, in the following description, it is described that the OS 130 and the CPU 210 communicate directly with each other.

  The version confirmation / rewrite application 170 compares the received version information 232b with the version information 182 of the firmware file 180, and determines whether the firmware versions on the PC 100 side and the printer 200 side match (FIG. 3). S3).

  Here, as described above, the user's PC 100 that wants to operate the printer 200 with the latest version of firmware is installed with version ver. 2.0 firmware, and is aware of the difference from the printer 200 used so far. Firmware of version ver1.1 is installed in the PC 100 of the user who wants to operate the new printer 200 without any change. That is, the firmware of the version desired by the user is installed in the PC 100.

  Therefore, in the process of S3, if it is determined that the firmware versions on the PC 100 side and the printer 200 side match (S3: YES), this means that the firmware version installed in the printer 200 is the version desired by the user. To do. For this reason, the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 does not need to rewrite the firmware of the printer 200, so the version confirmation / rewrite process of FIG. Thereafter, the printer 200 operates according to the firmware version desired by the user, and performs printing or the like according to an instruction from the PC 100, for example.

  In the process of S3, if it is determined that the firmware versions on the PC 100 side and the printer 200 side do not match (S3: NO), this means that the firmware version installed in the printer 200 is not the version desired by the user. To do. For this reason, since the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 needs to rewrite the firmware of the printer 200 to a version desired by the user, a message command for requesting rewriting of the firmware of the printer 200 (hereinafter referred to as “rewrite request command”) is issued. create. Then, the created rewrite request command is transferred to the OS 130 to request transmission to the printer 200 (S4). Further, the OS 130 secures necessary resources for the firmware rewriting process.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the OS 130 transmits a rewrite request command from the version check / rewrite application 170 to the printer 200 (S103). When the printer 200 receives the rewrite request command, the CPU 210 performs firmware rewrite preparation processing such as resource allocation. When the rewriting preparation process is completed, a message notifying that effect (hereinafter referred to as “preparation completion message”) is sent back to the PC 100 (S104).

  It should be noted that the OS 130 executes predetermined error processing as in the processing of S101 and S102, even if no response is obtained from the printer 200 even after a predetermined time has elapsed after the rewrite request command is transmitted, and performs the printer 200. 3 is forcibly terminated and the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 is controlled to terminate the version confirmation / rewrite process of FIG.

  When the preparation completion message is received by the PC 100, it is passed to the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 via the OS 130. The version check / rewrite application 170 determines that the PC 100 is ready to send firmware to the printer 200 by receiving the preparation completion message. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the firmware file 180 is read from the specified folder in the HDD 120, and the OS 130 is requested to install the firmware file 180 on the printer 200 (S5).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the OS 130 performs flow control in response to a request from the version confirmation / rewrite application 170, and transmits the firmware file 180 to the printer 200 for installation (S105). When the firmware file 180 is installed in the specified folder in the flash ROM 232 by the cooperative operation of the OS 130 and the CPU 210, the CPU 210 sends a message notifying the completion of installation (hereinafter referred to as “installation completion message”) back to the PC 100 (S106). ).

  For example, when the firmware file 180 and the firmware file 232a are version ver1.1 and version ver2.0, respectively, the firmware file 232a is rewritten to version ver1.1 by the process of S105.

  It should be noted that the OS 130 executes predetermined error processing and executes the predetermined error processing in the same way as the processing of S101 and S102 even when the installation of the firmware file 180 is not normally executed due to a failure of the communication path or the printer 200, for example. 3 is forcibly terminated and the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 is controlled to terminate the version confirmation / rewrite process of FIG.

  When the installation completion message is received by the PC 100, it is passed to the version confirmation / rewriting application 170 via the OS 130. The version confirmation / rewrite application 170 determines that the firmware of the printer 200 has been rewritten to the version desired by the user upon receiving the installation completion message. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to validate the rewritten firmware in the printer 200, a message command (hereinafter referred to as “restart instruction command”) for instructing restart of the printer 200 is created. Then, the created restart instruction command is transferred to the OS 130, and the transmission to the printer 200 is requested (S6).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the OS 130 transmits a restart instruction command from the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 to the printer 200 (S107). When the printer 200 receives the restart instruction command, the CPU 210 restarts the printer 200 and validates the rewritten firmware. Thereafter, the printer 200 operates according to the firmware version desired by the user, and performs printing or the like according to an instruction from the PC 100, for example.

  That is, when the printer system 1 of the present embodiment is employed, the user can operate the printer 200 with a desired version of firmware held on the PC 100 side regardless of the version of the firmware of the printer 200 to be used. it can. For example, even if a printer that has been newly purchased or returned from repair has a firmware version that is different from that of the printer that has been used up to now, the firmware version of the printer is processed as described above (see FIG. The processing shown in 3 and 4) is rewritten to the version desired by the user. As an example, the user can use the newly purchased or repaired printer without being aware of the difference from the printer that has been used so far, by keeping the version of firmware that has been used so far on the PC 100 side. be able to.

  Further, from another viewpoint, it is possible to provide the user with an environment in which the printer operates with a desired version of firmware without performing customer management regarding the firmware version on the printer manufacturer side. For this reason, the printer manufacturer has an advantage that high customer satisfaction can be obtained without performing complicated customer management.

  The above is the embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified in various ranges. In this embodiment, when the connection of the printer 200 is detected, the version check / rewrite application 170 is configured to be automatically executed. However, in another embodiment, the version check is performed only when an instruction is given by a user operation. The rewriting application 170 may be configured to execute.

  Further, for example, in the CD-ROM included with the printer 200, the firmware file 180 is not provided as a single unit, but may be provided as a part of the version check / rewrite application 170. That is, the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 is used to confirm the firmware file 180 (including the version information 182), the program for executing the processing of FIG. 3 (that is, the firmware version of the connected printer, and the firmware of the printer as necessary. The program can be rewritten. In this case, when the user wants to use a new version of the firmware, the user installs the version confirmation / rewrite application 170 together with the PC 100.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the version confirmation and rewriting process which the version confirmation and rewriting application of embodiment of this invention performs. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process performed between PC and printer of embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Printer system 100 PC
170 Version confirmation / rewriting application 180, 232a Firmware file 182, 232b Version information 200 Printer

Claims (11)

A firmware rewriting method for rewriting a firmware version of a printer connected to a terminal device to a specific version,
A version confirmation step for confirming the firmware version of the printer;
A version match determination step for determining whether the confirmed version matches the version of the firmware stored in the prescribed area of the terminal device;
A firmware rewriting method, comprising: a firmware rewriting step of rewriting the firmware of the printer so as to be the same version as the firmware stored in the specified area when it is determined that the versions do not match.   The firmware rewriting method according to claim 1, wherein the firmware of the printer is not rewritten when it is determined that the versions match in the version matching determination step.   The version check step, the version match determination step, and the firmware rewrite step are sequentially executed when the printer is connected to the terminal device or when an instruction is given by a user operation. The firmware rewriting method according to any one of 2 above.   The firmware rewriting method according to claim 1, further comprising a printer restarting step of restarting the printer when rewriting of the firmware of the printer is completed.   When it is not possible to confirm the firmware of the printer in the version confirmation step, or when it is not possible to determine whether the versions match each other in the version match determination step, or to rewrite the firmware of the printer in the firmware rewrite step The firmware rewriting method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the operation fails, the firmware rewriting method is terminated without executing subsequent steps.   A firmware rewriting program for causing a computer to execute the firmware rewriting method according to claim 1. A firmware management device that manages the firmware of a connected printer,
Firmware storage means for storing firmware for the printer in a prescribed area;
Version confirmation means for confirming the firmware version of the printer;
Version matching determination means for determining whether or not the confirmed version matches the version of the firmware stored in the specified area;
Firmware rewriting means for rewriting the firmware of the printer so as to be the same version as the firmware stored in the specified area when it is determined that the versions do not match each other Control device.   The firmware management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the version match determination unit determines that the versions match each other, the firmware of the printer is not rewritten. It further comprises operation means for accepting an input operation by the user,
When the printer is connected to the firmware management apparatus or when a predetermined input operation to the operation means is received, the version confirmation means confirms the firmware version of the printer, and the version match judgment means mutually The firmware rewriting means rewrites the firmware of the printer with the firmware stored in the specified area when it is determined that the versions do not match. The firmware management apparatus according to claim 7 or 8.   The firmware management according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising printer restarting means for restarting the printer when rewriting of the firmware of the printer by the firmware rewriting means is completed. apparatus.   When the version confirmation unit cannot confirm the firmware of the printer, or when the version match determination unit cannot determine whether the versions match each other, or the firmware rewrite unit rewrites the firmware of the printer. The firmware management apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising error processing means for performing predetermined error processing and forcibly terminating the processing being executed when the processing fails.

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