JP2009245398A - Electronic device system and method of updating firmware - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the burden of software development in updating firmware and to increase convenience. <P>SOLUTION: An electronic device system 1 has an electronic device (card reader/writer 3) which operates based on firmware, and a controller (POS terminal 2) for controlling the electronic device. The controller has an area to store control application software and an area to store a communication DLL module having the function of communicating with the electronic device, and also has an area to store application software for updating the firmware of the electronic device and an area to store a DLL module for updating the firmware. The area to store the DLL module for updating the firmware is provided with an area to store update firmware data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device system having an electronic device and a control device, and a firmware update method, and more particularly to a device that improves convenience when updating firmware.

  A device (for example, an electronic device such as a card reader / writer) connected to a small-scale POS system is control software (for example, a card reader / writer) that provides a basic communication function between a host device (for example, a control device such as a POS terminal) and the device. The function can be exhibited by the control DLL). Then, in order to add a new function or correct a defect later on the device, the firmware of the device can be changed (updated) later. Hereinafter, a card reader / writer will be described as an example of a device.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a conventional firmware update method. In FIG. 5, the POS control application software (S10) for controlling the POS terminal (S16) uses the card reader / writer communication (control) DLL (S11) to update the firmware data to the card reader / writer (S12). The file (S13) is transferred (written). The firmware data file for update (S13) is acquired by downloading from the server (S14) to the POS terminal (S16) via the network (S15).

  That is, the POS control application software (S10) determines whether or not the latest (unupdated) update firmware data file (S13) exists in the server (S14) at the time of OS startup or the like. If it is determined, it is downloaded from the server (S14). Then, the card reader / writer communication (control) DLL (S11) is used to transfer (write) to the card reader / writer (S12). Thereby, the firmware of the card reader / writer (S12) can be updated.

  On the other hand, instead of making an inquiry to the server (S14) from the POS terminal (S16) side, there is a case in which the server (S14) side notifies the POS terminal (S16) of the current latest firmware version (Patent Literature). 1). More specifically, in the firmware update system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a new firmware data file is added to the firmware distribution server, the firmware distribution server notifies the connected printer of a predetermined notification. I do. When the printer confirms that a firmware version newer than its own has been notified, the printer downloads a data file of the firmware from the server, and necessary equipment (not shown in Patent Document 1). In FIG. 5, the card reader / writer (S12) is installed. As a result, the firmware can be automatically updated.

JP 2003-5991 A

  However, in the firmware update method described with reference to FIG. 5, what is downloaded from the server (S14) is a “data file” of the update firmware. For this reason, the manufacturer that manufactures the POS terminal (S16) must modify the firmware update function part of the card reader / writer communication DLL (S11) (in many cases). This forces the manufacturer to pay for software development and software updates. In this respect, the firmware update system disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above also downloads firmware data files from the server (paragraph numbers [0056] and [0057] of Patent Document 1), and the same problem is encountered. Occurs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device system and a firmware update method capable of reducing the burden of software development when updating firmware, and thus improving convenience. It is to provide.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following.

  (1) An electronic device system including an electronic device that operates based on firmware and a control device that controls the electronic device, wherein the control device stores an area for storing control application software and communication with the electronic device. A functioning communication DLL (Dynamic Linking Library) module, an area for storing firmware update application software for the electronic device, and an area for storing a firmware update DLL module; An electronic device system comprising an area for storing update firmware data in an area for storing a DLL module.

  According to the present invention, in an electronic device system having an electronic device and a control device for controlling the electronic device, the control device includes an area for storing control application software and a communication DLL module having a communication function with the electronic device. And an area for storing firmware update application software for the electronic device, and an area for storing the firmware update DLL module, and an area for storing the firmware update DLL module. Is provided with an area for storing firmware data for update. Therefore, when a new module for update is stored in the area for storing the DLL module for firmware update in the control device, the firmware data for update is updated. Must also be stored in that area It made.

  Therefore, by replacing the DLL module for updating the firmware, it becomes possible to update the firmware of the electronic device, and the manufacturer of the control device does not need to separately develop software such as the DLL module for updating the firmware. As a result, the burden of software development can be reduced.

  Here, the “area for storing the firmware update DLL module” is not limited as long as the firmware update DLL module is stored at least temporarily. For example, a firmware update DLL module may be temporarily stored in this area, and the firmware update DLL module may be deleted after the firmware update of the electronic device is completed.

  (2) The electronic device system includes a distribution server that distributes the firmware update DLL module to the control device, and the firmware update DLL module includes the update firmware data. Electronic equipment system characterized by

  According to the present invention, the electronic device system described above includes a distribution server that distributes the firmware update DLL module to the control device, and the firmware update DLL module incorporates the update firmware data. Therefore, the firmware of the electronic device connected to the control device can be updated by downloading the firmware update DLL module from the distribution server. Therefore, the manufacturer that manufactures the control device does not need to separately develop software such as a firmware update DLL module, and thus, the burden of software development can be reduced.

  In addition, when the firmware of the electronic device is updated via the network as in the present invention, the security of the update operation can be improved. More specifically, when the “data file” of the update firmware itself is downloaded from the distribution server to the control device, there is a risk that it will be decoded by a third party on the network. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that a data file is decrypted and altered by a third party on a distribution server or network, and the altered data file is once downloaded to the control device, the electronic device uses a firmware file based on the incorrect data file. May be updated.

  However, according to the present invention, the update firmware data is incorporated in the firmware update DLL module, and the firmware update DLL module that is not easily deciphered (takes out the update firmware data from the firmware update DLL module). It is not easy to edit), and since it is sent from the distribution server to the control device, the risk of being decoded by a third party can be reduced. Further, even if the firmware data for update is accessed and the contents thereof are falsified, by adding a technique such as error correction to the DLL module for firmware update (for example, the DLL module for firmware update) The validity of the firmware data for update is verified by its own program, and if it is not valid, the firmware update function is stopped, etc.), the fact of tampering is discovered at an early stage, and the firmware is updated based on the wrong data file Can be prevented. In this way, the security of the firmware update operation can be improved.

  (3) An electronic device that operates based on firmware and a control device that controls the electronic device, and the control device includes an area for storing control application software and communication having a communication function with the electronic device. A method for updating firmware in an electronic device system provided with an area for storing a DLL module for use, an area for storing application software for firmware update of the electronic apparatus, and an area for storing a DLL module for firmware update, A storage step of storing the firmware update DLL module in which firmware data for the firmware is incorporated; a startup step of starting the firmware update application software; and an API ( Pplication Program Use Interface), the update process of the firmware to the firmware updating step of updating the electronic device firmware, comprising a.

  According to the present invention, a firmware update DLL module in which firmware data for update is incorporated is stored in an electronic device system having an electronic device that operates based on firmware and an electronic device system having the control device, and the firmware update DLL module is stored. Since the application software is activated and the firmware of the firmware update DLL module is used to update the firmware of the electronic device, the burden of software development can be reduced as in the electronic device system described above.

  (4) including a determination step for determining whether or not the firmware update DLL module is stored in the area for storing the firmware update DLL module, and after the start-up step is performed, A firmware update method, comprising: executing the firmware update step when it is determined that a firmware update DLL module is stored.

  According to the present invention, in the firmware update method described above, it is determined whether a firmware update DLL module is stored in the area for storing the firmware update DLL module. Based on the determination result, the firmware update DLL is determined. When it is determined that the module is stored, the firmware of the firmware update DLL module is used to update the firmware of the electronic device, so that the software development burden is reduced as in the electronic device system described above. be able to.

  (5) The firmware update method characterized in that the storing step stores the firmware update DLL module transmitted from the distribution server that distributes the firmware update DLL module to the control device.

  According to the present invention, since the firmware update DLL module stored in the control device is transmitted from the distribution server through the network, the update is decrypted or tampered with by a third party on the network. The risk of updating the firmware based on the firmware data for use can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in an electronic device system having an electronic device and its control device, it is possible to reduce the burden of software development by a manufacturer that manufactures the control device, and thus improve convenience. . In addition, it is possible to improve security when updating the firmware of the electronic device.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Electronic equipment system]
FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an electronic device system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device system 1 includes a POS terminal 2 that controls various electronic devices (devices) connected to a lower level, and a card reader / writer 3 that is controlled by the POS terminal 2 and reads / writes an inserted card. The In the present embodiment, the card reader / writer 3 is considered as an electronic device that operates based on firmware, and the POS terminal 2 is considered as a control device that controls the card reader / writer 3. However, these are examples, and for example, the electronic device For example, a printer or a barcode scanner can be considered. Further, not limited to one unit, a plurality of electronic devices may be connected to the control device. A control device other than the POS terminal 2, such as an ATM, may be considered.

  Each component of the POS terminal 2 is connected via a BUS (bus), and in the electronic device system 1, a CPU 20, a storage 21, a RAM 22, and an interface 23 are mainly connected. In the present embodiment, the storage 21 uses a hard disk, but an EEP-ROM, flash memory, or the like may be used.

  The CPU 20 reads the program and data stored in the storage 21 onto the RAM 22 (develops on the RAM 22), and controls them by using the POS terminal 2 and the card reader / writer 3.

  The storage 21 stores basic software (OS) for the operating system used by the CPU 20 as well as application programs and various driver programs executed under the OS. In particular, in the present embodiment, the storage 21 stores an area for storing control application software for controlling the card reader / writer 3, and an area for storing a communication DLL module having a communication function with the card reader / writer 3. In addition, there are areas for storing firmware update application software of the card reader / writer 3 and areas for storing firmware update DLL modules.

  The area for storing the firmware update DLL module is provided with an area for storing update firmware data. As a result, the firmware of the card reader / writer 3 can be updated simply by replacing the DLL module for updating the firmware. Details will be described in [Firmware update method].

  The RAM 22 has a work area (working area) for the CPU 20 to execute a program. The interface 23 connects other electronic devices and devices that execute various processes based on commands from the CPU 20 and the POS terminal 2. In this embodiment, the interface 23 is connected locally to the card reader / writer 3 and the like. Has been.

  The electronic device system 1 having such a configuration reads a program and data stored in the storage 21 onto the RAM 22 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 20 and uses them to use the card reader / writer connected to the interface 23. 3 firmware is updated. The firmware update method according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[Firmware update method]
FIG. 2 is a software configuration diagram of the electronic device system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The software configuration of the electronic device system 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be briefly described. A card reader / writer communication DLL (module) (S23) having a basic communication function between the card reader / writer 3 and the POS terminal 2, and a card reader / writer. The firmware update DLL (module) (S21) having the firmware update function 3 is divided, and the firmware update DLL (S21) can be easily replaced. The firmware update DLL (S21) incorporates update firmware data. When the firmware of the card reader / writer 3 is updated, the firmware update DLL (S21) is sent to the POS terminal 2. The firmware update DLL (S21) is downloaded from the distribution server (server) (S20) to be distributed via the network (S19) (after that, stored in the storage 21).

  In the normal control of the POS terminal 2, a card reader / writer communication DLL (module) (S23) is used based on the POS control application software (S24). On the other hand, when the firmware of the card reader / writer 3 is updated, the firmware update application software (S22) is started (the CPU 20 reads from the storage 21), and the firmware update DLL (S21) The firmware of the card reader / writer 3 is updated by using the common API of the DLL module (S21) only when there is).

  The (common) API is a set of instructions and functions that can be used when developing software for a certain platform (OS and middleware), and a set of rules that define the program procedures for using them. I mean. In the present embodiment, a common API of the DLL module (firmware update DLL 21 or card reader / writer communication DLLS 23) that has already been prepared without being conscious of interface-specific processing between the POS terminal 2 and the card reader / writer 3. Is used to control the card reader / writer 3. If a common API is used, each developer can create software that uses the function without programming it by calling the function according to the convention.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the firmware update method of the card reader / writer 3.

  In FIG. 3, first, the OS is started (step S1). Specifically, the CPU 20 of the POS terminal 2 reads out the OS from the storage 21 and activates it. Thereafter, similarly, the firmware update application software (S22) is activated (step S2).

  Next, the CPU 20 accesses the storage 21 and determines whether a firmware update DLL (S21) exists (stored in the storage 21) (step S3). In this embodiment, the firmware update DLL (S21) is transmitted from the server (S20) through the network (S19). For the firmware update DLL (S21), in addition to the update function, the version check function of the card reader / writer 3 that is performed before and after the update, and whether or not the downloaded data from the server (S20) has been tampered with. It also has functions. Then, the version / status of the card reader / writer 3 is checked, the presence / absence of the update and the update method are also determined.

  Here, the flow of processing of the firmware update DLL will be described with reference to FIG. First, the version information held by the card reader / writer 3 is acquired and compared with the latest version data recorded in the firmware update DLL S21 (step S31). If the version held by the card reader / writer 3 is already the latest (step S32: YES), the update process is terminated, and if it is not the latest (step S32: NO), the firmware update process is started. After the data is transferred to the card reader / writer 3 (step S33) and the writing to the flash-ROM or the like of the card reader / writer 3 is completed (step S34), the cyclic redundancy check result of the update data written to the flash-ROM (step S34) Hereinafter, the CRC is referred to as “CRC”) and the CRC held in the firmware update DLL S21 is compared (step S35). Then, it is determined whether or not the CRCs match (step S36). If the CRCs match (step S36: YES), the process ends normally, and if the CRCs do not match (step S36: NO), You can see that the data may have been tampered with. As a result, it is possible not only to detect an error in data but also to detect it even when the data is intentionally falsified.

  When it is determined in step S3 that the firmware update DLL (S21) exists (step S3: YES), the CPU 20 uses the API (common API) provided by the firmware update DLL (S21) ( When executed, the firmware of the card reader / writer 3 is updated (step S4). After executing the API, the CPU 20 deletes the firmware update DLL (S21) (step S5) and starts the POS control application software (S24) (step S6), thereby starting normal POS terminal control.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3 that the firmware update DLL (S21) does not exist (step S3: NO), the CPU 20 does not perform steps S4 and S5, but performs the POS control application. By starting the software (S24) (step S6), normal POS terminal control is started.

[Main effects of the embodiment]
As described above, according to the electronic device system and the firmware update method according to the present embodiment, the firmware update DLL (S21) and the card reader / writer communication DLL (S23) are stored in separate areas. Since update firmware data is incorporated in the firmware update DLL (S21), the firmware of the electronic device can be updated simply by replacing the firmware update DLL (S21). As a result, the manufacturer that manufactures the POS terminal 2 does not need to develop the firmware update DL (S21) L, and the burden of software development can be reduced and the convenience in updating the firmware can be improved.

  Also, not the firmware data for update but the firmware update DLL (S21) in which it is incorporated is downloaded from the server (S20) through the network (S19), so that the data transfer process and the server (S20) and the POS terminal 2 are downloaded. The risk of data decryption and falsification by a third party can be reduced during storage. As a result, the firmware update operation can be performed safely.

  Also, by using the firmware update DLL (S21) that cannot be easily edited, it is possible to more clearly determine whether the update data is the latest or normal data.

  In addition, since the firmware update DLL (S21) is downloaded at the time of firmware update, if it is desired to change the firmware update procedure or add functions, the firmware update DLL (S21) is not changed, but the firmware update application software is not changed. It can be easily realized by changing. Thereby, the maintenance work of the POS terminal 2 itself and the burden placed on the POS terminal 2 user can be reduced.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for reducing the burden of software development when updating firmware of an electronic device in an electronic device system.

It is a hardware block diagram of the electronic device system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a software block diagram of the electronic device system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the update method of the firmware of a card reader / writer. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of DLL for firmware update. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the conventional firmware update method.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electronic device system 2 POS terminal 3 Card reader / writer

Claims (5)

An electronic device system having an electronic device that operates based on firmware and a control device that controls the electronic device,
The control device has an area for storing control application software and an area for storing a communication DLL module having a communication function with the electronic device.
An area for storing firmware update application software of the electronic device and an area for storing a firmware update DLL module;
An electronic apparatus system, wherein an area for storing firmware firmware data is provided in an area for storing the firmware update DLL module. The electronic device system includes a distribution server that distributes the firmware update DLL module to the control device,
The electronic device system according to claim 1, wherein the firmware data for update is incorporated in the DLL module for firmware update. A communication DLL module having an electronic device that operates based on firmware and a control device that controls the electronic device, the control device having an area for storing control application software and a communication function with the electronic device Firmware updating method in an electronic device system provided with an area for storing firmware, an area for storing firmware update application software of the electronic apparatus, and an area for storing a firmware update DLL module,
A storage step of storing the firmware update DLL module in which the update firmware data is incorporated;
A startup step of starting the firmware update application software;
And a firmware update step of updating firmware of the electronic device using an API of the firmware update DLL module. A determination step of determining whether or not the firmware update DLL module is stored in the area for storing the firmware update DLL module;
The firmware update step is executed when the determination step determines that the firmware update DLL module is stored after the startup step is performed. How to update the firmware.   5. The firmware update method according to claim 3, wherein the storing step stores the firmware update DLL module transmitted from a distribution server that distributes the firmware update DLL module to the control device through a network.

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