JP2001067228A - Firmware down loading system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively use resources and to improve the performance by using only a firmware needed for the current processing of installation equipment by selecting the module of firmware which needs to be transmitted to perform processing and down-loading it from a library of firmware to an installation equipment. SOLUTION: An application 2 sets properties of printing at the time of the printing. A print property management part 6 of a printer driver 3 confirms the settings and teaches a host down-loader 9 the property information. Information on a module currently operating on the printer 4 is requested of the printer 4. A printer down-loader 16 generates module information and sends it to a host PC1. The host down-loader 9 once receiving the module information from the printer 4 compares its list with a host-side down-load list to update down- loading.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for downloading firmware of an embedded device, in which a host computer transmitting the firmware and an embedded device receiving the firmware cooperate to select firmware required for processing of the embedded device. It relates to the method of downloading.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, all firmware has been previously stored in a ROM of an embedded device. When the embedded device is a printer, when the printer starts operating, first, basic software (OS) operates, and thereafter, a host I / F task, an engine I / F task, a page description language using firmware on a ROM. By generating a task specific to printer processing such as an emulator task, it becomes possible to operate as a printer.

The host I / F task receives print data from a host computer (usually a personal computer or a personal computer server; hereinafter, referred to as a host PC), and a page description language emulator task analyzes the print data. A bit image is created in the frame buffer on the RAM, and the engine I / F task sends it to the print engine to execute printing on a sheet.

In such a conventional technique, even when a part of firmware is changed by adding a function or correcting a bug, it is necessary to update the entire firmware. For this reason, the ROM must be replaced or replaced with a ROM. It was necessary to mount flash memory and rewrite it.

[0005] In recent years, the demand for the processing capability of the printer has increased, and the firmware for performing the control has been correspondingly enlarged. In order for the printer device to incorporate all of such a huge firmware into the printer device, it is necessary to copy the firmware from the ROM to the RAM in order to operate the firmware from the ROM with the slow access time to the RAM because of the high speed operation. Do R
This leads to an increase in the usage of AM and the like, leading to an increase in cost.

[0006] Normally, firmware is updated by rewriting the contents of a built-in flash memory or EEPROM. At this time, since the firmware before rewriting is erased, there is a problem with the contents of the updated firmware. If the update process fails due to power failure, cable contact failure, noise, etc. while rewriting the flash memory, there is a risk that the firmware will be in an incorrect state and fall into a failure state that ordinary users can not handle there were.

[0007]

The first problem is as follows.

[0008] The firmware of embedded devices, which has become huge due to demands for functions and performance, is a mass-produced product such as a personal computer in the case of a printer, for example, and is individually adapted to users who use only limited functions. In addition, it is difficult to timely release revisions that incorporate functions and performance in response to changes in technology trends.
Therefore, as one measure for avoiding problems such as individual user correspondence, all the firmware modules are stored in the ROM of the embedded device.
There is a problem that resources such as AM are used more and the performance is degraded.

The second problem is that the operation of updating the firmware by rewriting the contents of a flash memory or an EEPROM built in a built-in device such as a printer requires a special operation unfamiliar to the user.
Further, if rewriting fails, the user bears the risk of falling into a failure state that cannot be recovered by the user.

[0010] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is firstly to suppress unnecessary consumption of resources such as ROM and RAM by storing all of today's huge firmware in an embedded device, and to save the embedded device at that time. By using only firmware that is necessary for processing, resources are used effectively and performance is improved.

Second, a user or the like can use a flash memory or E-
The purpose is to prevent possible accidents from occurring by rewriting the EPROM.

In the present invention, when the driver program corresponding to the embedded device of the host PC accesses the embedded device, the driver program acquires the information of the firmware possessed by the embedded device by bidirectional communication with the embedded device. According to the information, an appropriate module is selected from firmware of the embedded device bundled with the driver program and downloaded to the embedded device. The embedded device sets the received module in an unused area of the RAM, and dynamically links and generates and executes a task using the module.

[0013] In addition, since the revision of the module is updated for a module that is already running, the task using the existing module is stopped, and the resource used by the module is stopped. Is released, and the updated module is dynamically linked to each task again to operate.

According to the present invention, part or all of the firmware of an embedded device is bundled with a driver program corresponding to the embedded device of the host PC, and a module suitable for the intended use is downloaded to the embedded device and executed. .

Therefore, modules not required by the user do not operate, and resources such as RAM and ROM are not unnecessarily used for that purpose. If some or all of the firmware is stored in the ROM of the embedded device and a module that already exists in the ROM is to be updated, the operation of the previous module is disabled and the updated module is operated. is there.

Further, the module to be updated is not reflected in the boot system itself composed of a nonvolatile memory or the like built in an embedded device such as a flash memory.
If you restart from ROM by power-on or reset, the firmware to be updated will be cleared,
Return to the state when the product was shipped. Therefore, even if the wrong firmware is installed or the download fails due to a connection error, operation error, or other problem, the firmware built in the embedded device will not be destroyed and the download process can be retried. The feature is that embedded devices do not fall into an inoperable state because they are possible.

[0017]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a firmware download method in which a firmware including a plurality of modules operating for controlling an embedded device in an embedded device such as a printer is transmitted from a host computer such as a personal computer to the firmware. In the method of downloading to the embedded device, the driver program for the embedded device that performs bidirectional communication with the embedded device on the host computer, prior to the start of each process of the embedded device, The module information held by the embedded device received from the embedded device side is matched with a download list formed by the driver program and including module information including a module name related to the execution of the process. Sent for Select the module firmware that requires comprises downloading the embedded device from a library of firmware having the said host computer.

The firmware download method according to a second aspect of the present invention is the firmware download method according to the first aspect, wherein the downloaded firmware is not incorporated in the embedded device activation system itself including the embedded device such as a flash memory. The method comprises downloading the required modules from the host computer at each start.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the firmware download method according to the first aspect, when starting the processing of the embedded device, the embedded device is configured to execute the module name of the firmware held by the embedded device and the module name of the module. A list list including revision information is transmitted to the host computer, and the host computer that receives the list confirms whether a module in the download list exists in the list list, and transmits only a module that does not exist to the embedded device. Comprising transmitting.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the firmware download method according to the third aspect, when the module in the download list is included in the list, the host computer further stores the module in the download list. Compare the revision of the module with the revision of the module in the list, and if the revision of the module in the download list is newer than the revision in the list, send the module to the embedded device. Prepare to do.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the firmware download method according to the third aspect, the host computer includes, when the download list includes a module that the embedded device already has and does not need to download. Marking the download list to that effect and transmitting the resulting download list to the embedded device.

In a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the firmware download method according to the first aspect, the embedded device generates a module received from the host computer as a task on the embedded device.
When there is already a task having a module having the same module name as the received module, the method includes terminating the task and generating the task again using the received module.

In the firmware download method according to a seventh invention of the present application, in the third invention, when the embedded device receives a module received from the host computer and generates a task, the memory of the embedded device is When there is a shortage, if there is a module which is not included in the received download list and which is owned by the embedded device, the task of using the module is deleted from the memory to resolve the memory shortage.

[0024] In a firmware download method according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, when an error occurs during the download processing of the embedded device, the embedded device transmits the error code to the host computer. The host computer changes a module to be downloaded according to the content of the error code, and downloads the changed module.

[0025] In the firmware download method according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the host computer, when a response for a predetermined time or more is not received from the embedded device during download processing to the embedded device,
Sending a reset signal for bringing the embedded device into an initialization state, and when the reset signal is normally received,
It is provided that the download process is executed again from the beginning.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention in a case where an embedded device is a printer.

A host PC 1 composed of a personal computer or the like includes an application 2 for executing a printing function,
The printer driver 3 performs a cooperative process with the printer 4 when printing.

The printer driver 3 includes a print property management unit 6 for recognizing print attributes such as resolution and paper size.
A code data generator 7 for converting print data in an internal format unique to the host PC 1 depending on the OS into data in a format that can be analyzed by the printer 4, a host downloader 9 for downloading firmware, and a firmware for downloading. And a library 8 including all the constituent modules.

Further, the host PC 1 has a parallel port interface (hereinafter referred to as an I / F) 11 as hardware for performing bidirectional communication with the printer 4, and a parallel port driver 10 as a control driver thereof. Contains.

The printer 4 that executes the printing function includes the firmware 5, a Centro I / F 19 that receives print data from the host PC 1, and a print engine 18 that executes printing.

The firmware 5 has a Centro I / F 19
, A page description language emulator 12 that analyzes and converts code data output by the code data generation unit 7 of the host PC 1 to generate data to be output to the print engine 18, and a print engine 1
I / F 13 that controls the printer 8 and a task controller 14 that creates and deletes each task on each printer 4
A memory management unit 15 that manages the used / unused state of the memory, a printer downloader 16 that receives firmware downloaded from the host PC 1,
Consists of

The host PC 1 and the printer 4 are connected by a Centro cable 20 so that arbitrary information can be transferred between the host PC 1 and the printer 4 in both directions.

The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIG. 2 (representing the processing of the host PC 1) and FIG. 3 (representing the processing of the printer 4).

The application 2 that executes printing in accordance with a user's instruction sets printing properties (attributes) at the time of printing, and specifies, for example, the fineness and overall resolution of a graphic pattern, double-sided printing, paper size, and the like. After the enlargement / reduction is determined, the printing process is executed (S100).

Then, the print property management section 6 of the printer driver 3 confirms this setting and informs the host downloader 9 of the property information. The host downloader 9 lists the module names and revisions of all firmware modules required for printing by the printer 4 and the memory expansion size when the module is expanded in the memory from the property information, and saves the list as a download list. (S110), and requests the printer 4 for information on the module currently operating on the printer 4 (S120). The host downloader 9 accesses the firmware library 9 and extracts the information on the revision and the memory development size.

At this time, the host downloader 9 requests the parallel port driver 10 to transmit this request, and the parallel port driver 10 transmits the request to the parallel port I / F 11.
And sends this request to the printer 4. Upon receiving this request via the Centro cable 20, the Centro I / F 19 of the printer 4 notifies the host I / F 17 of this request. Upon receiving this request, the host I / F 17 passes this request to the page description language emulator 12 in the same manner as when receiving normal code data.

The request is analyzed by the page description language emulator 12. When it is confirmed that the request is a download request, the request is transferred to the printer downloader 16 (S300).

The printer downloader 16 requests the memory management unit 15 for module information of the firmware currently loaded on the memory (S310). The printer downloader 16 creates module information including a module name of the module loaded on the memory and a list of revisions of the module from the information returned from the memory management unit 15 and stores the module information in the host PC 1.
(S320), and waits for the download of the firmware module from the host PC 1 (S33).
0).

Upon receiving the module information from the printer 4 (S130), the host downloader 9 compares the list with the host-side download list created by the host 4 and updates the download list.

First, it is checked whether there is any module in the list received from the printer 4 that overlaps with the module to be downloaded from the host PC 1 (S).
140). If the same module exists, the revision is further checked and the new and old modules are compared (S150).

If the revision matches the revision of the module operating on the printer 4 or if the one operating on the printer 4 is new, a delete mark is created in a portion corresponding to the module in the download list created on the host side, This indicates that downloading is not performed (S160).

FIG. 10 shows this situation. Modules A and B are to be downloaded, and modules X and Y are marked with a delete mark "D" and the printer 4 owns the module. , Indicating that the download is not performed.

After updating the download list in this way, the host downloader 9 transmits the updated download list to the printer 4 (S165).
The printer 4 refers to the received download list (S340), and deletes the mark for all modules.
If "D" is attached, the download process is not performed (S480). Otherwise, it is determined that the module without the deletion mark in the download list is downloaded.

Subsequently, the printer downloader 16 sums up the memory development sizes of the modules to be downloaded, and asks the memory management unit 15 whether it is possible to secure a free memory with the total memory size. If it is impossible to secure the module, it is checked whether there is any module that is not using the memory of the printer 4 and is not present in the download list regardless of the presence or absence of the delete mark. If there is, a request to delete the task including the module is made to the task control unit 14. After that, the memory management unit 15 is again instructed by the memory management unit 15 as to whether a free memory can be secured with the total memory size of the module to be downloaded, and this processing is performed until the memory can be secured. Is repeated (S360).

If the memory of the module to be downloaded cannot be secured even if all the memory unnecessary for the printing process on the printer 4 is released, the host PC 1 is notified of the memory shortage and the printing is performed. Processing will be skipped.

If there is a module to be downloaded in the download list (S170), the host downloader 9 reads the corresponding module from the firmware library 8, and downloads the module from the first module having no deletion mark in the download list. The steps are executed in order (S210).

When the host I / F 17 of the printer 4 receives the data and the printer downloader 16 recognizes it (S400), the memory expansion size of the module to be downloaded is obtained from the previously received download list, and Is notified to the memory management unit 15 and the start address of the memory area for downloading is notified,
(S410), and download to the start RAM area of the secured area (S420).

If the same module as the module to be downloaded exists in the printer 4 (S430), the task incorporating the conventional module is stopped (S44).
0), the RAM area is released (S450), and a task incorporating the downloaded module is regenerated to make the downloaded module valid (S460).

When the above-described processing has been executed for all the modules that have been downloaded, a response to the completion of the download is sent to the host PC 1 (S470), and the processing of the code data to be printed next received from the host is performed. Therefore, control is returned to the page language emulator 12 (S480).

Upon receiving this download completion response (S220), the host downloader 9 completes the download process.

However, if there is no response from the printer 4 for a certain period of time in the download processing (S180),
A reset request for retrying the download is made to the printer 4 (S190), and if there is a response from the printer 4 to this reset signal (S120), the process is repeated from S120. If the download process completed successfully,
Subsequently, code data is generated and transmitted by the code data generation unit 7 according to the print settings (S200). If there is no response to the reset signal, the download process is interrupted.

Next, an operation example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The left side of this figure shows the operation of the printer 4, and the right side shows the operation of the host PC 1. First, the host PC 1 attempts to print the print job A of the application A. For this purpose, download of module A of firmware A specialized for image printing is set. When the host PC 1 receives a response indicating the completion of the download of the module A (S470), the host PC 1 transmits the code data A of the job A to the printer 4.

Next, the host PC 1 tries to print the print job B of the application B. For this purpose, download of module B of firmware B for general documents is set. Similarly, when the host PC1 receives a response indicating that the download of the module B has been completed (S470), the host PC1 transmits the code data B of the job B to the printer 4.

Next, FIG. 5 shows an example of the present invention in which the download fails once due to some kind of trouble, but the download succeeds due to the retry of the download processing.

Referring to FIG. 5, first, the host PC 1 tries to print the print job C of the application C. Therefore, for example, the paper size is A3 and the resolution is 1200 dp.
The download of the firmware C required for printing i is set in the download list, and then the download of the firmware C is executed. Since there has been no response to the completion of the download of the firmware C for a certain period of time, a request is made to reset the printer, and the download process is executed again from the beginning. In the download after the reset, since the download is normally completed, the code data of the job C is transmitted to execute the printing.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. The difference between FIG. 6 and FIG. Error number library 2 describing means for dealing with the error
1 is set.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are flow charts for explaining the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows an example of the actual operation.

The printer downloader 16 of the printer 4
When the downloaded module recognizes that there is a problem in the execution of the printing process due to, for example, a shortage of memory of the printer 4 (S370 or S480 in FIG. 8), the form including the error code of the memory shortage as a download completion response To the host PC1 (S490 in FIG. 8).

Upon receiving this information (S230 in FIG. 7), the host downloader 9 of the host PC 1 searches the error number library 21 for the error code (S230 in FIG. 7).
240). In the error number library 21, for example,
A corresponding error code when a memory shortage occurs in the printer 4 is registered. When the error code occurs, the printing property is set to 1200 dpi at a paper size of A3 and low-speed printing is performed when the high-speed printing function is used. What to do about the failure that has occurred.

The host downloader 9 searches the error number library 21 (S240) and confirms that there is information matching the occurrence condition (S250).
In the case of processing for performing high-speed printing at 1200 dpi, the print property information is changed to low-speed printing in order to make it a function of low-speed printing, and the print property management unit 6 is called.

The print property management section 6 recognizes that the new print is A3, 1200 dpi, low-speed print, and calls the host downloader 9. According to the changed property condition, the host downloader 9 executes a process of downloading firmware for low-speed printing in this case (S260). At this time, the code data generator 7 regenerates code data that meets the changed conditions as needed.

According to FIG. 9, first, the host PC 1 tries to print the print job C of the application C. Therefore, for example, the paper size is A3 and the resolution is 1200 dp.
The download of the firmware C required for high-speed printing of i is set in the download list, and then the download of the firmware C is executed. Since an error of insufficient memory is notified from the printer 4 in the download of the firmware C, the firmware for the download processing to the printer 4 is switched to the low-speed firmware, and is executed again from the beginning. By doing so, the memory shortage is resolved, and since the download is completed normally, the code data of job C is transmitted to execute printing.

As a result, a retry can be performed by a method other than the reset process which takes a long time to return.

[0065]

As described above, according to the present invention, only the firmware modules required for executing the processing in the processing on the embedded device operate, so that resources such as the RAM are not wasted. Further, since the firmware is downloaded from the host PC 1, there is no need to save all the firmware in the ROM. In addition, since the firmware is updated without rewriting the built-in device's built-in flash memory or EEPROM, the user can update the firmware without the risk of causing the embedded device itself to fail due to an accident interruption during rewriting of the flash memory or the like. Functions can be added.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the host PC 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the printer 9 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an embodiment in which the present invention operates normally.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the download is successful by retrying the download processing of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of the host PC 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printer 9 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an example in which a download is successful by retrying a download process according to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an example of a download list according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host PC 2 Application 3 Printer Driver 4 Printer 5 Firmware 6 Print Property Management Unit 7 Code Data Generation Unit 8 Firmware Library 9 Host Downloader 10 Parallel Port Driver 11 Parallel Port I / F 12 Page Description Language Emulator 13 Engine I / F 14 Task Control unit 15 Memory management unit 16 Printer downloader 17 Host I / F 18 Print engine 19 Centro I / F 20 Centro cable 21 Error number library

Claims (9)

[Claims] An embedded device such as a printer downloads firmware including a plurality of modules operating for controlling the embedded device from a host computer such as a personal computer to the embedded device. The driver program for the embedded device that performs two-way communication with the embedded device, prior to the start of each process of the embedded device, module information held by the embedded device received from the embedded device and And a download list including module information including module names related to the execution of the process created by the driver program, and selecting a module of firmware that needs to be transmitted in order to execute the process. A firmware download method from a library of firmware included in the firmware to the embedded device. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the downloaded firmware is not incorporated in the embedded device activation system itself, such as a flash memory, which is embedded in the embedded device, and a required module is downloaded from a host computer every time processing of the embedded device is started. The firmware download method according to claim 1, wherein: 3. When starting processing of the embedded device, the embedded device transmits to the host computer a list including a module name of firmware possessed by the embedded device and revision information of the module, and transmits the list to the host computer. The firmware download method according to claim 1, wherein the host computer that has received the data confirms whether a module in the download list exists in the list, and transmits only the module that does not exist to the embedded device. 4. When the module in the download list is included in the list, the host computer further compares the revision of the module in the download list with the revision of the module in the list. 4. The firmware download method according to claim 3, wherein if the revision of the module in the download list is newer than the revision in the list, the module is transmitted to the embedded device. 5. The host computer, if a module that the embedded device already owns and does not need to be downloaded is included in the download list, the host computer marks the module in the download list and stores the download list as a result. The firmware download method according to claim 3, wherein the firmware is transmitted to the embedded device. 6. When the embedded device generates a module received from the host computer as a task on the embedded device, if a task having a module having the same module name as the received module already exists, the task 2. The firmware download method according to claim 1, wherein the task is generated again using the received module. 7. When the embedded device receives a module received from the host computer and generates a task, if the memory of the embedded device is insufficient, the embedded device is a module not included in the received download list. If there is a module owned by
4. The firmware download method according to claim 3, wherein the task of using the module is erased from the memory to resolve the memory shortage. 8. When an error occurs during the download processing of the embedded device, the embedded device transmits the error code to the host computer, and the host computer changes a module to be downloaded according to the content of the error code. 2. The firmware download method according to claim 1, wherein the changed module is downloaded. 9. The host computer transmits a reset signal for setting the embedded device to an initialization state when there is no response from the embedded device for a predetermined time or more during download processing to the embedded device, and resets the host device. 2. The firmware download method according to claim 1, wherein the download process is executed again from the beginning when the signal is normally received.