JP2003228491A - Program-update charging method for information device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a program-update charging method for an information device capable of updating programs by the stand-alone device while reducing costs and simplifying processing operations, without connecting to a general-purpose information processing device. <P>SOLUTION: An updater is prepared at a laboratory (a shop) which provides developing service of digital photographs. When performing printing service, information of the information device such as a digital camera or a printer recorded in DPOF (Digital Print OrderFormat) is read, updated, and a fee of the software update is charged by adding to the charge of the printing service. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention, when a user of an information device such as a digital camera or a printer updates the firmware of the information device, updates the firmware by itself without connecting to a general-purpose host computer. The present invention relates to a method of charging a program update for an information device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, information equipment is developing at a remarkable speed, so that the driver and firmware of the information equipment are updated by using a general-purpose information processing device via the Internet, for example. For example, printer drivers and firmware are frequently updated, and printer sellers or manufacturers publish new drivers and firmware on the Internet. The user downloads the file using a personal computer and updates the driver file of the printer existing on the personal computer or the firmware existing on the printer to realize the update of these files.

[0003]

By the way, with the further development of information equipment, many information equipment used in a form not necessarily connected to a general-purpose information processing apparatus typified by a personal computer have been realized.

For example, a photograph taken by a digital camera is often recorded on a recording medium called a compact flash (registered trademark) or smart media. There are many service shops that print out from digital data, such as conventional service shops that provide silver salt photo print services, and you can receive print services by bringing a digital camera into such shops. In addition, a printer in which a digital camera is directly connected to a personal printer for printing is also developed and put into practical use. Since such a digital camera does not require a general-purpose information processing device such as a personal computer on the way, it brings advantages such as reduction of printing cost and simplification of processing operation to the user.

On the other hand, since both digital cameras and printers generally do not have an environment for connecting to the Internet, it is not possible to use the environment like the Internet when updating the firmware as described above.

Further, it is conceivable that a widely used removable recording medium for information equipment may be sent to a manufacturer of information equipment by mail or the like for input of update data, but in the meantime. In addition to the time burden that the user cannot use the information device, a financial burden such as a transportation charge is also incurred.

The present invention has been made paying attention to such a point, and the program can be executed by a single device without connecting to a general-purpose information processing device while reducing the cost and simplifying the processing operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a program update charging method for information equipment capable of updating.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a program update charging method for an information device according to claim 1 stores digital data and information about an information device for which a control program is desired to be updated. When the storage medium is input, the digital data stored in the storage medium is read, the read digital data is output, the information about the information device stored in the storage medium is read, and the read When there is a control program to be updated, which corresponds to the information, the control program is written in the storage medium, the update fee of the control program is added to the output fee of the digital data,
It is characterized by collecting.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program update charging method for an information device, wherein the information device updates a current control program by a control program written in the storage medium. It is characterized by

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program update billing method, wherein the information equipment is an optical information reading device for reading optical information.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program update billing method, wherein the information equipment is a printer.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program update billing method according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the storage medium is a PCMCIA card.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an operation procedure of a program update charging method for an information device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A print service store constituting a charging system to which the charging method of this embodiment is applied. It shows the procedure from the viewpoint. In the present embodiment, a printer will be described as an information device and firmware will be described as a program.

In FIG. 1, a user who receives the service records the data photographed by a digital camera or the like on a recording medium and delivers it to a store that handles a print service (step S1). A widely used recording medium is a recording medium compliant with a memory card standard proposed by SanDisk, called a compact flash (registered trademark) (hereinafter abbreviated as “CF”), and a smart medium. There is a recording medium called "(abbreviated as" SD "") proposed by Toshiba, which is compliant with the flash memory card standard, and a recording medium which is compliant with PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) interface.

The store that receives this recording medium receives DPO to obtain information about the printer owned by the user.
Refer to the format called F (step S
2). DPOF is an abbreviation for Digital Print Order Format, and is a format for recording designation information such as frames and the number of images to be printed from a picture taken by a digital camera on a recording medium. The printer writes the name and information of the firmware in advance in the vendor area in this DPOF.

The written information is referred to at the store to check whether the software such as the firmware can be updated, and if it is possible, the user's intention to update is confirmed (step S3). If there is an intention to update, the updater provided by the printer manufacturer or a maker equivalent thereto is written in the recording medium in the store (step S4).

Further, at the store, the charge for adding the updater writing charge to the usage charge for the print service of the user is charged (steps S5 and S6).

Next, the printer used in the charging system of this embodiment will be described.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the printer 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 is a PCM.
The CIA card slot 13 is provided, and the CF and S
Adapter D corresponds to D.

PCMCIA defines a physical size and electrical interconnection to a class of computer peripherals, namely PCMCIA peripherals, P
Each CMCIA peripheral device electrically interconnects with a "host computer" through a PCMCIA electrical connector.

The update function by PCMCIA can be realized by the CPU reading the computer program in the memory of the PCMCIA modem and writing it in the program memory area in which the operation program of the CPU is written. A field upgrade of the flash memory of the modem is done through a serial data port, either a data communication port or a data terminal port. First, the modem CPU receives a command to reload the operating program from the "host" connected to one of the serial ports. next,
The CPU of the modem executes the part of the boot block that corresponds to loading into flash memory. This part of the software first erases the rest of the flash memory and then receives the new operating program through one of the serial ports and writes this new operating program to the flash memory. Therefore, the program memory 12 is realized by a flash memory. In addition, some of the flash memory is a "boot block" for upgrades.
Reserved for computer programs. This portion of flash memory is write protected so that it retains its data, the boot block, when the rest of the flash memory is erased and reprogrammed. The boot block contains computer software that boots up the modem and loads the operating program into the rest of the flash memory, for example, after power up.

An alternative method that does not require a non-writeable boot block in flash memory is provided by the AT & T Paradyne 3800 modem. this is,
It consists of independent "upper bank" and "lower bank" of the flash memory. The CPU can boot from either bank. The CPU starts operation by executing a computer program stored in one of the flash memory banks, ie the active bank of flash memory. The computer program includes boot code and an operating program. When the CPU receives a command from the host to change the operating program through one of the serial ports, the modem CPU
Execute the download program in the active bank of flash memory. The download software first erases the inactive bank of flash memory and copies the data received from one of the serial data ports to that inactive bank. This received data is a new computer program, including new boot code and new operating program. At the end of this download mode, the CPU of the modem toggles the non-volatile switch so that after reset it boots from the newly updated bank of flash memory. That is, the CPU of the modem switches which bank of the flash memory is the active bank.

By using the printer having such a structure, the user can easily upgrade the version of firmware or software by using a recording medium such as PCMCIA.

In the present embodiment, the printer has been described as an example of the object for the user to update the software, but a digital camera may be used as the information device having the PCMCIA recording medium like the printer. A digital camera can also be realized by the same method as this embodiment.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Facilitating update of software and firmware of information processing devices such as printers and digital cameras of users who do not have general-purpose information processing devices typified by personal computers by using recording media such as PCMCIA, CF, SD Therefore, the user can prepare for the update in a short time without sending the recording medium to the developer of the information device, and the fee can be paid easily. Become.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of a program update charging method for an information device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printer used in a charging system to which the charging method of the present embodiment is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Printer 11 Central Processing Unit of Printer 12 Storage Area of Operating Program of Printer Central Processing Unit 13 Storage Slot of PC Card (PCMCIA Compliant Recording Medium) to Printer 14 Control Bus

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Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. When a storage medium that stores digital data and also stores information about an information device whose control program is to be updated is input, the digital data stored in the storage medium is read out, and the read digital data is read out. Outputting data, reading information about the information device stored in the storage medium, and when there is a control program to be updated, which corresponds to the read information, writes the control program in the storage medium, A program update charging method for information equipment, characterized in that the control program update fee is added to the data output fee and collected. 2. The program update charging method for an information device according to claim 1, wherein the information device updates the current control program with the control program written in the storage medium. 3. The program update charging method for an information device according to claim 2, wherein the information device is an optical information reading device for reading optical information. 4. The program update charging method for an information device according to claim 2, wherein the information device is a printer. 5. The program update charging method for information equipment according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium is a PCMCIA card. 6. A program for causing a computer to execute the program updating method according to claim 1. 7. A storage medium in which the program according to claim 6 is computer-readable stored.