JP2005321997A - Software-installed device and software supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a packed software-installed device to receive upgraded software without unpacking. <P>SOLUTION: A communication/storage part 6 of a digital broadcast receiver 1 establishes short range communication with a portable terminal (device for transmitting update software) through packing such as corrugated fiberboard. Upon radio-receiving an access request from the portable terminal, the communication/storage part 6 transmits its own ID and the like. Upon receiving such IDs and the like, the portable terminal displays the IDs and the like on a liquid crystal display part. An operator selects one ID on the liquid crystal screen to start software transmission. By the operation, the portable terminal 11 radio-transmits the software to the one digital broadcast receiver 1, and the communication/storage part 6 of the one receiving digital broadcast receiver 1 stores the software in a storage part 6d thereof. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a software loading apparatus such as a digital broadcast receiving apparatus and a software supply method.

When rewriting the software of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus, it is necessary to connect the power cable of the main body to an outlet and turn the digital broadcast receiving apparatus on. In order to rewrite software, a memory card containing software to be updated or connected to an external terminal via a wired connection is inserted into the main body (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
JP 2001-101005 A JP 2004-88511 A

  By the way, there is a case where it is necessary to upgrade the software during a short period when the product is packed and stored in the warehouse. In the conventional method, it is necessary to unpack the packaged product, connect the power cable of the main body to an outlet, turn on the power of the digital broadcast receiver, and rewrite the software.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to make it possible for a packaged software installation apparatus to receive upgraded software.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the software-installed device according to the present invention is a software-installed device having a storage unit that holds software in a rewritable manner. And a communication storage unit that communicates with an external terminal even in a state and receives and stores software transmitted from the external terminal.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to receive the upgraded software without unpacking the packaged software loading device.

  The software-installed device may be configured to transmit to the external terminal whether or not the software reception / writing has been normally completed. It is also preferable to have unique identification information for device identification.

  In addition, the software-installed device having these configurations may include a timer, and the communication storage unit may be configured to be in a communicable state by supplying power from the built-in power source only during a predetermined time period. According to this, power consumption by the communication storage unit can be suppressed, and a communicable state can be maintained even when the warehouse storage state is prolonged.

  In addition, the software-installed device having these configurations may be configured to read the software from the communication storage unit and rewrite the software stored in the storage unit when the device is in a power-on state.

  Further, the software supply method of the present invention performs wireless communication between an external terminal holding a program to be transmitted and a software-installed device in a packed state, and the software held by the external terminal is It is characterized by wirelessly transmitting to a software-equipped device. In such a method, wireless communication may be performed only for a predetermined time period with respect to the software loaded device in a packed state.

  According to the present invention, software that has been upgraded can be received without unpacking the packaged software loading device. Moreover, if it is the structure provided with a timer function, the power consumption by a communication memory | storage part can be suppressed and a communicable state can be maintained even when a warehouse storage state is prolonged.

  Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the present invention, a digital broadcast receiving apparatus which is a software loading apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

  A tuner 2 in the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 extracts a signal having a specific frequency from a high-frequency digital modulation signal including video / audio data. The tuner 2 includes a demodulation circuit, a deinterleave circuit, an error correction circuit, and the like, and demodulates the selected digital modulation signal to output a transport stream.

  The central processing unit 3 performs various processes in the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The central processing unit 3 includes a CPU and functions as a demultiplexer (DEMUX), an AV decoder, an OSD (on-screen display), and the like. The demultiplexer separates the transport stream into, for example, an MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group 2) video stream, an audio stream, and a PSI / SI (Program Specific Information / Service Information), and the video stream and the audio stream are separated from each other. The information is supplied to the decoder, and the program information (program name, program start time, program content information, etc.) included in the PSI / SI is supplied to the CPU. The AV decoder includes a video decoder that decodes a video stream and an audio decoder that decodes an audio stream. The video data generated by the decoding is output to a video processing circuit (not shown), and the audio data is output to an audio processing circuit (not shown). The OSD performs processing for incorporating video data based on character information and color information instructed to be output from the CPU into received video data output from the AV decoder.

  The storage unit (for example, RAM, EEPROM, flash memory, etc.) 4 stores various software necessary for the apparatus. The central processing unit 3 also performs software writing / reading processing on the storage unit 4.

  The tuner 2, the central processing unit 3, the storage unit 4, and the like described above operate by obtaining power from the AC power supply unit 5.

  Next, the communication storage unit 6 will be described. The communication storage unit 6 includes a wireless communication unit 6a, a control unit 6b, a signal switching unit 6c, a storage unit (flash memory or the like) 6d, and a built-in power supply unit 6e.

  As the wireless communication unit 6a, for example, a device using various wireless communication technologies such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth can be adopted. The wireless communication unit 6a only needs to have power capable of short-range communication with a portable terminal 11 described later through a packing material such as cardboard. The control unit 6b is configured to include a power-saving drive design calculation unit and a storage unit that stores control software, and performs control of the wireless communication unit 6a, control of software writing to the storage unit 6d, and the like. As the built-in power supply 6e, various batteries such as a dry battery and a button type battery, a charge storage element such as a large capacity capacitor, and the like can be used. The signal switching unit 6c has a function of switching access from the central processing unit 3 of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 to the storage unit 6d and access from the control unit 6b to the storage unit 6d, such as a tri-state buffer. Can be realized. In the power supply state by the AC power supply unit 5 of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1, the signal switching unit 6 c is in a state of selecting a signal from the central processing unit 3, and in the state in which there is no power supply by the AC power supply unit 5, the signal switching unit 6 c. Is in a state of selecting a signal from the control unit 6b.

  The digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 has a unique identification number (ID), installed software version information, and the like. In this embodiment, when requested from the mobile terminal 11, the identification number and the version information are transmitted to the mobile terminal 11. For this transmission, it is necessary to store the identification number and version information in the communication storage unit 6, but it may be previously input into the communication storage unit 6 or at the assembly inspection stage. The central processing unit 3 that has detected the attachment of the communication storage unit 6 may be configured to give the identification number and version information to the communication storage unit 6. Also, the transmission timing of the identification number or the like may be different between the devices by generating random numbers, for example.

  The portable terminal 11 includes a wireless communication unit 11a, a control unit 11b, and a software reading unit 11c, and is configured to communicate with the communication storage unit 6 of the digital broadcast receiving device 1. The software reading unit 11c can read and store software to be transmitted to the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 via various storage media. Various communication commands necessary for communication with the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 are prepared. The portable terminal 11 includes a liquid crystal display unit (see FIG. 3), and is configured to display various information acquired from the communication storage unit 6 of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 on the liquid crystal display unit.

  FIG. 3 shows a method of supplying software to the packaged digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 using the mobile terminal 11. The communication storage unit 6 of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 that wirelessly received the access request from the portable terminal 11 transmits its own identification number (ID), software version information, and the like. Whether the mobile terminal 11 that has received the identification number (ID) and version information compares the version information with the version information of the software to be transmitted, and does the software reception be necessary for the broadcast receiving apparatus having the identification number (ID)? The identification number (ID) or the like of the device determined to be necessary is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit. The worker selects one identification number (ID) on the liquid crystal screen and starts software transmission. By this operation, the portable terminal 11 wirelessly transmits software to one digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1, and the communication storage unit 6 of the one digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 that has received the software transmits the software to the storage unit 6d. Store. In addition, when the communication storage unit 6 can receive the software normally, the communication storage unit 6 transmits that fact to the portable terminal 11. When the mobile terminal 11 receives the normal reception notification, the mobile terminal 11 displays this on the liquid crystal display unit. Thus, the operator can know that the software transfer has been completed for the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 having a certain identification number. The operator may select the identification number of the next digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 as necessary and repeat the transmission process.

  The transmission of software to the digital broadcast receiver 1 is not limited to specifying and transmitting the digital broadcast receivers one by one. For example, the mobile terminal 11 repeatedly transmits software and its version information. If the version of software is necessary for itself (for example, if the version number is a numerical value higher than the version number of the own software), the communication storage unit 6 receives the software. And the communication memory | storage part 6 should just wait for the part which is not received normally, and to transmit next. The communication storage unit 6 of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 may notify the portable terminal 11 of this and its own identification number when all of the information has been received.

  In this manner, the software that has been upgraded can be received without unpacking the packaged digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1. When the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 is purchased and unpacked and the power cord is plugged into the outlet, the central processing unit 3 accesses the communication storage unit 6 and reads and stores the software in the storage unit 6d. Rewrite part 4 software.

  By the way, since the communication storage unit 6 is always operating, when the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1 is stored in a warehouse for a long period of time, the stored power of the built-in power supply unit 6e may be lost. In the communication storage unit 6 shown in FIG. 4, only the control unit 6b ′ is always supplied with power from the built-in power supply unit 6e. The control unit 6b ′ has a clock control unit (timer). For example, the built-in power supply unit is provided only between AM10: 0 to AM11: 00 and between PM2: 0 to AM33: 00 in 24 hours. Control is performed to supply power from 6e to the wireless communication unit 6a and the like.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing contents when the clock control is applied. At the inspection stage of the digital broadcast receiving apparatus 1, the AC power supply of the main body is in an ON state, and when the inspection is completed and packed, the AC power supply is turned off (step S1). When the AC power is turned off, the built-in power supply 6e is automatically turned on, and only the control unit 6b 'is turned on by this turning on (step S2). The controller 6b 'that has been turned on monitors the passage of time and determines whether or not the activation time has arrived (step S3). When the activation time comes, the wireless communication unit 6a is turned on (step S4). When access from the portable terminal 11 is detected while the wireless communication unit 6a is ON, it is determined whether software rewriting is necessary (step S5). If it is determined that rewriting is necessary, the signal switching unit 6c and the storage unit 6d are turned on (step S6), and the software transmitted from the portable terminal 11 is acquired and written in the storage unit 6d (step S7). On the other hand, if rewriting is not necessary, it is determined whether it is the end time (step S8), and if it is the end time, energization to the wireless communication unit 6a is stopped (step S9), and the process returns to step S3.

  For the digital broadcast receiving apparatus in which the above-described timer control is performed, the worker activates the portable terminal 11 between the above-described AM10: 0 to AM11: 00 and PM2: 0 to AM3: 00. become. According to this, power consumption by the communication storage unit 6 can be suppressed, and a communicable state can be maintained even when the warehouse storage state is prolonged. If the time is determined for each production lot, the software can be received for each lot.

1 is a block diagram showing a digital broadcast receiving device (software mounting device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the block diagram which showed the portable terminal. It is explanatory drawing which showed the software supply method. It is the block diagram which showed the other example of the communication memory | storage part (with a timer function). It is the flowchart figure which showed the process example by a timer function.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital broadcast receiver 2 Tuner 3 Central processing part 4 Main memory part 5 AC power supply part 6 Communication memory part

Claims (7)

In a software-equipped device having a storage unit that holds software in a rewritable manner, the device is driven by the built-in power source and the built-in power source, communicates with an external terminal even when the device is turned off, and is transmitted from the external terminal And a communication storage unit for receiving and storing the received software. 2. The software mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software mounting apparatus is configured to transmit to the external terminal whether or not the reception and writing of the software has been normally completed. 3. The software mounting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising unique identification information for specifying the apparatus. 4. The software loading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a timer, wherein the communication storage unit is configured to be in a communicable state by supplying power from the built-in power source only during a predetermined time period. A digital broadcast receiver characterized by the above. 5. The software mounting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software is read from the communication storage unit and the software stored in the storage unit is rewritten when the apparatus is powered on. Software-equipped device characterized by that. Wireless communication is performed between an external terminal holding a rewriting program and a software-installed device in a packed state, and the software held by the external terminal is wirelessly transmitted to the software-installed device Software supply method. 7. The software supply method according to claim 6, wherein wireless communication is performed only for a predetermined time period with respect to the software mounting apparatus in a packed state.

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