Patent ID: 7653444

Claim:
An electronic device, comprising: a plurality of mutually different models; a plurality of hardware being configured to operate in accordance with a control program, the plurality of hardware collectively operating as a predetermined model of the electronic device in accordance with model dependent data, the model dependent data differing for each model of the electronic device from the plurality of mutually different models; a plurality of memory units storing the control program and a boot program, the boot program being executed upon startup and including the model dependent data, the plurality of memory units being configured to store one or more control programs for the plurality of mutually different models of the electronic device; a model identification controller being configured to read the model dependent data and identifying one model of the electronic device from the plurality of mutually different models; a plurality of hardware controllers controlling the plurality of hardware as the model of the electronic device identified by the model identification controller in accordance with the control program, the plurality of hardware controllers being configured to select and to read the control program for the model of the electronic device identified by the model identification controller; and a model selecting unit being configured to select the one model from the plurality of mutually different models, the model selecting unit selecting a first model from the plurality of mutually different models when the electronic device is manufactured, and being configured to be changed by a user to select a different model from the first model, the plurality of hardware controllers executing the control program for a model if the model identified by the model identification controller and the model selected by the model selecting unit match, and the plurality of hardware controllers executing the control program for the lowest level model if the model identified by the model identification controller and the model selected by the model selecting unit do not match.