Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a software renewal method for an information processing apparatus and a program carrier signal. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Information processing apparatuses such as mobile phones and mobile information processing apparatuses have been widely used in recent years. And software has become increasingly complex in proportion to sophistication of the functions of these information processing apparatuses, hence requiring software renewals in response to defects or version upgrades for functional enhancement after the product shipment. 
     Accordingly, the conventional software renewals have involved the user operation. Such renewal, however, results in failure if the battery runs out of power, et cetera, during the renewal. And if the software renewal fails, the information processing apparatus cannot be restarted and therefore is unusable in the worst case. Such has been a technological problem. 
     To this end, for example, a technique has been disclosed by a patent document 1 listed below in which a non-volatile memory is externally added to a mobile phone, a service program to be renewed is temporarily backed up in the non-volatile memory and then the program in the mobile phone is renewed by a downloaded service program. The technique disclosed by the patent document 1, however, requires an auxiliary non-volatile memory for such a backup. 
     Meanwhile, in the patent document 2 below, a technique has been disclosed in which a remaining battery power and an electrical field level of the receiving terminal, and in addition, the data size are all detected at the time of downloading data to a mobile terminal through a network, and accordingly the downloading is cancelled if these values are below predefined levels. The technique disclosed by the patent document 2, however, is faced with a technological problem of being unable to manage by a finely adjusted response to the downloading data sizes because an availability of downloading is judged by uniform threshold values such as a remaining battery power and an electrical field level of the receiving terminal, and in addition, the data size. 
     Furthermore in the patent document 3 below, a technique is disclosed in which a memory rewriting apparatus is connected to a mobile phone having no function of self-rewriting data and the data in the mobile phone is renewed by a new version data by the memory rewriting apparatus while the remaining battery power in the mobile phone is being monitored by the apparatus. The technique disclosed by the patent document 3, however, has a problem of requiring such apparatus for a data renewal in addition to the mobile phone. 
     [Patent document 1] Japanese patent laid-open application publication 2002-207599. 
     [Patent document 2] Japanese patent laid-open application publication 2003-87863. 
     [Patent document 3] Japanese patent laid-open application publication 2003-271464. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the present invention is to provide technologies for enabling a simple and accurate software renewal in an information processing apparatus without requiring an auxiliary apparatus, or failing due to a cause such as a depletion of battery power. 
     Another purpose of the present invention is to provide technologies for enabling a simple and accurate renewal of various sizes of software in an information processing apparatus without failing due to a cause such as a depletion of battery power. 
     The first aspect of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, comprising: a remaining power detection unit detecting a remaining electric power of the finite energy source; a determination unit determining a value of electric power of the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software based on the capacity of the aforementioned second software; a judgment unit judging an achievability of renewing the first software by comparing the electric power with the remaining electric power; and a deterrent unit deterring a communication of the information processing apparatus with the outside while renewing the first software by replacing it with the second software. 
     The second aspect of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, comprising: 
     a remaining power detection unit detecting a remaining electric power of the finite energy source; a record medium storing a first software required for operating the information processing apparatus; a determination unit determining a value of electric power of the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software by corresponding to a type of the record medium; a judgment unit judging an achievability of renewing the first software by comparing the value of electric power with the remaining electric power; and a deterrent unit deterring a communication of the information processing apparatus with the outside while renewing the first software by replacing with the second software. 
     The third aspect of the present invention is to provide a software renewal method for an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, comprising: 
     a step in which a second software for renewing a first software installed in the information processing apparatus and a remaining battery power threshold value for distinguishing a remaining electric power in the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software are received by the information processing apparatus from the outside; and a step in which an achievability of completing a renewal replacing the first software with the second software is judged in the information processing apparatus based on the received remaining battery power threshold value, wherein a communication of the information processing apparatus with the outside is deterred while renewing the first software by replacing with the second software. 
     The fourth aspect of the present invention is to provide a software renewal method for an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, comprising: 
     a step in which a second software for renewing a first software installed in the information processing apparatus is received from the outside; a step in which a value of electric power of the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software is determined based on the capacity of the aforementioned second software; a step in which a remaining electric power of the finite energy source is detected; and a step in which an achievability of renewing the first software is judged by comparing the value of electric power with the remaining electric power, wherein a communication of the information processing apparatus with the outside is deterred while renewing the first software by replacing with the second software. 
     The fifth aspect of the present invention is to provide a software renewal method for an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, comprising: 
     a step in which a second software for renewing a first software installed in the information processing apparatus is received from the outside; a step in which a value of electric power of the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software is determined by corresponding to a type of the record medium storing the first software; a step in which a remaining electric power of the finite energy source is detected; and a step in which an achievability of renewing the first software is judged by comparing the value of electric power with the remaining electric power, wherein a communication of the information processing apparatus with the outside is deterred while renewing the first software by replacing with the second software. 
     The sixth aspect of the present invention is to provide a program carrier signal controlling an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, making the information processing apparatus execute: 
     a step in which a second software for renewing a first software installed in the information processing apparatus is received from the outside; a step in which a value of electric power of the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software is determined based on the capacity of the aforementioned second software; a step in which a remaining electric power of the finite energy source is detected; and a step in which an achievability of renewing the first software is judged by comparing the value of electric power with the remaining electric power. 
     The seventh aspect of the present invention is to provide a program carrier signal controlling an information processing apparatus operating on a finite energy source, making the information processing apparatus execute: 
     a step in which a second software for renewing a first software installed in the information processing apparatus is received from the outside; a step in which a value of electric power of the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing a first software with a second software is determined by corresponding to a type of the record medium storing the first software; a step in which a remaining electric power of the finite energy source is detected; and a step in which an achievability of renewing the first software is judged by comparing the value of electric power with the remaining electric power. 
     According to the present invention as described above, since the information processing apparatus itself monitors the remaining electric power of the finite energy source such as battery equipped in the aforementioned information processing apparatus, determines a remaining battery power threshold value, for the finite energy source required for completing a renewal replacing the first software with the second software overwriting the former, by corresponding to the capacity of the second software and judges an achievability of the overwriting renewal by comparing the remaining battery power threshold value with the actual remaining power at the time, a failed renewal due to the battery running out of power during the overwriting renewal is certainly prevented, hence achieving an accurate software renewal. 
     Meanwhile, in the case of receiving the second software from the outside, the information processing apparatus can receive the information on the remaining battery power threshold for overwriting renewal of the second software along with the aforementioned second software, abstract the remaining battery power threshold value and judge an achievability of the overwriting renewal. 
     Since the judgment of the achievability of the overwriting renewal is done solely by the information processing apparatus, no user involvement is necessary and no additional apparatus is required for the overwriting renewal. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an example configuration of a software configuration in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an example configuration of a software renewal control table equipped in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a process flow chart showing an example operation of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  describes an example operation of another configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a sequence chart showing an example operation of another configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a process flowchart showing an example operation of another configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The embodiment according to the present invention is described in reference to the accompanying drawings as follows. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example configuration of an information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
     Note that an information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is a concept inclusive of mobile phones, mobile computers, mobile information processing terminals (PDA: Personal Digital Assistance), mobile music/video playing equipment and all other information processing apparatuses. 
     Also note that the software subjected for renewal in the present embodiment is a concept inclusive of programs, data, font data and other whole information for operating a computer. 
     As exemplified by  FIG. 1 , an information processing apparatus  10  of the present embodiment is configured by a computer comprising a microprocessor  11 , software  20  such as a program controlling the microprocessor  11  so as to perform control operations as described below, a non-volatile memory  12  (i.e., a record medium) storing the information such as a software renewal control table  30  described below, RAM (Random Access Memory)  13  storing the information such as a program and a data accessed by the microprocessor  11 , a radio reception-transmission section  14  receiving data from and transmitting data to the outside by the radio communication by way of an antenna  14   a , a remaining battery power detection section  15 , a user interface  18 , an input-output interface  19  and a bus  16  disposed as an information transfer route interconnecting the above sections. 
     The non-volatile memory  12  comprises, for example, a non-volatile memory apparatus including a ROM (Read Only Memory) such as a rewritable EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory) and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). 
     The user interface  18  comprises, for example, a display providing visible information with the user and a key pad receiving information from the user, et cetera. 
     The input-output interface  19  comprises, for example, a connector for a wired connection with an external system or a media drive detachably attached by a card type memory media, et cetera. 
     The information processing apparatus  10  is equipped with a battery  17  (i.e., a finite energy source) supplying operating power to each of the above sections through power supply wires  17   a , and the remaining battery power detection section  15  has functions of detecting a remaining power of the battery  17  and giving notice of a detected result to the microprocessor  11 . 
     The battery  17  as a finite energy source is inclusive of, for example, power sources such as a primary battery, a secondary battery, a fuel cell battery, and all other cell type batteries. 
     It is possible to measure a remaining battery power by a change in the output voltage and current for the primary and secondary batteries, and by a fuel level for the fuel cell battery. 
     Let the remaining battery power mean, as an example, the voltage difference between a voltage of the battery  17  at an arbitrary point of time and a minimum voltage thereof capable of assuring a stable operation of the information processing apparatus  10  in the case of the present embodiment. The minimum voltage is known by a measurement in advance. 
     Therefore, the remaining battery power detection section  15  outputs the difference between an output voltage of the battery  17  at the time of measurement and the aforementioned minimum voltage as the remaining battery power. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example configuration of the software  20  installed in the information processing apparatus  10  according to the present embodiment. 
     The software  20  comprises the information inclusive of an operating system  21 , a renewal processing program  22  processing a software renewal as described below, an application program  23  for accomplishing arbitrary business operations, font data  24 , et cetera, and is stored in the non-volatile memory  12 . 
     In this case, each of the aforementioned information, i.e., the operating system  21  through the font data  24 , is stored in a manner to have one of free spaces  25   a ,  25   b ,  25   c  and  25   d , respectively, between the other software storage area so that a later software renewal by a larger capacity thereof is enabled, such as a bug patch and a functional enhancement in the storage area of the non-volatile memory  12 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an example configuration of the software renewal control table  30  according to the present embodiment. 
     In the software renewal control table  30 , kinds of information, comprising a storage location  31  for specifying each of non-volatile memories  12  recognized as different kinds of hardware, a media type  32  being information indicating media type comprising each storage location (i.e., the non-volatile memory  12 ), storing software information  33  and a coefficient  34  (i.e., K) are stored by being corresponded to each of the storage locations  31 . 
     In the storing software information  33 , information such as a name of software (i.e., identification information) and a size of the software stored in the aforementioned storage location  31  is stored. 
     The coefficient  34  shows an amount of power consumption, i.e., a voltage drop value (V), of the battery  17  per storage capacity (kilobytes in this case) for a renewal writing in the aforementioned storage location  31  (i.e., the non-volatile memory  12 ). This comprehends a different electric power requirement (i.e., a power consumption of the battery  17 ) for writing a unit size of data in each of the memory devices (in the storage location  31 ). 
     Therefore, a remaining battery power, C multiplied by K (V), can be calculated for writing C kilobytes of data securely in a certain storage location  31 . 
     Note that a single coefficient  34  can be approximately set for using in each model of the information processing apparatus  10 , although the coefficient  34  is respectively set for each of the storage locations  31  in the example described above. 
     An example operation of the present embodiment is then described as follows.  FIG. 4  is a process flowchart showing an example operation of the information processing apparatus  10  according to the present embodiment. 
     To begin with, the operating system  21  stored in the non-volatile memory  12  is loaded onto the RAM  13 , resident therein, and executed by the microprocessor  11 , thereby controlling the entire operations of the information processing apparatus  10 . Meanwhile, the renewal processing program  22 , or the application program  23 , is loaded from the non-volatile memory  12  to the RAM  13 , and executed as required, thereby executing a software renewal processing or a required business processing. 
     Now, for example, when a renewal of the application program  23  is required for a bug patch or a functional enhancement, the software renewal exemplified by the flow chart in  FIG. 4  is accomplished by loading the renewal processing program  22  onto the RAM  13  and by the microprocessor  11  executing the program. 
     That is, first, renewal software (the latest application program in this case) is obtained either by a downloading through a radio communication with a base station through the radio reception-transmission section  14  or a wired communication with an external system by way of the connector in the input-output interface  19 , or by a memory medium such as a memory card by way of the drive in the input-output interface  19 , and stored, for example, in a temporary usage area of the RAM  13  or the non-volatile memory  12  (step  101 ). 
     Then, the storage location of the renewal software  20   a  in the non-volatile memory  12  is confirmed (step  102 ), and a remaining battery power threshold value, Vt, is established by Vt=C*K based on the capacity, C, of the renewal software  20   a  and the coefficient  34 , K, of the storage location  31  where the subject software for renewal is stored, referring to the software renewal control table  30  (step  103 ). Note that a single coefficient K can be approximately set in the step  103  for using in each model of the information processing apparatus  10  as described above. Alternatively, a remaining battery power threshold value, Vt, can be obtained from a, not-shown, conversion table of capacity-threshold value. 
     Then, the current voltage value, Vc, of the battery  17  is obtained from the remaining battery power detection section  15  (step  104 ). Then, if Vc&gt;Vt, a judgment is that it is possible to renew by overwriting the subjected application program  23  with the renewal software  20   a  (step  105 ), and therefore a renewal processing is executed in which the subjected application program  23  is overwritten by the renewal software  20   a  (step  106 ). 
     Meanwhile, if Vc≦Vt, in the step  105 , a software renewal is cancelled (step  107 ) because of a possibility of the battery running out of power during the renewal. In this case a screen in the user interface  18  will show a message such as “The software renewal cannot be completed due to a low battery power. Please try again after the battery is recharged.” 
     Meanwhile, for instance in a renewal of an application program  23 , if a renewed application program (the renewal software  20   a ) is of a larger capacity than the total capacity of the current application program and the free space  25   c , the font data  24  (with the capacity of C 1 ) behind thereof needs to be moved to the free space  25   d , requiring a rewriting associated with this move as well. Therefore, by adding the capacity C 1  for moving the font data  24  to the capacity C for the renewal software  20   a , the equation vt=(C+C 1 )*K, for the remaining battery power threshold value in this case. 
     As such, since the remaining battery power threshold value, Vt, can be set corresponding to the size (i.e., capacity) of the renewal software  20   a  with no requirement for the user of the information processing apparatus  10  to be conscious of the remaining power of the battery  17  in this embodiment, it is possible to accomplish a quick, simple and accurate renewal of various sizes of the renewal software  20   a.    
     In other words, a conventional technique of judging a remaining battery power and data size by a uniform threshold has caused cases in which a renewal is not possible despite that it is possible to renew a relatively small capacity with the remaining battery power at the point. Contrarily, since the remaining battery power threshold value, Vt, is precisely established corresponding to the capacity of the renewal software  20   a  in this embodiment, the chance of a renewal being judged to be possible is higher than before, thereby enabling an accurate renewal of various sizes of the renewal software  20   a.    
     Additionally, since no auxiliary apparatus is required besides the information processing apparatus  10  for a renewal by the renewal software  20   a , there is also a benefit of using the latest software continuously by achieving software renewals whenever such a situation arises. 
     As described so far, the present embodiment renders a benefit of certainly avoiding a failed software renewal due to the battery running out of power. This enables a continuous use of the information processing apparatus  10  in the latest, bug-free, high performance software environment by renewing the software  20  continually, quickly, simply and accurately, and an improved performance and convenience of the information processing apparatus  10 . 
     Another example configuration of the information processing apparatus  10  of the present embodiment is then described in reference to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 . In this modified configuration, a downloaded information  40  (i.e., the renewal software  20   a ) from a base station  60  received by the information processing apparatus  10 , for example, includes a remaining battery power threshold value  42  (i.e., a remaining battery power threshold value, Vt) required for judging the achievability of a renewal processing by using the renewal software  41  along with the aforementioned renewal software  41  as exemplified by  FIG. 5 . 
     That is, as exemplified by the sequence chart in  FIG. 6 , the base station  60 , when making ready for the renewal software  41 , establishes the remaining battery power threshold value  42  and stores (step  201 ) in a part of the downloaded information  40 , and transmits to the information processing apparatus  10  (step  202 ). 
     Upon receiving the downloaded information  40 , the information processing apparatus  10  stops a series of communications (an area location confirmation communication  300  for the base station locating the information processing apparatus  10 , for example) with the base station  60 , eliminates the wearing causes of the battery  17  as much as possible (step  203 ), and then performs a software renewal processing as the flow chart exemplified by  FIG. 7  described below (step  204 ), followed by resuming to the communication with the base station  60  (step  205 ). 
     In other words, the downloaded information  40  is first received from the base station  60 , the renewal software  41  is obtained from the downloaded information  40  (i.e., a renewal software  20   a ) (step  110 ) and the remaining battery power threshold value  42  (i.e., a remaining battery power threshold value, Vt) is obtained (step  111 ) all by the operation of the renewal processing program  22  in the information processing apparatus  10  as exemplified by the flow chart in  FIG. 7 . 
     Then, the present voltage value, Vc, of the battery  17  is obtained in the remaining battery power detection section  15  (step  112 ), no incidence of running the power out of the battery during the renewal is decided if Vc&gt;Vt (step  113 ) and the software renewal is started (step  114 ). 
     In the meantime, if Vc≦Vt in the step  112 , a probability of running the power out of the battery during the renewal is judged and the software renewal is cancelled (step  115 ). 
     In the case of the modified configuration, there is no need to equip a function or table for controlling the remaining battery power threshold value, Vt, in the information processing apparatus  10 , and therefore the benefit is realized in that a correct software renewal is accomplished while simplifying the software comprisal of the information processing apparatus  10 . 
     In other words, since the software subjected to renewal and the kinds of the storing locations thereof (i.e., the non-volatile memory  12 ) are relatively limited for each model type in the case of the information processing apparatus  10 , it is possible for the base station  60  sending the downloaded information  40  to accomplish a selection and setting of the remaining battery power threshold value, Vt, correctly. 
     It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the exemplified embodiment described above, but can be variously modified within the scope of the idea of the present invention. 
     The present invention enables the accomplishment of simple and accurate software renewals in an information processing apparatus without a requirement for auxiliary apparatus or a failure due to the battery running out of power, et cetera. 
     The present invention also enables the accomplishment of simple and accurate software renewals of various capacities in an information processing apparatus without a requirement of auxiliary apparatus or a failure due to the battery running out of power, et cetera.

Technology Category: y