# US 10,120,677 B2 · Method of rewriting printer firmware, and printer

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,120,677 B2
- Document ID: US10120677B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/193,359
- Filed: 2016-06-27
- Published: 2017-01-05
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-02
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Makoto Noguchi; Akio Takamoto; Makoto Yoshiki; Masahiro Takei
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120677B2

## CPC

- G06F 8/654: using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A printer having multiple processor cores, and a firmware rewriting method for the printer, enable rewriting firmware in a short time. A first rewrite controller controls rewriting the firmware of the first core by the boot program of the first core; a second rewrite controller controls rewriting the firmware of a second core, which is one of the multiple cores other than the first core, by the boot program of the first core; and a reset unit resets the printer after rewriting the firmware of the first core and the firmware of the second core by the boot program of the first core ends.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A firmware rewriting method of a printer, comprising:
receiving, by a first core that includes a first processor and a first memory, from an external device, first rewrite firmware for rewriting first firmware and second rewrite firmware for rewriting second firmware;
storing the received first rewrite firmware and the second rewrite firmware using a boot program of the first core to a memory outside the first core and the second core;
rewriting the first firmware of the first core using the boot program of the first core and the first rewrite firmware read from the memory outside the first core and the second core;
rewriting the second firmware of a second core that includes a second processor and a second memory using the boot program and the second rewrite firmware read from the memory outside the first core and the second core; and
resetting the printer after rewriting the first firmware and rewriting the second firmware.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The firmware rewriting method of a printer described in claim 1, further comprising:
the first core changing control from the first firmware to the boot program based on a specific command from the external device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The firmware rewriting method of a printer described in claim 1, wherein:
the first core can communicate by a first communication method, and the second core can communicate by a second communication method different from the first communication method.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The firmware rewriting method of a printer described in claim 3, wherein:
the first core receives the first rewrite firmware and the second rewrite firmware from the external device by the first communication method, or receives the first rewrite firmware and second rewrite firmware from the external device through the second core by the second communication method.

### Claim 5

A printer, comprising:
a first core that includes a first processor and a first memory, the first core storing a boot program and first firmware;
a second core that includes a second processor and a second memory, the second core storing second firmware;
memory outside of the first core and the second core configured to store received first rewrite firmware and second rewrite firmware; and
a reset unit configured to reset the printer after the first firmware and the second firmware are rewritten using the boot program of the first core;
wherein the first core is configured to rewrite the first firmware of the first core and to rewrite the second firmware of the second core using the boot program,
the first core is configured to receive from an external device the first rewrite firmware for rewriting the first firmware, and the second rewrite firmware for rewriting the second firmware, and
the first core configured to rewrite the first firmware of the first core using the first rewrite firmware read from the memory outside of the first core and the second core, and to rewrite the second firmware of the second core using the second rewrite firmware read from the memory outside of the first core and the second core.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The printer described in claim 5, wherein:
the first core is configured to change control from the first firmware to the boot program based on a specific command from the external device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The printer described in claim 5, further comprising:
the first core is configured to communicate by a first communication method, and the second core is configured to communicate by a second communication method different from the first communication method.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The printer described in claim 7, wherein:
the first core is configured to receive the first rewrite firmware and the second rewrite firmware from a first external device by the first communication method, and is configured to receive the first rewrite firmware and second rewrite firmware from a second external device through the second core by the second communication method.