Program reception/execution apparatus that can commence execution of a machine program having only received the program in part, and a program transmission apparatus that enables such execution

A program transmission apparatus for transmitting a program to a program reception execution apparatus, comprising:

• storage means for storing the program beforehand;
• dividing means for dividing the program stored in the storage means into a plurality of partial programs;
• identifier assigning means for assigning a different identifier to each of the partial programs generated by the dividing means to identify each of the partial programs;
• transmission means for transmitting the plurality of partial programs;
• next partial program information appending means for appending a set of next partial program information, showing which partial program is to be executed next, to at least one partial program in the plurality of partial programs, each set of next partial program information including an identifier of the partial program to be executed next;
• wherein each set of next partial program information includes a link instruction that shows which partial program is to be executed next, and
• wherein the next partial program information appending means includes a link instruction generating unit for generating a link instruction at positions in the plurality of partial programs generated by the dividing means so that processing can proceed to a next partial program;
• program structure information storage means for storing program structure information showing a branch structure in the program,
• wherein the dividing means includes a branch dividing unit for referring to the program structure information stored in the program structure information storage means and dividing the program into partial programs in accordance with the branch structure of the program,
• wherein the program structure information includes information showing a program part where one of a plurality of internal processes is selected in accordance with a reprocessing ability of a program reception execution apparatus,
• wherein the dividing means further includes a level-demarcated dividing unit for referring to the program structure information and dividing the program, so that each internal process that corresponds to a different processing ability of a program reception apparatus is divided into a separate partial program.