US Patent 7944574 Remote firmware upgrade via I/O connection

Imaging devices and methods of operating imaging devices that facilitate reducing nonvolatile storage needs of the imaging devices. The imaging devices are adapted to request control programs from external devices. Control programs are received on a communication input of the imaging device and stored on a volatile storage media for use by a processor of the imaging device. The embodiments can also facilitate more reliable updating within a networked system in that updating an image of a control program on one network device can automatically lead to updating of multiple imaging devices, thus eliminating a need to individually update each imaging device. A default control program is used if no control program is received on the communication input within a predetermined timeout period.