Information processing apparatus, updating method, and recording medium

• US 10,394,549 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Genki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US15/915,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20180267793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 717169, 717168, 717170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a memory including a plurality of storage areas including a first storage area and a second storage area each of which stores a same program; and circuitry to: obtain an update program to be used for updating the program stored in each one of the first storage area and the second storage area; update the program stored in the second storage area with the update program, when the first storage area is activated and the second storage area is not activated; and control the information processing apparatus to start operating with the updated program stored in the second storage area, after shutdown and activation of the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a memory including a plurality of storage areas including a first storage area and a second storage area, each of which stores a same program; and

circuitry configured to;

obtain an update program to be used for updating the program stored in each one of the first storage area and the second storage area;

update the program stored in the second storage area with the update program, when the first storage area is activated and the second storage area is not activated; and

control the information processing apparatus to start operating with the updated program stored in the second storage area, after shutdown and activation of the information processing apparatus,

wherein, after the information processing apparatus has started to operate with the updated program stored in the second storage area after the shutdown and activation, the circuitry is further configured to update the program stored in the first storage area with the update program stored in the second storage area so that the first and second storage areas store the same update program.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of storage areas of the memory further includes a third storage area that stores setting data indicating a storage area to be activated at a next activation of the information processing apparatus after the update of the program has been completed,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to rewrite the setting data stored in the memory to indicate that the second storage area is to be activated at the next activation, and after shutdown and activation of the information processing apparatus, activate the updated program stored in the second storage area according to the rewritten setting data.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, based on a determination that the update of the program has failed, the circuitry is further configured to not to rewrite the setting data stored in the memory.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display to display a result of the update of the program.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the result indicates an update failure, the display displays a message indicating that the information processing apparatus can be continuously used.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the memory further includes a third storage area that stores information not stored in any one of the first storage area and the second storage area, and

the circuitry is further configured to update the information stored in the third storage area during the shutdown of the information processing apparatus, based on a determination that the information stored in the third storage area is an update target.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein based on a determination that the update of the information stored in the third storage area has failed, the circuitry is further configured to update the information stored in the third storage area during the activation of the information processing apparatus.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the program to be updated is a second program, the second program causing the circuitry to execute a first program that controls hardware of the information processing apparatus based on an instruction received from a user, and notifies the user of an execution result.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the memory further includes a third storage area that stores setting data, and

the circuitry is further configured to concurrently perform updating of the program stored in at least one of the first storage area and the second storage area, and updating of the setting data.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to obtain first data associated with the setting data, the first data indicating whether or not to allow concurrent updating of the setting data and the program, and

the circuitry is further configured to concurrently perform updating of the program and updating of the setting data, based on the setting data indicating that concurrent updating is allowed.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein, when the setting data associated with the first data indicating not to allow concurrent updating is being updated, the circuitry is further configured to start updating the program after completion of updating of the setting data.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an image forming engine that performs at least one of a plurality of image forming jobs including printing, copying, scanning, and facsimile communication.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to update the program stored in the second storage area in the background, during when the at least one of the plurality of image forming jobs is being performed.

14. A method of updating, performed by an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

storing a same program in each of a first storage area and a second storage area of a memory of the information processing apparatus;

obtaining an update program to be used for updating the program stored in each one of the first storage area and the second storage area;

updating the program stored in the second storage area with the update program, when the first storage area is activated and the second storage area is not activated;

controlling the information processing apparatus to start operating with the updated program stored in the second storage area, after shutdown and activation of the information processing apparatus; and

updating the program stored in the first storage area with the update program stored in the second area, after the information processing apparatus has started to operate with the updated program stored in the second storage area after the shutdown and activation, so that the first and second storage areas store the same update program.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing setting data in a third storage area of the memory of the information processing apparatus, the setting data indicating a storage area to be activated at a next activation of the information processing apparatus after the update of the program has been completed;

rewriting the setting data to indicate that the second storage area is to be activated at the next activation; and

activating the updated program stored in the second storage area according to the rewritten setting data after shutdown and activation of the information processing apparatus.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing, in a third storage area of the memory of the information processing apparatus, information not stored in any one of the first storage area and the second storage area, and

updating the information stored in the third storage area during the shutdown of the information processing apparatus, based on a determination that the information stored in the third storage area is an update target.

17. A non-transitory recording medium which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform a method of updating comprising:

storing a same program in each of a first storage area and a second storage area of a memory of the information processing apparatus;

obtaining an update program to be used for updating the program stored in each one of the first storage area and the second storage area;

updating the program stored in the second storage area with the update program, when the first storage area is activated and the second storage area is not activated;

controlling the information processing apparatus to start operating with the updated program stored in the second storage area, after shutdown and activation of the information processing apparatus; and

updating the program stored in the first storage area with the update program stored in the second storage area, after the information processing apparatus has started to operate with the updated program stored in the second storage area after the shutdown and activation, so that the first and second storage areas store the same update program.