Program supplying system and program supplying method

• US 20020002604A1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshiura, Syoichiro, Nomura, Tatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,065,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• 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: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An object of the invention is to determine, when installing a program in a terminal through the Internet, whether the program is operable or not, and notify the result of the determination to the terminal. In a system of the present invention, the operating environment of an image forming apparatus is determined, a program list showing programs operable in the operating environment is generated at a server, and the program list is supplied to the image forming apparatus. A program selected from the program list is requested from the server, and then the program is supplied from the server to the image forming apparatus. That is, a program is selected from a list of programs determined operable in the operating environment of the image forming apparatus, and is supplied to the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. A program supplying method for supplying a program from a server through a network to a user terminal including a terminal main body and optional units combined therewith, comprising the steps of:

transmitting operating environment information indicative of an operating environment of the user terminal which is changed according to a combination of the optional units, from the user terminal through the network to the server before the program is supplied; and

determining whether the program is operable in the operating environment based on the operating environment information and transmitting a result of determination from the server through the network to the user terminal.

2. The program supplying method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying the result of the determination as to whether the program is operable in the user terminal.

3. The program supplying method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transmitting an order for the program from the user terminal through the network to the server when the program is determined operable.

4. The program supplying method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

transmitting an order for the program from the user terminal through the network to the server when the program is determined operable.

5. The program supplying method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a program list indicative of programs which can be supplied by the server;

transmitting the program list from the server through the network to the user terminal; and

selecting a program from the program list.

6. The program supplying method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a program list indicative of programs operable in the operating environment of the user terminal based on the operating environment information;

transmitting the program list from the server through the network to the user terminal; and

selecting a program from the program list.

7. The program supplying method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

when the program is determined as being inoperable, recording the result of determination as information on the user terminal, at the server.

8. The program supplying method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

installing the program supplied from the server through the network to the user terminal, thereby extending functions of the user terminal.

9. A program supplying system comprising:

a user terminal including a terminal main body and optional units combined therewith; and

a server from which a program is supplied through a network to the user terminal,

wherein the user terminal further includes operating environment determining means for determining an operating environment of the user terminal which is changed according to a combination of the optional units, and transmits operating environment information indicative of the determined operating environment through the network to the server before the program is supplied, and

wherein the server includes operation determining means for determining whether the program is operable in the operating environment based on the operating environment information received, and transmits a result of determination as to operability through the network to the user terminal.

10. The program supplying system of claim 9, wherein the user terminal further includes operating and inputting means operable by a user and display means for displaying information,

the user terminal being started in response to an operation of the operating and inputting means to transmit the operating environment information indicative of the operating environment determined by the operating environment determining means through the network to the server, and to display the result of the determination received from the operation determining means of the server on the display means.

11. The program supplying system of claim 9, wherein the user terminal orders the program from the server upon receipt from the server of the result of the determination that the program is operable.

12. The program supplying system of claim 10, wherein the user terminal orders the program from the server upon receipt from the server of the result of the determination that the program is operable.

13. The program supplying system of claim 10, wherein the server further includes list generating means for generating a program list indicative of programs which can be supplied to the user terminal, and transmits the program list through the network to the user terminal, and

the user terminal displays the program list on the display means, and selects a program from the program list in response to an operation of the operating and inputting means.

14. The program supplying system of claim 10, wherein the server further includes list generating means for generating a program list indicative of programs operable in the operating environment of the user terminal, and transmits the program list through the network to the user terminal, and

the user terminal displays the program list on the display means, and selects a program from the program list in response to an operation of the operating and inputting means.

15. The program supplying system of claim 9, wherein the server further includes recording means for recording information on the user terminal, and records the result of determination in the recording means when the operation determining means determines the program as being inoperable.

16. The program supplying system of claim 9, wherein the user terminal may install the program supplied from the server to the user terminal through the network, thereby extending functions of the user terminal.

17. The program supplying system of claim 9, wherein the user terminal is at least one of a personal computer and a complex type digital image forming apparatus.

18. A program supplying system comprising:

a user terminal; and

a server from which a program is supplied through a network to the user terminal,

wherein the user terminal includes operating environment determining means for determining an operating environment of the user terminal, and transmits operating environment information indicative of the determined operating environment through the network to the server before the program is supplied, and

wherein the server includes operation determining means for determining whether the program is operable in the operating environment based on the operating environment information received, and transmits a result of determination as to operability through the network to the user terminal.

19. The program supplying system of claim 18, wherein the user terminal is a portable terminal.