Software updating system, software updating method, and software updating program

• US 20040158817A1
• Filed: 04/05/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Kouhei, Sawada, Hayashi, Okachi, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/122
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A user terminal 1 obtains a version information file from a first server 2 when activating its application software. If a version-up of the existing application software is determined necessary on the basis of the version information file, obtains an update compression file corresponding to its own version of software from a second server 3 storing the most up-to-date applications, uncompresses a compressed file so as to overwrite an existing application software therewith, and deletes unnecessary files that are not listed on the version information file.

Claims

1. (Amended) A software updating system for performing version up of software used in a plurality of user terminal device, characterized by comprising:

a plurality of file servers storing files for updating software stored in the user terminal device to a new version, and

a version information server for storing version information for specifying the new version of the software used in the user terminal device and identification information for specifying one of the plurality of file servers storing files for updating the software to the new version, wherein

the version information server transmits the identification information of the file server storing the file used in version up to the user terminal device when the software used in the user terminal device is not the new version, the identification information including information that indicates at least two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition;

the user terminal device receives the identification information, and selects one file server to be connected for the version-up based on the received identification information and the predetermined condition that is determined at the time of the version-up;

the file server transmits the file to be used for the version up to the user terminal device when the user terminal device requests the file;

either the version information server or the file server stores a list of a file necessary for execution of the software which has been updated to the new version and transmits the information indicating the list to the user terminal device; and

,

in the user terminal device, the information indicating the list are received and a file unnecessary for executing the new version software is deleted on the basis of the received information.

2. The software updating system according to claim 1, characterized wherein

the deletion of the unnecessary file is performed before the performance of the update to the new version.

3. The software updating system according to claim 1, characterized wherein

either the version information server or the file server stores a list of the file unnecessary for the execution of the software updated to the new version and transmits the information indicating the list to the user terminal device.

4. The software updating system according to claim 1, characterized wherein

the file server stores a plurality of files for the update to the new version according to a version of the software capable of being installed in the user terminal device and an operating environment of the user terminal device.

5. The software updating system according to claim 4, characterized by further comprising

an environment information server for storing information pertaining to operating environments of a plurality of user terminal devices, wherein

when a request is transmitted from the outside, the environment information server detects the operating environment of the user terminal device to be updated to the new version to transmit the detection result to the requester, and

the file server transmits the file to be used for the update to the new version corresponding to the operating environment of the user terminal device to the user terminal device according to the detection result of the environment information server.

6. (Amended) The software updating system according to claim 5, characterized wherein

every time the revision to the latest version is performed, the environment information server records information of revision date and time.

7. (Amended) The software updating system according to claim 6, characterized wherein the environment information server

determines the completion of up-grade in the user terminal for each of the operating systems of the user terminal devices based on information that enables to identify the operating systems of the user terminal devices and information of the last updated dates and times that are available from the revision dates and times, and

notifies availability of a file for deletion according to at least a result of the determination so as to enable the revision to the version that is stored in the file server.

8. (Amended) A software updating method for performing version up of software used in a plurality of user terminal devices, characterized by comprising:

determining whether a version of the software, which is used in the user terminal device, is a new version or not;

when the version is not judged as the new version, transmitting to the user terminal device identification information, which is identification information of the file servers that store files to be used in the version-up and includes information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition;

selecting one file server to be connected during the version-up based on the identification information and the predetermined condition determined at the time of the version up; and

, from the selected file server, transmitting a file to be used for the update to the new version according to the version of the software and list information indicating files necessary for execution of the software after the update to the user terminal device; and

executing, in the user terminal device, the update work and the deletion of files unnecessary for execution of the software after the update.

9. The software updating method according to claim 8, characterized by comprising:

detecting the operating environment of the user terminal device if the version of the software is not judged to be the new version, and

transmitting a file for performing the version up according to the detected operating environment and the version of the software used in the user terminal device.

10. (Amended) A software updating program for making computers of a plurality of user terminal devices execute processing for updating software used in the user terminal devices, characterized by comprising:

a step of accessing a version information server storing information in advance for specifying a new version of software installed in the user terminal device, the software being an object of update, if the software is initiated, to judge whether the software of the user terminal device is the new version or not on the basis of the information for specifying the new version;

a step of selecting one file server to be connected for the version-up based on information that includes information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition and the predetermined condition that is determined at the time of the version-up;

a step of accessing the file server to transmit the file to be used for the update of the software from the file server to the user terminal device;

a step of updating the software of the object of the update to the new version on the basis of the transmitted file;

a step of transmitting information indicating a file necessary for execution of the software updated to the new version to the user terminal device; and

a step of deleting a file unnecessary for the execution of the updated software from the user terminal device by the use of the transmitted information

11. (Amended) A software updating system comprising a plurality of user terminal devices that are connected to a network and have installed predetermined software, and a plurality of file servers that are connected to the network and store files for updating the software installed in the user terminal devices to the latest version software, characterized by comprising:

a version information server for storing identification information that specify one of the plurality of file servers storing the files for updating the software to the latest version software and include two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition, and list information for indicating a list of file names necessary for execution of the latest version software on the user terminal device,

wherein the user terminal device comprises;

obtaining means for accessing the version information server to obtain the identification information and the list information, and for selecting and accessing one file server to be connected at the version up on the basis of the obtained identification information and the predetermined condition determined at the time of the version up so as to obtain a file corresponding to the version of the own software from the file server through the network;

updating means for updating existing software to the latest version software; and

unnecessary file deleting means for deleting a file unnecessary for execution of the latest version software.

12. (Amended) A software updating method in a system including a plurality of user terminal devices and a plurality of file servers, both connected to a network, characterized wherein:

storing files for updating software installed in the user terminal device to the latest version software in the plurality of file servers, and

storing identification information that specifies one of the plurality of file servers storing the files for the update to the latest version software and include information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition, and list information indicating a list of file names necessary for executing the latest version software in the user terminal device, in a version information server;

controlling the user terminal device so as to access the version information server to obtain the identification information and the list information from the version information server, to make the user terminal device select one file server to be connected at the version up on the basis of the obtained identification information and the predetermined condition determined at the time of the version up, and to access the file server so as to obtain a file corresponding to the version of the own software from the file server through the network; and

controlling the user terminal device so as to update existing software to the latest version software on the basis of the obtained file, and makes the user terminal device delete a file unnecessary for execution of the latest version software on the basis of the list information obtained from the version information file.

13. (Amended) A software updating program for making a computer to execute:

a step of accessing a file server storing a file for update to the latest version software through a network;

a step of obtaining a file corresponding to the version of own software from the file server; and

a step of updating existing software to the latest version software on the basis of the obtained file, characterized by comprising;

a step of accessing a version information server storing identification information that specifies one of the plurality of file servers storing the files for the update to the latest version software and includes information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition through the network;

a step of obtaining the identification information from the version information server; and

a step of selecting one file server to be connected at the version up on the basis of the obtained identification information and the predetermined condition determined at the time of the version up, and accessing the file server storing the file corresponding to the version of own software through the network, and further comprising;

a step of obtaining a list of a file name necessary for executing the latest version software; and

a step of deleting a file unnecessary for executing the latest version software on the basis of the list of the necessary file name.

14. (Amended) A software updating system for performing version up of software used in a plurality of user terminal devices, characterized by comprising:

a plurality of file servers storing files for updating software stored in the user terminal devices to a new version; and

a version information server storing version information for specifying the new version of the software used in the user terminal devices and identification information that specifies one of the plurality of file servers storing the files for updating the software to the new version and includes information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition;

wherein,

when the software used in the user terminal device is not the new version, the version information server transmits the identification information to the user terminal device to make it select one file server to be connected at the version up on the basis of the identification information and the predetermined condition determined at the time of the version up;

the selected file server transmits the file to be used for the version up to the user terminal device when the user terminal device requests the file; and

either the version information server or the file server stores a list of a file necessary for execution of the software which has been updated to the new version, and transmits the list information for specifying a file unnecessary for the user terminal device.

15. (Amended) A software updating method for performing version up of software used in a plurality of user terminal devices, characterized by comprising:

judging whether the version of the software that is used in the user terminal device is a new version or not;

sending identification information to the user terminal device if the version is not judged to be the new version, thereby making it possible to select the file server, the identification information being identification information for specifying one of a plurality of file servers storing files to be used at the version up to the new version software and including information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition; and

sending from the selected file server to the user terminal device a file to be used for the update to the new version according to the version of the software and list information indicating files necessary for execution of the software after the update to the user terminal device, thereby making it possible to specify a file unnecessary for the user terminal device.

16. (Amended) A software updating program for making computers of a plurality of user terminal devices execute processing for updating software used in the user terminal devices, characterized by comprising:

a step of accessing a version information server storing information in advance for specifying a new version of software installed in the user terminal device if the software that is an object of update is initiated, and judging whether the software of the user terminal device is the new version or not on the basis of the information for specifying the new version;

a step of accessing the version information server and having it to send identification information including information indicating two or more file servers that are classified in accordance with a predetermined condition if the software is not judged to be the new version software;

a step of selecting one file server to be connected at the version up based on the identification information and the predetermined condition determined at the time of the version up;

a step of accessing the file server storing a file for updating the software, and transmitting the file to be used for the update of the software from the file server to the user terminal device;

a step of updating the software of the object of the update to the new version on the basis of the transmitted file;

a step of transmitting information indicating a file necessary for execution of the software updated to the new version to the user terminal device; and

a step of specifying a file unnecessary for the execution of the updated software in the user terminal device by the use of the transmitted information to inform the specified file to the user terminal device for making it possible to delete the file.