Systems and methods for facilitating peripheral device firmware installation

• US 20050027807A1
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Fengler, Lynda, Bhatti, Kristen L.
• Application Number:
  US10/630,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for facilitating peripheral device firmware installation. In one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to transmitting a firmware availability notification, receiving a firmware download request, and transmitting a firmware file to a peripheral device for installation on the peripheral device. In another embodiment, a system and a method pertain to receiving a firmware availability notification with a peripheral device, and providing a related notification to a user, the related notification being provided by the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating installation of peripheral device firmware, the method comprising:

transmitting a firmware availability notification;

receiving a firmware download request; and

transmitting a firmware file to a peripheral device for installation on the peripheral device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a firmware availability notification comprises transmitting a notification to the peripheral device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a firmware availability notification comprises transmitting an email message to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting an email message to a user comprises transmitting a link to a network page at which firmware download can be requested.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a firmware download request comprises receiving a firmware download request transmitted by a peripheral device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a firmware file comprises transmitting a remote firmware update (RFU) file to the peripheral device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering a peripheral device with a firmware service and determining whether to transmit a firmware availability notification based upon information that was collected through peripheral device registration.

8. A system for facilitating installation of peripheral device firmware, the system comprising:

means for transmitting a notification to a device indicating that new firmware is available for installation;

means for receiving a firmware download request; and

means for transmitting a firmware file directly to a peripheral device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for transmitting a notification comprise means for transmitting a notification to a peripheral device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for transmitting a notification comprise means for transmitting an email message to a user, the email message including a link to a network page at which firmware download can be requested.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for transmitting a firmware file comprise means for transmitting a remote firmware update (RFU) file to the peripheral device.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for registering a peripheral device with a firmware service.

13. A method for facilitating installation of firmware on a peripheral device, the method comprising:

a peripheral device receiving a firmware availability notification; and

the peripheral device providing a related notification to a user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the peripheral device providing a related notification to a user comprises the peripheral device posting a notification on a network page using a network server embedded in the peripheral device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the peripheral device providing a related notification to a user comprises the peripheral device transmitting a message to a user computing device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the peripheral device providing a related notification to a user comprises the peripheral device displaying a notification.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the peripheral device receiving a request to install available firmware.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the peripheral device transmitting a firmware download request to a firmware service.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the peripheral device receiving a firmware file and installing the firmware file on the peripheral device.

20. A system for facilitating installation of firmware on a peripheral device, the system comprising:

means provided on a peripheral device for receiving a notification from a firmware service that new peripheral device firmware is available for download; and

means provided on the peripheral device for providing a related notification to a device user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for providing a related notification comprise an embedded network server that is configured to post a notification on a network page.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for providing a related notification comprise means for transmitting a message to a user computing device from the peripheral device.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for providing a related notification comprise means for displaying a notification in a display of the peripheral device.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for receiving and installing a firmware file on the peripheral device.

25. A firmware service stored on a computer-readable medium, the service comprising:

logic configured to transmit firmware availability notifications directly to peripheral devices;

logic configured to receive firmware download requests from the peripheral devices; and

logic configured to transmit firmware files to the peripheral devices.

26. The service of claim 25, wherein the logic configured to transmit firmware files comprises logic configured to transmit remote firmware update (RFU) files to the peripheral devices.

27. The service of claim 25, further comprising logic configured to register peripheral devices with the firmware service.

28. The service of claim 27, further comprising logic configured to determine whether to transmit firmware availability notifications based upon collected peripheral device registration information.

29. A peripheral device, comprising:

logic configured to directly receive firmware availability notifications that are transmitted by a firmware service via a network; and

logic configured to provide related notifications to a user.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the logic configured to provide related notifications comprises an embedded network server that is configured to post notifications on network pages accessible via a network browser.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the logic configured to provide related notifications comprises logic configured to transmit email messages to a user computing device that indicate that firmware is available for installation.

32. The device of claim 29, further comprising a display and wherein the logic configured to provide related notifications comprises logic configured to present notifications in the display.

33. The device of claim 29, further comprising logic configured to receive a firmware installation request and logic configured to transmit a firmware download request to the firmware service.

34. The device of claim 33, further comprising logic configured to receive and install firmware files.