Electronic apparatus, a network apparatus, a management method, a software updating method, a management program, a software updating program, and a recording medium

• US 20050086654A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sumi, Yasuyuki, Yamashita, Akihiro, Yuki, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A disclosed electronic apparatus causes a network apparatus to update software of the network apparatus, both apparatuses being connected via a network, and a result of updating is provided to the electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus includes a software management unit that manages software information for executing the software update, and an apparatus management unit for inquiring about the update result after the elapse of a predetermined period.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus that causes a network apparatus to perform a software updating process of software of the network apparatus, comprising:

a software management unit that manages the software and software information for performing the software updating process; and

an apparatus management unit that requests the network apparatus to provide a result of the software updating process after the elapse of a predetermined period based on the software information.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the software management unit and the apparatus management unit communicate such that the software information managed by the software management unit is provided to the apparatus management unit, and

the apparatus management unit requests the network apparatus to provide the result of the software updating process after the elapse of the predetermined period based on the software information.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the software information is a structure that describes first element information specifying a unit of a program for performing the software updating process.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the software information is a structure that describes identification information for identifying a program with which the network apparatus is to perform the software updating process, and first time information specifying a period required for the software updating process.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein both the identification information and the first time information are described as values in second element information that correspond to the unit of the program for performing the software updating process.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second element information is described as a child element of the first element information.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined period is described in the software information as the first time information that specifies the period required for the software updating process.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus management unit requests the network apparatus to provide a result of the software updating process, and determines that the software updating process is not completed if no response is received from the network apparatus.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus management unit repeats requesting the result of the software updating process while no response is received from the network apparatus.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus management unit stops requesting the result of the software updating process from the network apparatus after the elapse of a predetermined term, even if no response is received from the network apparatus.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the software information is a structure that describes second time information that specifies the predetermined term.

12. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein second element information corresponding to the unit of the program for performing the software updating process includes the second time information, the first time information specifying the period required for the software updating process, and the identification information identifying the program for the network apparatus to perform the software updating process.

13. The network apparatus connected to the electronic apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, via a network, comprising:

a software update control unit that controls the software updating process of the software provided by the electronic apparatus; and

an error information storing unit that stores a result of the software updating process performed by the software update control unit, wherein

the result of the update process stored by the error information storing unit is provided to the electronic apparatus according to a request from the electronic apparatus.

25. A software updating method for the network apparatus that is connected to the electronic apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, via a network, comprising:

a software updating step performing the software updating process with the software provided by the electronic apparatus,

an updating result storing step storing a result of the software updating step, and

an updating result providing step providing the electronic apparatus with the result of the update process stored by the updating result storing step according to a request from the electronic apparatus.

28. A software updating program for the electronic apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, to cause the network apparatus to perform steps via a network, the steps including:

a software updating step performing the software updating process with the software provided by the electronic apparatus,

an updating result storing step storing the result of the software updating process performed by the software updating step, and

an updating result providing step providing the electronic apparatus with the result of the update process according to a request from the electronic apparatus, the result being stored by the updating result storing step.

29. A computer-readable recording medium that stores the software updating program for the electronic apparatus, as claimed in claim 3, to cause the network apparatus to execute the software updating program via a network, the software updating program including:

a software updating step performing the software updating process with the software provided by the electronic apparatus,

an updating result storing step storing a result of the software updating process performed by the software updating step, and

an updating result providing step providing the electronic apparatus with the result of the software updating process according to a request from the electronic apparatus, the result being stored by the updating result storing step.

14. A management method for an electronic apparatus to cause a network apparatus to perform a software updating process of software used by the network apparatus, including:

a software providing step of providing the software to the network apparatus, and

an updating result inquiry step of requesting the network apparatus to provide a result of the software updating process after the elapse of a predetermined period after providing the software by the software providing step, the predetermined period being specified in software information for performing the software updating process.

15. The management method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the software information is a structure that describes first element information specifying a unit of a program for performing the software updating process.

16. The management method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the software information is a structure that describes identification information that determines a program for the network apparatus to perform the software updating process, and first time information specifying the predetermined period required by the software updating process.

17. The management method as claimed in claim 16, wherein both the identification information and the first time information are described as values in second element information corresponding to the unit of the program for performing the software updating process.

18. The management method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second element information is described as a child element of the first element information.

19. The management method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the predetermined period is described in the software information as the first time information, specifying a period required by the software updating process.

20. The management method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the software updating process is determined as not being completed when there is no response from the network apparatus to the inquiry issued by the updating result inquiry step.

21. The management method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the updating result inquiry step is repeated when there is no response from the network apparatus to the inquiry.

22. The management method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the network apparatus is not queried about the result of the software updating process after the elapse of a predetermined term, even if there is no response from the network apparatus to the inquiry issued by the updating result inquiry step.

23. The management method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the software information is a structure that describes second time information specifying the predetermined term, until which the result of the software updating process is requested from the network apparatus.

24. The management method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second element information corresponding to the unit of the program for performing the software updating process describes as values the second time information, the first time information specifying the period required by the software updating process, and the identification information for identifying the program for performing the software updating process for the network apparatus.

26. A management program for an electronic apparatus to perform, comprising:

a software providing step providing software to a network apparatus, and

an updating result inquiry step requesting the network apparatus to provide a result of a software updating process after the elapse of a predetermined period after providing the software by the software providing step, the predetermined period being specified in software information for performing the software updating process, the electronic apparatus causing the network apparatus to perform the software updating process, and the software being used by the network apparatus.

27. A computer-readable recording medium that stores a management program, the management program comprising:

a software providing step providing software to a network apparatus, and

an updating result inquiry step requesting the network apparatus to provide a result of a software updating process after the elapse of a predetermined period after providing the software by the software providing step, the predetermined period being specified in software information for performing the software updating process, the electronic apparatus causing the network apparatus to perform the software updating process, and the software being used by the network apparatus.