INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM PROVIDED WITH THE SAME, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR THE SAME

• US 20100250787A1
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: MIYATA, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running

Abstract

An information processing device is configured to be connected communicably via a network with a peripheral device that has specific identification information representing an address on the network. The information processing device includes a receiver configured to, while the peripheral device is updating firmware thereof, receive a request transmitted by a requestor to the specific identification information, and an information processor configured to perform a predetermined process in response to the request received by the receiver.

Claims

1. An information processing device configured to be connected communicably via a network with a peripheral device that has specific identification information representing an address on the network, the information processing device comprising:

a receiver configured to, while the peripheral device is updating firmware thereof, receive a request transmitted by a requestor to the specific identification information; and

an information processor configured to perform a predetermined process in response to the request received by the receiver.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store the received request when the request is a predetermined kind of request,

wherein the information processor is configured to, after the peripheral device completes updating of the firmware, transmit the request stored on the storage unit to the peripheral device.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising an acquiring unit configured to acquire the specific identification information of the peripheral device of which the firmware is to be updated,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive a request transmitted to the specific identification information acquired by the acquiring unit.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2, further comprising an acquiring unit configured to acquire the specific identification information of the peripheral device of which the firmware is to be updated,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive a request transmitted to the specific identification information acquired by the acquiring unit.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, further comprising a deletion unit configured to, after the peripheral device completes updating of the firmware, delete the specific identification information acquired by the acquiring unit,

wherein the information processor is configured to, after the deletion unit deletes the specific identification information, transmit the request stored on the storage unit to the peripheral device.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an identification information changing unit configured to, when the peripheral device updates the firmware, change the specific identification information of the peripheral device to temporary identification information which is different from the specific identification information; and

an identification information restoring unit configured to, after the peripheral device completes updating of the firmware, restore the temporary identification information of the peripheral device to the specific identification information used before the peripheral device updates the firmware.

7. The information processing device according to claim 6, further comprising a firmware transmitter configured to, after the identification information changing unit changes the specific identification information of the peripheral device to the temporary identification information, transmit new firmware used for updating the firmware, to the peripheral device.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a status information acquiring unit configured to acquire status information on a status of the peripheral device,

wherein the information processor is configured to, when the request received by the receiver is a request for transmission of status information of the peripheral device, transmit the status information acquired by the status information acquiring unit, to the requestor.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, further comprising a status information storing unit configured to store the status information acquired by the status information acquiring unit,

wherein the information processor is configured to transmit the status information stored on the status information storing unit, to the requestor of the request for transmission of status information.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a progress presuming unit configured to presume a progress on updating of the firmware of the peripheral device,

wherein the information processor is configured to, when the request received by the receiver is a request for transmission of a progress on updating of the firmware of the peripheral device, transmit the progress presumed by the progress presuming unit, to the requestor.

11. The information processing device according to claim 7, further comprising a progress presuming unit configured to presume a progress on updating of the firmware of the peripheral device, based on the new firmware to be transmitted by the firmware transmitter to the peripheral device,

wherein the information processor is configured to, when the request received by the receiver is a request for transmission of a progress on updating of the firmware of the peripheral device, transmit the progress presumed by the progress presuming unit, to the requestor.

12. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to, when the peripheral device is updating the firmware thereof, display a screen for inputting thereon a predetermined request to the peripheral device being updating the firmware; and

a sender configured to send the predetermined request input on the screen, to the specific identification information.

13. The information processing device according to claim 12,

wherein the predetermined request comprises a request to change a setting for the peripheral device.

14. The information processing device according to claim 12,

wherein the predetermined request comprises a request for printing to the peripheral device.

15. The information processing device according to claim 12,

wherein the predetermined request comprises a request to cancel a request that has already been transmitted to the specific identification information.

16. The information processing device according to claim 2,

wherein when the receiver receives, from the requestor, a request for printing with print data, the storage unit stores the received request with the print data, and

wherein after the peripheral device completes updating of the firmware, the information processor transmits, to the peripheral device, the request for printing and the print data that are stored on the storage unit.

17. The information processing device according to claim 16,

wherein when the receiver receives, from the requestor, a request to cancel the request for printing, the information processor deletes the request for printing and the print data that are stored on the storage unit.

18. The information processing device according to claim 2,

wherein when the receiver receives, from the requestor, a request to change a setting for the peripheral device, the storage unit stores the request to change the setting for the peripheral device, and

wherein after the peripheral device completes updating of the firmware, the information processor changes the setting for the peripheral device in accordance with the request to change the setting for the peripheral device that is stored on the storage unit.

19. An information processing system comprising:

a peripheral device that has specific identification information representing an address on a network; and

an information processing device configured to be connected communicably via the network with the peripheral device, the information processing device comprising;

a receiver configured to, while the peripheral device is updating firmware thereof, receive a request transmitted by a requestor to the specific identification information; and

an information processor configured to perform a predetermined process in response to the request received by the receiver.

20. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the instructions being configured to, when executed by a computer configured to be connected communicably via a network with a peripheral device that has specific identification information representing an address on the network, cause the computer to perform:

a receiving step of, while the peripheral device is updating firmware thereof, receiving a request transmitted by a requestor to the specific identification information; and

an information processing step of performing a predetermined process in response to the request received in the receiving step.