IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF REDUCING TIME REQUIRED TO UPDATE SOFTWARE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20120054730A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: MICHISHITA, Takumi
• Application Number:
  US13/217,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/169
• 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: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/3091 Data deduplication
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/702 Software

Abstract

An image processing apparatus that localizes portions of software to be updated before performing software difference updating, to thereby make it possible to reduce time required for the update. The image processing apparatus receives update files from an update server on a network, and updates software based on the update files. The software is stored in a software storage area in a flash memory in a state divided into compressed files. The compressed files to be updated are decompressed out of the stored compressed files. The decompressed files are updated based on the update files received from the update server. The updated files are recompressed and stored in the software storage area.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus that receives at least one update file from a server on a network, and updates software based on the at least one update file, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the software in a state divided into a plurality of compressed files;

a decompression unit configured to decompress at least one compressed file to be updated out of the plurality of compressed files stored in said storage unit;

an update unit configured to update the at least one compressed file decompressed by said decompression unit, based on the at least one update file received from the server; and

a compression unit configured to recompress and store the at least one compressed file which is decompressed and updated, in said storage unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the server comprises:

a software construction information reception unit configured to receive software construction information including names and versions of respective packages forming the software from the image processing apparatus;

a difference software-determining unit configured to determine at least one difference package by comparing the received software construction information with update software information for identifying differences from updated software; and

an update information transmission unit configured to transmit update information including information on the at least one update file as the at least one difference package to the image processing apparatus.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the server further comprises:

a compressed file identification unit configured to identify the at least one compressed file to be updated from difference package information on the at least one difference package determined by said difference software-determining unit; and

an update time calculation unit configured to calculate a processing time period required to update the software from the difference package information and information on the at least one identified compressed file, and

wherein said update information transmission unit transmits the update information which includes the difference package information and the update processing time period to the image processing apparatus.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a software construction information transmission unit configured to transmit the software construction information to the server; and

an update information reception unit configured to receive the update information, and

wherein said decompression unit identifies and decompress the at least one compressed file to be updated based on the update information.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an update software construction information reception unit configured to receive update software information for identifying differences from updated software, from the server; and

a difference software-determining unit configured to determine the at least one difference package by comparing software construction information including names and versions of respective packages forming the software with the received update software information, and

wherein said decompression unit identifies and decompresses the at least one compressed file to be updated based on update information including information on the at least one difference package.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a compressed file identification unit configured to identify the at least one compressed file to be updated from difference package information on the at least one difference package determined by said difference software-determining unit; and

an update time calculation unit configured to calculate a processing time required to update the software from the difference package information and information on the identified at least one compressed file, and

wherein said decompression unit identifies and decompresses the at least one compressed file to be updated based on the update information which includes the difference package information and the update processing time period.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the difference package information includes at least a package name, a version, and a package size of each difference package, names of decompressed files contained in the difference package, and names of compressed updated files.

8. A method of controlling an image processing apparatus that receives at least one update file from a server on a network, and updates software based on the at least one update file, comprising:

storing the software in a state divided into a plurality of compressed files;

decompressing at least one compressed file to be updated out of the plurality of compressed files stored in the storage unit;

updating the decompressed at least one file, based on the at least one update file received from the server; and

recompressing and storing the at least one compressed file which is decompressed and updated, in the storage unit.

9. An information processing system including an image processing apparatus that receives at least one update file from a server on a network, and updates software based on the at least one update file,

the image processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the software in a state divided into a plurality of compressed files;

a decompression unit configured to decompress at least one compressed file to be updated out of the plurality of compressed files stored in said storage unit;

an update unit configured to update the at least one compressed file decompressed by said decompression unit, based on the at least one update file received from the server; and

a compression unit configured to recompress and store the at least one compressed file which is decompressed and updated, in said storage unit,

the server comprising;

a software construction information reception unit configured to receive software construction information including names and versions of respective packages forming the software from the image processing apparatus;

a difference software-determining unit configured to determine at least one difference package by comparing the received software construction information with update software information for identifying differences from updated software;

a compressed file identification unit configured to identify the at least one compressed file to be updated from difference package information on the at least one difference package determined by said difference software-determining unit;

an update time calculation unit configured to calculate a processing time period required to update the software from the difference package information and information on the at least one identified compressed file; and

an update information transmission unit configured to transmit update information including the difference package information and the update processing time period to the image processing apparatus,

wherein said decompression unit identifies and decompresses the at least one compressed file to be updated based on the update information received from the server.

10. An information processing system including an image processing apparatus that receives at least one update file from a server on a network, and updates software based on the at least one update file,

the image processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store the software in a state divided into a plurality of compressed files;

a decompression unit configured to decompress at least one compressed file to be updated out of the plurality of compressed files stored in said storage unit;

an update unit configured to update the at least one compressed file decompressed by said decompression unit, based on the at least one update file received from the server;

a compression unit configured to recompress and store the at least one compressed file which is decompressed and updated, in said storage unit;

an update software construction information reception unit configured to receive update software information for identifying differences from updated software, from the server;

a difference software-determining unit configured to determine at least one difference package by comparing software construction information including names and versions of respective packages forming the software with the received update software information;

a compressed file identification unit configured to identify the at least one compressed file to be updated from difference package information on the at least one difference package determined by said difference software-determining unit; and

an update time calculation unit configured to calculate a processing time required to update the software from the difference package information and information on the identified at least one compressed file,

wherein said decompression unit identifies and decompresses the at least one compressed file to be updated based on update information including the difference package information and the update processing time period.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer of an image processing apparatus to execute a method of controlling the image processing apparatus that receives at least one update file from a server on a network, and updates software based on the at least one update file,

wherein the method comprises:

storing the software in a state divided into a plurality of compressed files;

decompressing at least one compressed file to be updated out of the plurality of compressed files stored in the storage unit;

updating the decompressed at least one file, based on the at least one update file received from the server; and

recompressing and storing the at least one compressed file which are decompressed and updated, in the storage unit.