INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND NETWORK SYSTEM

• US 20140130028A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hiroki Mori, Hiroki Ozaki, Hiroshi Maeda, Rie Nakamura, Ryo Iwasaki, Shigeyuki Ishii
• Inventors: MAEDA, Hiroshi, OOUCHI, Miki, NAKAMURA, Rie, ISHII, Shigeyuki, IWASAKI, Ryo, OZAKI, Hiroki, MORI, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 9,529,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• 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 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

An information processing apparatus stores configuration information including sets of version information of modules of firmware in the apparatus; obtains, based on the configuration information, firmware information including sets of version information of modules of firmware in a latest version; compares the sets of version information in the configuration information with those in the firmware information, and, when the sets of version information in the configuration information are not coincident with those in the firmware information, determines that it is possible to update the firmware in the apparatus; downloads the firmware in the latest version; and compares the sets of version information in the downloaded firmware with those in the configuration information, and updates only the module of the firmware in the apparatus for which the version information in the downloaded firmware is different from that in the configuration information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

firmware that includes a plurality of modules and is mounted in the information processing apparatus;

a configuration information storage part that stores configuration information that includes sets of version information of the respective modules included in the firmware;

a firmware information obtaining part that obtains, based on the configuration information, from the outside, firmware information that includes sets of version information of respective modules of firmware in a latest version;

an update possibility determination part that compares the sets of version information included in the configuration information with the sets of version information included in the firmware information, and, in a case where the sets of version information in the configuration information are not coincident with the sets of version information in the firmware information, determines that it is possible to update the firmware in the information processing apparatus;

a firmware obtaining part that downloads, from the outside, the firmware in the latest version corresponding to the firmware in the information processing apparatus for which the update possibility determination part has determined that it is possible to update; and

a firmware update part that compares the sets of version information of respective modules included in the downloaded firmware in the latest version with the sets of version information of the corresponding respective modules included in the configuration information, and updates only the module of the firmware in the information processing apparatus for which the version information in the downloaded firmware is different from the version information in the configuration information.

2. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a configuration information generation part that dynamically generates the configuration information and stores the generated configuration information in the configuration information storage part.

3. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a UI control part that provides a UI for, in a case where the firmware update possibility determination part has determined that it is possible to update the firmware in the information processing apparatus, notifying a user that it is possible to update the firmware in the information processing apparatus, and receiving an instruction from the user to update the firmware in the information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a firmware information obtaining condition determination part that determines whether a firmware information obtaining condition has been satisfied, wherein

the firmware information obtaining part obtains the firmware information from the outside when the firmware information obtaining condition has been satisfied.

5. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the firmware information obtaining condition is start-up of the information processing apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the firmware information obtaining condition is receipt of an instruction from a user to update the firmware in the information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the firmware information obtaining condition is detection of pressing, by a user, a power-off switch in the information processing apparatus, and

the firmware information obtaining part obtains the firmware information from the outside during a period of time until the power supply in the information processing apparatus is stopped since the detection of pressing, by the user, the power-off switch.

8. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a new device connection detection part that detects connection of a new device that requires an update of the firmware in the information processing apparatus, wherein

the firmware information obtaining condition is detection of connection of the new device.

9. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

an error detection part that detects an error that has occurred in the information processing apparatus, wherein

the firmware information obtaining condition is detection of the error.

10. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a firmware information obtaining date/time detection part that detects the coming of previously set date and time for obtaining the firmware information, wherein

the firmware information obtaining condition is the coming of the date and time for obtaining the firmware information.

11. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the firmware information obtaining part again obtains, from the outside, the firmware information in a case where the firmware in the latest version concerning the firmware information has not been downloaded even when a predetermined time has elapsed after the firmware information was obtained.

12. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a download condition determination part that determines whether a download condition for downloading the firmware in the latest version has been satisfied, wherein

the firmware obtaining part downloads, from the outside, the firmware in the latest version when the download condition has been satisfied.

13. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

an input signal detection part that detects that an input signal has not been sent to the information processing apparatus for a predetermined period of time, wherein

the download condition is a fact that the input signal has not been sent to the information processing apparatus for the predetermined period of time.

14. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a download date/time detection part that detects the coming of previously set date and time for downloading the firmware in the latest version, wherein

the download condition is the coming of the date and time for downloading the firmware in the latest version.

15. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the download condition is detection of pressing, by a user, a power-off switch in the information processing apparatus, and

the firmware obtaining part downloads, from the outside, the firmware in the latest version during a period of time until the power supply in the information processing apparatus is stopped since the detection of pressing, by the user, the power-off switch.

16. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the firmware obtaining part downloads, from the outside, the firmware in the latest version immediately after the update possibility determination part has determined that it is possible to update the firmware in the information processing apparatus.

17. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the firmware obtaining part compares the sets of version information, obtained by the firmware information obtaining part, of the respective modules included in the firmware in the latest version with the sets of version information of the corresponding respective modules included in the configuration information, and downloads, from the outside, only the module of the firmware in the latest version for which the version information in the firmware in the latest version is different from the version information in the configuration information.

18. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an authentication part that carries out user authentication.

19. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein

the authentication part carries out user authentication immediately before the firmware obtaining part starts downloading the firmware in the latest version.

20. A network system comprising:

a memory in which firmware that includes a plurality of modules is mounted;

a configuration information storage part that stores configuration information that includes sets of version information of the respective modules included in the firmware in the memory;

a firmware information obtaining part that obtains, based on the configuration information, firmware information that includes sets of version information of respective modules of firmware in a latest version corresponding to those of the firmware in the memory;

an update possibility determination part that compares the sets of version information included in the configuration information with the sets of version information included in the firmware information, and, in a case where the sets of version information in the configuration information are not coincident with the sets of version information in the firmware information, determines that it is possible to update the firmware in the memory;

a firmware obtaining part that downloads the firmware in the latest version corresponding to the firmware in the memory for which the update possibility determination part has determined that it is possible to update; and

a firmware update part that compares the sets of version information of the respective modules in the downloaded firmware in the latest version with the sets of version information of the respective modules in the configuration information, and updates only the module of the firmware in the memory for which the version information in the downloaded firmware is different from the version information in the configuration information.