INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, TERMINAL SYSTEM, STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREIN INFORMATION PROCESSING PROGRAM, AND METHOD OF OBTAINING UPDATE DATA FOR APPLICATION

• US 20140137097A1
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Tokunaga, Eiji, Sakai, Hitoshi, Ogura, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 9,753,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

In an exemplary information processing apparatus communicable with a server via network, update information is obtained from the server at a first timing and the obtained update information is saved. The update information is information for determining presence of an update of each application. At a second timing independent of the first timing, the information processing apparatus determines whether there is an update to each of at least one of applications stored in a storage unit accessed by the information processing apparatus based on the saved update information. The information processing apparatus obtains, from the server, update data used for updating the application with respect to which it has been determined that the update is present.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus communicable with a server via a network, comprising:

an update information obtaining unit configured to obtain update information for determining presence of an update of each application from the server at a first timing and save the obtained update information;

a first update determination unit configured to determine, for each of at least one of applications stored in a storage unit which can be accessed by the information processing apparatus, whether there is an update at a second timing independent of the first timing based on the saved update information; and

a first update data obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the server, update data used for updating the application with respect to which the first update determination unit has determined that the update is present.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first timing determination unit configured to determine whether the first timing has come based on whether a predetermined first condition is satisfied; and

a second timing determination unit configured to determine whether the second timing has come based on whether a second condition different from the first condition is satisfied, wherein

the first update determination unit makes a determination when the second timing determination unit has determined that the second timing has come.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the update information obtaining unit obtains update information for determining presence of updates of a plurality of applications from the server, and

the first update determination unit determines whether there is an update to one of the applications.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first timing is caused by a user performing a predetermined first operation, and

the second timing is caused by the user performing a predetermined second operation different from the first operation.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first timing is between start-up of the information processing apparatus and issuance of an instruction to start the application stored in the storage unit.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first timing is based on a process of displaying a menu image with which the user can issue an instruction to start the application stored in the storage unit.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second timing is in response to an instruction to start the application stored in the storage unit having been issued, and

the first update determination unit determines, at the second timing, whether there is an update to the application with respect to which the instruction to start has been issued.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the first update data obtaining unit obtains update data, for the application with respect to which it has been determined that the update is present, before the application is started, and

the information processing apparatus further comprises a first application execution unit configured to execute, when an instruction to start the application stored in the storage unit is issued, the application onto which the update using the update data has been reflected.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the update information obtaining unit:

obtains and saves update information together with update version information representing a version of the update information; and

when the first timing arrives next time, obtains the update version information from the server and determines whether or not to obtain the update information based on the obtained update version information.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the update information obtaining unit obtains update information for one or more applications set in the server regardless of whether the applications are stored in the storage unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the update information obtaining unit obtains the update information from the server which can provide the information processing apparatus with at least one of the update data and an application executable by the information processing apparatus.

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

a second update determination unit configured to determine, in response to update information having been obtained and regardless of whether the second timing has come, whether there is an update to an application which satisfies a predetermined condition among the applications stored in the storage unit, based on the update information; and

a second update data obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the server, update data used for updating the application with respect to which the second update determination unit has determined that the update is present.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the second update determination unit determines an application which satisfies the predetermined condition based on an execution history of each application stored in the storage unit.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the second update data obtaining unit obtains update data regardless of whether an application other than an application corresponding to the update data is being executed in the information processing apparatus.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising

a second application execution unit configured to execute, when an instruction to start the application with respect to which the second update determination unit has determined that the update is present is issued, the application onto which the update using the update data has been reflected.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the update information obtaining unit obtains update information for determining presence of updates of a plurality of applications from the server, and

the first update determination unit determines whether there is an update to each of a part of the plurality of applications represented by the update information.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the second timing is in response to the information processing apparatus having shifted to a non-use mode.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the first update determination unit determines whether there is an update to each of one or more applications selected, based on the respective execution histories stored in the storage unit, from among the applications stored in the storage unit which can be accessed by the information processing apparatus.

19. A terminal system communicable with a server via a network, comprising:

an update information obtaining unit configured to obtain update information for determining presence of an update of each application from the server at a first timing and save the obtained update information;

an update determination unit configured to determine, for each of at least one of applications stored in a storage unit which can be accessed by the information processing apparatus, whether there is an update at a second timing independent of the first timing based on the saved update information; and

an update data obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the server, update data used for updating the application with respect to which the first update determination unit has determined that the update is present.

20. A computer-readable non-transitory storage having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus communicable with a server via network, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

obtaining update information for determining presence of an update of each application from the server at a first timing and saving the obtained update information;

determining, for each of at least one of applications stored in a storage unit which can be accessed by the information processing apparatus, whether there is an update at a second timing independent of the first timing based on the saved update information; and

obtaining, from the server, update data used for updating the application with respect to which it has been determined that the update is present.

21. A method of obtaining update data for an application to be executed in a terminal system communicable with a server via a network, the method comprising:

obtaining update information for determining presence of an update of each application from the server at a first timing and saving the obtained update information;

determining, for each of at least one of applications stored in a storage unit which can be accessed by the information processing apparatus, whether there is an update at a second timing independent of the first timing based on the saved update information; and

obtaining, from the server, update data used for updating the application with respect to which it has been determined that the update is present.