Medical network system

• US 6,718,547 B2
• Filed: 02/05/1999
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takeo, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHEN, WEI Y
• Application Number:
  US09/245,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,887 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 717/1, 717/168-178, 707/203, 709/200, 709/203, 709/232
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• 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: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Software components installed in each medical device composing a medical network system is replaced efficiently and the service load on a software producer which provides the software component is reduced. A component server for storing and managing the latest versions of the software components is connected via the network to each medical device composing the medical network system. At a predetermined timing such as upon starting the medical devices for example, each medical device accesses the component server via the network or vice versa. Whether or not the component installed in each device is the latest version is checked, and the latest version is transferred from the component server to the medical device when the component is not the latest version. The medical device is then restarted.

Claims

1. A medical network system which connects on a network a plurality of medical devices each of which is loaded with at least one software component, the medical network system comprising:

component storing means which is connected to the network and stores and manages the latest version of each software component;

version comparing means for comparing, for each software component, the version of the software component installed in each medical device with that of the software component stored and managed by the component storing means;

component replacing means for replacing the software component installed in the medical device by transferring the latest version of the software component from the component storing means to the medial device when the version of the software component installed in the medical device is found to be older than that of the software component stored and managed by the component storing means as a result of the comparison by the version comparing means,

wherein said plurality of medical devices, the component storing means, the version comparing means and the component replacing means are interconnected via a Local Area Network

wherein said component storing means acts as a client in a client-server relationship; and

wherein said component storing means sequentially accesses each of said medical devices in order to trigger said comparing.