Control of software via bundling

• US 7,158,248 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Boldon, John Leland, Smith, William Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, DILLON J
• Application Number:
  US10/072,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20030149917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,790 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/3.23, 717/168, 717/169, 717/170, 717/171, 717/172, 717/173, 709/203
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/123 Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A method of revising multi-component software in a multifunctional printer, including revising at least one software component of the multi-component software, qualifying the multi-component software, bundling the multi-component software as a software bundle; and loading the software bundle on to a multifunctional printer. Additional methods and/or devices are also included.

Claims

1. A method of revising software in a group of multifunctional printers, comprising:

revising a revisable software component for a part of at least one printer of the group of multifunctional printers;

providing all other revisable software components for parts of at least one printer of the group of multifunctional printers;

qualifying the revised software component in conjunction with all of the other revisable software components;

bundling the software components as a software bundle wherein the software components comprise the qualified, revised software component;

searching and locating the software bundles that represent updated software components for each multifunction printer via a web based graphical user interface;

loading the software bundle on to plural user selected multifunctional printers; and

placing the bundle on a server and wherein the server comprises the multifunctional printer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the software bundle comprises a single file.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the file has an extension associated with software bundles.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the software bundle comprises at least one software component selected from the group consisting of print media software and print finishing software.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing administrative software to assist in the loading.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the multifunctional printer comprises a smart print cartridge that operates cooperatively with at least one software component of the software bundle.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting information related to the qualified, revised software component prior to, during and/or after the loading.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising completing a pending task prior to the loading.

9. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to search and locate software bundles that represent respective updated software components for a group of multifunction printers using a web based graphical user interface and subsequently load the software bundles on to user selected multifunctional printers wherein the software bundles comprise a plurality of revisable software components for parts of the multifunctional printer and a qualified, revised software component for a part of the multifunctional printers, the qualified, revised software component qualified in conjunction with the plurality of revisable software components and placing the bundle on a server and wherein the server comprises the multifunctional printer.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions to initialize a multifunctional printer.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions to transmit information related to loading a software bundle on a multifunctional printer.

12. A method of revising software in a group of multifunctional printers, comprising searching and locating, via a web based graphical user interface, software bundles that represent respective updated software components for each multifunction printer and subsequently loading the software on to user selected multifunctional printers in the form of updated software bundles wherein the software bundles comprises a plurality of revisable software components for parts of the multifunctional printers and a qualified, revised software component for a part of the multifunctional printers, the qualified, revised software component qualified in conjunction with the plurality of revisable software components and placing the bundle on a server and wherein the server comprises the multifunctional printer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the software bundle comprises a single file.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the file has an extension associated with software bundles.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the software bundle comprises at least one software component selected from the group consisting of print media software and print finishing software.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising executing administrative software to assist in the loading.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the multifunctional printer comprises a smart print cartridge that operates cooperatively with at least one software component of the software bundle.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising transmitting information related to the qualified, revised software component revision prior to, during and/or after the loading.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising completing a pending task prior to the loading.

20. A method of revising software in a group of multifunctional devices, comprising:

revising at least one revisable software component of multi-component software;

providing all other revisable software components of the group of multifunctional devices;

qualifying the at least one revisable software component in conjunction with all of the other revisable software components;

bundling the software components as software bundles wherein the software components comprise the qualified, revised software component;

searching and locating the software bundles via a web based graphical user interface that represents updated software components for each respective multifunctional device;

loading the software bundle on to user selected multifunctional devices and placing the bundle on a server and wherein the server comprises the multifunctional printer.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising placing the bundle on a server.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the server comprises the multifunctional device.

23. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions to use a World Wide Web graphical user interface to search and locate software bundles that represent updated software components for each multifunction device in a group of multifunction devices and subsequently loading updated software components of the software bundles on to user selected multifunctional devices that need the updates wherein the software bundles comprise a plurality of revisable software components for parts of the multifunctional devices and a qualified, revised software component for a part of the multifunctional devices, the qualified, revised software component qualified in conjunction with the plurality of revisable software components and placing the bundle on a server and wherein the server comprises the multifunctional printer.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 further comprising instructions to initialize a multifunctional device.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 further comprising instructions to transmit information related to loading a software bundle on a multifunctional device.

26. A multifunctional printer comprising:

a graphical user interface for searching and locating a software bundle that represents updated software components for the multifunctional printer, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to selectively update the printer parts;

an input for receiving the software bundle wherein the software bundle includes revisable software components for at least two printer parts wherein at least one of the revisable software components comprises a qualified, revised software component qualified in conjunction with the other revisable software components; and

a processor configured to distinguish each of the software components included in the software bundle and for placing the bundle on a server and wherein the server comprises the multifunctional printer.

27. The multifunctional printer of claim 26 wherein the input receives the software bundle via a network.

28. The multifunctional printer of claim 26 further comprising a Web browser.

29. The multifunctional printer of claim 26 wherein one of the at least two printer parts comprises a scanner.

30. The multifunctional printer of claim 26 wherein one of the at least two printer parts comprises a stacker.

31. The multifunctional printer of claim 26 wherein the processor is configured to recognize a file extension associated with a software bundle.

32. A multifunctional printer having software components, comprising:

revision means for revising at least one software component for a part of the multifunctional printer;

qualification means for qualifying the at least one revised software component wherein the qualifying qualifies the at least one revised software component in conjunction with one or more other revisable software components of the multifunctional printer;

bundle means for bundling the software components as a software bundle wherein the software components comprises the at least one revised, qualified software component;

search and locate means for searching and locating, via a graphical user interface, the software components of the software bundle that represents updated information for the multifunction printer for selectively updating predefined components of the multifunctional printer; and

load means for loading the software bundle on another multifunctional printer.