Installation software using a setting file to automatically determine if a module is installable and the location of the installation

• US 7,415,707 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tamori, Hirofumi, Tanabe, Mitsuru, Sakazume, Yuka, Taguchi, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): INGBERG, TODD D
• Application Number:
  US10/126,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 715/753, 715/735, 715/748, 715/749, 709/202, 709/220, 709223-226, 709/231, 709/243, 709/239
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a storage medium are disclosed which determines whether or not to install program modules by acquiring environment information relevant to the types of the modules so that only those modules judged compatible with the environment of interest may be installed. This makes it possible for users to install only necessary program modules without becoming aware of specific conditions restricting the installation of the modules.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

location information acquiring means for acquiring, from a predetermined setting server, location information, included in a setting file, defining the location of a module server which stores at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

installable program module determining means for automatically determining if an installable program module is necessary based on the installable program module information included in the setting file, an operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module; and

program module acquiring means for acquiring and installing on said information processing apparatus said installable program module, determined to be necessary by the installable program module determining means, by gaining access to said module server storing said installable program module based on said location information included in the setting file.

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

module information acquiring means for acquiring, from a predetermined setting server, module information about at least one program module;

wherein said program module acquiring means acquires said installable program module by gaining access to said module server of which the location is defined by said location information.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said installable program module determining means further determines whether or not said installable program module meets requirements for a program module to operate under an operating system of said information processing apparatus.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said installable program module determining means utilizes a route through which said program module of which the location is defined by said location information is acquired, as a basis for the determination.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said program module acquiring means acquires, from among installable program modules, only a program module allowed to be installed by operation of a user.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising location information decryption means for decrypting said location information which is encrypted.

7. An information processing apparatus comprising:

location file acquiring means for acquiring, from a predetermined location server, a location file defining the location of a setting server which stores a setting file including location information defining the location of a module server storing at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

setting file acquiring means for acquiring said setting file by gaining access to said setting server of which the location is defined by said location file; and

program module acquiring means for acquiring and installing on said information processing apparatus said program module by gaining access to said module server storing said program module based on said location information included in said setting file.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

installable program module group determining means for determining a group of installable program modules based on program module information included in said setting file and on an operating environment of said information processing apparatus;

wherein said program module acquiring means acquires an installable program module by gaining access to said module server of which the location is defined by said location information.

9. An information processing method executing on a computer comprising the steps of:

acquiring, from a predetermined setting server, location information, included in a setting file, defining the location of a module server which stores at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

analyzing an operating environment of an information processing apparatus into which to install said at least one program module;

automatically determining if an installable program module is necessary based on the program module information included in the setting file, said operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module;

acquiring said installable program module determined to be necessary by the determining by gaining access to said module server storing said installable program module based on said location information included in the setting file; and

installing on said information processing apparatus the installable program module acquired by the acquiring.

10. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring module information about at least one program module from a predetermined module server; and

acquiring said installable program module by gaining access to said module server of which the location is defined by said location information.

11. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said installable program module determining step further determines whether or not said installable program module meets requirements for a program module to operate under an operating system of said information processing apparatus.

12. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said installable program module determining step utilizes a route through which said program module of which the location is defined by said location information is acquired, as a basis for the determination.

13. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said program module acquiring step acquires, from among installable program modules, only a program module allowed to be installed by operation of a user.

14. An information processing method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of decrypting said location information which is encrypted.

15. An information processing method executing on a computer comprising the steps of:

acquiring, from a predetermined location server, a location file defining the location of a setting server which stores a setting file including location information defining the location of a module server storing at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

acquiring said setting file by gaining access to said setting server of which the location is defined by said location file;

analyzing an operating environment of an information processing apparatus into which to install said at least one program module;

automatically determining if an installable program module is necessary based on the program module information included in said setting file, said operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module;

acquiring said installable program module determined to be necessary by the determining by gaining access to said module server storing said installable program module based on said location information included in the setting file; and

installing on said information processing apparatus the installable program module acquired by the acquiring.

16. An information processing method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

acquiring said installable program module by gaining access to said module server of which the location is defined by said location information.

17. A storage medium which stores on a computer readable medium, in a computer-readable manner, a software installation support program for causing a computer to carry out the steps of:

acquiring, from a predetermined setting server, location information, included in a setting file, defining the location of a module server which stores at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

analyzing an operating environment of an information processing apparatus into which to install said at least one program module;

automatically determining if an installable program module is necessary based on the program module information included in said setting file, said operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module;

acquiring said installable program module determined to be necessary by the determining by gaining access to said module server storing said installable program module based on said location information included in the setting file; and

installing on said information processing apparatus the installable program module acquired by the acquiring.

18. A storage medium which stores on a computer readable medium, in a computer-readable manner, a software installation support program according to claim 17, the program further causing said computer to carry out the steps of:

acquiring module information about at least one program module from a predetermined module server; and

acquiring said installable program module by gaining access to said server of which the location is defined by said location information.

19. A storage medium which stores on a computer readable medium, in a computer-readable manner, a software installation support program for causing a computer to carry out the steps of:

acquiring, from a predetermined location server, a location file defining the location of a setting server which stores a setting file including location information defining the location of a module server storing at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

acquiring said setting file by gaining access to said setting server of which the location is defined by said location file;

analyzing an operating environment of an information processing apparatus into which to install said at least one program module;

automatically determining if an installable program module is necessary based on the program module information included in said setting file, said operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module;

acquiring said installable program module determined to be necessary by the determining by gaining access to said module server storing said installable program module based on said location information included in the setting file; and

installing on said information processing apparatus the installable program module acquired by the acquiring.

20. A storage medium which stores on a computer readable medium, in a computer-readable manner, a software installation support program according to claim 19, the program further causing said computer to carry out the steps of:

acquiring said installable program module by gaining access to said module server of which the location is defined by said location information.

21. An information processing apparatus comprising:

location information acquiring means for acquiring, from a predetermined setting server, location information, included in a setting file, defining the location of module servers which severally store at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

location file acquiring means for acquiring, from a predetermined location server, a location file defining the location of a setting server which stores the setting file including location information defining the location of module servers which severally store at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

setting file acquiring means for acquiring said setting file by gaining access to said setting server of which the location is defined by said location file;

installable program module determining means for automatically determining if an installable program module is necessary based on the installable module information included in said setting file, an operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module; and

program module acquiring means for acquiring and installing on said information processing apparatus said installable program modules determined to be necessary by the installable program module determining means by gaining access to said module servers severally storing said installable program modules based on said location information included in the setting file.

22. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21 comprising:

program module acquiring means for acquiring said program modules by gaining access to said module servers storing said program modules based on said location information.

23. An information processing apparatus comprising:

location information acquiring unit configured to request and receive from a predetermined setting server, location information, included in a setting file, defining the location of a module server which stores at least one program module on a computer readable medium;

installable program module determining unit configured to automatically determine if an installable program module is necessary based on the installable program module information included in the setting file, an operating environment of said information processing apparatus and whether or not said installable program module is later in version than a program module previously installed on the information processing apparatus and corresponding to said installable program module; and

program module acquiring unit configured to acquire and install on said information processing apparatus said installable program module, determined to be necessary by the installable program module determining means, by gaining access to said module server storing said installable program module based on said location information included in the setting file.