Software install program product, installation method, and software install system

• US 7,805,722 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Tomohiro, Mori, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coyer; Ryan D
• Application Number:
  US10/935,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 709220-223
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A software install program product causes a computer to execute: acquiring version information of an operating system used with the computer; acquiring compatible OS information of the software program stored in the recording medium; determining whether or not the operating system is a compatible operating system corresponding to the compatible OS information based on the compatible OS information and the version information; determining that the software program can be installed in the computer if determined that the operating system is the compatible operating system; acquiring location information stored in the recording medium if determined that the operating system is not the compatible operating system; accessing a database server on a network based on the location information; acquiring installation information stored in the database server; determining whether or not the software program can be installed in the computer based on the installation information; and installing the software program into the computer if determined that the software program can be installed in the computer.

Claims

1. A tangible software install program product for installing a software program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium into a computer that is separate from the computer-readable recording medium, the program product causing the computer to execute:

acquiring version information of an operating system used with the computer;

acquiring, from the recording medium, compatible operating system information of the software program stored in the recording medium;

determining whether or not the operating system is a compatible operating system corresponding to the compatible operating system information based on the compatible operating system information and the version information;

if determined that the operating system is a compatible operating system, then determining that the software program can be installed in the computer;

if determined, from the compatible operating system information acquired from the recording medium, that the operating system is not a compatible operating system, then;

acquiring location information stored in the recording medium;

accessing a database server on a network based on the location information;

acquiring additional compatible operating system information stored in the database server; and

determining whether or not the software program stored in the recording medium can be installed in the computer based on the additional compatible operating system information; and

installing the software program stored in the recording medium into the computer if determined that the software program can be installed in the computer.

2. The program product according to claim 1, further causing the computer to execute downloading from the database server a new software program corresponding to the version information of the operating system or operation information for installing the software program, if determined that the software program cannot be installed into the computer.

3. The program product according to claim 2, further causing the computer to execute installing the software program using the new software program or the operation information.

4. The program product according to claim 1, further causing the computer to execute notifying a user that the software program cannot be installed into the computer, if determined that the software program cannot be installed into the computer.

5. The program product according to claim 1, further causing the computer to execute determining that the software program cannot be installed into the computer, if the installation information cannot be referenced.

6. The program product according to claim 1, further causing the computer to execute canceling the installation of the software program, if determined that the software program cannot be installed into the computer.

7. The program product according to claim 1, wherein the software program includes a printer driver or a scanner driver.

8. The program product according to claim 1, wherein the program product is recorded in the recording medium.

9. An computer-implemented installation method for installing a software program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium into a computer that is separate from the computer-readable recording medium according to an install program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium, the installation method comprising:

acquiring version information of an operating system used with the computer;

acquiring, from the recording medium, compatible operating system information of the software program stored in the recording medium;

determining whether or not the operating system is a compatible operating system corresponding to the compatible operating system information based on the compatible operating system information and the version information;

if determined that the operating system is a compatible operating system, then determining that the software program can be installed in the computer;

if determined, from the compatible operating system information acquired from the recording medium, that the operating system is not a compatible operating system, then;

acquiring location information stored in the recording medium;

accessing a database server on a network based on the location information;

acquiring additional compatible operating system information stored in the database server; and

determining whether or not the software program stored in the recording medium can be installed in the computer based on the additional compatible operating system information; and

installing the software program stored in the recording medium into the computer if determined that the software program can be installed in the computer.

10. A software install system that installs a software program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium into a computer that is separate from the computer-readable recording medium, the software install system comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory;

an operating system version acquisition unit that acquires version information of an operating system used with the computer;

a compatible operating system information acquisition unit that acquires, from the recording medium, compatible operating system information of the software program stored in the recording medium;

a compatibility check unit that determines whether or not the operating system is a compatible operating system corresponding to the compatible operating system information based on the compatible operating system information and the version information, wherein;

if determined by the compatibility check unit that the operating system is a compatible operating system, then determining that the software program can be installed in the computer;

if determined by the compatibility check unit, from the compatible operating system information acquired from the recording medium, that the operating system is not a compatible operating system, then;

invoking a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information stored in the recording medium;

invoking a communication unit that accesses a database server on a network based on the location information and that acquires additional compatible operating system information stored in the database server; and

determining whether or not the software program stored in the recording medium can be installed in the computer based on the additional compatible operating system information; and

an installation unit that installs the software program stored in the recording medium into the computer if determined that the software program can be installed in the computer.