Method for retrieving updates via the internet

• US 8,204,969 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Carcerano, Christopher John, Tsao, Yeongtau Louis, Seikh, Attaullah Samsul, Zhang, William
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, LAN DAI T
• Application Number:
  US12/186,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/202, 709/203, 709/219, 709/224, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A device includes a software agent that discovers a controller. Current state information indicating upgradeable files currently installed on the device is maintained. The agent sends the current state information to the controller, and the controller sends the current state information to a repository, via the Internet. The repository determines upgradeable files currently installed on the device based on the current state information, and checks for file updates for the upgradeable files. The repository sends file update information to the controller. The file update information includes file update locations. The controller sends the file update information to the agent, and the agent requests the controller to retrieve file updates. The controller retrieves each file update from its file update location on the Internet. The controller sends a notification to the agent when the file updates are retrieved, and the agent retrieves the file updates from the controller.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving file updates from the Internet for updating information stored in files on a device not connected to the Internet, wherein the device includes a software agent and is communicatively coupled to a separate controller that includes a connection to the Internet, the method comprising:

a discovering step, wherein said software agent running on the device discovers the controller when the controller is communicatively coupled to the device via a first network, wherein the first network has a first network topology, and wherein the software agent and the controller communicate according to the first network topology;

a maintaining step of maintaining current state information indicating upgradeable files currently installed on the device;

a first requesting step, wherein the software agent sends the current state information to the controller via the first network according to the first network topology;

a second requesting step, wherein the controller sends the current state information to a repository via the Internet, wherein the Internet has a second network topology different than the first network topology, and wherein the controller and the repository communicate according to the second network topology;

an update checking step, wherein the repository determines upgradeable files currently installed on the device based on the current state information, and checks for file updates for the determined upgradeable files;

a first sending step, wherein the repository sends file update information for file updates discovered in the update checking step to the controller, and wherein the file update information includes file update locations on the Internet of each file update;

a second sending step, wherein the controller sends the file update information to the software agent via the first network;

a third requesting step, wherein the software agent requests, according to the first network topology and via the first network, the controller to retrieve file updates based on the file update information;

a fourth requesting step, responsive to the software agent'"'"'s request in the third requesting step, wherein the controller requests, according to the second network topology, each file update from its file update location based on the file update information, wherein the controller retrieves each file update from its file update location;

a notification step, wherein the controller sends a notification to the software agent when the file updates are retrieved in the fourth requesting step; and

a second retrieving step, wherein the software agent retrieves the file updates from the controller, in response to the notification,

wherein before performing the fourth requesting step, the controller discovers other controllers capable of communicating with the device, and determines whether a discovered controller stores a file update requested in the third requesting step, and

wherein in a case where the controller determines that a discovered controller stores a file update requested in the third requesting step, in the fourth requesting step the controller does not retrieve the file update stored on the discovered controller, and in the second retrieving step the software agent retrieves the stored file update from the discovered controller, instead of from the controller which receives the software agent'"'"'s request in the third requesting step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current state information specifies a list of upgradeable files currently installed on the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the current file list specifies a version, file type, target operating system, and target processor for each upgradeable file, and the repository checks for file updates based on this information in the update checking step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a multifunction device that is operable in different roles, and wherein the current state information specifies a role of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the file update locations include locations on the repository and locations on other devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the file update locations are Universal Resource Locators (URLs).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the controller cannot process a request received by the software agent, the controller discovers a new controller that can process the request, and sends the software agent controller location information for the new controller, and wherein the software agent resends the request to the new controller, based on the controller location information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the file update information comprises file installation information and file uninstall information, and wherein the file installation information includes information for retrieving and running an installation utility, and the file uninstall information includes information for retrieving and running an uninstall utility.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein in the fourth requesting step, the controller caches retrieved file updates.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the file update information indicates dependent files associated with the file updates.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising

a dependency checking step, wherein the controller determines if the dependent files are installed on the device,

wherein in the fourth requesting step, the controller retrieves any dependent files not installed on the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the device and controller include at least one of video cameras, digital cameras, printers, computers, scanners, facsimile machines, copiers, display devices, network access points, photolithography systems, and computers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the repository includes computers and network attached storage devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the files include software files and data files, the software files including application files, driver files, firmware files and middleware files, and the data files including text files, media files, and database files.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein if the controller cannot store retrieved files in a persistent storage device, the controller can use a memory as a buffer to temporarily cache data to be transferred to the agent in chunks.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the software agent includes a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) module for communicating with the controller using SOAP, the software agent processes update messages received from the controller, and the software agent generates update messages sent to the controller,

wherein the controller includes an update service which includes a SOAP module for communicating with the software agent and the repository, the update service processes update messages received from the software agent and the repository, and the update service generates update messages sent to the software agent and the repository, and

wherein the repository includes a repository module which includes a SOAP module for communicating with the controller using SOAP, the repository module processes update messages received from the controller, and the repository module generates update messages sent to the controller.

17. A controller for retrieving file updates from the Internet for updating information stored in files on a separate device not connected to the Internet, wherein the device includes a software agent and is communicatively coupled to the controller which includes a connection to the Internet, the controller comprising:

a computer-readable memory constructed to store computer-executable instructions implementing process steps; and

at least one processor constructed to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable memory,

wherein the process steps implemented by the computer-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable memory comprise;

a first requesting step, wherein the controller receives current state information from the software agent via a first network according to a first network topology of the first network, wherein the current state information indicates upgradeable files currently installed on the device, wherein the software agent and the controller communicate according to the first network topology, and wherein the software agent runs on the device and discovers the controller when the controller is communicatively coupled to the device via the first network;

a second requesting step, wherein the controller sends the current state information to a repository via the Internet, wherein the Internet has a second network topology different than the first network topology, and wherein the controller and the repository communicate according to the second network topology;

a sending step, wherein the controller receives file update information from the repository, and sends the file update information to the software agent via the first network, wherein the file update information includes file update locations on the Internet of each file update discovered by the repository for upgradeable files currently installed on the device, as determined by the current state information sent by the controller;

a third requesting step, responsive to a request by the software agent to retrieve file updates based on the file update information, wherein the controller requests, according to the second network topology, each file update from its file update location based on the file update information, wherein the controller retrieves each file update from its file update location, and wherein the request by the software agent to retrieve file updates based on the file update information is sent to the controller according to the first network topology and via the first network; and

a notification step, wherein the controller sends a notification to the software agent when the file updates are retrieved in the third requesting step;

wherein the software agent retrieves the file updates from the controller, in response to the notification; and

wherein before performing the third requesting step, the controller discovers other controllers capable of communicating with the device, and determines whether a discovered controller stores a file update requested in the third requesting step, and

wherein in a case where the controller determines that a discovered controller stores a file update requested in the third requesting step, in the third requesting step the controller does not retrieve the file update stored on the discovered controller, and the software agent retrieves the stored file update from the discovered controller, instead of from the controller which receives the software agent'"'"'s request in the third requesting step.