Information processor, software updating system, software updating method, and its program for updating modules on a user computer

• US 8,341,618 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yoichiro Terasawa
• Original Assignee: Yoichiro Terasawa
• Inventors: Terasawa, Yoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Qing
• Application Number:
  US10/563,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,142 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178
• US Class Current: 717/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

Software is updated easily and efficiently and in the same time, thereby reducing the load imposed on the user side, the software vendor side and the center computer side. When the user computer sends user ID to the center computer, the center computer have the user computer obtain URL of the module-storing region that corresponds to the user ID and stores the modules that the user should obtain. The user computer accesses to the module storing portion using the URL, obtains a list of modules, compares the list to the modules that are currently installed in itself and judges whether it is necessary to obtain modules. When judged that modules are needed to be obtained, the user computer accesses to the module-storing region again and obtains the module.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a user computer configured to obtain a list of modules from a module-storing region, a module identified in said list of modules being software; and

a center computer configured to generate location information identifying said module-storing region from a list of a plurality of module-storing regions,

wherein said user computer obtains said list of the plurality of module-storing regions from said center computer,

wherein said user computer obtains a list of new modules from said module-storing region when said list of new modules is absent from said user computer, said list of new modules being identified in said list of modules by said user computer comparing said list of modules and modules currently being installed in said user computer,

wherein said module-storing region is one of the plurality of the module-storing regions,

wherein said location information is recorded within said list of the plurality of module-storing regions,

wherein said user computer communicates with said module-storing region and said center computer over a network, said center computer communicating with said module-storing region over said network,

wherein said user computer sends user identification information onto said network, said user identification information identifying said user computer,

wherein said center computer compiles said list of the plurality of module-storing regions when said user computer is judged as having a license, said center computer using said user identification information in judging whether said user computer has said license, and

wherein said location information corresponds to each of the plurality of module-storing regions, said each of the plurality of module-storing regions being linked to said user identification information.

2. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said user computer obtains an updated module from said module-storing region when said updated module is a more recent version of a module stored in said user computer, said updated module being identified in said list of modules.

3. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said user computer deletes the name of a skipped module from said list of modules, said name of the skipped module being listed within said user computer.

4. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of a plurality of user computers is a master machine, others of said plurality of user computers linking with said master machine.

5. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said user computer is from said plurality of user computers, an IP address of said master machine being stored within said user computer.

6. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said list of modules is updated when another of said list of modules is stored within said module-storing region, said list of modules being updated within said module-storing region.

7. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said location information includes a Uniform Resource Locator for each module-storing region in said list of the plurality of module-storing regions.

8. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said network is selected from the group consisting of a local area network, a wide area network and the Internet.

9. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a center computer through a network, comprising:

a processor;

a communication unit configured;

to send a user identification information for identifying a user of the information processing apparatus to the center computer;

to receive from the center computer a first list of a plurality of location information indicating locations of a plurality of storing regions and corresponding to the user identification information sent to the center computer, the plurality of storing regions being provided on the network to correspond to a plurality of user identification information of each of a plurality of users and storing a plurality of update software for a plurality of software provided by a plurality of software vendors to the plurality of users; and

to receive a plurality of second lists of the plurality of update software by accessing the plurality of storing regions according to the received first list; and

a controller configured;

to determine whether there are any update software to be received by comparing the plurality of second lists and the software currently being installed in the information processing apparatus; and

to generate, when determined that there are some update software to be received, a third list of the update software to be received; and

the communication unit being further configured to receive the update software listed in the third list by accessing each of the plurality of storing regions storing the update software listed in the third list according to the received first list.

10. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of update software are a plurality of modules for updating software currently being installed in a plurality of information processing apparatuses of the plurality of users that are made to correspond to the plurality of storing regions; and

the controller is configured;

to compare a plurality of lists of modules received as the plurality of second lists from the plurality of storing regions and the plurality of modules that are currently being installed in the information processing apparatus and to generate, as the third list, a list of newer versions of the plurality of modules than the plurality of modules currently being installed in the information processing apparatus out of the plurality of second lists; and

to present the generated third list of the newer versions of the plurality of modules to the user and to input a command to receive newer versions of the plurality of modules; and

the communication unit is configured to receive the newer versions of the plurality of modules when the command to receive the newer versions of the plurality of modules thereof is inputted.

11. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the communication unit is configured to access the plurality of storing regions and to receive the plurality of second lists of modules, again by accessing the plurality of storing regions according to the received first list when the command to receive the newer versions of the plurality of modules is inputted;

the controller is configured to re-generate the third list of the newer versions of the plurality of modules according to the plurality of second lists received again; and

the communication unit is configured to receive the list of newer versions of the plurality of modules according to the re-generated third list of the newer versions of the plurality of modules.

12. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein:

the communication unit is configured to access the plurality of storing regions and to receive the plurality of second lists again by accessing the plurality of storing regions according to the received first list when the command to receive the newer versions of the plurality of modules is inputted;

the controller is configured to re-generate the third list of the newer versions of the plurality of modules currently not being installed in the information processing apparatus according to the plurality of second lists received again; and

the communication unit is configured to receive the plurality of modules currently not being installed according to the re-generated third list of the newer versions of the plurality of modules.

13. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of update software are a plurality of modules that are currently not being installed and to be added in the information processing apparatus of the plurality of users and that are made to correspond to the plurality of storing regions;

the controller is configured;

to compare a plurality of lists of modules received as the plurality of second lists from the plurality of storing regions and the plurality of modules that are currently being installed in the information processing apparatus; and

to generate, as the third list, a list of modules that are currently not being installed in the information processing apparatus; and

to present the generated third list to the user and to input a command to receive the plurality of modules currently not being installed; and

the communication unit is configured to receive the plurality of modules currently not being installed in the information processing apparatus when the command to receive the plurality of modules currently not being installed is inputted.

14. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

a data storage configured to previously store a name of the software that is being excluded from the judgment of judging whether there are any update software to be received;

wherein the controller is configured to restrict updating software according to the stored name of the software.

15. The information processing apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein:

the information processing apparatus is capable of communicating with a link machine as a master machine through the network; and

the controller is configured to have the link machine compare the plurality of second lists received from the plurality of storing regions and the plurality of modules that is currently being installed in the information processing apparatus and determine whether there are any update software to be received, generate the third list when there are some update software determined to be received, access a storing region for each of the update software listed in the third list according to each of the plurality of location information of the received first list and receive the necessary update software from the plurality of storing regions.

16. A software updating system comprising:

a center computer; and

an information processing apparatus capable of communicating through a network, the center computer including;

a data storage configured to store a plurality of location information of a plurality of storing regions and a plurality of user identification information of each of a plurality of users, the plurality of storing regions being provided on the network to store a plurality of update software for a plurality of software provided to the plurality of users by a plurality of software vendors, and each of the plurality of user identification information corresponding to each of the plurality of storing regions;

a first communication unit configured;

to send previously the plurality of update software to the plurality of storing regions; and

to receive a user identification information from the information processing apparatus; and

a first controller configured to generate a first list of the plurality of location information corresponding to the received user identification information; and

the first communication unit being further configured to send the generated first list when the user identification information is received;

the information processing apparatus including;

a second communication unit configured;

to send the user identification information to the center computer;

to receive the generated first list; and

to receive a plurality of second lists of the plurality of update software by accessing the plurality of storing regions according to the generated first list; and

a second controller configured;

to determine whether there is any update software to be received by comparing the plurality of second lists and the software currently being installed in the information processing apparatus; and

to generate, when determined that there are some update software to be received, a third list of the update software to be received; and

the second communication unit being further configured to receive the update software listed in the third list by accessing each of the plurality of storing regions storing the update software listed in the third list according to the received first list.

17. A method of updating a software installed in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a center computer through a network, comprising:

sending a user identification information for identifying a user of the information processing apparatus to the center computer;

receiving from the center computer a first list of a plurality of location information indicating locations of a plurality of storing regions, the plurality of storing regions corresponding to the user identification information sent to the center computer, the plurality of storing regions being provided on the network to correspond to a plurality of user identification information of each of a plurality of users, and storing a plurality of update software for a plurality of software provided by a plurality of software vendors to the plurality of users;

accessing the plurality of storing regions according to the received first list and receiving a plurality of second lists of the plurality of update software from the plurality of storing regions;

determining whether there are any update software to be received by comparing the plurality of second lists and the software currently being installed in the information processing apparatus;

generating, when determined that there are some update software to be received, a third list of the update software to be received; and

receiving the update software listed in the third list by accessing each of the plurality of storing regions storing the update software listed in the third list according to the received first list.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein a computer program for carrying out a method of updating a software installed in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a center computer through a network, comprising:

sending a user identification information for identifying a user of the information processing apparatus to the center computer;

receiving from the center computer a first list of a plurality of location information indicating locations of a plurality of storing regions, the plurality of storing regions corresponding to the user identification information sent to the center computer, the plurality of storing regions being provided on the network to correspond to a plurality of user identification information of each of a plurality of users, and storing a plurality of update software for a plurality of software provided by a plurality of software vendors to the plurality of users;

accessing the plurality of storing regions according to the received first list and receiving a plurality of second lists of the plurality of update software from the plurality of storing regions;

determining whether there are any update software to be received by comparing the plurality of second lists and the software currently being installed in the information processing apparatus;

generating, when determined that there are some update software to be received, a third list of the update software to be received; and

receiving the update software listed in the third list by accessing each of the plurality of storing regions storing the update software listed in the third list according to the received first list.