Device driver updating method and program, information processing apparatus and server apparatus using the same, and storage for storing device driver updating program

• US 8,510,731 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aiba, Tsukasa, Kato, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US12/546,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

An information processing apparatus has a storage device that stores a device driver which incorporates access information regarding access to the server apparatus and a property display screen with instruction items for instructing a device driver request; a notification unit that, based on an instruction to the instruction items on the property display screen, refers to the access information and notifies the access information to an application that is capable of processing page information, in order to obtain driver update page information from the server apparatus; and an updating control unit that, based on an instruction to an update instruction section to request automatic update that is provided on a driver update page created based on the driver update page information obtained, controls a process to obtain device driver update information sent from the server apparatus and update the device driver stored in the storage device.

Claims

1. A method for use with an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

a transmitting step of transmitting, from the information processing apparatus to a server apparatus, environment information of the information processing apparatus;

a receiving step of receiving from the server apparatus a printer type for which an installed printer driver is to be updated;

a searching step of searching for printers provided on a network;

a display step that displays a screen including (a) a first area on which the printer corresponding to the printer type received by the receiving step is displayed, and (b) a second area that allows a user to select at least one printer of the printers found in the searching step; and

a driver receiving step that receives from the network, both a printer driver corresponding to the printer displayed on the first area and a printer driver corresponding to the at least one printer selected on the second area, in accordance with a single install instruction provided via the displayed screen,

wherein, by using the received printer drivers, the installed printer driver is updated and the printer driver corresponding to the at least one printer selected on the second area is newly installed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in a case that a printer other than the printer corresponding to the printer type received in the receiving step is not found in the searching step, the driver receiving step receives the printer driver corresponding to the printer type received in the receiving step without displaying the second screen in the display step.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising an install control step that installs a module downloaded from the server apparatus, wherein the searching step searches for printers provided on the network in accordance with the installation of the module.

7. An apparatus-readable storage medium storing a program which, when executed by an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the method according to claim 1.

8. The apparatus-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein, in a case that a printer other than the printer corresponding to the printer type received in the receiving step is not found in the searching step, the driver receiving step receives the printer driver corresponding to the printer type received in the receiving step without displaying the second screen in the display step.

9. The apparatus-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises an install control step that installs a module downloaded from the server apparatus, wherein the searching step searches for printers provided on the network in accordance with the installation of the module.

4. An information processing apparatus for communication with a server apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising at least a processor functioning as at least one of:

a communication unit that (a) transmits environment information of the information processing apparatus to the server apparatus and (b) receives from the server apparatus a printer type for which an installed printer driver is to be updated;

a search unit that searches for printers provided on a network;

a display unit that displays a screen including (a) a first area on which the printer corresponding to the printer type received by the communication unit is displayed and (b) a second area that allows a user to select at least one printer of the printers found by the search unit; and

a driver reception unit that receives from the network, both a printer driver corresponding to the printer displayed on the first area and a printer driver corresponding to the at least one printer selected on the second area, in accordance with a single install instruction provided via the displayed screen,

wherein, by using the received printer drivers, the installed printer driver is updated and the printer driver corresponding to the at least one printer selected on the second area is newly installed.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in a case that a printer other than the printer corresponding to the printer type received by the communication unit is not found by the search unit, the driver reception unit receives the printer driver corresponding to the printer type received by the communication unit without displaying the second screen by the display unit.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the processor further functions as an install control unit that installs a module downloaded from the server apparatus, wherein the search unit searches for printers provided on the network in accordance with the installation of the module.