Image forming apparatus monitoring system and method therefor

• US 8,705,082 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakamoto, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, ASHISH
• Application Number:
  US12/334,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20090161143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32609 Fault detection or counter-measures, e.g. original mis-positioned, shortage of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32625 Fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32646 Counter-measures inhibiting an operation H04N1/00925, interrupting an operation H04N1/00915
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32662 remotely, e.g. to the transmitter from the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A monitoring server that monitors an image forming apparatus and detects an error if any has occurred thereon, identifies a type of firmware that has caused the error, and issues an instruction for replacing a version of the identified type of firmware. The image forming apparatus issues, to a transmission server, a request for transmitting a replacement version of the identified type of firmware. The transmission server refers to a firmware version list table to determine another type of firmware whose version is to be replaced in association with the replacement version of the identified type of firmware. The transmission server transmits the replacement version of the identified type of firmware and the determined another type of firmware to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus receives each firmware transmitted from the transmission server and applies the received firmware to the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus monitoring system comprising:

an image forming apparatus configured to be controlled by a plurality of types of firmware;

a monitoring server configured to monitor the image forming apparatus; and

a transmission server configured to transmit firmware to the image forming apparatus,

wherein the monitoring server comprises;

a detection unit configured to detect an error occurring on the image forming apparatus based on operation information notified from the image forming apparatus;

an identification unit configured to identify a type of firmware that has caused the error detected by the detection unit; and

a firmware replacement instruction unit configured to issue a first instruction for replacing a version of the type of firmware identified by the identification unit to the image forming apparatus,

wherein the image forming apparatus comprises;

a firmware transmission requesting unit configured to issue, to the transmission server, a request for transmitting a replacement version of the identified type of firmware, which has been instructed by the monitoring server to be replaced;

a firmware receiving unit configured to receive the replacement version of the identified type of firmware transmitted from the transmission server and another type of firmware, whose version is to be replaced in association with the replacement version of the identified type of firmware, according to the request for transmitting the replacement version of the identified type of firmware issued by the firmware transmission requesting unit;

an application unit configured to apply each firmware received by the firmware receiving unit to the image forming apparatus,

a sending unit configured to send an upgrade completion notification to the monitoring server; and

a setting unit configured to perform at least one of a setting for raising a frequency of notifying the operation information to be notified to the monitoring server in association with the specific type of firmware applied by the application unit and a setting for raising a detailed level of the operation information according to a second instruction from the monitoring server in response to the upgrade completion notification,

wherein, in the monitoring server, the second instruction is not transmitted to the image forming apparatus in a case where a normal firmware upgrade is performed, and the second instruction is transmitted to the image forming apparatus in a case where the first instruction caused by an error due to the firmware is transmitted, and

wherein the transmission server comprises;

a determination unit configured to, according to the request for transmitting the replacement version of the identified type of firmware issued from the image forming apparatus, determine the another type of firmware whose version is to be replaced in association with the replacement version of the identified type of firmware based on information about a combination of predetermined applicable firmware versions; and

a firmware transmission unit configured to transmit the replacement version of the identified type of firmware and the another type of firmware determined by the determination unit to the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the normal firmware upgrade includes a firmware upgrade according to a transmission instruction by an operator via a screen provided by the monitor server.

3. An image forming apparatus configured to be controlled by a plurality of types of firmware, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a notification unit configured to notify operation information about the image forming apparatus to a monitoring server;

a firmware transmission requesting unit configured to, if an error on the image forming apparatus has been detected by the monitoring server according to the operation information notified by the notification unit and first instruction for replacing a version of a specific type of firmware that has caused the error has been received from the monitoring server, issue, to a transmission server, a request for transmitting a replacement version of the specific type of firmware;

a firmware receiving unit configured to receive the replacement version of the specific type of firmware transmitted from the transmission server and another type of firmware, whose version is to be replaced in association with the replacement version of the specific type of firmware, according to the request for transmitting the replacement version of the specific type of firmware issued by the firmware transmission requesting unit;

an application unit configured to apply each firmware received by the firmware receiving unit to the image forming apparatus;

a sending unit configured to send an upgrade completion notification to the monitoring server; and

a setting unit configured to perform at least one of a setting for raising a frequency of notifying the operation information to be notified to the monitoring server in association with the specific type of firmware applied by the application unit and a setting for raising a detailed level of the operation information according to a second instruction from the monitoring server in response to the upgrade completion notification;

wherein, in the monitoring server, the second instruction is not transmitted to the image forming apparatus in a case where a normal firmware upgrade is performed, and the second instruction is transmitted to the image forming apparatus in a case where the first instruction caused by an error due to the firmware is transmitted.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the firmware receiving unit is configured to further receive application order information indicating an order of application of the firmware, and wherein the application unit is configured to apply each firmware according to an order based on the application order information.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the normal firmware upgrade includes a firmware upgrade according to a transmission instruction by an operator via a screen provided by the monitor server.

6. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, which is configured to be controlled by a plurality of types of firmware, the method comprising:

notifying operation information about the image forming apparatus to a monitoring server, wherein

if an error on the image forming apparatus has been detected by the monitoring server according to the notified operation information and a first instruction for replacing a version of a specific type of firmware that has caused the error has been received from the monitoring server, issuing, to a transmission server, a request for transmitting a replacement version of the specific type of firmware;

receiving the replacement version of the specific type of firmware transmitted from the transmission server and another type of firmware, whose version is to be replaced in association with the replacement version of the specific type of firmware, according to the received request for transmitting the replacement version of the specific type of firmware;

applying each received firmware to the image forming apparatus;

sending an upgrade completion notification to the monitoring server; and

raising a frequency of notifying the operation information to be notified to the monitoring server in association with the specific type of firmware applied by the application unit and raising a detailed level of the operation information according to a second instruction from the monitoring server in response to the upgrade completion notification,

wherein, in the monitoring server, the second instruction is not transmitted to the image forming apparatus in a case where a normal firmware upgrade is performed, and the second instruction is transmitted to the image forming apparatus in a case where the first instruction caused by an error due to the firmware is transmitted.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

receiving application order information indicating an order of application of the firmware; and

applying each firmware according to an order based on the application order information.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the normal firmware upgrade includes a firmware upgrade according to a transmission instruction by an operator via a screen provided by the monitor server.