Qualification screening system and screening method thereof, qualification screening device and device under qualification screening

• US 8,713,673 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kitamura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US11/683,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20070276960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 726/25
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The present invention provides a qualification screening system which is capable of performing qualification screening on a device under qualification screening using a status of information to be updated that is retained by the device under qualification screening without having to know concrete procedures or methods for updating such information. A qualification screening device estimates the status of information to be updated that is retained by the device under qualification screening from a time at which an information update program that updates the information to be updated, which is independent of update procedures or methods, was activated and update processing was last updated, and compares the information with a time of a scheduled issuance of information to be updated, retained in qualification screening condition information of the qualification screening device itself, to perform qualification screening. A common time at which information exchange was performed between the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening is used as reference in order to perform an effective comparison using time information among devices that are not synchronized.

Claims

1. A qualification screening system comprising:

a device under qualification screening comprising a hardware processor and to which software update information is provided via a communication network; and

a qualification screening device comprising a hardware processor and that determines to what extent updates of information installed on the device under qualification screening were performed, and based on the determination results, performs qualification screening to screen whether the device under qualification screening satisfies qualifications,

wherein the qualification screening device compares a differential time information between a time of a last update of an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening and a time of information exchange with a differential time information between a time of a schedule issuance of information to be updated that is retained by the qualification screening device and the time of information exchange, and, the qualification screening device, based on the comparison results, determines to what extent updates of information installed on the device under qualification screening were performed,

wherein the time of information exchange is a time point that is common to the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening, and

wherein the qualification screening device compares a time derived by subtracting a time indicating when information to be updated will be issued, retained by the qualification screening device, from a time, indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed, individually retained by the qualification screening device with a time derived by subtracting a time at which an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening was last updated from a time indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed retained by the device under qualification screening.

2. The qualification screening system according to claim 1, comprising:

the qualification screening device;

the device under qualification screening;

a communication control device comprising a hardware processor that controls communication between the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening;

an update information provision device comprising a hardware processor that provides software update information; and

a communication network connected to the qualification screening device, the device under qualification screening, the communication control device and the update information provision device.

3. The qualification screening system according to claim 2, wherein the qualification screening device stores qualification screening condition information indicating when information to be updated will be issued;

and the qualification screening device receives latest update information from an update information provision server section in the update information provision device,

wherein the qualification screening device updates the qualification screening condition information using the latest update information.

4. The qualification screening system according to claim 2, wherein the communication control device receives communication control instructions from the qualification screening device based on screening results and controls communication of the device under qualification screening.

5. The qualification screening system according to claim 2, wherein the qualification screening device is provided within the communication control device.

6. The qualification screening system according to claim 1, wherein a first determined value of the time of information exchange between the device under qualification screening and the qualification screening device, measured by the qualification screening device, is different from a second determined value of the time of information exchange between the device under qualification screening and the qualification screening device, measured by the device under qualification screening.

7. A qualification screening method in a qualification screening system comprising:

a device under qualification screening comprising a hardware processor and to which software update information is provided via a communication network; and

a qualification screening device comprising a hardware processor and that determines to what extent updates of information installed on the device under qualification screening were performed, and based on the determination results, performs qualification screening to screen whether the device under qualification screening satisfies qualifications,

wherein the qualification screening method, provided in the qualification screening device, further comprises;

a comparison step of comparing a differential time information between a time of a last update of an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening and a time of information exchange with a differential time information between a time of a schedule issuance of information to be updated that is retained by the qualification screening device and the time of information exchange; and

based on the comparing results, determining to what extent updates of information installed on the device under qualification screening were performed,

wherein the time of information exchange is a time point that is common to the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening, and

wherein the comparing the differential time information comprises comparing a time derived by subtracting a time indicating when information to be updated will be issued, retained by the qualification screening device, from a time, indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed, individually retained by the qualification screening device with a time derived by subtracting a time at which an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening was last updated from a time indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed, retained by the device under qualification screening.

8. The qualification screening method according to claim 7, wherein the qualification screening system comprises:

the qualification screening device;

the device under qualification screening;

a communication control device comprising a hardware processor that controls communication between the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening;

an update information provision device comprising a hardware processor that provides software update information; and

a communication network connected to the qualification screening device, the device under qualification screening, the communication control device and the update information provision device.

9. The qualification screening method according to claim 8, wherein the qualification screening method further comprises receiving latest update information from an update information provision server section in the update information provision device,

wherein the qualification screening condition update updates qualification screening condition information using the latest update information, the qualification screening condition information indicating when information to be updated will be issued.

10. The qualification screening method according to claim 8, wherein the communication control device receives communication control instructions from the qualification screening device based on screening results and controls communication of the device under qualification screening.

11. The qualification screening method according to claim 8, wherein the qualification screening device is provided within the communication control device.

12. A qualification screening hardware device comprising:

a hardware processor and that determines to what extent updates of information, provided over a communication network, installed on a device under qualification screening were performed, and based on the determination results, performs qualification screening to screen whether the device under qualification screening, which comprises a hardware processor, satisfies qualifications,

wherein the qualification screening device compares a differential time between a time of a last update of an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening and a time of information exchange with a differential time information between a time of a schedule issuance of information to be updated that is retained by the qualification screening device and the time of information exchange, and the qualification screening device, based on the comparison results, determines to what extent updates of information installed on the device under qualification screening were performed,

wherein the time of information exchange is a time point that is common to the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening, and

wherein the qualification screening device compares a time derived by subtracting a time indicating when information to be updated will be issued, retained by the qualification screening device, from a time, indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed, individually retained by the qualification screening device with a time derived by subtracting a time at which an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening was last updated from a time indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed retained by the device under qualification screening.

13. A hardware device under qualification screening by a qualification screening device comprising a hardware processor and that determines to what extent updates of information, provided over a communication network, installed on the device under qualification screening were performed, and based on the determination results, performs qualification screening to screen whether the device under qualification screening satisfies qualifications, the hardware device under qualification screening comprising:

a hardware processor, an information update program; and

update history information containing activation time information of the information update program,

wherein a comparison, by the qualification screening device, of a differential time information between a time of a last update of the information update program retained by the hardware device under qualification screening and a time of information exchange with a differential time information between a time of a scheduled issuance of information to be updated that is retained by the qualification screening device and the time of information exchange is performed; and

a determination is made by the qualification screening device, based on the comparison results, on to what extent updates of information installed on the device under qualification screening were performed,

wherein the time of information exchange is a time point that is common to the qualification screening device and the device under qualification screening, and

wherein the qualification screening device compares a time derived by subtracting a time indicating when information to be updated will be issued, retained by the qualification screening device, from a time, indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed, individually retained by the qualification screening device with a time derived by subtracting a time at which an information update program retained by the device under qualification screening was last updated from a time indicated by a clock at which the information exchange was performed retained by the device under qualification screening.