Method and system for managing software version compatibility amongst devices in a multi-device network environment

• US 9,760,316 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Feng, Ann Qiongying, Young, Kenneth Huang
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES, TED W
• Application Number:
  US14/671,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20160283174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/123 Software or firmware update, e.g. device firmware management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 method, a readable recording medium, and a system are disclosed for managing software version compatibility amongst a plurality of devices within a network, the method includes hosting a configuration file on a server populating the configuration file for each of the one or more devices with a device identifier and one or more software modules associated with each of the one or more devices, the at least one software module configured to perform one or more specific operations on a device; executing a configuration tool on the server to compare the one or more software modules in each of the one or more devices to check for conflicts between two or more software modules on the one or more devices; and replacing at least one of the two or more software modules on the one or more devices, if a conflict exists between the two or more software modules.

Claims

1. A method for managing software version compatibility amongst a plurality of printers within a network, the method comprising:

hosting a configuration file on a server, the configuration file including an identifier for one or more printers within the network;

populating the configuration file for each of the one or more printers within the network with a printer identifier and two or more software versions associated with each of the one or more printers within the network, each of the two or more software versions associated with a different post-processing apparatus and configured to perform at least one post-processing function on a printer;

executing a configuration tool on the server to compare the two or more software versions on each of the one or more printers to check for conflicts between the two or more software versions on each of the one or more printers; and

replacing at least one of the two or more software versions on the one or more printers, if a conflict exists between the two or more software versions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

checking for one or more pre-requisites for each of the two or more software versions on the one or more printers, the one or more pre-requisites comprising installation of at least one software version; and

installing one or more software versions for the one or more pre-requisites on the one or more printers if the one or more software versions for the one or more pre-requisites are not installed on the one or more printers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

checking for two or more software versions which cannot exist with one another on the one or more printers; and

removing at least one of the two or more software versions from the one or more printers if the two or more software versions are not compatible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

comparing the two or more software versions for compatibility; and

replacing at least one of the two or more software versions with a different version of the software version when the two or more software versions are not compatible.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

comparing the two or more software versions specified in the configuration file for the one or more printers within the network to an installed software version on the one or more printers within the network; and

installing the software version specified in the configuration file on each of the one or more printers in which the software version specified in the configuration tool is different from the installed software version on the one or more printers within the network.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

generating an error message if the two or more software versions installed on the one or more printers is a different version than specified in the configuration file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more printers comprise a plurality of printers;

performing a software version comparison between two or more of the plurality of printers having a software version configured to perform a same specific operation; and

replacing one or more of the software versions if the same specific operation does not produce a same result.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

hosting the configuration tool on a server, the server in network communication with the plurality of printers within the network;

hosting a software database on the server, the software database including at least one or more of the following;

customized software specifically configured for one or more the plurality of printers within the network; and

general software configured for one or more of the plurality of printers within the network; and

wherein at least one of the two or more software versions is a customized software version.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

creating and editing the configuration file with a configuration manager having a user interface.

10. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium stored with a computer readable program code for managing software version compatibility amongst a plurality of printers within a network, the computer readable program code configured to execute a process comprising:

hosting a configuration file on a server, the configuration file including an identifier for one or more printers within the network;

populating the configuration file for each of the one or more printers within the network with a printer identifier and two or more software versions associated with each of the one or more printers within the network, each of the two or more software versions associated with a different post-processing apparatus and configured to perform at least one post-processing function on a printer;

executing a configuration tool on the server to compare the two or more software versions on each of the one or more printers to check for conflicts between the two or more software versions on each of the one or more printers; and

replacing at least one of the two or more software versions on the one or more printers, if a conflict exists between the two or more software versions.

11. The readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

checking for one or more pre-requisites for each of two or more software versions on the one or more printers, the one or more pre-requisites comprising installation of at least one software version; and

installing one or more software versions for the one or more pre-requisites on the one or more printers if the one or more software versions for the one or more pre-requisites are not installed on the one or more printers.

12. The readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

checking for two or more software versions which cannot exist with one another on the one or more printers; and

removing at least one of the two or more software versions from the one or more printers if the two or more software versions are not compatible.

13. The readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

comparing the two or more software versions for compatibility; and

replacing at least one of the two or more software versions with a different version of the software version when the two or more software versions are not compatible.

14. The readable recording medium of claim 10, comprising:

comparing the two or more software versions specified in the configuration file for the one or more printers within the network to an installed software version on the one or more printers within the network;

installing the software version specified in the configuration file on each of the one or more printers in which the software version specified in the configuration tool is different from the installed software version on the one or more printers within the network; and

generating an error message if the two or more software versions installed on the one or more printers is a different version than specified in the configuration file.

15. The readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more printers comprise a plurality of printers;

performing a software version comparison between two or more of the plurality of printers having a software version configured to perform a same specific operation; and

replacing one or more of the software versions if the same specific operation does not produce a same result.

16. A system for managing software version compatibility amongst a plurality of printers within a network, comprising:

a server including;

a configuration file, the configuration file including an identifier for one or more printers within the network;

a configuration manager configured to populate the configuration file for each of the one or more printers within the network with a device identifier and two or more software versions associated with each of the one or more printers within the network with a configuration manager having a user interface, each of the two or more software versions associated with a different post-processing apparatus and configured to perform at least one post-processing function on a printer;

a configuration tool configured to compare the two or more software versions on each of the one or more printers to check for conflicts between the two or more software versions on each of the one or more printers, and replace at least one of the two or more software versions on the one or more printers, if a conflict exists between the two or more software versions; and

a software database, the software database configured to store the two or more software versions associated with each of the one or more printers within the network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

checking for one or more pre-requisites for each of the two or more software versions on the one or more printers, the one or more pre-requisites comprising installation of at least one software version; and

installing one or more software versions on the one or more printers if the one or more pre-requisites are not installed on the one or more printers, or

checking for two or more software versions which cannot exist with one another on the one or more printers; and

removing at least one of the two or more software versions from the one or more printers if the two or more software versions are not compatible.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the conflict between the two or more software versions comprises:

comparing the two or more software versions for compatibility; and

replacing at least one of the two or more software versions with a different version of the software version when the two or more software versions are not compatible.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration tool is configured to:

compare the two or more software versions specified in the configuration file for the one or more printers within the network to an installed software version on the one or more printers within the network; and

install the software version specified in the configuration file on each of the one or more printers in which the software version specified in the configuration tool is different from the installed software version on the one or more printers within the network; and

generate an error message if the one or more software versions installed on the one or more printers is a different version than specified in the configuration file.

20. The system of claim 16, comprising:

one or more printers connected to the system through a network connection, the one or more post-processing functions comprising;

a booklet module, a folding module, a punch module, a stitching or stapling module, and a stacking module; and

the two or more software versions including at least one or more of the following;

customized software specifically configured for one or more of the one or more printers within the network;

general software configured for one or more of the one or more printers within the network; and

wherein at least one of the two or more software versions is a customized software version.