Joint acquisition of update software for multiple devices

• US 9,928,053 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ueda, Masani, Suzuki, Shinobu, Yamashita, Toru, Ooshima, Yoichi, Tsukada, Yohei, Fujino, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr., Lewis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hebert, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US14/036,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 717171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

An example of a game apparatus, regardless of whether or not a peripheral device is connected to the game apparatus, acquires, from a server, update data for main body system software for controlling the game apparatus, together with update data for peripheral device system software, and saves the pieces of update data in a data storage unit. If the peripheral device is connected to the game apparatus, the game apparatus updates the main body system software and the peripheral device system software using the pieces of update data stored in the data storage unit. If the peripheral device is not connected to the game apparatus, the game apparatus updates only the main body system software. If the peripheral device has been connected to the game apparatus after that, the game apparatus updates the peripheral device system software using the update data stored in the data storage unit.

Claims

1. An information processing system capable of being connected to a second device having second system software, the information processing system comprising:

a storage configured to store first system software for controlling the information processing system; and

a computer processor configured to perform at least;

update data acquisition for, in both a case where the information processing system is capable of communicating with the second device and a case where the information processing system is incapable of communicating with the second device, externally acquiring first update data for updating the first system software, together with second update data for updating the second system software, and saving the first update data and the second update data;

wherein

the second update data is acquired prior to the first update data being activated, and

updating the first system software stored in the storage and the second system software, using the first update data and the second update data, wherein the updating is performed by;

even when the information processing system is incapable of communicating with the second device, the first update data and the second update data are externally acquired, and the first update data and the second update data are stored in a storage device of the information processing system, and

if the information processing system becomes capable of communicating with the second device, the second system software of the second device is automatically updated based on the second update data stored in the storage device, and after the second system software of the second device is updated, and if a new second device becomes capable of communicating with the information processing system, second system software of the new second device is automatically updated using the second update data stored in the storage device.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, computer processor further configured to perform

a connection determination for determining whether or not the second device is connected to the information processing system, wherein

if the second device is not connected to the information processing system, the updating updates the first system software using the first update data without updating the second system software.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

if, after the updating has updated the first system software using the first update data when the second device had not been connected to the information processing system, the second device has been connected to the information processing system, the updating updates the second system software using the second update data acquired together with the first update data during the update data acquisition.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein

if the second device has been connected to the information processing system, the updating automatically updates the second system software, not on the basis of an operation of a user.

5. The information processing system according to claim 3, the computer processor further configured to perform

a second device determination for, if the second device has been connected to the information processing system, determining, on the basis of the second update data and the second system software stored in the second device, whether or not the second system software is to be updated, wherein

if the computer processor has determined that the second system software is to be updated, the updating updates the second system software using the second update data.

6. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein

if the second device is connected to the information processing system, the updating updates the first system software using the first update data, and also updates the second system software using the second update data.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the update data acquisition holds the second update data even after the updating updates the second system software.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the update data acquisition acquires the first update data and the second update data corresponding to the first update data.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the update data acquisition acquires the first update data and the second update data as a set.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a network connector capable of being connected to a network, or a medium data reader capable of reading external data from a portable storage medium, wherein

the update data acquisition acquires the first update data and the second update data via the network or the storage medium.

11. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connection information storage configured to store connection information required for communication with the second device;

the computer processor further configured to

if the connection information is stored in the connection information storage, communicate with the second device; and

if the second device is not connected to the information processing system when the updating updates the first system software and the second system software, delete the connection information stored in the connection information storage.

12. An information processing apparatus for being connected to a first device having a first system software and cooperating with the first device,

the first device, in both a case where the information processing apparatus is capable of communicating with the first device and a case where the information processing apparatus is incapable of communicating with the first device, externally acquiring first update data for updating the first system software, together with second update data for updating second system software for controlling the information processing apparatus, and saving the first update data and the second update data, wherein

the second update data is acquired prior to the first update data being activated,

the information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage configured to store the second system software; and

a computer processor configured to perform at least;

a connection establishment for transmitting or receiving information to or from the first device, and establishing a connection between the information processing apparatus and the first device;

after the connection establishment has established the connection between the information processing apparatus and the first device, notifying the first device of version information of the second system software stored in the storage; and

updating, for receiving the second update data transmitted from the first device in accordance with the made notification, and updating the second system software stored in the storage, using the received second update data, wherein the updating is performed by;

even when the information processing apparatus is incapable of communicating with the first device, the first update data and the second update data are externally acquired, and the first update data and the second update data are stored in a storage device of the first device, and

if the information processing apparatus becomes capable of communicating with the first device, the second system software of the information processing device is automatically updated based on the second update data stored in the storage device, and after the second system software of the information processing device is updated, and if a new information processing device becomes capable of communicating with the first device, second system software of the new information processing device is automatically updated using the second update data stored in the storage device.

13. An information processing apparatus capable of being connected to a second device having second system software, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage configured to store first system software for controlling the information processing apparatus; and

a computer processor configured to perform at least;

update data acquisition for, in both a case where the information processing apparatus is capable of communicating with the second device and a case where the information processing apparatus is incapable of communicating with the second device, externally acquiring first update data for updating the first system software, together with second update data for updating the second system software, and saving the first update data and the second update data;

wherein

the second update data is acquired prior to the first update data being activated, and

updating the first system software stored in the storage and the second system software, using the first update data and the second update data, wherein the updating is performed by;

even when the information processing apparatus is incapable of communicating with the second device, the first update data and the second update data are externally acquired, and the first update data and the second update data are stored in a storage device of the information processing system, and

if the information processing apparatus becomes capable of communicating with the second device, the second system software of the second device is automatically updated based on the second update data stored in the storage device, and after the second system software of the second device is updated, and if a new second device becomes capable of communicating with the information processing system, second system software of the new second device is automatically updated using the second update data stored in the storage device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an information processing program to be executed by a computer of an information processing system which is capable of being connected to a second device having second system software and in which first system software is stored, the information processing program causing the computer to execute:

in both a case where the information processing system is capable of communicating with the second device and a case where the information processing system is incapable of communicating with the second device, externally acquiring first update data for updating the first system software, together with second update data for updating the second system software, and saving the first update data and the second update data;

wherein

the second update data is acquired prior to the first update data being activated, and

updating the first system software stored in the information processing system and the second system software, using the first update data and the second update data, wherein the updating is performed by;

even when the information processing system is incapable of communicating with the second device, the first update data and the second update data are externally acquired, and the first update data and the second update data are stored in a storage device of the information processing system, and

if the information processing system becomes capable of communicating with the second device, the second system software of the second device is automatically updated based on the second update data stored in the storage device, and after the second system software of the second device is updated, and if a new second device becomes capable of communicating with the information processing system, second system software of the new second device is automatically updated using the second update data stored in the storage device.

15. An information processing method to be executed by an information processing system which is capable of being connected to a second device having second system software and in which first system software is stored, the information processing method comprising:

in both a case where the information processing system is capable of communicating with the second device and a case where the information processing system is incapable of communicating with the second device, externally acquiring first update data for updating the first system software, together with second update data for updating the second system software, and saving the first update data and the second update data;

wherein

the second update data is acquired prior to the first update data being activated, and

updating the first system software stored in the information processing system and the second system software, using the first update data and the second update data, wherein the updating is performed by;

even when the information processing system is incapable of communicating with the second device, the first update data and the second update data are externally acquired, and the first update data and the second update data are stored in a storage device of the information processing system, and

if the information processing system becomes capable of communicating with the second device, the second system software of the second device is automatically updated based on the second update data stored in the storage device, and after the second system software of the second device is updated, and if a new second device becomes capable of communicating with the information processing system, second system software of the new second device is automatically updated using the second update data stored in the storage device.