SOFTWARE UPDATING APPARATUS AND SOFTWARE UPDATING SYSTEM

• US 20080184219A1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, Kunitoshi
• Application Number:
  US12/015,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184219A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/581 Remote testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A software updating apparatus which is connected to a medical image diagnostic apparatus so that the software updating apparatus can freely communicate with the medical image diagnostic apparatus, and is used for updating control software for controlling an operation of the medical image diagnostic apparatus includes a first storage section which stores software having the same configuration as the configuration of the control software. An updating section updates the software stored in the first storage section. A testing section hypothetically tests whether or not the medical image diagnostic apparatus normally operates on the basis of the updated software.

Claims

1. A software updating apparatus which is connected to a medical image diagnostic apparatus so that the software updating apparatus freely communicates with the medical image diagnostic apparatus, and is used for updating control software for controlling an operation of the medical image diagnostic apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a first storage section which stores software having the same configuration as the configuration of the control software;

an updating section which updates the software stored in the first storage section; and

a testing section which hypothetically tests whether or not the medical image diagnostic apparatus normally operates on the basis of the updated software.

2. The software updating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitting section which transmits the updated software to the medical image diagnostic apparatus, and updates the control software of the medical image diagnostic apparatus if that the medical image diagnostic apparatus operates normally is determined as a result of the test.

3. The software updating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination section which determines whether or not the medical image diagnostic apparatus is in use, wherein

the transmitting section transmits the updated software to the medical image diagnostic apparatus only if the medical image diagnostic apparatus is not in use.

4. The software updating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second storage section which stores software having the same configuration as the configuration of the software stored in the first storage section, wherein

after the software stored in the first storage section is updated, if that the medical image diagnostic apparatus normally operates is determined as a result of the test performed by the testing section, the updating section updates the software stored in the second storage section, otherwise the updating section updates the updated software stored in the first storage section by using the software stored in the second storage section.

5. A software updating system comprising:

a medical image diagnostic apparatus an operation of which is controlled by control software;

a first terminal device in which update software for updating the control software is stored;

a second terminal device including;

(a) a storage section which stores software having the same configuration as the configuration of the control software;

(b) an updating section which updates the software stored in the storage section by using the update software; and

(c) a testing section which hypothetically tests whether or not the medical image diagnostic apparatus operates normally on the basis of the updated software.