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IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR

  • US 20090161143A1
  • Filed: 12/12/2008
  • Published: 06/25/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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 an 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; and

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

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