Information processing apparatus, system, method, and storage medium

The present invention relates to an information processing device that updates a software version.

Conventionally, a system for remotely managing the operating state of peripheral devices of an information processing device has been widely used. For example, in a system that uses an image forming apparatus as an information processing apparatus, the firmware of the image forming apparatus is updated as follows. When it became necessary to update the firmware due to a version upgrade or a failure, a serviceman visited the customer and manually updated the firmware. For example, since all of the firmware must be built into the printer's ROM, when updating the firmware, the ROM must be replaced or the built-in flash memory or EEPROM must be rewritten. It was. Therefore, the cost for updating the firmware is high. Therefore, in recent years, it has been widely practiced to update the firmware by storing the firmware in a rewritable storage device such as a flash memory and distributing the firmware via the Internet using e-mail or the like.

The function of distributing firmware, applications, and the like to the image forming apparatus in this way and remotely upgrading the firmware of the image forming apparatus is known as one of the functions of the distribution server. On the other hand, in the current image forming apparatus, a non-volatile memory is used for the firmware of the image forming apparatus to hold operation settings and the like. Generally, when the operation settings and the like are stored in this non-volatile memory, an area to be used is allocated in advance as a memory map for each of the firmwares of the image forming apparatus composed of a plurality of components. Next, according to the memory map, reading / writing of operation settings and the like is performed for each area of the firmware of the image forming apparatus.

In addition, when upgrading the firmware of the image forming apparatus, the memory map of the non-volatile memory may be changed due to the addition / deletion of the configuration farm or the specification change. Therefore, in general, when the firmware is started after the version upgrade, the non-volatile memory is automatically initialized to safely start the firmware. However, in that case, since the operation settings and the like held in the non-volatile memory are also initialized, the address book, the user mode / service mode settings, and the job information are also initialized. Further, in the past, the mapping information indicating the address such as the operation setting held in the memory was not particularly associated with the firmware version. Therefore, the serviceman checks the address information such as the operation settings immediately before the version upgrade on site, saves it to the outside of the image forming device once, and after the version upgrade, writes back the saved settings, and performs the above-mentioned operation settings, etc. It prevented initialization.

Therefore, conventionally, it has been left to the serviceman to determine whether or not it is necessary to save the operation setting information and the like on the non-volatile memory. Therefore, there are many cases where the operation setting is initialized by mistake, or the evacuation work which is not originally necessary for safety is always performed. Therefore, there is a need for a new technology that can safely upgrade the version without involving on-site work as much as possible.

Patent Document 1 describes a download method in which a host PC has a part or all of the printer firmware. According to this method, each time a print process is performed, the printer driver compares the state of the firmware running on the printer with the firmware required by the application, and downloads only the necessary modules to the printer side. However, Patent Document 1 does not particularly describe the improvement of convenience for saving the operation setting information and the like when updating the firmware.<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-67228 (paragraph 0065)</text></patcit>

<p> Therefore, in view of the above points, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device that automatically determines the necessity of backing up operation setting information and improves the convenience of updating software versions.</p>

<p> The information processing device according to the present invention is an information processing device that updates software stored inside or outside, and is used in the software version and the information processing device.<u style="single">Of the data</u>Multiple items<u style="single">Corresponding to each</u>When updating the software, the mapping information corresponding to the version of the software before the update is referred to by referring to the list stored in the storage means and the storage means for storing the list corresponding to the mapping information indicating the storage position. And whether there is a difference between the mapping information corresponding to the updated software version<u style="single">, Based on the storage position</u>Items of mapping information that differ when it is determined that there is a difference as a result of the judgment by the first judgment means for judgment and the judgment by the first judgment means.<u style="single">Whether or not the user data is stored in the storage position corresponding to the above is determined in the order of specific items, and when it is determined that the user data is stored in any of the items, the user is concerned.</u>Data should be backed up<u style="single">Notify the user</u>To do<u style="single">notification</u>The means and the update means for updating the software when it is determined that there is no difference as a result of the determination by the first determination means are provided.</p>

<p> According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically determine the necessity of backing up the operation setting information and improve the convenience of updating the software version.</p>

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same structural elements are designated by the same reference numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a plurality of sales company systems such as systems 101 and 106 are connected to this management system. Each system includes databases 103 and 108 that store sales information of jurisdiction and customers and information related to management systems. The sales company's systems 101 and 106 also include PCs 104 and 109 that control data registration and correction in databases 103 and 108. The PCs 104 and 109 can access the website provided by the monitoring center host 111, which is the monitoring center host, and browse the data. The hosts 102 and 107 have an operation unit and a display unit, and can also play the roles of PC 104 and 109. The host 102, the database 103, and the PC 104 are connected by the LAN 105, and the host 107, the database 108, and the PC 109 are connected by the LAN 110. In FIG. 1, each system on the sales company side is shown to be composed of a plurality of devices, but the purpose thereof is to achieve each function described later. For example, databases 103 and 108 may be physically configured within hosts 102 and 107. Further, if it can be accessed from hosts 102 and 107, it may be configured in another location via a network 132 such as the Internet. That is, each system may be composed of a plurality of devices or may be configured by one device.

Next, the monitoring center host 111 is configured between the sales company side and the customer side. The database 112 stores and stores information for monitoring, counters of image forming devices collected from the customer side, failure history information, failure pattern tables, and the like. The monitoring center host 111 and the database 112 are connected by LAN 113, and LAN 113 can also be connected to the Internet. The database 112 may be physically configured in the monitoring center host 111. Further, if it can be accessed from the monitoring center host 111, it may be configured in another location via the Internet.

The monitoring center host 111 collects, stores, and processes information on the image forming device as a monitoring target and information indicating the operating status (including failure information) from the monitoring devices 117, 122, 123 and the image forming device 131, which will be described later. It has a function to provide warnings to the outside. For example, it has a function of distributing such information to hosts 102 and 107 of a sales company. As the operating state, for example, toner out, door open, drum replacement, no cartridge, cooling fan abnormality, substrate abnormality, platen glass stain, staple out, paper feed sensor light amount shortage, etc. are shown as state information. There are also font memory overflow, rendering error, fuser error, counter error, double-sided unit error, paper jam, and so on. Further, as counter information, a billing counter that is a billing target of a sales company, a department counter that is aggregated by customer's department, a size-specific counter that is aggregated by paper size, and a parts counter that indicates the degree of consumption of parts in an image forming apparatus. And so on. The billing counter indicates the number of prints of the image forming apparatus, and the department counter indicates the number of prints for each department set by the customer. For parts such as drums, the number of rotations of the parts counter is used as a counter, and for parts such as scanner lamps, the time (seconds) is used as a counter. The information indicating these operation information becomes the operation information.

In addition, the hosts 102 and 107 of the sales company can register the information of the image forming apparatus to be monitored and the settings related to monitoring in the monitoring center host 111 from each of them. The monitoring center host 111 can merge and collectively manage the image forming devices to be monitored registered from each sales company host and the settings related to monitoring. It is also possible to make settings related to monitoring for the monitoring devices 117, 122, 123 and the image forming device 131.

Here, the service by this management system is provided based on the contract between the sales company and the customer. Therefore, only the image forming apparatus that the sales company has determined to be monitored based on the contract is the monitoring target of this management system. The monitoring center host 111 provides a web page for browsing the information stored in the database 112 or the processed information to a PC connected via the Internet. This web page can be provided by limiting the browsing contents by sales company, customer, and user authority by user authentication. You can also change some of the data depending on the web page .

Next, the distribution server 133 exists between the sales company side and the customer side. The database 134 stores and stores firmware, applications, software license information, and the like for application to the image forming apparatus. The distribution server 133 and the database 134 are connected by LAN135, and LAN135 can connect to the Internet. The database 134 may be physically configured in the distribution server 133. Further, if it can be accessed from the distribution server 133, it may be configured in another location via the Internet. The LAN 113 and the LAN 135 may be the same, or the database 134 and the database 112 may be configured to share data.

In FIG. 1, only one monitoring center host 111 and one database 112 and one distribution server 133 and one database 134 are shown. However, a plurality of them may be configured to collect information from many image forming devices or monitoring devices, or to distribute the load of firmware distribution.

Next, the system configuration on the customer side will be described. The customer side includes multiple different environments. In FIG. 1, customer systems 114, 119, and 129 are shown. In the customer system 114 (Company A X office), the image forming devices 115 and 116 connected to the LAN 118 connected to the Internet are monitored by the monitoring device 117, and the monitoring device 117 communicates with the monitoring center host 111 via the Internet. doing. On the other hand, in the customer system (Company A, Y office), the image forming apparatus on LAN128 is managed by the monitoring devices 122 and 123. The monitoring device 122 manages the image forming devices 120, 121, 124, 125, and the monitoring device 123 manages the image forming devices 126, 127. Monitoring devices 117, 122, and 123 are connected to database 136 (not shown). The monitoring device accumulates the information collected from the image forming devices 115 and 116, saves the processing result of the accumulated data, and also saves the settings related to the monitoring of the image forming device in the database (not shown) 136. .. The database 136 (not shown) may be connected on the LAN 118 and configured independently. Further, if it can be accessed from the monitoring devices 117, 122, and 123, it may be configured in another location via the Internet. The monitoring device transmits the state information of the image forming device (for example, the occurrence of a failure or the like) to the monitoring center host 111 each time it receives from the image forming device.

In the customer 129 (Company B), the image forming apparatus 131 itself connected to the LAN 130 connected to the Internet directly communicates with the monitoring center host 111 via the Internet. The image forming apparatus 131 has the same functions as the monitoring devices 117, 122, and 123, and can actively transmit its own information (for example, the occurrence of counter information or a failure) to the monitoring center host 111. ..

In the system shown in FIG. 1 as described above, the HTTP / SOAP protocol can be used for communication via the Internet. SOAP is an abbreviation for "Simple Object Access Protocol". SOAP is XML (eXtended Markup) Language) is a protocol for calling data and services from one computer to another. In this example, SOAP is implemented over HTTP. Communication by SOAP exchanges SOAP messages with additional information added to XML documents. Therefore, a computer that supports SOAP includes a SOAP message generator that generates a SOAP message and a SOAP message interpreter that interprets the SOAP message. In the present embodiment, the status information of the image forming apparatus is transmitted to the monitoring center host 111 by a SOAP message. It was explained that each image forming apparatus in Company A communicates with the monitoring center host 111 via the monitoring device 117. However, by changing the setting, it is possible to communicate with the monitoring center host without going through the monitoring device 117 as in the image forming device 131 installed in the company B.

&lt;Hardware configuration&gt; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the monitoring center host 111. The same applies to the hardware configurations of the distribution server 133, the hosts 102, and 107. In FIG. 2, the first CPU 201 and the second CPU 202 control each process on the present device. The non-rewritable ROM 203 stores programs and data related to each process of the present device. The RAM 204 can electrically store and rewrite temporary data related to each process of the present device. The first HDD 205 and the second HDD 206 store programs and data related to each processing of the present device, temporary data, information on the image forming device to be monitored related to the present invention, information collected from the image forming device, and the like. .. For example, parts counters, billing counters, department counters, and the like are stored on the hard disk. In the case of the monitoring center host 111, the first HDD 205 has the processing programs of FIG. 6 and the processing shown in FIG. 19, which will be described later. This program uses RAM 204 as a temporary storage area and is called and executed by the first CPU 201 or the second CPU 202. In the case of the distribution server 133, the first HDD 205 has the process of FIG. 6 and the program shown in FIG. 18, which will be described later. This program uses RAM 204 as a temporary storage area and is called and executed by the first CPU 201 or the second CPU 202. The operation unit 207 is a keyboard or a pointing device that receives an instruction input to the present device. The display unit 208 displays the operating status of the device and the information output by each program running on the device. The network I / F209 connects to a LAN or the Internet via a network and exchanges information with the outside. The external device I / F210 connects an external storage device or the like. The elements described above are connected by the system bus 211, and data can be transmitted and received to and from each other.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configurations of the monitoring devices 117, 122, and 123. It can also be applied to the hardware configurations of PC104 and 109.

CPU301 controls each process on this device. The ROM 302 stores programs and data related to each process of the present device, and cannot be rewritten. The RAM 303 can electrically store temporary data related to each process of the present device and can be rewritten. The monitoring device 117 stores programs and data related to each process of the device, temporary data, information about the image forming device to be monitored, information collected from the image forming device, and the like in the HDD 304. In PC104 and 109, a web browser and the like are stored in HDD304. The input device 305 is a keyboard or a pointing device that receives an instruction input to the device. The display unit 306 displays the operating status of the device and the information output by each program running on the device. The network I / F307 connects to the LAN and the Internet via the network and exchanges information with the outside. The external device I / F308 connects to an external storage device or the like. They are connected by system bus 309 to send and receive data to and from each other.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another form of hardware configuration of the monitoring devices 117, 122, and 123. CPU401 controls each process on this device. The ROM 402 stores programs and data related to each process of the present device and cannot be rewritten. The flash ROM 403 stores data and temporary data related to each process of the present device, information about the image forming device to be monitored, information collected from the image forming device, and the like. For the serial I / F404, the program on this device outputs errors and logs, and it is possible to connect the terminal using a serial cable. The network I / F405 connects to the LAN and the Internet via the network and exchanges information with the outside. They are connected by system bus 406 and exchange data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the hardware configurations of the image forming devices 115, 116, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, and 131. Specific examples of the image forming apparatus include a multifunction device having an integrated printer and facsimile function, a printer (including an electrophotographic method and an inkjet method) that receives and prints data from a PC, a scanner, and the like. , Facsimile, etc. In this figure, the configuration of a multifunction device is shown as an example of an image forming apparatus. The image reader 502 reads the original by the document feeding unit 501. The image reader 502 and the image forming unit 503 convert the read original and the data received via the network into a print image and print out the image. The paper ejection unit 504 ejects the printed paper and performs processing such as sorting and stapling. The network I / F505 connects to the LAN and the Internet via the network and exchanges information with the outside. CPU506 controls each process on this device. The operating status of the image forming apparatus is monitored, and when a specific event such as a failure occurs, status information indicating the status is transmitted to a predetermined destination. The destination is, for example, a monitoring center host 111 or a monitoring device. The ROM 507 of the non-volatile storage memory stores programs and data related to each process of the present device. The rewritable RAM 508 electrically stores temporary data related to each process of the device. The HDD509 stores programs and data related to each process of the device, temporary data, user data transmitted to the device, and the like. The image forming apparatus has the processing programs of FIG. 8 and the processing shown in FIG. 20, which will be described later, in the HDD 509. This program uses RAM508 as a temporary storage area and is called and executed by CPU506. The operation unit 510 receives an instruction input to the apparatus. The display unit 511 displays the operating status of the present device and information related to the operation of the operation unit 510. Then, they are connected by the system bus 512, and data can be transmitted and received to and from each other. Na

&lt;Software&gt; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a software configuration of a part related to the image forming apparatus management system in the monitoring center host 111 and the distribution server 133. The SOAP communication unit 601 passes the SOAP data received from the monitoring device 117 or the image forming device 131 via the network I / F 209 to the SOAP message analysis unit 602. Further, the SOAP data created by the SOAP message creation unit 603 is transmitted to the monitoring device 117 or the image forming device 131 via the network I / F 209. The collection information processing unit 604 directly or processes the information received from the monitored monitoring device 117 or the image forming device 131, and stores the information in the database 112 and the database 134 via the database access unit 606.

In addition, the collection information processing unit 604 realizes functions related to the remote management system. For example, based on the information received from the monitored monitoring device 117 or the image forming device 131 and the data stored in the database 112 and the database 134, the serviceman or customer in charge of totaling counter information, error information, and the latest farm information Notify the side administrator. The monitoring control unit 605 manages the schedule for acquiring the information of the monitoring device 117 or the image forming device 131, and controls the monitoring content and method. Further, if necessary, an instruction is transmitted to the monitored monitoring device 117 or the image forming device 131 via the SOAP message creating unit 603 and the SOAP communication unit 601.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a software configuration of a part related to the image forming apparatus management system in the monitoring apparatus 117, 122, 123. The SOAP communication unit 701 passes the SOAP data received from the monitoring center host 111 via the network I / F 307 or 405 to the SOAP message analysis unit 703. In addition, the SOAP data created by the SOAP message creation unit 702 is transmitted to the monitoring center host 111 and the distribution server 133 via the network I / F 307 or 405. The monitoring control unit 704 updates the monitoring image forming device information held in the information storage unit 706, acquires the information of the image forming devices 115 and 116, and manages the schedule according to the monitoring setting from the monitoring center host 111 described later. Do it. The device information processing unit 705 is an information storage unit that actively collects counter information, service calls, jams, toner shortages, and other information collected from the image forming devices 115 and 116 by the schedule managed by the monitoring and control unit 704. Accumulate in 706. Alternatively, this accumulation is performed according to the state of the image forming devices 115 and 116. The data accumulated in the information storage unit 706 is passed to the SOAP message creation unit 702 as it is via the device information processing unit 705, and is transmitted to the monitoring center host 111. Alternatively, it may be interpreted and processed in the device information processing unit 705, then passed to the SOAP message creation unit 702 and transmitted to the monitoring center host 111.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a software configuration of a part related to the image forming apparatus management system in the image forming apparatus 115, 116, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, 131. The SOAP communication unit 801 passes the SOAP data received from the monitoring center host 111 and the distribution server 133 via the network I / F 505 to the SOAP message analysis unit 803. In addition, the SOAP data created by the SOAP message creation unit 802 is transmitted to the monitoring center host 111 and the distribution server 133 via the network I / F 505. The network information acquisition unit 804 can automatically acquire the IP address, DNS server, and gateway address in the DHCP environment. Further, if the network information input from the operation unit 510 and stored in the HDD 509 exists, the information may be acquired. The device information collection unit 805 acquires counter information held internally according to the schedule inside the multifunction device or an instruction from the monitoring center host 111, and also obtains information such as service calls, jams, and toner out that have occurred internally. Can be obtained. The acquired data may be passed to the SOAP message creation unit 802 as it is, or may be accumulated, interpreted, and processed in the device information collection unit 805 and then passed to the SOAP message creation unit 802. The data passed to the SOAP message creation unit 802 is sent to the monitoring center host 111.

FIG. 9 shows the structure of the memory map in the monitoring center host 111, the distribution server 133, the monitoring devices 117, 122, 123, or the image forming devices 115, 116, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, 131. It is a figure. When the processing program according to the present embodiment is executed, the program is loaded on the RAM 204 of the monitoring center host 111, on the RAM 303 or the flash ROM 403 of the monitoring device 117, and on the RAM 508 of the image forming apparatus. The memory map is composed of a basic I / O program 901, a system program 902, various processing programs 903 including the processing program in the present embodiment, an area 904 for storing related data, and a work area 905 for the program. The basic I / O program 901 controls the input / output on this device. System program 902 provides an operating environment for each processing program. If the area used as 901 to 905 is insufficient due to the capacity limitation, the first HDD 205 or the second HDD 206 may be treated as a part of the RAM 204 area, the HDD 304 as the RAM 303, and the HDD 509 as a part of the RAM 508 area.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a concept of a processing flow between the image forming apparatus, the distribution server, and the monitoring center host in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. First, in step S1001, the person in charge of the sales company registers the firmware in the distribution server. At that time, the firmware version, model name, and mapping file information are registered. Here, the mapping file means a file showing a list in which mapping information of a model name, a firmware version, a non-volatile memory, and a hard disk is described as shown in FIG. FIG. 11 will be described later. For example, in the case of a non-volatile memory, address information in the memory space such as a destination table, BOX information, and service mode information stored in the non-volatile memory of the device is described. As an example of the mapping information, the address information in the memory space in the image forming apparatus can be mentioned. For example, here, the mapping information is information indicating a storage position of data (including a program such as software) on a memory in the image forming apparatus. Examples of such mapping information include an address in which a destination table including e-mail is stored, an address indicating a memory location of a BOX, and an address in which service mode information called in the administrator mode is stored. In addition, the address includes a start address and an end address, and includes a representation of the start address and the offset and other information indicating a storage position in the memory. Here, the BOX is a predetermined storage area for storing image-processed data and the like, and is composed of, for example, an HDD or the like.

Next, in step S1002, the person in charge of the sales company selects and executes the firmware version to be updated from the firmware distribution screen of the monitoring center host shown in FIG. 17, which will be described later. In step S1003, the monitoring center host issues a firmware distribution instruction to the image forming apparatus and notifies the updated firmware version.

In step S1004, the image forming apparatus requests the distribution server to download the firmware, and also transmits the model name / serial number / the current firmware version of the image forming apparatus / the required firmware version information. Here, the model name indicates the name of the image forming apparatus, and the serial number indicates an individual ID assigned to each image forming apparatus. In step S1005, the distribution server transmits the requested firmware body and the mapping file corresponding to the requested firmware version to the image forming apparatus.

In step S1006, the image forming apparatus compares the mapping file between the required firmware version of the model received in step S1005 and the current firmware version held in the image forming apparatus. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus has a mapping file correspondence table of the current firmware version shown in FIG. For example, consider the case of upgrading from Ver1.0 (version before update) of "ABCD" to Ver1.1 (version after update). With reference to the table in FIG. 11, since the addresses of the BOX information and the service mode information of the non-volatile memory are different, it can be determined that there is a difference. The judgment process in step S1006 is an example of the first judgment means.

In step S1007, if there is a difference as a result of comparison in step S1006, the item mapped by the address with the difference is recognized as information to be backed up, and it is determined to manually update the firmware of the image forming apparatus. .. The information may be stored in another storage area, for example, so that it can be recognized from other information. The recognized mapped items can be displayed on the screen as, for example, information to be backed up. On the other hand, if there is no difference, it is determined to automatically update the firmware of the image forming apparatus.

If it is determined in step S1008 that "automatic update" is performed in step S1007, the firmware is updated as it is and this process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined to be "manual update", in step S1009, it is determined whether or not the item having a difference in the mapping file is the default value. For example, if the item with the difference is "Address Book" and the email address is not registered in the Address Book, it is determined that it is the default value. In the present embodiment, the default value may be stored in advance in a memory area such as a ROM of the image forming apparatus. The judgment process in step S1009 is an example of the second judgment means.

In step S1010, if it is determined in step S1009 that it is the default value, there is no data to be backed up, so change the judgment from "manual update" to "automatic update" and update as it is. This process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that the value is not the default value, the process waits for a manual update in step S1011.

In step S1012, the result of the determination in step S1010 or S1011 is notified to the monitoring center host. The monitoring center host does nothing when the result of the judgment is "automatic update", but when the result of the judgment is "manual update", the serviceman is instructed to dispatch by e-mail or the like. The serviceman goes to the image forming apparatus that is on standby in step S1011. Then, using the firmware application screen of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 18, the configuration information (nonvolatile memory, hard disk information) is backed up and the firmware is updated.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a mapping file correspondence table. The mapping file contains model name, firmware version, and non-volatile memory / hard disk information. Item 1101 indicates the model name of the image forming apparatus. Item 1102 indicates the firmware version corresponding to the model name of item 1101. Item 1103 indicates the contents of the mapping file corresponding to the model name of item 1101 and the firmware version of item 1102. According to item 1103, for example, the destination table stored in the non-volatile memory corresponding to the firmware versions "Ver1.0" to "Ver1.2" is stored at the address "0x0021".

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the mapping file of each version. Item 1201 indicates the model name. Item 1202 indicates the firmware version. Item 1203 shows the non-volatile memory / hard disk mapping information.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a block configuration of the distribution server. As shown in FIG. 13, the distribution server is configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus 1301 and the monitoring center host 1302. The communication I / F unit 1303 in the distribution server receives data from the image forming apparatus 1301 or the monitoring center host 1302. The communication data control unit 1304 controls the data received by the communication I / F unit 1303 so that the firmware mapping file registration unit 1305 registers the firmware main body and the corresponding mapping file in the database 1307. The firmware mapping file management unit 1306 refers to or aggregates the firmware and the mapping file registered in the database 1307. Database 1307 stores firmware and mapping files.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure focusing on the distribution server in the configuration shown in FIG. First, in step S1401, the firmware is uploaded to the distribution server and newly registered. The data at that time includes the firmware version, model name, and mapping file, as shown in D1402. Next, in step S1403, the firmware download request transmitted from the image forming apparatus is received. The data at that time includes the model name, serial number, current firmware version, and required firmware version, as shown in D1404. In step S1405, the firmware version requested in step S1403 is delivered to the image forming apparatus. The data at that time includes the firmware itself and the mapping file, as shown in D1406.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure focusing on the image forming apparatus in the configuration shown in FIG. First, in step S1501, the firmware distribution instruction is received from the monitoring center host. The data at that time includes the updated firmware version as shown in D1502. In step S1503, request the distribution server to download the firmware. The data at that time includes the model name, serial number, current firmware version, and required firmware version of the image forming apparatus, as shown in D1504. In step S1505, the data is downloaded from the distribution server. The data at that time includes the firmware itself and the mapping file, as shown in D1506.

In step S1507, the mapping file between the current (ie, before update) firmware version and the required (ie, after update) firmware version held in the image forming apparatus is compared. Here, the process of step S1507 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, assume that the current firmware version is "Ver1.0" and the required firmware version is "Ver1.1". As a result of comparing item 1103 of both mapping files, the address of the destination table is the same for "0x0021", but the address of the BOX information is different between "0x0032" and "0x0042". Further, the service mode information is different between "0x0055" and "0x0053". In step S1507, in this way, a comparison is made as to whether or not the mapping files of the two are different.

In step S1508, it is determined whether or not the comparison results of the mapping files in step S1507 are different. Here, if it is determined that they are different, the process proceeds to step S1509, and it is verified which information is different in step S1509 and below. On the other hand, if it is determined that they are not different, the process proceeds to step S1513. In step S1513, the file downloaded in the image forming apparatus is moved from the temporary storage area to the update area, and then rebooted and the firmware is applied to automatically update the file.

In step S1509, it is determined whether or not there is destination registration information in the destination table of the image forming apparatus. Here, if it is determined that the information is available, the process proceeds to step S1512, while if it is determined that the information is not available, the process proceeds to step S1510.

In step S1512, the downloaded file (firmware) is saved in the temporary storage area and waits. Later, a serviceman visits the customer, backs up configuration information such as address book, BOX information, and service mode information, then applies the firmware and updates the firmware (manual update).

In step S1510, it is determined whether or not there is data registered in the BOX information of the image forming apparatus. Here, if it is determined that the information is available, the process proceeds to step S1512, and if it is determined that the information is not available, the process proceeds to step S1511. In step S1511, it is determined whether or not the service mode information has been changed from the default value. Here, if it is determined that there is a change, the process proceeds to step S1512, while if it is determined that there is no change, the process proceeds to step S1513. That is, in steps S1509 to S1511, it can be determined whether or not the current configuration information is the default value. Further, the default value may be stored in the memory of the image forming apparatus or the like and used in the determination in steps S1509 to S1511.

In step S1514, the monitoring center host is notified whether the update is determined to be performed manually or automatically. The data at that time includes manual / automatic judgment information as shown in D1515.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure focusing on the monitoring center host in the configuration shown in FIG. First, in step S1601, the firmware is instructed to be distributed to the image forming apparatus. The data at that time includes the updated firmware version as shown in D1602. Step S1603 receives the determination result of manual or automatic update from the image forming apparatus. The data at that time includes manual / automatic judgment information as shown in D1604.

Next, in step S1605, the response of the monitoring center host is determined from the received manual / automatic determination information. In step S1606, it is determined whether or not it is determined that the manual update is performed. If it is determined that the update will be performed manually, the process proceeds to step S1607. On the other hand, if it is determined that the update will be performed automatically, this process is terminated. In step S1607, the monitoring center host notifies the service person by e-mail or the like by interlocking with the mail server, for example. The notified serviceman goes to the image forming device, backs up the configuration information such as the address book, BOX information, and service mode information as described above, and then applies the firmware to update (manual update). ).

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the firmware distribution screen of the monitoring center host. The display 1701 in FIG. 17 is a search screen used when specifying an image forming apparatus to be distributed. The display 1702 shows the result of the search on the display 1701, and the person in charge can select the image forming device to be distributed. Display 1703 shows the items for selecting the firmware update method. Display 1704 indicates the firmware version to be distributed, and the person in charge can select it by pulling down. Display 1705 indicates the date and time when the firmware is distributed, and the person in charge can specify the date and time.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the image forming apparatus when the firmware is applied. The displays 1801 and 1802 are screens when the serviceman manually applies the firmware, and the displays 1803 and 1804 are screens when the firmware is automatically applied. In addition, the applied firmware can be confirmed by the display 1804. Display 1801 indicates to the serviceman that new firmware has been downloaded into the image forming apparatus and also indicates items that need to be backed up. Therefore, the serviceman can apply the new firmware by backing up the necessary information and pressing the apply button on display 1802. Further, after that, a process of returning the backed up information to the image forming apparatus is performed. On the other hand, in the case of automatic application, the user can confirm that the new firmware has been applied by the display 1803. Indication 1804 provides an example of detailed information on the applied firmware. Here, the screen shown in FIG. 18 may be displayed on the display unit 306 of the monitoring device. In that case, the serviceman may go to the monitoring device, check the configuration data to be backed up on the screen, and back up the configuration data of the image forming device by remote operation. As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not backup of the configuration information (operation setting information) of the non-volatile memory of the image forming apparatus is necessary. As a result, it is possible to reduce the risk of backing up erroneous data in the automatic / manual version upgrade of the firmware.

&lt;Second embodiment&gt; Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a concept of a processing flow between the image forming apparatus, the distribution server, and the monitoring center host in the second embodiment. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the processing of steps S1006 and S1007 shown in FIG. 10 is performed on the distribution server. First, in step S1901, the person in charge of the sales company registers the firmware in the distribution server. As information at that time, the person in charge registers the firmware version, model name, and mapping file. Here, the mapping file is the same as the description in FIG. Next, in step S1902, the person in charge of the sales company selects and executes the firmware version to be updated from the firmware distribution screen of the monitoring center host shown in FIG. In step S1903, the monitoring center host issues a firmware distribution instruction to the image forming apparatus and notifies the updated firmware version. In step S1904, the image forming apparatus transmits the firmware download request and the information of the model name / serial number of the image forming apparatus / the current (before update) or the requested (after update) firmware version of the image forming apparatus to the distribution server. To do. In step S1905, the distribution server compares the mapping file between the requested firmware version of the firmware received in step S1904 and the current firmware version.

In the present embodiment, the distribution server has a mapping file correspondence table for each image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. For example, when upgrading from "Ver1.0" to "Ver1.1" of "ABCD", referring to the table in Fig. 11, the address of the BOX information of the non-volatile memory is different, so there is a "difference". Can be judged.

In step S1906, as a result of comparison in step S1905, if there is a difference, it is determined as "manual update", and if there is no difference, it is determined as "automatic update". In step S1907, the distribution server transmits the firmware main body requested by the image forming apparatus, the mapping difference information, and the manual / automatic judgment information. In step S1908, if the manual / automatic judgment information indicates "automatic update", the firmware is updated as it is to end this process.

On the other hand, when "manual update" is indicated, in step S1909, it is determined whether or not the item having a difference is the default value. For example, when the item with the difference is "Address Book", it can be determined as the default value if the email address is not registered in the Address Book. In step S1910, if it is determined to be the default value as a result of step S1909, there is no data to be backed up, so change the judgment from "manual update" to "automatic update" and update the firmware as it is. And end this process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the value is not the default value, in step S1911, the process waits for a manual update.

In step 1912, the result of the determination in step S1910 or S1911 is notified to the monitoring center host. The monitoring center host does nothing when it is determined that the update is automatic, but when it is determined that the update is manual, the serviceman is instructed to dispatch by e-mail or the like. The serviceman goes to the image forming apparatus that is on standby in step S1911. Then, using the firmware application screen of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 18, the configuration information (nonvolatile memory, hard disk information) is backed up and the firmware is updated.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure focusing on the distribution server in the configuration shown in FIG. First, in step S2001, the firmware is uploaded to the distribution server and newly registered. The data at that time includes the firmware version, the model name, and the mapping file as shown in D2002. In step S2003, a firmware download request is received from the image forming apparatus. The data at that time includes the model name, serial number, current firmware version, and required firmware version, as shown in D2004. In step S2005, the mapping file correspondence table for each image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 11 is referred to, and the mapping file between the current firmware version and the required firmware version is compared.

Next, in step S2006, as a result of comparing the mapping files, it is determined whether or not there is a difference. Here, if it is determined that there is a difference, the process proceeds to step S2007, and if it is determined that there is no difference, the process proceeds to step S2008.

In step S2007, the image forming apparatus is instructed to perform a manual update. Further, in step S2008, the image forming apparatus is instructed to automatically update. The data at that time includes the firmware body, mapping difference information, and manual / automatic judgment information as shown in D2009.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure focusing on the image forming apparatus in the configuration shown in FIG. First, in step S2101, the firmware distribution instruction is received from the monitoring center host. The data at that time includes the updated firmware version as shown in D2102. Next, in step S2103, the distribution server is requested to download the firmware. The data at that time includes the model name of the image forming apparatus, the serial number, the current firmware version, and the required firmware version, as shown in D2104. In step S2105, the data is downloaded from the distribution server. The data at that time includes the firmware body, mapping difference information, and manual / automatic judgment information as shown in D2106.

In step S2107, the correspondence of the image forming apparatus is determined based on the downloaded manual / automatic determination information. In step S2108, if the result of the determination in step S2107 is a manual update, the process proceeds to step S2109, while if the result is an automatic update, the process proceeds to step S2114. In step S2114, after moving the file (firmware) downloaded in the image forming apparatus from the temporary storage area to the update area, a reboot is performed, the firmware is applied, and the update is performed (automatic update).

Further referencing the downloaded mapping variance information in step S2109. Further, in step 2110 or less, it is determined whether or not the item of mapping difference information is the default value. In step S2110, it is determined whether or not there is destination registration information in the destination table of the image forming apparatus. If it is determined that the information is available, the process proceeds to step S2113, while if it is determined that the information is not available, the process proceeds to step S2111. In step S2113, the downloaded file (firmware) is saved in the temporary storage area and waits. Later, the serviceman visits the customer, backs up the configuration information such as the address book, BOX information, and service mode information, and then applies the firmware to update.

In step S2111, it is determined whether or not there is data registered in the BOX information of the image forming apparatus. If it is determined that the information is available, the process proceeds to step S2113, and if it is determined that the information is not available, the process proceeds to step S2112. In step S2112, it is determined whether or not the service mode information has been changed from the default value. Here, if it is determined that there is a change, the process proceeds to step S2113, while if it is determined that there is no change, the process proceeds to step S2114. That is, in steps S2110 to S2112, it can be determined whether or not the current configuration information is the default value. Further, the default value may be stored in the memory of the image forming apparatus or the like and used in the determination in steps S2110 to S2112. In step S2115, the monitoring center host is notified whether the update is determined to be performed manually or automatically. The data at that time includes manual / automatic judgment information as shown in D2116.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure focusing on the monitoring center host in the configuration shown in FIG. In step S2201, the image forming apparatus is instructed to distribute the firmware. The data at that time includes the updated firmware version as shown in D2202. Next, in step S2203, the determination result of updating the firmware automatically or manually is received from the image forming apparatus. The data at that time includes manual / automatic judgment information as shown by D2204. In step S2205, the response of the monitoring center host is determined from the received manual / automatic determination information. In step S2206, if the result of the determination in step S2205 is a manual update, the process proceeds to step S2207. On the other hand, if the update is automatic, this process ends. In step S2207, the monitoring center host notifies the service person by e-mail or the like by interlocking with the mail server, for example. The notified serviceman goes to the image forming device, backs up the configuration information such as the address book, BOX information, and service mode information as described above, and then applies the firmware to update (manual update). ).

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), or a device composed of one device (for example, a copier, a facsimile, etc.). It may be applied to a device, etc.). Another object of the present invention is to supply a recording medium on which a program code that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is recorded to a system or an apparatus, and a computer of the system or the apparatus reads the program code stored in the storage medium. It can also be achieved by doing it. In that case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the function of the above-described embodiment, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

Further, in the present invention, based on the instruction of the program (information processing program) code, the operating system (OS) or the like running on the computer performs a part or all of the actual processing, and the above-described execution is performed by the processing. It also includes the case where the function of the form is realized. Further, the present invention is also applied to the case where the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted in the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer. In that case, based on the instruction of the written program code, the function expansion card, the CPU provided in the function expansion unit, or the like performs a part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the function of the above-described embodiment. ..

<figref num="1">It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the management system in embodiment which concerns on this invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration of a monitoring center host.</figref><figref num="3">It is a figure which shows the hardware configuration of a monitoring device.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows the hardware composition of another form of a monitoring apparatus.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which shows the hardware composition of the image forming apparatus.</figref><figref num="6">It is a figure which shows the software composition of the part related to the image formation apparatus management system in a monitoring center host, and a distribution server.</figref><figref num="7">It is a figure which shows the software structure of the part related to the image forming apparatus management system in a monitoring apparatus.</figref><figref num="8">It is a figure which shows the software structure of the part related to the image forming apparatus management system in an image forming apparatus.</figref><figref num="9">It is a figure which shows the structure of the memory map in a monitoring center host, a distribution server, a monitoring device, and an image forming device.</figref><figref num="10">It is a figure which shows the concept of the process flow between an image forming apparatus, a distribution server, and a monitoring center host in this embodiment.</figref><figref num="11">It is a figure which shows an example of the list of mapping files.</figref><figref num="12">It is a figure which shows an example of a mapping file.</figref><figref num="13">It is a figure which shows the block structure of a distribution server.</figref><figref num="14">It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the distribution server in the configuration shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="15">It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the image forming apparatus in the structure shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="16">It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the monitoring center host in the configuration shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="17">It is a figure which shows an example of the firmware distribution screen of a monitoring center host.</figref><figref num="18">It is a figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the image forming apparatus at the time of applying the firmware.</figref><figref num="19">It is a figure which shows the concept of the process flow between an image forming apparatus, a distribution server, and a monitoring center host in the 2nd Embodiment.</figref><figref num="20">It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the distribution server in the configuration shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="21">It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the image forming apparatus in the structure shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="22">It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the monitoring center host in the configuration shown in FIG.</figref>

Code description

101, 106, 114, 119, 129 systems 102, 107 hosts 103, 108, 112, 133, 134, 136 databases 104, 109 PC 105, 110, 113, 118, 128, 130, 135 LAN 111 Monitoring Center Host 115, 116, 120, 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, 131 image forming equipment 117, 122, 123 Monitoring device 132 Network 133 Distribution server