Remote firmware management for electronic devices
AssigneeSharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
InventorRabindra Pathak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for firmware updating for one or more electronic devices connected on a user network. A management gateway may be connected on the network, configured to control all firmware update activity for the one or more electronic devices. In an exemplary application, the electronic devices may be multifunction peripheral devices. An electronically accessible firmware repository for storing firmware updates is maintained. The management gateway may establish a firmware update activity schedule for each electronic device.
Claims19
A method for firmware updating for one or more electronic devices connected on a user intranet, each of the one or more electronic devices including firmware stored on device memory, the method comprising:
- maintaining a management gateway connected on the intranet behind a firewall, the management gateway configured to control all firmware update activity for said one or more electronic devices;
- maintaining an electronically accessible firmware repository for storing firmware updates, including firmware updates for said one or more electronic devices;
- accessing the management gateway to establish a firmware update activity schedule for each of said one or more electronic devices, said firmware update activity schedule including a location of firmware in the firmware repository, and a time schedule for conducting the firmware update activity;
- conducting a firmware update activity for each of said one or more electronic devices in accordance with said time schedule;
- monitoring said firmware activity by the management gateway to determine whether the firmware update activity results in a successful firmware update for each of said one or more electronic devices.
A method for firmware updating for one or more electronic devices connected on a user intranet, each of the one or more electronic devices including firmware stored on device memory, the method comprising:
- maintaining a management gateway connected on the intranet behind a firewall, the management gateway configured to control all firmware update activity for said one or more electronic devices;
- maintaining an electronically accessible firmware repository for storing firmware updates, including firmware updates for said one or more electronic devices;
- accessing the management gateway to initiate a firmware update activity one of said electronic devices;
- checking a version matrix associated with a firmware update for one device of said one or more electronic devices to determine if said firmware update is compatible with said electronic device prior to conducting said firmware update activity, and
- conducting said firmware update activity for said one device only if said firmware update is compatible with said one device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.