System and method for supervising image forming apparatuses by remotely downloading firmware based on updated hardware

A method for remotely supervising a plurality of image forming apparatuses disposed at a plurality of user sides, said method comprising:

• providing a central supervisory apparatus configured to include a processor;
• providing a communication line configured to connect to the central supervisory apparatus;
• providing, at the central supervisory apparatus, a database configured to store and supervise hardware information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• transmitting a hardware read instruction from the central supervisory apparatus to an applicable one or more image forming apparatuses;
• reading, in the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses, hardware information from hardware of the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses when power is supplied thereto;
• comparing the read hardware information with previously stored hardware information stored in a memory;
• determining if both of the read and previously stored hardware information conforms with each other;
• updating the previously stored hardware information with the read hardware information when both of the read and previously stored hardware information do not conform with each other;
• reading the updated hardware information;
• transmitting the updated hardware information to the central supervisory apparatus when receiving the hardware read instruction;
• updating the database at the central supervisory apparatus when the transmitted updated hardware information is received;
• determining if supervisory information stored in the database conforms to prescribed updated firmware corresponding to the updated hardware information;
• and
• downloading the updated firmware to the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses when the supervisory information conforms to the updated firmware.

A method for remotely supervising a plurality of image forming apparatuses disposed at a plurality of user sides, said method comprising:

• providing a central supervisory apparatus configured to include a processor;
• providing a communication line configured to connect to the central supervisory apparatus;
• providing, at the central supervisory apparatus, a database configured to store and supervise hardware information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• transmitting a hardware read instruction from the central supervisory apparatus to an applicable one or more image forming apparatuses;
• periodically reading hardware information, in the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses, from hardware of the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses;
• comparing the read hardware information with previously stored hardware information stored in a memory;
• determining if both of the read and previously stored hardware information conforms with each other;
• updating the previously stored hardware information with the read hardware information when both of the read and previously stored hardware information do not conform with each other;
• reading the updated hardware information;
• transmitting the updated hardware information to the central supervisory apparatus when receiving the hardware read instruction;
• updating the database, at the central supervisory apparatus, when the transmitted updated hardware information is received;
• determining if supervisory information stored in the database conforms to prescribed updated firmware corresponding to the updated hardware;
• and
• downloading the updated firmware to the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses when the supervisory information conforms to the updated firmware.

A method for remotely supervising a plurality of image forming apparatuses disposed at a plurality of user sides, said method comprising:

• providing a central supervisory apparatus configured to include a processor;
• providing a communication line configured to connect to the central supervisory apparatus;
• providing a database, at the central supervisory apparatus, configured to store and supervise hardware information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• transmitting a hardware read instruction from the central supervisory apparatus to an applicable one or more image forming apparatuses;
• reading hardware information, in the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses, from hardware of the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses when prescribed communications are performed between the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses and the central supervisory apparatus;
• comparing the read hardware information with previously stored hardware information stored in a memory;
• determining if both of the read and previously stored hardware information conform with each other;
• updating the previously stored hardware information with the read hardware information when both of the read and previously stored hardware information do not conform with each other;
• reading the updated hardware information;
• transmitting the updated hardware information to the central supervisory apparatus when receiving the hardware read instruction;
• updating the database, at the central supervisory apparatus, when the transmitted updated hardware information is received;
• determining if supervisory information stored in the database conforms to prescribed updated firmware corresponding to the updated hardware;
• downloading the updated firmware to the applicable one or more image forming apparatuses when the supervisory information stored in the database conforms to the updated firmware.

An image forming apparatus supervisory system configured to supervise image forming means disposed at a plurality of user sides for forming an image, said image forming apparatus supervisory system comprising:

• central supervisory means for remotely supervising image forming means and for determining updated hardware in an applicable one or more of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• firmware download means for downloading prescribed updated firmware to an applicable one or more image forming means in accordance with updated hardware of the applicable one or more image forming means, said firmware download means provided in the central supervisory means;
• firmware update means for updating firmware of the one or more image forming means with the updated use firmware when the updated firmware is downloaded, said firmware update means being provided in each of the image forming means;
• hardware read means in each respective image forming apparatus for reading hardware information of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• hardware information transmission means for transmitting the hardware information from the each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses to the central supervisory apparatus;
• database means provided in the central supervisory means and for storing hardware information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• and
• database update means for updating the database based upon the hardware information when receiving the hardware information from the one or more image forming apparatuses;
• a hardware information storage means provided in the each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses and configured to store its own hardware information;
• a hardware information update means configured to update its own hardware information;
• and
• a hardware read means provided in the hardware information update means and configured to read at least a version number of the hardware;
• an information comparison means configured to compare the at least a version number with the hardware information stored in the hardware information storage means;
• and
• a determination means configured to determine if the at least a version number conforms to the hardware information, wherein said hardware information update means updates its own hardware information with the at least a version number only when the at least a version number does conform to the hardware information.