US 7,600,226 B2Granted

Device driver updating method and program, information processing apparatus and server apparatus using the same, and storage for storing device driver updating program

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTsukasa Aiba, Hisashi Kato

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Abstract

An information processing apparatus has a storage device that stores a device which incorporates access information regarding access to the server apparatus and a property display screen with instruction items for instructing a device driver request; a notification unit that, based on an instruction to the instruction items on the property display screen, refers to the access information and notifies the access information to an application that is capable of processing page information, in order to obtain driver update page information from the server apparatus; and an updating control unit that, based on an instruction to an update instruction section to request automatic update that is provided on a driver update page created based on the driver update page information obtained, controls a process to obtain device driver update information sent from the server apparatus and update the device driver stored in the storage device.

Claims30

Dependent claims

An information processing apparatus communicating with a server apparatus that manages a device driver that controls a device that performs data processing, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores a device driver which incorporates access information to access to the server apparatus and a property display screen showing an instruction item for inputting a device driver request;
an input unit that, based on an instruction to the instruction item on the property display screen, inputs the access information incorporated by the device driver to an application;
an obtainment control unit that controls a process to obtain, from the server apparatus, driver update page information using the application to which the access information is inputted by said input unit;
a display unit that, based on the driver update page information, displays a screen including a user interface element defined by the driver update page information that asks a user for approval to allow environment information including version information indicating a version of the device driver currently used in the information processing apparatus to be transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the server apparatus;
a detection unit that detects whether an instruction for the approval allowing transmission of the environment information is entered on the screen displayed by said display unit;
a transmission unit that transmits the environment information to the server apparatus only if said detection unit detects that the instruction is entered;
a reception unit that receives, from the server apparatus, display information including an instruction input portion for inputting a device driver update instruction, in response to the environment information transmitted by said transmission unit, wherein said display unit displays the instruction input portion based on the display information received by said reception unit, and wherein said reception unit receives a device driver installer from the server apparatus after detection of an instruction entered on the displayed instruction input portion;
and
an update control unit that controls a process to update the device driver and to detect another device provided on a network in accordance with execution of the device driver installer received by said reception unit,
wherein said display unit displays a device driver stored in the server apparatus and another device driver that corresponds to the other device detected by said update control unit and that is not stored in the server apparatus,
wherein said reception unit receives the other device driver from another server apparatus in accordance with execution of the device driver installer, and
wherein said update control unit controls the process to update the device driver provided in the information processing apparatus using the other device driver and the device driver stored in the server apparatus in response to a user instruction.

9 more elements

A control method that controls an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a server apparatus that manages a device driver that controls a device that performs data processing, the control method comprising:

a storing step that stores a device driver which incorporates access information to access to the server apparatus and a property display screen showing an instruction item for inputting a device driver request;
an input step that, based on an instruction to the instruction item on the property display screen, inputs the access information incorporated by the device driver to an application
an obtainment control step that controls a process to obtain, from the server apparatus, driver update page information using the application to which the access information is inputted in said input step;
and
a display step that, based on the driver update page information, displays a screen including a user interface element defined by the driver update page information that asks a user for approval to allow environment information including version information indicating a version of the device driver currently used in the information processing apparatus to be transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the server apparatus;
a detection step that detects whether an instruction for the approval allowing transmission of the environment information is entered on the screen displayed by said display step;
a transmission step that transmits the environment information to the server apparatus only if said detection step detects that the instruction is entered;
a reception step that receives, from the server apparatus, display information including an instruction input portion for inputting a device driver update instruction, in response to the environment information transmitted by said transmission step, wherein said display step displays the instruction input portion based on the display information received by said reception step, and wherein said reception step receives a device driver installer from the server apparatus after detection of an instruction entered on the displayed instruction unit portion;
and
an update control step that controls a process to update the device driver and to detect another device provided on a network in accordance with execution of the device driver installer received by said reception step,
wherein said display step displays a device driver stored in the server apparatus and another device driver that corresponds to the other device detected by said update control step and that is not stored in the server apparatus,
wherein said reception step receives the other device driver from another server apparatus in accordance with execution of the device driver installer, and
wherein said update control step controls the process to update the device driver provided in the information processing apparatus using the other device driver and the device driver stored in the server apparatus in response to a user instruction.

10 more elements

A storage medium that stores a control program that is used to control an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a server apparatus that manages a device driver that controls a device that performs data processing, the control program comprising:

a storing step that stores a device driver which incorporates access information to access to the server apparatus and a property display screen showing an instruction item for inputting a device driver request;
an input step that, based on an instruction to the instruction item on the property display screen, inputs the access information incorporated by the device driver to an application;
an obtainment control step that controls a process to obtain, from the server apparatus, driver update page information using the application to which the access information is inputted in said input step;
a display step that, based on the driver update page information, displays a screen including a user interface element defined by the driver update page information that asks a user for approval to allow environment information including version information indicating a version of the device driver currently used in the information processing apparatus to be transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the server apparatus;
a detection step that detects whether an instruction for the approval allowing transmission of the environment information is entered on the screen displayed by said display step;
a transmission step that transmits the environment information to the server apparatus only if said detection step detects that the instruction is entered;
a reception step that receives, from the server apparatus, display information including an instruction input portion for inputting a device driver update instruction, in response to the environment information transmitted by said transmission step, wherein said display step displays the instruction input portion based on the display information received by said reception step, and wherein said reception step receives a device driver installer from the server apparatus after detection of an instruction entered on the displayed instruction input portion;
and
an update control step that controls a process to update the device driver and to detect another device provided on a network in accordance with execution of the device driver installer received by said reception unit,
wherein said display step displays a device driver stored in the server apparatus and another device driver that corresponds to the other device detected by said update control step and that is not stored in the server apparatus,
wherein said reception step receives the other device driver from another server apparatus in accordance with execution of the device driver installer, and
wherein said update control step controls the process to update the device driver provided in the information processing apparatus using the other device driver and the device driver stored in the server apparatus in response to a user instruction.

9 more elements

storage means for storing a device driver which incorporates access information to access to the server apparatus and a property display screen showing an instruction item for inputting a device driver request;
input means for, based on an instruction to the instruction item on the property display screen, inputting the access information incorporated by the device driver to an application;
obtainment control means for controlling a process to obtain, from the server apparatus, driver update page information using the application to which the access information is inputted by said input means;
and
display means for, based on the driver update page information, displaying a screen including a user interface element defined by the driver update page information that asks a user for approval to allow environment information including version information indicating a version of the device driver currently used in the information processing apparatus to be transmitted from the information processing apparatus to the server apparatus;
detection means for detecting whether an instruction for the approval allowing transmission of the environment information is entered on the screen displayed by said display means;
transmission means for transmitting the environment information to the server apparatus only if said detection means detects that the instruction is entered;
reception means for receiving, from the server apparatus, display information including an instruction input portion for inputting a device driver update instruction, in response to the environment information transmitted by said transmission means, wherein said display means displays the instruction input portion based on the display information received by said reception means, and wherein said reception means receives a device driver installer from the server apparatus after detection of an instruction entered on the displayed instruction input portion;
and
update control means for controlling a process to update the device driver and for detecting another device provided on a network in accordance with execution of the device installer received by said reception means,
wherein said display means displays a device driver stored in the server apparatus and another device driver that corresponds to the other device detected by said update control means and that is not stored in the server apparatus,
wherein said reception means receives the other device driver from another server apparatus in accordance with execution of the device driver installer, and
wherein said update control means controls the process to update the device driver provided in the information processing apparatus using the other device driver and the device driver stored in the server apparatus in response to a user instruction.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.