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US 8,793,677 B2Granted
Electronic apparatus, software update method, and storage medium
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorToru Harada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic apparatus has a normal mode and an energy saving mode for reducing power consumption, and includes a main control unit, a sub control unit, a main storage unit, and a sub storage unit. The sub control unit includes a processing unit performing a part of an update process by storing software update data in the sub storage unit when a software update request is received during the energy saving mode. The main control unit includes a processing unit performing a rest of the update process by moving or copying the software update data from the sub storage unit to the main storage unit and by updating software stored in the main storage unit with the software update data after the electronic apparatus returns from the energy saving mode to the normal mode.
Claims14
An electronic apparatus having a normal mode and an energy saving mode for reducing power consumption, the electronic apparatus comprising:
- a main control unit configured to update software;
- and
- a sub control unit configured to store software update data associated with the software update request, when a software update request is received from an outside during the energy saving mode,
- wherein the main control unit includes a first processor that performs the updating process for updating software stored by the sub control unit when the electronic apparatus returns from the energy saving mode;
- wherein the sub control unit includes,
- a determining unit that, when the software update request is received during the energy saving mode, is configured to determine if the software update data associated to the software update request is storable based on a size of the software update data and a size of free space in a storage unit configured to store the software update data;
- wherein when the determining unit determines that the software update data is not storable, the sub control unit requests the main control unit to cause the electronic apparatus to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode;
- and
- wherein when the determining unit determines that the software update data is storable, the sub control unit performs a control so that the main control unit performs the updating process after the electronic apparatus returns from the energy saving mode to the normal mode;
- and
- a second processor is configured to,
- determine whether a size of the software update data is greater than a size of free space in the sub storage unit,
- suspend the update process and report, to a user, error information indicating that the update process cannot be continued if the size of the software update data is greater than the size of the free space, and
- cause the electronic apparatus to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode only if the user requests to continue the update process;
- wherein the first processor performs the update process if the electronic apparatus is caused to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode in response to the request to continue the update process, and
- wherein if the software update request is received and the electronic apparatus returns from the energy saving mode to the normal mode in response to a user request having priority over the update process, the first processor performs the update process after performing a process requested by the user request.
13 more elements
A software update method performed by an electronic apparatus having a normal mode and an energy saving mode for reducing power consumption,
- the electronic apparatus comprising:
- a main control unit controlling the electronic apparatus and including a first processor, wherein the main control unit is configured to perform an updating process;
- a sub control unit operating during the energy saving mode and including a second processor, wherein the sub control unit is configured to perform a process for storing software update data associated with the software update process, when a software update request is received from the outside during the energy saving mode;
- a main storage unit accessible from the first processor;
- and
- a sub storage unit accessible from the second processor, the software update method comprising the steps of:
- determining, by the second processor, if the software update data can be stored in the sub storage unit based on a size of the update data and a size of free space in a storage unit for storing update data, when a software update request is received during the energy saving mode,
- wherein if the second processor determines that the software update data cannot be stored, requesting by the second processor, the main control unit to cause the electronic apparatus to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode,
- wherein if the second processor determines that the software update data can be stored, performing by the sub control unit a control such that the main control unit performs the update process after the electronic apparatus returns from energy saving mode to the normal mode,
- wherein when the size of the software update data is greater than the size of free space in the sub storage unit, the second processor suspends the update process and causes a display unit to display a screen for allowing a user to determine whether to continue the update process,
- wherein when the user determines to continue the update process, the second processor causes the electronic apparatus to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode and causes the first processor to update the software stored in the main storage unit with the software update data after the electronic apparatus returns to the normal mode, and
- wherein if the software update request is received and the electronic apparatus returns from the energy saving mode to the normal mode in response to a user request having priority over the update process, the first processor performs the update process after performing a process requested by the user request.
9 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored therein for causing an electronic apparatus having a normal mode and an energy saving mode for reducing power consumption to perform a software update method, the electronic apparatus comprising:
- a main control unit controlling the electronic apparatus and including a first processor, wherein the main control unit is configured to perform an updating process;
- a sub control unit operating during the energy saving mode and including a second processor, wherein the sub control unit is configured to perform a process for storing software update data associated with the software update process, when a software update request is received from the outside during the energy saving mode;
- a main storage unit accessible from the first processor;
- and
- a sub storage unit accessible from the second processor, the software update method comprising the steps of:
- determining, by the second processor, if the software update data can be stored in the sub storage unit based on a size of the update data and a size of free space in a storage unit for storing update data, when a software update request is received during the energy saving mode,
- wherein if the second processor determines that the software update data cannot be stored, requesting by the second processor, the main control unit to cause the electronic apparatus to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode,
- wherein if the second processor determines that the software update data can be stored, performing by the sub control unit a control such that the main control unit performs the update process after the electronic apparatus returns from energy saving mode to the normal mode,
- wherein when the size of the software update data is greater than the size of free space in the sub storage unit, the second processor suspends the update process and causes a display unit to display a screen for allowing a user to determine whether to continue the update process,
- wherein when the user determines to continue the update process, the second processor causes the electronic apparatus to return from the energy saving mode to the normal mode and causes the first processor to update the software stored in the main storage unit with the software update data after the electronic apparatus returns to the normal mode, and
- wherein if the software update request is received and the electronic apparatus returns from the energy saving mode to the normal mode in response to a user request having priority over the update process, the first processor performs the update process after performing a process requested by the user request.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.