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US 9,544,450 B2Granted
Image forming apparatus and method for updating firmware
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorNaoto Tsuruoka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus capable of receiving firmware from an information processing apparatus via a network, includes a storage unit storing the firmware received from the information processing apparatus; a search for unit searching for one or more other image forming apparatuses on the network which are a same model of the image forming apparatus whose firmware can be updated to the firmware stored in the storage unit; and an update execution unit updating firmware of the one or more other image forming apparatuses that are searched for by the search for unit.
Claims9
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a storage unit configured to receive firmware from an information processing apparatus via a network, and to store the firmware received from the information processing apparatus;
- a search unit configured to search for one or more other image forming apparatuses on the network which are a same model of the image forming apparatus;
- a determination unit configured to determine whether another image forming apparatus on the network with the same model is connected on a same segment of the network with the image forming apparatus or is connected on a different segment of the network with the image forming apparatus;
- and
- an update execution management section configured, in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the same segment of the network, to send an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to deactivate an ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on an additional image forming apparatus on the network;
- the update execution management section configured, in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the different segment of the network, to send an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to activate the ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on the additional image forming apparatus on the network.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving firmware from an information processing apparatus to an image forming apparatus via a network;
- storing the firmware received from the information processing apparatus;
- searching for one or more other image forming apparatuses on the network which are a same model of the image forming apparatus;
- and
- determining whether another image forming apparatus on the network with the same model is connected on a same segment of the network with the image forming apparatus or is connected on a different segment of the network with the image forming apparatus;
- in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the same segment of the network, sending an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to deactivate an ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on an additional image forming apparatus on the network;
- and
- in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the different segment of the network, sending an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to activate the ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on the additional image forming apparatus on the network.
5 more elements
A non-transitory recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute an image forming method comprising:
- receiving firmware from an information processing apparatus to an image forming apparatus via a network;
- storing the firmware received from the information processing apparatus;
- searching for one or more other image forming apparatuses on the network which are a same model of the image forming apparatus;
- and
- determining whether another image forming apparatus on the network with the same model is connected on a same segment of the network with the image forming apparatus or is connected on a different segment of the network with the image forming apparatus;
- in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the same segment of the network, sending an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to deactivate an ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on an additional image forming apparatus on the network;
- and
- in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the different segment of the network, sending an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to activate the ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on the additional image forming apparatus on the network.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.