Electronic device and method for updating electronic device

Abstract

To allow programs of other electronic devices to be automatically updated when one electronic device is selected and its program is updated.SOLUTION: An electronic device includes a determination unit that determines whether or not a program of the electronic device has been updated, an update unit that updates the program with an update program based on the determination result of the determination unit, and a communication unit that communicates with other electronic devices belonging to a group and with an external apparatus. If the determination unit determines that the program has not been updated with the update program, the update unit updates the program with an update program obtained from the external apparatus by the communication unit or an update program received by the communication unit, and once the update unit has updated the program, the communication unit transmits the update program to the other electronic devices belonging to the group.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method for updating the electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a technique for installing software stored in one external storage device and setting values corresponding to the software in an information processing device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique of Patent Document 1, when installing and updating a program from an external storage device (external device) in an information processing device, the external device is connected to each information processing device to perform the installation and update of the program. Therefore, when there are a plurality of information processing devices, it takes time to connect the external device to each information processing device to perform the installation and update of the program. Further, when there are information processing devices (electronic devices) indoors or outdoors, it is necessary to carry the external device outdoors, which is troublesome.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device and a method for updating the electronic device that can automatically update the programs of other electronic devices when a program is updated by selecting one electronic device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an electronic device according to the present disclosure includes a determination unit that determines whether there is an update to a program of the electronic device, an update unit that updates the program with an update program based on the determination result of the determination unit, and a communication unit that communicates with other electronic devices belonging to a group and an external device. When the determination unit determines that the program has not been updated with the update program, the update unit updates the program with the update program acquired from the external device by the communication unit or the update program received by the communication unit. When the update unit updates the program, the communication unit transmits the update program to the other electronic devices belonging to the group.

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, an update method for an electronic device according to the present disclosure includes a step of determining whether there is an update to a program of the electronic device, a step of updating the program with an update program based on the determination result of the determining step, and a step of communicating with other electronic devices belonging to a group and an external device. In the updating step, when it is determined in the determining step that the program has not been updated, the program is updated with the update program acquired from the external device in the communicating step or the update program received from another electronic device in the communicating step. In the communicating step, when the program is updated in the updating step, the update program is transmitted to the other electronic devices belonging to the group.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, when a program is updated by selecting one electronic device, the programs of other electronic devices can also be automatically updated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 12

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. In addition, the components of this embodiment include those that can be replaced and are easy for those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0011] [First Embodiment] (Communication System) FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a communication system according to the first embodiment.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes a management device 10, an external device 12, electronic devices 14a, 14b, and 14c. That is, the communication system 1 includes the management device 10, the external device 12, and a plurality of electronic devices 14. The electronic devices 14a to 14c each belong to group A. The electronic devices 14a to 14c are located within a predetermined range (for example, several kilometers to several tens of kilometers) and perform group communication with each other. The locations where the electronic devices 14a to 14c are located are not limited. For example, all the electronic devices may be located indoors or outdoors, or some of them may be located indoors or outdoors. In FIG. 1, for simplicity, the electronic device 14 shows three devices from the electronic device 14a to the electronic device 14c, but there may be three or more. Group A is the first group. Also, when not specifying a group, it is described as "group" as appropriate.

[0013] In communication system 1, an external device 12 storing update program A for electronic devices 14 belonging to group A is connected to one electronic device (for example, electronic device 14a). The electronic device 14a acquires update program A from the external device 12 and updates the program stored in the electronic device 14a with the acquired update program A. The electronic device 14a transmits update program A to the electronic devices 14b and 14c through group communication. When the electronic devices 14b and 14c receive update program A through group communication, they automatically update their respective programs with the received update program A. After the electronic devices 14b and 14c update their respective programs with update program A, they transmit update program A to other electronic devices belonging to group A through group communication. That is, communication system 1 is a system capable of automatically updating the programs of the remaining electronic devices belonging to the group by updating the program of one electronic device. Note that the update program is preferably a program corresponding to the electronic devices belonging to the group. The update program is, for example, a program corresponding to the electronic devices 14 belonging to group A. Also, the update program may include not only one update program but also a plurality of update programs. Thereby, the programs of a plurality of functions of the electronic device 14 can be updated. Furthermore, the update program may be the setting data of the electronic device 14. Examples of the update program include a firmware update program, FPU (Field Programming Unit) data, a license update program, and the like.

[0014] (Management device) The management device 10 is a device that manages the electronic devices 14 of the communication system 1. The management device 10 manages, for example, the communication of the electronic devices 14. The management device 10 stores the update program in the external device 12. When storing the update program in the external device 12, the management device 10 may encrypt it. At this time, the management device 10 writes a decryption file for decrypting the encrypted file to the electronic device 14 to which the external device 12 is connected. The management device 10 is an information processing device such as a computer, for example.

[0015] (External device) The external device 12 is a data storage device that can be connected outside the management device 10 and the electronic device 14. The external device 12 stores, for example, the update program of the electronic device 14. The external device 12 is connected to the management device 10 and stores the update program of the electronic device 14 from the management device 10. The external device 12 is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

[0016] (Electronic device) The electronic device 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. The electronic device 14 is realized by a portable communication device such as a business wireless device or a smartphone. In the present disclosure, the electronic device 14 is a wireless device.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 14 includes a communication unit 20, an operation unit 22, an output unit 24, a storage unit 26, and a control unit 30.

[0018] The communication unit 20 includes a connection unit 20a and a wireless communication unit 20b. The connection unit 20a reads and writes data from and to the external device 12. The connection unit 20a includes, for example, a connection terminal of a USB memory. When the control unit 30 detects the connection of the external device 12, the connection unit 20a communicates with the external device 12. The communication unit 20, and the wireless communication unit 20b executes communication between the electronic devices 14. The wireless communication unit 20b performs wireless communication with other electronic devices belonging to the group. The wireless communication unit 20b transmits various information to other electronic devices and receives various information from other electronic devices. Note that there is no particular limitation on the type of data that the communication unit 20 transmits and receives between other electronic devices and the external device 12. The communication unit 20 transmits and receives, for example, an update program. When the update unit 46 described later updates the program, the wireless communication unit 20b transmits the update program to other electronic devices. The wireless communication unit 20b may have, for example, a function of executing short-range wireless communication or a function of executing long-range wireless communication. The communication unit 20 is composed of a communication circuit or the like.

[0019] The operation unit 22 receives various input operations for the electronic device 14. The operation unit 22 outputs an input signal corresponding to the received input operation to the control unit 30. The operation unit 22 includes, for example, a touch panel, buttons, switches, a microphone, a PTT (Push to Talk) button, and the like.

[0020] The output unit 24 outputs various data. The output unit 24 displays, for example, the execution information of downloading and installing an update program. The output unit 24 outputs, for example, the voice of a user of another electronic device 14. The output unit 24 includes, for example, a display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence), and a speaker.

[0021] The storage unit 26 stores various information. The storage unit 26 stores the information of the electronic device 14. The storage unit 26 stores, for example, the ID (Identifier) of the electronic device 14. The ID of the electronic device 14 includes the ID (terminal ID) assigned to each electronic device 14 and the ID assigned to the group to which the electronic device 14 belongs, that is, the ID (group ID) for each group. The storage unit 26 stores a decryption file to be decrypted. The storage unit 26 stores information such as the calculation content and programs of the control unit 30. The storage unit 26 stores the update program stored in the external device 12. The storage unit 26 includes, for example, at least one of a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an external storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0022] The control unit 30 controls each part of the electronic device 14. The control unit 30 includes, for example, an information processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage device such as a RAM or a ROM. The control unit 30 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 30 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software.

[0023] The control unit 30 includes a processing unit 40, an acquisition unit 42, a determination unit 44, an update unit 46, and an output control unit 48.

[0024] The processing unit 40 executes various processes of the electronic device 14. The processing unit 40 determines, for example, whether an external device 12 is connected. When the connection of the external device 12 to the electronic device 14 is detected, the processing unit 40 performs a confirmation process with the user on whether to execute an update program. When the update program is encrypted, for example, the processing unit 40 performs a decryption process. The processing unit 40 reads a decrypted file from the storage unit 26 and decrypts the encrypted update program. The processing unit 40 activates, for example, the update function provided in the electronic device 14. The processing unit 40 may also generate a message for the user. For example, when the update program of the external device 12 connected to the electronic device 14 is not compatible, the processing unit 40 generates a message indicating that the update program is incompatible.

[0025] The acquisition unit 42 acquires the update program of the electronic device 14. When an external device 12 in which the update program of the group to which the own electronic device belongs is stored is connected to the connection part 20a of the communication unit 20, the acquisition unit 42 acquires the update program from the external device 12. The acquisition unit 42 outputs the acquired update program to the storage unit 26.

[0026] The determination unit 44 performs various determination processes on the electronic device 14. For example, the determination unit 44 determines whether to update the program for the operation of the control unit 30 of the electronic device 14. For example, the determination unit 44 determines whether an update program has been acquired by the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14. For example, the determination unit 44 determines whether the program of the electronic device 14 has been updated. Further, for example, the determination unit 44 determines the communication frequency of the electronic device 14.

[0027] The update unit 46 updates the program of the electronic device 14 with the update program. When the determination unit 44 determines that the program of the electronic device 14 has not been updated, the update unit 46 updates the current program with the update program acquired by the communication unit 20 from the external device 12. When the determination unit 44 determines that the program of the electronic device 14 has not been updated, the update unit 46 updates the current program with the update program received by the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14 from another electronic device. The update unit 46 updates the current program by overwriting the update program on the program before the update. After updating the program of the electronic device 14 with the update program, the update unit 46 does not update the program even if the same update program is acquired.

[0028] The output control unit 48 outputs various data of the electronic device 14 to the output unit 24. For example, the output control unit 48 outputs voice data of the user received by wireless communication with another electronic device via the communication unit 20 and causes the output unit 24 to output voice. The output control unit 48 causes the output unit 24 to display the progress of the update of the update program of the electronic device 14 and the like.

[0029] (Communication Process) Next, the communication process of the electronic device 14 according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the communication process of the electronic device according to the first embodiment. Note that FIG. 3 shows an example in which the electronic device 14a acquires the update program A from the external device 12 for simplicity, but any one of the electronic devices 14b or 14c may acquire the update program A from the external device 12.

[0030] In FIG. 3, the electronic device 14a is an electronic device to which the external device 12 is connected and which acquires an update program from the external device 12. The electronic devices 14b and 14c are electronic devices that receive the update program by wireless communication.

[0031] The acquisition unit 42 of the electronic device 14a acquires the update program A from the external device 12 (step S10). If the acquired update program A is encrypted, the processing unit 40 of the electronic device 14a decrypts the update program A.

[0032] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14a updates the program of the electronic device 14a with the update program A (step S12). The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14a overwrites and automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14a with the update program A acquired by the acquisition unit 42 of the electronic device 14a.

[0033] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14a transmits the update program A to other electronic devices belonging to the same group A (step S14). The wireless communication signal includes, for example, information such as a terminal ID and a group ID indicating the communication destination, and the electronic device 14 that receives the wireless communication signal determines whether the signal is addressed to itself. Specifically, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14a transmits a signal including the group ID information of group A as the destination in order to transmit the update program A to the electronic devices 14b and 14c.

[0034] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b receives the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14a (step S16). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the electronic device 14c is in a state where it cannot receive the update program A from the electronic device 14a due to radio wave trouble such as an obstacle or an interfering signal.

[0035] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b updates the program with the update program A received from the electronic device 14a (step S18). The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b overwrites and updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program A received by the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b from the electronic device 14a.

[0036] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b transmits the update program A to other electronic devices belonging to the same group A (step S20). Specifically, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b transmits a signal including the group ID information of group A as the destination in order to transmit the update program A to the electronic device 14a and the electronic device 14c.

[0037] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14a receives the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14b (step S22).

[0038] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14a does not update the program of the electronic device 14a (step S24). Since the program of the electronic device 14a has already been updated with the update program A, the update unit 46 of the electronic device 14a does not update the program of the electronic device 14a with the update program A received from the electronic device 14b.

[0039] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14a does not transmit the update program A to other electronic devices (step S26). Specifically, since the program of the electronic device 14a has already been updated with the update program A, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14a does not transmit the update program A to the electronic devices 14b and 14c in the same group A.

[0040] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c receives the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14b (step S28).

[0041] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14c updates the program of the electronic device 14c with the update program A (step S30). The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14c overwrites and updates the program of the electronic device 14c with the update program A received by the communication unit 20 from the electronic device 14b.

[0042] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c transmits the update program A to other electronic devices (step S32). Specifically, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c transmits the update program A to the electronic devices 14a and 14b in the same group A.

[0043] The electronic device 14b receives the update program A (step S34). The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b receives the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14c. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the electronic device 14a is in a state where it cannot receive the update program A from the electronic device 14c due to radio wave trouble or the like.

[0044] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b does not update the program of the electronic device 14b (step S36). Since the program of the electronic device 14b has already been updated with the update program A, the update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b does not update the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program A received from the electronic device 14c.

[0045] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b does not transmit the update program A to other electronic devices (step S38). Specifically, since the program of the electronic device 14b has already been updated with the update program A, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b does not transmit the update program A to the electronic devices 14a and 14c in the same group A.

[0046] (Processing of Electronic Devices) Next, the processing of the electronic device 14 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0047] First, the processing of the electronic device 14a that acquires the update program from the external device 12 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the processing of the electronic device that acquires the update program according to the first embodiment.

[0048] The processing unit 40 detects that the external device 12 is connected and detects the update program A stored in the external device 12 (step S100).

[0049] The processing unit 40 determines whether to execute the update program A of the external device 12 (step S102). Specifically, the processing unit 40 performs a confirmation process on the user as to whether to execute the update program A of the external device 12. For example, the processing unit 40 causes the output unit 24 to display a message for confirming with the user whether to execute the update program A.

[0050] If the processing unit 40 does not execute the update program A of the external device 12, that is, if the user selects not to execute the update program A (step S102; No), the processing unit 40 performs processing according to the user's instruction (step S104), and ends the processing regarding the update program A of the external device 12. The processing according to the user's instruction includes, for example, the processing before the external device 12 is connected.

[0051] If the processing unit 40 executes the update program A of the external device 12, that is, if the user selects to execute the update program A (step S102; Yes), the processing unit 40 decrypts the update program A (step S106). Note that if the update program A is not encrypted, the processing unit 40 performs the processing of step S108.

[0052] The acquisition unit 42 acquires the decrypted update program A (step S108). The acquisition unit 42 outputs the update program A to the storage unit 26 of the electronic device 14a.

[0053] The determination unit 44 determines whether to update the program of the electronic device 14a (step S110). The determination unit 44 determines whether to update the program of the electronic device 14a by determining whether the update program A stored in the external device 12 is compatible, that is, whether the update program A stored in the external device 12 is valid.

[0054] When the determination unit 44 determines not to update the program of the electronic device 14a (step S110; No), the processing unit 40 generates a message indicating that the program of the electronic device 14a will not be updated and displays it on the output unit 24 (step S112), and then ends the process. The message generated by the processing unit 40 may be, for example, "incompatible update program". The case where the program of the electronic device 14a is not updated includes, for example, the case where the update program A is invalid when the decoding process is performed.

[0055] When the determination unit 44 determines to update the program of the electronic device 14a (step S110; Yes), the update unit 46 overwrites and automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14a (step S114). At this time, the processing unit 40 activates the update function provided in the electronic device 14a.

[0056] The communication unit 20 transmits the update program A to other electronic devices via the wireless communication unit 20b (step S116). Specifically, the communication unit 20 reads the update program A from the storage unit 26 and transmits it to other electronic devices belonging to the same group A by wireless communication. The communication unit 20 transmits the update program A to the destination of the group ID stored in other electronic devices. The communication unit 20 transmits the update program A to, for example, the electronic device 14b and the electronic device 14c that store the same group ID (the ID of the first group) as the electronic device 14a. Note that the communication unit 20 may transmit the update program A to other electronic devices based on the terminal ID.

[0057] The determination unit 44 determines whether the communication unit 20 has received the update program A via the wireless communication unit 20b (step S118). When the determination unit 44 determines that the communication unit 20 has not received the update program A (step S118; No), the process ends.

[0058] When the determination unit 44 determines that the communication unit 20 has received the update program A by the wireless communication unit 20b (step S118; Yes), the update unit 46 does not update the program (step S120), and the communication unit 20 does not transmit the update program A to other electronic devices by the wireless communication unit 20b (step S122), and the process ends.

[0059] Next, the processing of the electronic devices 14b and 14c that are not connected to the external device 12 and receive the update program by the wireless communication unit 20b of the communication unit 20 will be described. The electronic devices 14b and 14c perform the same processing. In the present disclosure, the electronic device 14b will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing of an electronic device that receives an update program according to the first embodiment.

[0060] The communication unit 20 receives the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14a (step S200). At this time, when the data received by the wireless communication unit 20b of the communication unit 20 is an update program, the processing unit 40 starts the update function provided in the electronic device 14b.

[0061] The determination unit 44 determines whether the program currently used by the electronic device 14b has been updated with the update program A (step S202). When the determination unit 44 determines that the program of the electronic device 14b has not been updated with the update program A (step S202; No), the process proceeds to the process of step S204. The processes of step S204 and step S206 are the same as the processes of step S114 and step S116 in FIG. 4 executed by the electronic device 14a, so the description is omitted.

[0062] When the determination unit 44 determines that the program of the electronic device 14b has been updated with the update program A (step S202; Yes), the process proceeds to the process of step S208. The processes of step S208 and step S210 are the same as the processes of step S120 and step S122 in FIG. 4 executed by the electronic device 14a, so the description is omitted.

[0063] As described above, in the present disclosure, after updating a program, an electronic device (e.g., electronic device 14b) transmits the update program to other electronic devices in the same group. Therefore, an electronic device that has already updated its program (e.g., electronic device 14a) will receive the same update program again. In this case, the update and transmission processes are not performed. As a result, since the update program is transferred from electronic devices located at various positions, for example, an electronic device 14c located at a position where the radio wave transmitted by the electronic device 14a does not reach can also receive the update program from the electronic device 14b located at a position where the radio wave reaches, and all the electronic devices belonging to the group can sequentially complete the update process.

[0064] As described above, for the electronic device 14 according to the first embodiment, any one of the electronic devices belonging to group A (in the present disclosure, electronic device 14a) acquires the update program A from the external device 12 and updates the program of the electronic device 14a with the acquired update program A. Then, after updating the program of the electronic device 14a with the update program A, the electronic device 14a transmits the update program A to other electronic devices 14b and 14c belonging to group A. The electronic devices 14b and 14c directly or indirectly receive the update program from the electronic device 14a, and after updating the program with the received update program A, they transmit the update program to other electronic devices 14 belonging to group A. Therefore, by connecting the external device 12 to one electronic device, the programs of the electronic devices belonging to the group can be updated. That is, the trouble of connecting the external device 12 to each electronic device can be omitted.

[0065] Also, an electronic device (in the present disclosure, electronic device 14b) transmits (transfers) the update program regardless of whether the programs of other electronic devices have been updated. Therefore, even if an electronic device (in the present disclosure, electronic device 14c) cannot receive the update program in the first time (transmission of the update program A by the electronic device 14a), it can receive the update program A by the transfer of the update program A by the electronic device 14b. For this reason, even if the electronic device 14c cannot receive the update program in the first time, it can receive the update program A and update the program.

[0066] In addition, regardless of whether the program update of other electronic devices is completed, the electronic device according to the first embodiment transmits (transfers) the update program A. For this reason, even after the program of the electronic device is updated with the update program A, the update program A is received again. In this case, the electronic device does not update the program with the update program A received again, and does not transfer the update program A to other electronic devices. As a result, the processing is sequentially terminated from the electronic devices whose programs have been updated with the update program A, so that the transfer of the update program A is not repeated infinitely.

[0067] [Second Embodiment] The communication system 1A according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the communication system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of communication processing of the electronic device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the electronic device that receives the update program according to the second embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the communication system 1 of the first embodiment, and the detailed description thereof is omitted. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the communication system 1A is the same as that of the communication system 1 of the first embodiment, and the difference from the first embodiment is that the electronic device 14 belongs to a plurality of groups.

[0068] (Communication System) The communication system 1A includes a management device 10, an external device 12, an electronic device 14a, an electronic device 14b, and an electronic device 14c. Specifically, the communication system 1A is different from the communication system 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that the electronic device 14a and the electronic device 14b belong to group A, and the electronic device 14b and the electronic device 14c belong to group B. That is, the electronic device 14b belongs to two groups, group A and group B. The group may be two or more groups. For example, the electronic device 14b may also belong to group C and group D. Group B is the second group.

[0069] When the electronic device 14a updates the program of the electronic device 14a with the update program A acquired from the external device 12, it transmits the update program A to the electronic devices 14b belonging to Group A and Group B. The electronic device 14b automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program A received from the electronic device 14a, and transmits the update program A to the electronic devices 14c belonging to Group B. At this time, the electronic device 14b may transmit the update program A to other electronic devices 14 belonging to Group A. When the electronic device 14c receives the update program A from the electronic device 14b, it automatically updates the electronic device 14c with the update program and transmits it to other electronic devices belonging to Group B. That is, the communication system 1A is a system that can transmit a program to electronic devices belonging to different groups by updating the program of one electronic device and can automatically update the program of that electronic device. However, it is assumed that the electronic device 14 belonging to Group B has not acquired and transmitted or received the update program B corresponding to the electronic device belonging to Group B from the external device 12.

[0070] Note that the update program A is the update program A corresponding to the electronic devices belonging to Group A, but may include a program corresponding to the electronic devices belonging to Group B. That is, the update program A may include an update program common to the electronic devices belonging to Group A and the electronic devices belonging to Group B. Thereby, by updating one electronic device, even if other electronic devices belong to different groups, the programs of the electronic devices belonging to different groups can be updated with the update program common to the groups.

[0071] (Communication Processing) The communication processing of the electronic device 14 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Note that FIG. 7 shows an example in which the electronic device 14a acquires the update program A from the external device 12.

[0072] In FIG. 7, the electronic device 14a is an electronic device to which the external device 12 is connected and that acquires an update program from the external device 12. The electronic devices 14b and 14c are electronic devices that receive the update program.

[0073] Steps S10, S12, and S50 are the same as steps S10, S12, and S14 in FIG. 3, so the description thereof is omitted. In step S50, since the electronic device 14c belongs only to the second group, it does not receive the update program A transmitted by the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14a. Step S52 is the same as step S16 in FIG. 3, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0074] The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines that no update program has been received within a predetermined period (step S54). The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines that the update program B corresponding to the electronic device belonging to group B has not been received within a predetermined period after the electronic device 14b has received the update program A. In the present disclosure, the predetermined period is about one to three days in consideration of the time until all the electronic devices belonging to the group sequentially receive the update program. That is, the electronic device 14b has not received the update program B within three days. Although not shown, at this time, the processing unit 40 of the electronic device (electronic device 14c) belonging to group B may switch the processing so that the program of the electronic device 14c can be updated with the update program of group A. For example, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b transmits information indicating that the update program A has been received but the update program B has not been received to the electronic device 14c. The processing unit 40 of the electronic device 14c switches the processing based on the information indicating that the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14b has been received but the update program B has not been received. Thereby, the electronic devices 14 belonging to different groups can update the programs of the electronic devices 14 with the update programs of other groups even if they receive the update programs of other groups.

[0075] Steps S56 and S58 are the same as steps S18 and S20 in FIG. 3, so the description thereof is omitted. In step S58, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b transmits the update program A to the group members (other electronic devices) of group B.

[0076] Steps S60 to S64 are the same as steps S28 to S32 in FIG. 3, so the description thereof is omitted. In step S64, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c transfers the update program A to the group members of group B.

[0077] Steps S66 to S70 are the same as steps S34 to S38 in FIG. 3, so the description thereof is omitted. In step S70, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b does not transmit the update program A to the group members (other electronic devices) of group B and the group members (other electronic devices) of group A.

[0078] (Processing of Electronic Device) Next, the processing of the electronic device 14 according to the second embodiment will be described. The processing of the electronic device 14a is the same as the processing of steps S100 to S122 in FIG. 4, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0079] The processing of the electronic device 14b will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The processing of step S400 in FIG. 8 is the same as the processing of step S200 in FIG. 5, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0080] The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines that the update program B has not been received within a predetermined period after receiving the update program A (step S402). The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines that the communication unit 20 has not received the update program B of group B from other electronic devices (for example, the electronic device 14c) belonging to group B within a predetermined period.

[0081] Step S404 is the same as step S202 in FIG. 5, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0082] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program A (step S406). The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b overwrites and automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14b. When the update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b receives the update program A from another electronic device within group A to which the electronic device 14b belongs via the communication unit 20, it automatically updates with the received update program A. At this time, the processing unit 40 activates the update function provided in the electronic device 14b.

[0083] Steps S408 to S412 are the same as steps S206 to S210 in FIG. 5 except that the transmission destination of the update program A is different, so the description is omitted. In the second embodiment, the transmission destination of the update program A by the electronic device 14b is the group to which it belongs, that is, other electronic devices in group B. Since the electronic device 14b also belongs to group A, it may also transmit the update program A to other electronic devices in group A.

[0084] Although the figure is omitted, the electronic device 14c receives the update program from the electronic device 14b, performs the processing of steps S400 to S410 in FIG. 8, and ends the processing.

[0085] As described above, the electronic device 14 according to the second embodiment belongs to a plurality of groups. In the second embodiment, the electronic device 14b belongs to two groups. Therefore, when the update program B of group B is not received, an electronic device belonging to a different group (for example, the electronic device 14c) can receive the update program A via the electronic device 14b. Then, the electronic device 14c can also update the program of the electronic device 14c with the update program A by switching the process so that the processing unit 40 of the electronic device 14c can be updated with the update program A. Further, since the electronic device 14b belongs to a plurality of groups, the electronic device 14a can also send the update program A to the electronic device 14c which is another group. Therefore, by connecting the external device 12 to one electronic device, the programs of the electronic devices can be updated across groups among a plurality of groups. That is, the trouble of connecting the external device 12 to each electronic device for each group can be omitted.

[0086] [Third Embodiment] The communication system 1B according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the communication system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the communication process of the electronic device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the electronic device that acquires the update program according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the electronic device that receives the update program according to the third embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those of the communication system of the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof is omitted. In the third embodiment, the basic configuration of the communication system 1B is the same as that of the communication system 1A of the second embodiment, except that the electronic device 14c acquires the update program from the external device 12B.

[0087] (Communication System) The communication system 1B includes a management device 10, a management device 10B, an external device 12, an external device 12B, an electronic device 14a, an electronic device 14b, and an electronic device 14c. The communication system 1B is different from the communication system 1A shown in FIG. 6 in that the external devices 12 and 12B in which the update programs of the electronic devices 14 are stored are connected to the electronic devices 14a and 14c, respectively. The electronic device 14a acquires the update program A from the external device 12. The electronic device 14c acquires the update program B from the external device 12B. The electronic device 14a updates the program of the electronic device 14a with the acquired update program A. The electronic device 14c updates the program of the electronic device 14c with the acquired update program B. The electronic device 14a transmits the update program A to the group members (other electronic devices) of group A. The electronic device 14c transmits the update program B to the group members (other electronic devices) of group B. That is, the electronic device 14b receives the update program A and the update program B. When the electronic device 14b receives a plurality of programs, it automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program that satisfies the conditions. That is, the communication system 1B is a system that can automatically update the programs of the remaining electronic devices belonging to the group by updating the program of one electronic device.

[0088] (Communication processing) With reference to FIG. 10, the communication processing of the electronic device 14 according to the third embodiment will be described.

[0089] In FIG. 10, the electronic devices 14a and 14c are electronic devices to which the external device 12 is connected and from which the external devices 12 and 12B acquire update programs, respectively. The electronic device 14b is an electronic device that receives the update program by wireless communication.

[0090] Steps S10 and S12, steps S50 and S52 are the same as the processing in FIG. 8, so the description is omitted.

[0091] The acquisition unit 42 of the electronic device 14c acquires the update program B from the external device 12B (step S72). If the acquired update program B is encrypted, the processing unit 40 of the electronic device 14c decrypts the update program B.

[0092] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14c updates the program of the electronic device 14c with the update program B (step S74). The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14c overwrites and automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14c with the update program B acquired by the acquisition unit 42 of the electronic device 14c.

[0093] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c transmits the update program B to other electronic devices (step S76). Specifically, when the update unit 46 of the electronic device 14c updates the program, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c transmits the update program B to the group members (electronic device 14b) of group B.

[0094] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b receives the update program B transmitted from the electronic device 14c (step S78).

[0095] The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines that a plurality of update programs have been received within a predetermined time (step S80). Specifically, it is determined that the update program B has been received within a predetermined time after receiving the update program A.

[0096] The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines the conditions (step S82). For example, the conditions to be determined are the number of communication times (frequency) of the electronic devices belonging to a plurality of groups communicating with the electronic devices of their respective groups, and it is determined that the condition is met if the group with the highest communication frequency in a predetermined past period, for example, the past one week, is selected. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b compares the communication frequencies of the electronic device 14b. The determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b determines, for example, that the number of times the electronic device 14b communicates with other electronic devices belonging to group B is greater than the number of times it communicates with other electronic devices belonging to group A, and selects group B. At this time, the processing unit 40 of the electronic device b switches the processing so that the program of the electronic device 14b can be updated with the update program B of group B that satisfies the condition. The predetermined conditions are not limited to the communication frequency. For example, it may be displayed that a plurality of update programs are received by the output unit 24, and the update program selected by the user operating the operation unit 22 may be used as the update program that meets the condition. For example, the order in which the update programs are received may be used as the determination condition, and it is not limited to these.

[0097] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program B (step S84). The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14b updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program B received by the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b from the electronic device 14c based on the determination result of the determination unit 44 of the electronic device 14b.

[0098] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b transmits the update program B (the program that satisfies the condition) to other electronic devices in the second group B (step S86). Specifically, after updating the program of the electronic device 14b, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b sends the update program B to group B, that is, to the electronic device 14c. Note that the update program A that was not used for program update may be sent to the electronic devices in group A.

[0099] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c receives the update program B transmitted from the electronic device 14b (step S88).

[0100] The update unit 46 of the electronic device 14c does not update the program of the electronic device 14c (step S90). Since the program of the electronic device 14c has already been updated with the update program B, the program is not updated with the update program B received from the electronic device 14b.

[0101] The communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c does not transmit the update program B to other electronic devices (step S92). Since the program of the electronic device 14c has already been updated with the update program B, the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c does not transmit the update program B received from the electronic device 14b to the group members of group B. That is, regardless of whether the update program has been used for program update, when the same update program as the update program received once in the past is received again, the program is not updated with the same update program, and the same update program is not transmitted to other electronic devices.

[0102] (Processing of Electronic Devices) Next, the processing of the electronic device according to the third embodiment will be described.

[0103] First, the processing of the electronic device 14c that acquires the update program using FIG. 11 will be described. Note that the processing of the electronic device 14a is the same as the processing in FIG. 4, so the description thereof will be omitted.

[0104] The processing unit 40 detects the connection of the external device 12B (step S600).

[0105] The processing unit 40 determines whether to execute the update program B of the external device 12B (step S602). Specifically, the processing unit 40 performs confirmation processing on the user as to whether to execute the update program B of the external device 12B. For example, the processing unit 40 causes the output unit 24 to display a message for confirming with the user whether to execute the update program B.

[0106] When the processing unit 40 does not execute the update program B of the external device 12B, that is, when the user selects not to execute the update program B (step S602; No), the processing unit 40 performs processing according to the user's instruction (step S604), and ends the processing regarding the update program B of the external device 12B. The processing according to the user's instruction may include, for example, continuing the processing before the external device 12B is inserted.

[0107] When the processing unit 40 executes the update program B of the external device 12B, that is, when the user selects to execute the update program B (step S602; Yes), the processing unit 40 decrypts the update program B (step S606). Note that when the update program B is not encrypted, the processing unit 40 performs the processing of step S608.

[0108] The acquisition unit 42 acquires the update program B from the external device 12B (step S608). The acquisition unit 42 outputs the update program B to the storage unit 26 of the electronic device 14c.

[0109] The determination unit 44 determines whether to update the program of the electronic device 14c (step S610). The determination unit 44 determines whether to update the program of the electronic device 14c by determining whether the update program B stored in the external device 12B is compatible, that is, whether the update program B stored in the external device 12B is valid.

[0110] When the determination unit 44 determines not to update the program of the electronic device 14c (step S610; No), the processing unit 40 generates a message indicating that the program of the electronic device 14c will not be updated, and displays it on the output unit 24 (step S612), and ends the processing. The message generated by the processing unit 40 of the electronic device 14c may be, for example, "Incompatible update program". The case where the program of the electronic device 14c is not updated may include, for example, when the update program B is invalid after the decryption process.

[0111] When the determination unit 44 determines to update the program of the electronic device 14c (step S610; Yes), the update unit 46 overwrites and automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14c (step S614). At this time, the processing unit 40 activates the update function provided in the electronic device 14c.

[0112] The communication unit 20 transmits the update program B to other electronic devices via the wireless communication unit (step S616). Specifically, the communication unit 20 reads the update program B from the storage unit 26 of the electronic device 14c and transmits it to other electronic devices belonging to the same group B. The communication unit 20 transmits the update program B to the destination using the group ID stored in other electronic devices. The communication unit 20 transmits the update program B to, for example, the electronic device 14b that stores the same group ID (the ID of the second group) as the electronic device 14c. Note that the communication unit 20 may transmit the update program B to other electronic devices using the terminal ID as the destination.

[0113] The determination unit 44 determines whether the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14c has received the update program B (step S618). When the determination unit 44 determines that the communication unit 20 has not received the update program B (step S618; No), the process ends.

[0114] When the determination unit 44 determines that the communication unit 20 has received the update program B (step S618; Yes), the update unit 46 does not update the program (step S620), and the communication unit 20 does not transmit the update program B to other electronic devices (step S622), and the process ends.

[0115] Next, the process of the electronic device 14b that receives the update program will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

[0116] Step S700 in FIG. 12 is the same process as step S200 in FIG. 5, so the description is omitted.

[0117] The communication unit 20 receives the update program B of group B (step S702). The communication unit 20 receives the update program B transmitted from the electronic device 14c.

[0118] The determination unit 44 determines that a plurality of update programs have been received within a predetermined period (step S704). The determination unit 44 determines that the electronic device 14b has received a plurality of update programs within a predetermined period. Specifically, the determination unit 44 determines that the update program B has been received within a predetermined period after the communication unit 20 has received the update program A.

[0119] The determination unit 44 determines the conditions (step S706). The determination unit 44 determines the conditions for which update program to use for the update among the plurality of received update programs. Examples of the conditions here include the communication frequency and the order of reception. For example, the determination unit 44 determines the communication frequency with respect to the plurality of groups to which it belongs. Alternatively, the determination unit 44 determines which update program the electronic device 14b received earliest. Furthermore, the determination unit 44 may cause the user of the electronic device 14b to determine which update program to use for the update via the output unit 24. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 44 determines that the update program B meets the conditions because the number of communications (communication frequency) with the electronic devices of group B is greater than that of group A in a predetermined past period for the electronic device 14b.

[0120] Step S708 is the same process as step S202 in FIG. 5 as long as the update program B meets the conditions, so the description is omitted.

[0121] The update unit 46 updates the program of the electronic device 14b with an update program that satisfies the conditions (step S710). The update unit 46 overwrites and automatically updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program B that satisfies the conditions. When the communication unit 20 receives the update program A corresponding to group A and the update program B corresponding to group B for the electronic device 14b within a predetermined period, the update unit 46 updates the program of the electronic device 14b with an update program that satisfies the predetermined conditions. The update unit 46 updates the program with the update program of the group with a higher communication frequency, for example. Also, for example, the update unit 46 updates with the update program that the communication unit 20 received earliest. Also, for example, the update unit 46 updates with the update program selected by the user. In the present embodiment, the update unit 46 updates the program of the electronic device 14b with the update program B. At this time, the processing unit 40 activates the update function provided in the electronic device 14b.

[0122] The communication unit 20 transmits the update program that satisfies the conditions to other electronic devices in the group (step S712). Specifically, the communication unit 20 transmits the program that satisfies the conditions, that is, the update program used to update the electronic device 14b (update program B in the present embodiment) from the storage unit 26 to other electronic devices in the group (group B in the present embodiment). The group here refers to the group to which the electronic device that transmitted the update program belongs. The communication unit 20 selects group B from the plurality of groups to which the electronic device 14b belongs, addresses the update program B to group B (electronic device 14c), and ends the process. The communication unit 20 transmits the update program B based on the ID stored in the own electronic device. For example, the electronic device 14c that stores the same group ID (ID of group B) as the destination of the update program transmitted by the electronic device 14b receives the update program B. Note that the communication unit 20 may transmit the update program that satisfies the conditions to other electronic devices based on the terminal ID.

[0123] When the determination unit 44 determines that the communication unit 20 has been updated with an update program that satisfies the condition (step S708; Yes), the update unit 46 does not update the program (step S714), and the communication unit 20 does not transmit the update program that satisfies the condition to other electronic devices in the group (step S716), and the process ends.

[0124] As described above, in the third embodiment, the electronic device (electronic device 14b) belonging to a plurality of groups receives a plurality of update programs. At this time, the electronic device 14b updates the program of the electronic device 14b with an update program that satisfies the condition. When the electronic device 14b updates the program of the electronic device 14b with an update program that satisfies the condition, the electronic device 14b transmits the update program only to other electronic devices (electronic device 14c) belonging to the corresponding group. In addition, the electronic device 14a is updated with the update program A, but the update program A is not transmitted to the electronic device 14c. On the other hand, the electronic device 14a transmits the update program A to the electronic device 14b. That is, it is possible to control so that the update program is transmitted only within the group A. In addition, the electronic device 14c is updated with the update program B, but the update program B is not transmitted to the electronic device 14a. On the other hand, the electronic device 14c transmits the update program B to the electronic device 14b. That is, it is possible to control so that the update program is transmitted only within the group B. That is, by connecting the external device 12 storing the update program corresponding to each group to one electronic device 14 representing each group, it can be said that the range for transmitting the update program can be controlled.

[0125] [Other examples] In the above embodiment, when a plurality of update programs are received, the update program used for the update is transmitted to other electronic devices. For example, when the electronic device 14b receives the update program A and the update program B within a predetermined period and updates the program with the update program B, the electronic device 14b transmits the update program B used for the update to the electronic device 14c. In another example, the electronic device 14b transmits the update program A that has not been used for the update to other electronic devices belonging to group A. That is, in another example, when the communication unit 20 of the electronic device 14b receives the respective update programs from the electronic devices in group A and the electronic devices in group B, the update program that has not been used for the update may be transmitted to the group that transmitted the update program.

[0126] As a result, other electronic devices in group A that could not receive the update program A from the electronic device 14a can receive the update program A transmitted from the electronic device 14b and update the program.

[0127] In addition, when the electronic device 14 transmits an update program to other electronic devices, it may confirm whether other electronic devices belonging to the same group accept the update of the update program. As a result, it becomes possible to transmit the update program only to the electronic devices that have accepted the program update. Also, when all the electronic devices belonging to the same group reject the acceptance of the update, it is also possible not to transmit the update program. When confirming the acceptance of the update program, the acceptance status of the update program may be displayed on the output unit 24 of the electronic device 14 that tried to transmit the update program to notify the user.

[0128] In addition, the electronic device 14 belonging to a plurality of groups and receiving a plurality of update programs may confirm whether to accept the update of the update program for each group when transmitting the update program to other electronic devices. As a result, only the electronic devices belonging to the group that has accepted the program update can update the program.

[0129] Furthermore, for the electronic devices 14 belonging to a plurality of groups, a group that does not accept program updates in advance may be set. Thereby, the electronic device 14 can be excluded from receiving the update program transmitted from the group before receiving the update program. That is, the electronic device 14 can receive only the necessary update programs.

[0130] <Effect> The electronic device according to the present embodiment includes a determination unit 44 that determines whether or not to update the program of the electronic device 14, an update unit 46 that updates the program with an update program based on the determination result of the determination unit 44, and a communication unit that communicates with other electronic devices belonging to the group. When the determination unit 44 determines that the program has not been updated with the update program, the update unit 46 updates the program with the update program acquired from the external device 12 by the communication unit 20 or the update program received by the communication unit 20. When the update unit 46 updates the program, the communication unit 20 transmits the update program to other electronic devices belonging to the group.

[0131] Thereby, when one electronic device is selected and the program is updated, the programs of other electronic devices can also be automatically updated.

[0132] The electronic device according to the present embodiment belongs to group A and group B. When the update unit 46 receives the update program A only from other electronic devices within group A to which the electronic device belongs by the communication unit 20, the update unit 46 updates the program with the received update program A. The communication unit 20 transmits the update program A to other electronic devices within group B to which the electronic device belongs. Thereby, the electronic devices belonging to group B can receive the update program common to the electronic devices from the electronic devices belonging to group A. That is, even if the groups to which the electronic devices belong are different, the update programs common to the electronic devices belonging to different groups can be transmitted and received. Thereby, by simply updating one electronic device with the update program, other electronic devices belonging to different groups can also receive the update program and update the program. That is, the programs of a plurality of electronic devices can be appropriately updated.

[0133] The update unit of the electronic device according to this embodiment is the communication unit 20. When the electronic device 14 receives both the update program A corresponding to group A and the update program B corresponding to group B within a predetermined period, it updates the program with the update program that satisfies the predetermined conditions. Thereby, the electronic device 14 can update the program of the electronic device with an appropriate update program.

[0134] When the communication unit 20 of the electronic device according to this embodiment receives the same update program as the update program received in the past, it does not transmit the same update program to other electronic devices. Thereby, since the processing can be sequentially terminated from the electronic device that has completed the update of the program of the electronic device with the update program, the transfer of the update program is not repeated. That is, the programs of a plurality of electronic devices can be appropriately updated.

[0135] The update method of the electronic device according to this embodiment includes a step of determining whether to update the program of the electronic device 14, a step of updating the program with the update program based on the determination result of the determining step, and a step of communicating with other electronic devices belonging to the group and the external device 12. In the updating step, when it is determined in the determining step that the program has not been updated, the program is updated with the update program acquired from the external device 12 or the update program received from other electronic devices in the communicating step. In the communicating step, the update program that has updated the program in the updating step is transmitted to other electronic devices belonging to the group.

[0136] Thereby, when one electronic device is selected and the program is updated, the programs of other electronic devices can also be automatically updated. That is, the programs of a plurality of electronic devices can be appropriately updated.

[0137] Each component of each of the illustrated devices is functionally conceptual and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figures. That is, the specific form of the distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figures, and all or part of it can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads, usage situations, etc. Note that the configuration by this distribution and integration may be performed dynamically.

[0138] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited by the contents of these embodiments. In addition, the above-described components include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or changes of the components can be made without departing from the gist of the above-described embodiments.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0139] 1, 1A, 1B Communication system 10, 10B Management device 12, 12B External device 14, 14a, 14b, 14c Electronic device 20 Communication unit 22 Operation unit 24 Output unit 26 Storage unit 30 Control unit 40 Processing unit 42 Acquisition unit 44 Determination unit 46 Update unit 48 Output control unit A First group B Second group

Claims

1. To determine whether or not the programs of electronic devices belonging to the first group and the second group have been updated. A determination unit, Based on the determination result of the determination unit, the update unit updates the program with the update program. , other electronic devices belonging to the first and second groups, and communication with external devices Equipped with a communications unit, The update unit determines that the program has not been updated by the update program. The communication unit determines that the electronic device corresponds to the first group within a predetermined period. Both the first update program and the second update program corresponding to the second group are received. If trusted, the program will be updated with an update program that meets the specified conditions, and When the update unit updates the program, the communication unit will use the update program used for the update. The Gram transmits the update program to the other electronic devices belonging to the corresponding group. Child equipment.

2. The update program that satisfies the predetermined conditions is communicated by the communication unit within the predetermined period In this regard, the communication frequency with the other electronic devices belonging to the first group, and the second group The frequency of communication with other electronic devices belonging to the same group is compared, and the group with a high communication frequency is determined. The aforementioned update program, The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The update unit communicates with other electronic devices in the first group to which the electronic device belongs via the communication unit. If only the aforementioned update is received, the received update will update the program Update the ram, The communication unit, once the update unit has updated the program, will communicate to the second electronic device to which the electronic device belongs. Send the update program to other electronic devices in the group. The electronic device according to claim 1.

4. The communication unit has received an update program that is identical to the update program that was previously received. In that case, the same update program will not be sent to the other electronic devices. The electronic device according to claims 1 to 3.

5. Determining whether or not the programs of electronic devices belonging to the first group and the second group have been updated. The steps, Based on the determination result of the aforementioned determination step, the program is updated with the update program. The steps, Other electronic devices belonging to the first and second groups, and external devices, communicate This includes the following steps: In the update step, in the determination step, the update program is used The program was determined not to have been updated. In the communication step, the electronic device corresponds to the first group within a predetermined period of time. Both the first update program and the second update program corresponding to the second group are received. If trusted, the program will be updated with an update program that meets the specified conditions, and In the step of communicating, if the program is updated in the update step, The update program used for the aforementioned update has been installed on the other electronic devices belonging to the corresponding group. How to update electronic devices that send update programs.

Images