Firmware update server and firmware update system

Abstract

This enables firmware updates via the network even for electronic devices that have restricted access to common connections. [Solution] A firmware update server that publishes firmware files for firmware updates to electronic devices capable of firmware updates, wherein the published firmware files include a special file that identifies the electronic device to be updated and a common file that does not identify the electronic device to be updated, and further includes a firmware information file that lists the storage locations of all published firmware files, and the storage locations of the special file and the common file are separated in the firmware information file.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a firmware update server and a firmware update system.

Background Art

[0002] In electronic devices such as home appliances, firmware for controlling the hardware inside the device is pre-installed. In recent years, there are also electronic devices incorporating updatable firmware. Regarding firmware update (hereinafter referred to as firmware upgrade) in electronic devices, conventionally, the electronic device (or a network device connected to the electronic device) connects to a site where the firmware file is stored and accesses it to download the file and execute the update, etc. (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In conventional firmware upgrades, the firmware file is stored in a common update server or the like, and the electronic device is connected to such a common connection destination. In the case of a common connection destination, it was affected by the user's network environment, such as when it could not be accessed from the user's network from a security perspective or when connected via a proxy. When an electronic device could not access the common connection destination, for such an electronic device, the update was performed by a service technician or the like visiting the installation location of the electronic device and executing the update at the installation location. Such an update is naturally time-consuming and has led to an increase in service costs.

[0005] This disclosure was made in view of the above-mentioned issues and aims to enable firmware updates via a network even for electronic devices that have restricted access to common connections. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the firmware update server, which is a first aspect of this disclosure, is a firmware update server that publishes firmware files for updates to electronic devices that can be firmware updated, and the published firmware files include a special file that identifies the electronic device to be updated and a common file that does not identify the electronic device to be updated, and further includes a firmware information file that lists the storage locations of all published firmware files, and the firmware information file is characterized in that the storage locations of the special file and the storage locations of the common file are separated.

[0007] A firmware update system according to a second aspect of this disclosure comprises a firmware update server described above, an electronic device that receives a firmware update by a firmware file made public by the firmware update server, and a management server that acquires firmware information from the firmware update server and, based on the acquired firmware information, notifies the electronic device of the location where the firmware file for the update is stored, wherein the management server can notify only specific electronic devices that are to be updated of the location where the special file is stored.

[0008] Furthermore, the firmware update system described above can be configured to allow setting the storage location of the special file for a specific electronic device.

[0009] Furthermore, the above-mentioned firmware update system can be configured such that the storage location for the common files is set within the region where the electronic device is installed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The firmware update server and firmware update system disclosed herein have the effect of enabling remote firmware updates even for electronic devices with restricted network connectivity, by setting separate storage locations for special files (individual connection destinations) from storage locations for common files (common connection destinations) and notifying only specific electronic devices targeted for updates of the storage locations for special files. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the firmware update system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram of network equipment and MFPs. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the firmware update operation flow in the firmware update system. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a folder structure on a file sharing server. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the firmware update system (hereinafter referred to as "the System") according to the present embodiment.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, this system includes a file publishing server (firmware update server) 10, a management server 20, network equipment 30, and an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) 40. The file publishing server 10 has a control unit 101 and a storage unit 102, and the management server 20 has a control unit 201 and a storage unit 202.

[0014] The control unit 101 controls the entire file publishing server 10 and implements various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 102 (e.g., storage or ROM). Similarly, the control unit 201 controls the entire management server 20 and implements various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 202 (e.g., storage or ROM). The control units 101 and 201 may be implemented by one or more control devices / arithmetic units (CPU (Central Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip)). Also, the control units 101 and 201 may be composed of one or more control circuits. The file publishing server 10 and the management server 20 may be built as cloud servers on the internet.

[0015] The network device 30 can connect to the file sharing server 10 and the management server 20 via the internet. The MFP 40 is connected to the network device 30. A LAN (Local Area Network) or similar can be used to connect the network device 30 and the MFP 40.

[0016] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the network device 30 and the MFP 40. As shown in Figure 2, the network device 30 has a control unit 301, a storage unit 302, a first communication unit 303, and a second communication unit 304. The MFP 40 has a control unit 401, a storage unit 402, an image forming unit 403, and a communication unit 404.

[0017] In the network device 30, the control unit 301 controls the entire network device 30 and realizes various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 302 (for example, a storage or a ROM). The first communication unit 303 communicates via the Internet. In this system, communication with the file publication server 10 and the management server 20 is performed by the first communication unit 303. The second communication unit 304 communicates with the MFP 40.

[0018] In the MFP 40, the control unit 401 controls the entire MFP 40 and realizes various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 402 (for example, a storage or a ROM). The image forming unit 403 is hardware controlled by firmware in this embodiment. The firmware that controls the image forming unit 403 is stored in the storage unit 402. The communication unit 404 communicates with the network device 30.

[0019] The control unit 301 and the control unit 401 may be realized by one or more control devices / arithmetic devices (CPUs, SoCs). Further, the control unit 301 and the control unit 401 may be composed of one or more control circuits.

[0020] In Figure 1, there is only one network device 30, but this system may include multiple network devices 30. Also, in Figure 1, one MFP 40 is connected to one network device 30, but multiple MFP 40 may be connected to one network device 30. Furthermore, the MFP 40 in this embodiment is just one example of a device (electronic device) that receives firmware updates, and the type of device that receives firmware updates is not particularly limited. The device that receives firmware updates only needs to have hardware that is controlled by firmware. In addition, in this embodiment, the MFP 40 is configured to connect to the internet via the network device 30, but the network device 30 is not essential, and the MFP 40 may be configured to connect to the internet directly.

[0021] The firmware update operation in this system will be described below. In this embodiment, the network device 30 acts as a proxy, and the MFP 40 connects to the internet via the network device 30 (accessing the file publishing server 10 or the management server 20). The network device 30 has pre-configured accessible URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), and connections to other URLs are prohibited. If the network device 30 is not used, the accessible URLs may be pre-configured on the MFP 40. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the firmware update operation flow in this system.

[0022] First, the firmware file for firmware update of the MFP 40 is published on the file publishing server 10. The file publishing server 10 is prepared by the provider of this system (for example, the manufacturer of the MFP 40, etc.). The firmware files published by the file publishing server 10 include those in which the MFP 40 to be updated is specified (special files) and those in which the MFP 40 to be updated is not specified (common files). In other words, the special file is a file for performing firmware update on a specific MFP 40 used by a specific tenant, and the above-mentioned special file may be a firmware file customized to make the MFP 40 perform operations according to the requirements of that specific tenant. In this case, the tenant refers to the person who owns and manages the MFP 40.

[0023] The management server 20 manages the MFP 40 included in this system and is prepared, for example, by a dealer of the MFP 40. In the firmware update operation of this system, the management server 20 accesses the file publishing server 10 periodically (for example, once a day), and acquires firmware information from the file publishing server 10 (step (1) in FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0024] A specific example of the operation of acquiring firmware information performed by the management server 20 is shown below. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the folder configuration in the file publishing server 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the file publishing server 10 publishes firmware information files and firmware update files (firmware files for update). A plurality of firmware update files may be published. In the example of FIG. 4, the firmware update files are stored in folders for each publication date.

[0025] The firmware information file here is a text file listing the URLs (relative or absolute paths) of all publicly available firmware update files. Each firmware update file contains a JSON file, a TXT file, and an SFU file. The JSON file contains firmware information, the TXT file contains firmware version information, and the SFU file is the main firmware file. The SFU file may be split into multiple files.

[0026] In this embodiment, the acquisition of firmware information by the management server 20 is performed by the following operation. First, the management server 20 acquires a firmware information file. The management server 20 acquires all JSON and TXT files for firmware updates that are described in the acquired firmware information file but are not stored in the management server 20. That is, the management server 20 stores in the storage unit 202 the firmware information described in the firmware information files acquired in the past (up to the previous time), and can acquire any new firmware information that has been added to the firmware information file acquired this time.

[0027] The management server 20 obtains firmware information from the file publishing server 10. If there is new firmware (firmware to be updated) in the obtained firmware information, the management server 20 notifies the network device 30 of the new firmware information (step (2) in Figures 1 and 3). Specifically, the management server 20 notifies the MFP 40 (or network device 30) of the value of “common-info.download_url” contained in the json file. If the sfu file, which is the firmware itself, is a split file, this value will be “multiple”. In that case, all the values ​​of “package_info.download_files[0-4].download_url” in the json file are notified to the MFP 40. The notification of new firmware information from the management server 20 to the MFP 40 may be performed in response to an operation on the MFP 40 by the tenant administrator (MFP user).

[0028] Furthermore, in the firmware information file, the firmware update file, which is a special file, also includes the address (MAC address, serial number, etc.) of the specific MFP40 to which the special file will be updated. Therefore, the management server 20 notifies only the specific MFP40 to which the special file is to be updated of the location where the special file is stored.

[0029] Upon receiving notification of new firmware information from the management server 20, the MFP40 (or network device 30) accesses the file sharing server 10 and downloads the firmware (i.e., the sfu file) from the URL indicated in the notification (step (3) in Figures 1 and 3). The MFP40 then updates the firmware with the downloaded firmware.

[0030] In the firmware update operation described above, if the firmware to be updated is a special file customized for a specific MFP40, the information notification from the management server 20 in step (2) above will only be sent to that specific MFP40. At this time, the address of the management server 20 is one that MFP40s are allowed to connect to. Also, the specific MFP40 to which the management server 20 sends information notification is included in the firmware information of the JSON file. In step (2), the management server 20 notifies the MFP40 of the firmware storage location (the connection destination on the file publishing server 10), so the file publishing server 10 can change the firmware storage location according to the destination and installation location of the MFP40.

[0031] Furthermore, the file sharing server 10 can set the connection destination (URL) from the MFP40 when downloading the firmware in step (3) above to an individual connection destination assigned to a specific MFP40. This individual connection destination is pre-configured as an accessible URL on the MFP40 side. This makes it possible to remotely update the firmware on the MFP40 even if the network connection destinations are restricted on the MFP40.

[0032] Furthermore, if the firmware to be updated is a common file, the connection destination (URL) from the MFP40 used to download that firmware will be set as the common connection destination. In other words, the file publishing server 10 separates the individual connection destinations for special files from the common connection destinations for common files. This connection destination information can be configured from the cloud, and tenant administrators can configure it only for specific devices or specific groups of devices, allowing tenant administrators to configure the optimal settings for each device's usage environment.

[0033] Furthermore, in this system, with regard to special files, access from other MFP40s can be restricted by notifying only the specific MFP40s that require the update of the special files from the management server 20. In other words, the file publishing server 10 can update special files only to specific MFP40s without imposing any restrictions on the use of the special files. As a result, this system allows tenant administrators to reduce device management costs and firmware installation costs, and service providers to reduce the installation and management costs of this system.

[0034] [Second Embodiment] This system reduces constraints such as communication speed and import / export control by setting the common connection destination to a domestic site, etc.

[0035] If firmware files and other data are stored on a file sharing server 10, accessing them from the location where the MFP40 is installed may result in communication speed issues or require careful consideration regarding import and export. When using this system in a specific region, setting the common connection destination to the same domestic site as that region allows for the construction of a firmware update system without concerns about communication speed, import and export restrictions, etc.

[0036] For example, if a tenant owning and managing the MFP40 is in a specific region, a second site provided by the system provider (for example, a storage server managed by that specific tenant or a server built at the user's site) can be used as the common connection destination, or a local site provided individually by the tenant administrator can be specified, and the connection destination settings can be changed from the cloud. In other words, traditionally, firmware is stored on a storage server in the cloud and can be retrieved by accessing it, but if a server is built at the user's site, the connection can be switched to that local server. This provides users with a flexible and optimal firmware update environment.

[0037] [Third Embodiment] In this system, instead of updating only specific MFP40s or MFP40s belonging to specific tenants to common files (latest firmware, etc.), a system may be constructed that provides special files and maintains the latest version of derivative firmware. For example, an MFP40 with a specific individual connection configured will not be subject to updates to the common file even if the latest firmware (common file) is registered at the regular firmware site (common connection), unless new firmware is registered at that individual connection. This allows a specific MFP40 to always continue to have special firmware applied.

[0038] The special firmware in this embodiment may be firmware for devices provided to other companies, such as OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). In this case, the OEM may specify an individual storage site for the firmware files, or it may use a site provided by the supplier (for example, it may specify the server of the OEM manufacturer, or it may specify the update server provided by the MFP40 supplier). In other words, if a small-scale OEM's business is too large to build its own server, it can use the supplier's system, while a large-scale OEM may prepare its own server and provide a storage location for firmware files, etc. This allows the OEM to be provided with a firmware update system mechanism according to its size.

[0039] Furthermore, even within the same tenant, users can arbitrarily create different versions of the environment, such as by setting different connection destinations for each grouped device. In this system, connection destinations to the firmware update system can be individually configured not only for each device, but also for each tenant and group, making it possible to respond to user requests more flexibly.

[0040] In each of the embodiments described above, the connection destination settings for the MFP40 can be changed from the cloud service. Therefore, there is no need to perform connection work (for example, setting Group A to connect to server XXX, while Group B connects to server YYY) on-site (at the MFP40 installation location), which shortens and eliminates installation work and installation time. For example, by changing these settings from the cloud as part of the installation work, if a device is automatically defined as belonging to Group A when it connects to the cloud, these settings can be changed after connection. This can also lead to a reduction in maintenance costs.

[0041] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be restrictive. Therefore, the technical scope of this disclosure is not to be interpreted solely by the embodiments described above, but rather by the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 10. File sharing server (firmware update server) 101 Control Unit 102 Storage section 20 Management Server 201 Control Unit 202 Storage section 30 Network Equipment 301 Control Unit 302 Storage section 303 First Communications Department 304 Second Communications Department 40 MFP (electronic equipment) 401 Control Unit 402 Storage section 403 Image forming unit 404 Communications Department

Claims

1. A firmware update server that publishes firmware files for firmware updates to electronic devices capable of firmware updates, The firmware file to be made public includes a special file that identifies the electronic device to be updated and a common file that does not identify the electronic device to be updated. Furthermore, it has a firmware information file that lists the storage locations of all publicly available firmware files, A firmware update server characterized in that the storage location for the special file and the storage location for the common file are separated in the firmware information file.

2. The firmware update server described in claim 1, An electronic device that receives a firmware update via a firmware file published on the aforementioned firmware update server, The system includes a management server that obtains the firmware information file from the firmware update server and notifies the electronic device of the location where the firmware update file is stored based on the obtained firmware information file. The firmware update system is characterized in that the management server can notify only specific electronic devices to be updated of the storage location of the special file.

3. A firmware update system according to claim 2, A firmware update system characterized by the ability to set the storage location of the special file for a specific electronic device.

4. A firmware update system according to claim 2, A firmware update system characterized in that the storage location for the common file is set within the region where the electronic device is installed.

Images