Image forming apparatus, tracking apparatus, managing apparatus and method of updating firmware of image forming apparatus

摘要

A firmware update method of an image forming apparatus includes determining whether firmware update of the image forming apparatus is necessary, acquiring a firmware block distributor list from the tracking apparatus, receiving firmware blocks from the other image forming apparatuses, based on the acquired firmware block distributor list, and generating new firmware by combining the received firmware blocks and performing firmware update using the generated, new firmware.

主权项

1. A firmware update method of an image forming apparatus connectable to a tracking apparatus and other image forming apparatuses, comprising:
determining whether firmware update of the image forming apparatus is necessary; transmitting firmware update status to the tracking apparatus; acquiring a firmware block distributor list from the tracking apparatus; receiving firmware blocks from the other image forming apparatuses, based on the acquired firmware block distributor list; and generating new firmware by combining the received firmware blocks and performing firmware update using the generated, new firmware; wherein the firmware block distributor list is generated by selecting image forming apparatuses that have not updated firmware; wherein the determining comprises, when update information is received from a managing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus, determining that firmware update is necessary; wherein the update information comprises firmware version information, firmware data information, access information of the tracking apparatus, continuous seed information according to which firmware blocks are continuously transmitted without having firmware update, filter information that restricts network range of the image forming apparatuses to provide firmware blocks, and firmware download start information.