COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

摘要

The present invention relates to a communication system or the like comprising a plurality of communication apparatuses that are sequentially connected via a wireless or wired communication line and that use their respective firmwares stored therein to operate. The present invention facilitates the updating of those firmwares. The version number information of the firmwares stored in communication apparatuses adjacent to a local communication apparatus is acquired from those adjacent communication apparatuses, while the version number information of the firmware stored in the local communication apparatus is also acquired. Then, the firmware version numbers of the adjacent communication apparatuses are compared with the firmware version number of the local communication apparatus, and if they are not identical, the firmware having the latest one of those version numbers is forwarded between the local communication apparatus and the adjacent communication apparatuses.