JP2003324567A - Image-generating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image-generating apparatus having the function of automatically obtaining software on the host side and the side of the image- generating apparatus, writing the software into a recording medium, and printing information on the software recorded onto the created recording medium to a label for the record medium. <P>SOLUTION: The image-generating apparatus comprises a storage means 18 for storing files; a communication processing means 17 for exchanging information with a database 3; a ROM 12 for storing a program for periodically updating software to be used; and a control means 11 for controlling each unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus that requires arbitrary software on the host PC side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an image generating apparatus is used as a printer or a scanner by connecting it to a PC, it can be used without any problem if the PC has software (driver or the like) for operating the printer or the scanner. Market demand and P
Due to the change of the C environment, not only the driver but also various kinds of software are often provided.

[0003]

In most cases, various kinds of software are supplied as a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and the latest version is often downloaded by WEB or the like, but the quantity of supplied software increases year by year. Since there is a tendency, it is difficult for the user side to always secure the latest version of the software, and it is possible to distribute the acquired software to each user with an OS or a commercially available application to some extent. This is not a reliable method, and it may be necessary to change the program on the image generation device side.

Therefore, in the present invention, the software on the host side and the image generating apparatus side are automatically obtained, the software is written in the recording medium, and the information about the software contained in the created recording medium is used for the recording medium. An object is to provide an image generation device having a function of printing on a label.

More specifically, the first object of the present invention is to provide an image generating apparatus capable of downloading required software from a database and storing the downloaded file in a storage means (HDD or the like).

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a recording medium generating device (CD-
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image generation apparatus capable of writing the software stored in the storage unit according to claim 1 in a recording medium by including an R drive or the like.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an image generating apparatus which comprises a recording medium generating apparatus and can write only necessary software in the recording medium.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an image generating apparatus which is provided with a recording medium generating apparatus and is capable of selecting a format for writing the software stored in the storage means to the recording medium and writing the software in the recording medium. .

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an image generating apparatus capable of printing the information of the software contained in the created recording medium.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide an image generating apparatus capable of creating a label for a recording medium to which information of software recorded in the created recording medium is added.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 has a storage means for storing a file, a communication processing means for exchanging information with a database, and a software to be used on a regular basis. The most main feature is an image generating apparatus that includes a ROM that stores a program for updating the image and a control unit that controls each unit.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the image generating apparatus is provided with a recording medium generating apparatus that generates all updated software on a recording medium.

A third aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the image generating apparatus is provided with a recording medium generating apparatus that generates only necessary software on a recording medium.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the image generating apparatus having a recording medium generating apparatus that generates software in an optimum format on a recording medium based on the acquired information is a main feature. To do.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the image generating apparatus having a print processing means for printing the information of the software recorded in the generated recording medium on a paper is a main feature. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, the image generating apparatus having a print processing unit for generating a print label for the generated recording medium is a main feature.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image generation system. This system, as shown in FIG.
It comprises a C1, an image generating device 2, and a database 3. The host PC 1, the image generation device 2, and the database 3 are communication I / Fs.
Connected by.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the image generating apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The image generating apparatus 2 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, and a RAM 1 as shown in FIG.
3, NVRAM 14, operation unit 15, print processing unit 16, communication processing unit 17, storage device 18, recording medium generation device 19.

The image generating apparatus 2 has a function of displaying a screen as shown in FIG.
The presence / absence of printing a label for a recording medium and the selection of software to be updated can be input. The input information includes the period for updating the software and creating the recording medium (1
Day, week, month, etc.). When the input is complete,
The image generation device 2 writes the input information in the NVRAM 14.

The contents of each control by the CPU 11 will be described below. First, the invention of claim 1 will be described. The image generating apparatus 2 activates the program A stored in the ROM 12, and the program A determines which software should be updated based on the information recorded in the NVRAM 14. For example, assuming that the driver A is updated to the latest version on a weekly basis, the program A compares the update date and time of the driver A with the current date and time.

At this time, if the update date and time and the current date and time exceed a week or more, it is written in the RAM 13 that the driver A is the update target software. The program A confirms the necessity of updating all the software (software A to Z), and transmits the information of the software to be updated to the database 3 through the communication processing unit 17.

When the database 3 receives this information, it sends the latest information (eg version number) to the image generating apparatus 2. The program A searches which software needs to be updated based on the information received from the database 3. Software B and Software C
Suppose that has been updated. At this time, the program A confirms whether the software B and the software C are written in the storage device 18.

If the software to be updated is in the storage device 18, the software is deleted, and the program A sends to the database 3 a command to send the latest software B and software C files to the image generating device 2.

When the database 3 receives the transmission request command from the image generating apparatus 2, the database 3 transmits the file data of the latest version software B and software C to the image generating apparatus 2. When the transmission of the file data is completed, the fact is notified to the program A, and the program A confirms whether the received data is normal.

After confirming the normal reception, the program A stores the data, that is, the files of the software B and the software C in the storage device 18, and the update date and time of the software B and the software C, version information and the recording medium. The writing format is written in the NVRAM 14.

Next, the invention of claim 2 will be described. The image generating apparatus 2 activates the program B stored in the ROM 12, and the program B determines whether to create a recording medium based on the information recorded in the NVRAM 14. For example, assuming that the recording medium is created on a monthly basis, the program B compares the update date and time of the previously created recording medium generating device 19 with the current date and time.

At this time, if the update date and time and the current date and time exceed one month, the program B is recorded in the recording medium generating device 1.
It is confirmed whether or not the recording medium is inserted in the recording medium 9, and it is confirmed that the recording medium is writable.

The program B confirms whether the required software file exists in the storage device 18 according to the information recorded in the NVRAM 14. If the required software does not exist in the storage device, the program B is started and the process is ended.

If the software is all present in the storage device 18, the program B writes the file stored in the storage device 18 to the recording medium. When the writing is normally completed, the program B updates the information of the date and time when the recording medium is created in the NVRAM 14, and issues a recording medium ejection command to the recording medium generation device 19. Upon receiving the command, the recording medium generation device 19 ejects the written recording medium.

Next, the invention of claim 3 will be described. The image generating apparatus 2 activates the program B stored in the ROM 12, and the program B determines whether to create a recording medium based on the information recorded in the NVRAM 14. For example, assuming that the recording medium is created on a monthly basis, the program B compares the update date and time of the previously created recording medium with the current date and time.

At this time, if the update date and time and the current date and time exceed one month, the program B is recorded in the recording medium generating device 1.
It is confirmed whether or not the recording medium is inserted in the recording medium 9, and it is confirmed that the recording medium is writable.

According to the information recorded in the NVRAM 14, the program B confirms whether or not the file of software that needs to be updated exists in the storage device 18. If the required software does not exist in the storage device 18, the program B is activated and the process is terminated.

If all the software to be updated exists, the program B writes the file stored in the storage device 18 to the recording medium. When the writing is normally completed, the program B updates the information of the date and time when the recording medium is created in the NVRAM 14, and issues a recording medium ejection command to the recording medium generation device 19. Upon receiving the command, the recording medium generation device 19 ejects the written recording medium.

The invention of claim 4 will be further described. The image generating apparatus 2 activates the program B stored in the ROM 12, and the program B determines the format of the recording medium to be created based on the information recorded in the NVRAM 14.

For example, when writing the software B and the software C in the recording medium, if the formats of the software B and the software C written in the recording medium are the format B and the format C, respectively, the program B
Decides which format to write, and here format D is selected.

If all the software to be updated exists, the program B writes the file stored in the storage device 18 in the format D to the recording medium. When writing is completed normally, program B is NVRAM
The information on the date and time when the recording medium is created is updated in 14 and a recording medium ejection command is issued to the recording medium generation device 19. Upon receiving the command, the recording medium generation device 19 ejects the written recording medium.

Further, the invention of claim 5 will be described. The image generating apparatus 2 activates the program C stored in the ROM 12, and the program C determines whether to print the label for the recording medium based on the information recorded in the NVRAM 14. If "print" is selected, the information about the software recorded in the recording medium is printed after the recording medium is created according to the invention of claims 2, 3 and 4.

The program C acquires the date and time of creation of the recording medium recorded in the NVRAM 14 and the updated software information, and acquires the information (for example, model name) of the image generating apparatus 2 stored in the ROM 12. When the program C acquires the information from the ROM 12, the image data is expanded in the RAM 14 and necessary information (for example, update date, updated software name, version number, etc.) is added to the image data.

After the creation of the image data is completed, it is confirmed whether or not the paper is set in the paper feed destination of the print processing section 16. If it is not set, the image data created in the RAM 13 is saved in the storage device 18, and the operation unit 15 is notified that no paper is set. If the paper is set in the paper feed destination, a command to execute printing is issued to the print processing unit 16 and the information regarding the recorded software is printed.

Finally, the invention of claim 6 will be described.
The image generating apparatus 2 activates the program D stored in the ROM 12, and the program D determines whether to print the label for the recording medium based on the information recorded in the NVRAM 14. If "Print" is selected,
After creating the recording medium according to the invention of claims 2, 3 and 4,
Print the label to be attached to the recording medium.

The program D obtains the creation date and time of the recording medium recorded in the NVRAM 14 and the updated software information, and stores the information (for example, model name) of the image generating device 2 stored in the ROM 12 and the recording medium label. Get print format data. The program D stores the print format data of the label for the recording medium in the ROM.
When acquired from 12, the image data is expanded in the RAM 13, and necessary information (for example, creation date, updated software name, version number, format in which the recording medium generating device is created) is added to the image data. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a recording medium. A label on which the above-mentioned various data are printed is attached to the recording medium 21.

After the image data has been created, it is confirmed whether or not label printing paper is set in the paper feed destination of the print processing section 16. RAM1 if not set
The image data created in 3 is stored in the storage device 18, and the operation unit 15 is notified that the label printing paper is not set. If the paper is set in the paper feed destination, a command to execute printing is issued to the print processing unit 16 to print the recording medium label.

[0043]

As described above, in the image generating apparatus according to the first aspect, since the communication processing means and the storage means are provided, the latest software can be automatically updated from the database.

In the image generating apparatus according to the second aspect, since the recording medium generating apparatus is provided, the software downloaded from the database can be generated in the recording medium.

According to another aspect of the image generating apparatus of the present invention, the recording medium generating apparatus is provided, and by having information on which software is updated and written in the recording medium, only the required software is downloaded from the database, and the downloaded software is downloaded. Can be generated on a recording medium.

According to another aspect of the image generating apparatus of the present invention, the recording medium generating apparatus is provided, and by acquiring information on which software corresponds to the format created on the recording medium, only the necessary software is downloaded from the database. In addition, the downloaded software can be generated on the recording medium in an appropriate format.

In the image generating apparatus of the fifth aspect, since the print processing means is provided, it is possible to confirm the information of the software recorded in the created recording medium.

In the image generating apparatus according to the sixth aspect, since the print processing means is provided, the label for the created recording medium can be printed. Therefore, by attaching the printed label to the recording medium, You can just see when the software has changed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image generation system.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the image generation apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display screen of an operation unit.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a recording medium.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Host PC 2 Image generation device 3 database 11 CPU (control means) 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 NVRAM 15 Operation part 16 Print processing unit (print processing means) 17 Communication processing unit (communication processing means) 18 Storage device (storage means) 19 Recording medium generation device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A storage means for storing a file, a communication processing means for exchanging information with a database, a ROM for storing a program for periodically updating software to be used, and a control means for controlling each unit. An image generating apparatus comprising: 2. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording medium generating apparatus that generates all updated software on a recording medium. 3. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording medium generating apparatus that generates only necessary software on a recording medium. 4. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording medium generating apparatus that generates software in an optimum format on a recording medium based on the acquired information. 5. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a print processing unit that prints information of the software recorded in the generated recording medium on paper. 6. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising print processing means for generating a print label for the generated recording medium.