JPH11110223A - Distribution update system for peripheral equipment operation software and computer readable storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distribution update system for peripheral equipment operation software in which a personal computer(PC) communicates with other equipment existing on a network, exchanges software information both have, acquires only a necessary software and can update it. SOLUTION: Under condition in which a printer device 1 and hosts (PC) A and B are connected to one another by way of a network 2 and the hosts A and B hold a printer operation software, in a system that distributes and updates all or part of software incorporated with the hosts A and B, or a module (program, image, file and the like) that the software uses by way of a network 2, the printer device 1 transmits update information for indicating that the latest software or module exists on the network 2 when the printer device 1 has been operated from the hosts A and B, and it is constituted that, based on this update information, the host A and B communicate with equipment on the network 2 so that they can acquire only a necessary software.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system in which a peripheral device and a personal computer are interconnected by a network so that the personal computer can obtain and update the latest peripheral device operation software from the network. The present invention relates to a peripheral device operation software distribution / update system and a recording medium on which a peripheral device operation software distribution / update program is recorded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a document file read into electronic information is read from a storage device such as a hard disk device or an optical disk device managed by a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a PC) and printed by a printer device, a user needs to use a PC.
Start up the printer operation software inside, and perform printing according to the software. The printer operation software has a function of displaying various information in the printer and setting various conditions such as paper used for printing and a paper cassette. For example, a plurality of printers can be connected via a network. , It is necessary that all PCs have printer operation software. In recent years, in this type of field, the user interface has been emphasized, and by displaying an image of the printer device on a display of a PC, the user tends to visually recognize the status of the printer device. . As a method for displaying the image, there is a method in which the image data of the printer is not stored on the PC, and the image data is received from the printer via the network every time the status of the printer changes. According to this method, it is not necessary to hold all the image data of the printer device on the PC, which facilitates data management and saves the capacity of the storage device, but it takes time to transfer the image data via the network. Because it takes
When the status of the printer device changes, the responsiveness from the start of the printer operation software to the display of the image is deteriorated. Therefore, all image data of the printer is stored in the storage device of the PC, only the code indicating the current status of the printer is transmitted from the printer to the PC, and the code is decoded by the printer operation software on the PC. Then, a method of reading and displaying the corresponding image data has been studied.

[0003]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional technology, when the printer operation software is updated, it is necessary to update the software of all PCs that use the printer device via the network. This is a problem that bothers the administrator. In order to solve this problem, an administrator groups all the PCs, distributes software from a specific server computer to the grouped PCs, and updates the software of all the PCs at once. Several proposals have been made (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
13768, JP-A-7-334436, JP-A-7-44392, etc.). However, when these methods are used, a new problem arises in that the software of a PC that is no longer used on the network or a PC that no longer uses the corresponding printer device is unconditionally updated. Also, when updating software, it is necessary that the PC holding the software to be updated is normally started up and is ready to receive and update new software. To do so, when distributing software from the server computer, the server computer must store the software status of all PCs serving as clients. Also,
If software is distributed from a specific server computer to all PCs on the network, an excessive load is imposed on the network, which hinders data transmission between other devices.

When the printer operation software has a function of displaying an image of the printer device on a display of a PC, if all the image data of the printer device is stored on the PC, the printer operation software starts up. Although the response from the raising to the display of the image is good, there is a possibility that an unnecessary image may be held. Such a possibility is that, for example, when the printer device can add several optional paper trays, the paper tray is added even though no optional paper tray is attached. In some cases, the image is stored on a PC. In order to avoid such a problem, it is possible to keep only the necessary images on the PC when installing the printer operation software, but after that, the printer administrator feeds the image to the printer device. When a tray or the like is added, it is necessary to install image data to which a paper feed tray or the like is added in all PCs. The present invention was conceived to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional technology. The problem is that the PC communicates with other devices existing on the network to exchange software information held by each other. It is another object of the present invention to provide a peripheral device operating software distribution / update system capable of acquiring and updating only necessary software and a recording medium recording a peripheral device operating software distribution / update program.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for distributing and updating peripheral device operation software, wherein a peripheral device and a PC are connected to each other via a network. In a situation where the PC holds peripheral device operation software for operating a device, all or a part of the peripheral device operation software incorporated in the PC, or the peripheral device operation A system for distributing and updating modules (programs, images, files, etc.) used by software via the network, wherein the peripheral device is operated from the PC using the peripheral device operation software. When the peripheral device is operated,
For C, all or part of the latest peripheral device operation software intended to operate the peripheral device, or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software exists on the network. It is characterized by transmitting update information indicating the fact. In the system according to claim 1, when the peripheral device is operated from the PC using the peripheral device operation software, if the latest peripheral device operation software and the latest module are present on the network, the fact is described. Is transmitted from the peripheral device to the PC, and the PC, based on the update information, displays the peripheral device existing on the network and other Ps.
C, by communicating with server computers, etc., and exchanging each other's software information, the latest necessary peripheral device operation software and the latest modules can be obtained. As described above, the PC communicates with other devices existing on the network, exchanges software information possessed by each other, and obtains necessary software.
The above peripheral device operation software does not need to manage the version of the printer operation software. Further, a host device such as a software management server is not required. Also, even if some trouble occurs on the PC on which the peripheral device operation software is installed and some software is erased or destroyed, if the peripheral device operation software has a check function, its own software It is also possible to update the software information and use it to automatically restore the corrupted software. In addition, since the peripheral device operation software is updated when the user of each PC starts up the peripheral device operation software, the software update of all PCs on the network may be performed simultaneously. And the time is distributed in a time-dependent manner, so that there is no need to adjust the update timing to distribute the load on the network. Even if the peripheral device operation software is installed on the PC, the update process is not performed for the user (PC) who has already stopped using the peripheral device operation software. Disappears. In addition, even if a user tries to use a peripheral device after a long time has passed since new software exists on the network, there is no problem because the software is newly updated at that time. Here, the software to be updated includes a Java application program used by the peripheral device operation software, a Java applet, image data indicating the status of the peripheral device, a text file used as a description of the status of the peripheral device and a guide, an HTML.
A file, a driver program for operating a peripheral device, and the like can be considered.

A peripheral device operation software distribution / update system according to a second aspect of the present invention aims to manage a peripheral device by connecting a server computer for managing the peripheral device to a PC via a network. The peripheral computer management software is installed in the PC under the condition that the server computer holds the peripheral device management software and the PC holds the peripheral device operation software for operating the peripheral device. A system capable of distributing and updating all or a part of the peripheral device operation software or modules (programs, images, files, and the like) used by the peripheral device operation software via the network. , The PC
When operating the peripheral device using the peripheral device operation software, the PC and the server computer communicate with each other, and the server computer communicates with the PC,
Update indicating that all or a part of the latest peripheral device operation software intended to operate the peripheral device or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software exists on the network. It is characterized by transmitting information. In the system according to the second aspect, when the peripheral device is operated from the PC using the peripheral device operation software, if the latest peripheral device operation software or the latest module exists on the network, the fact is described. Is transmitted from the server computer managing the peripheral device to the PC.
Communicates with peripheral devices on the network, other PCs, server computers, etc. based on the updated information, and exchanges the software information of each other, so that the latest necessary peripheral device operation software And you can get the latest module. As described above, the PC communicates with other devices existing on the network, exchanges software information held by each other, and acquires necessary software. There is no need to manage the version of the printer operation software. Further, a host device such as a software management server is not required. Also, even if some trouble occurs on the PC on which the peripheral device operation software is installed and some software is erased or destroyed, if the peripheral device operation software has a check function, its own software It is also possible to update the software information and use it to automatically restore the corrupted software. In addition, since the peripheral device operation software is updated when the user of each PC starts up the peripheral device operation software, the software update of all PCs on the network may be performed simultaneously. And the time is distributed in a time-dependent manner, so that there is no need to adjust the update timing to distribute the load on the network. Even if the peripheral device operation software is installed on the PC, the update process is not performed for the user (PC) who has already stopped using the peripheral device operation software. Disappears. Further, even when a user attempts to use a peripheral device after a long time has passed since new software exists on the network, there is no problem because the software is newly updated at that time. Here, the software to be updated includes a Java application program used by the peripheral device operation software, a Java applet, image data indicating the status of the peripheral device, a text file used as a description of the status of the peripheral device and a guide, an HTML. A file, a driver program for operating a peripheral device, and the like can be considered.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for distributing and updating peripheral device operation software, based on the system configuration according to the first aspect, wherein the latest peripheral device operation software is designed to operate the peripheral device. All or part of the software or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software is stored in a storage device managed by the peripheral device, and the PC owns the PC when receiving the update information The software is compared with the software held by the peripheral device, and the required software is requested from the peripheral device. The peripheral device reads out the software requested by the PC from the storage device. It is characterized in that it is transmitted to the PC. Claim 3
In the system described in (1), when a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk is attached to the peripheral device, the peripheral device hard disk stores the peripheral device operation software and the modules used by the peripheral device so that the software can be used for software distribution. Without the need for server computers
Software management and updating can be performed only between the peripheral device and the PC.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for distributing and updating peripheral device operating software, based on the system configuration according to the first aspect, wherein the latest peripheral device operating software is designed to operate the peripheral device. A server computer for storing all or part of the software or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software in a storage device managed by a server computer connected to the network, and communicating with the server computer Information is stored in a storage device managed by the peripheral device, and the server computer information is transmitted from the peripheral device to the PC together with the update information. In the system according to the fourth aspect, when a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk is not attached to the peripheral device, the peripheral device operation software is stored in the server computer, and the server computer information (server information) is stored in the peripheral device. By storing a small amount of data such as an IP address, a computer name, and a URL, the PC communicates with the server computer based on the server computer information and update information, and the necessary latest peripheral device operation software. You can get the latest software and modules. In this case, since it is not necessary for each peripheral device to include a large-capacity storage device, costs for system construction and operation can be reduced.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for distributing and updating peripheral device operation software. When all or part of the software or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software is stored in the storage device managed by the server computer, the server computer transmits information indicating the fact to the PC. It is characterized by doing. In the system according to claim 5, when the peripheral device does not have a network function, the server computer connectable to the network communicates with the PC as a client in place of the peripheral device, and the latest peripheral device operation software required for the PC. You can send software and latest modules. In this case, since it is not necessary for each peripheral device to include a large-capacity storage device, costs for system construction and operation can be reduced. The peripheral device operation software distribution / update system according to claim 6 requires the peripheral device operation software newly based on the system configuration according to any one of claims 3 to 5. Acquire software and store it in the PC, and
It is characterized by having a function of erasing unnecessary software already existing above. According to the system described in claim 6, the amount of data that can be stored in each PC is limited, but the storage capacity of the PC can be saved by erasing unnecessary software. Further, by automatically performing such software management, it is possible to prevent human error such as erroneous deletion of necessary data.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for distributing and updating peripheral device operation software, based on the system configuration according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the peripheral device comprises:
It is characterized by being an electronic device such as a printer device, a copying device, a facsimile device, a scanner device, a digital camera, and a digital video camera. According to the system described in claim 7, a PC and peripheral devices such as a printer device, a copying machine, a facsimile device, a scanner device, a digital camera and a digital video camera are interconnected via a network, and the PC communicates with these peripheral devices. Communicate with other devices,
A system capable of exchanging software information possessed by each other and acquiring and updating only necessary software can be constructed. Further, the computer readable storage medium according to claim 8 is the peripheral device operation software distribution / update system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein all or one of the latest peripheral device operation software is provided. Or a program for causing the PC to execute an operation of acquiring the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software from the network and automatically updating the module. According to claim 8,
A program for causing a PC to execute the operation described in any one of claims 1 to 7 in a computer-readable storage medium, so that the program can be transferred to a PC interconnected with a peripheral device via a network. By reading, it is possible to construct the system according to the first to seventh aspects.

[0011]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a specific example of updating software. A situation in which software is updated may be a case where a new function is added to the software or a problem occurs and the software is corrected.However, the correction may be performed simply by changing the hardware. is there. For example, FIG.
(A) and (b) show the case of a copying machine as an example,
In some cases, a paper feed tray, a paper discharge feeder, and the like are added after the update to the device configuration before the update. In such a case, it is necessary to update copying machine operation software possessed by a PC interconnected with the copying machine via a network. At that time, copy the image of the copier to the PC before updating.
Display on the display shows what paper size is loaded in which paper tray and how many sheets are loaded, it is necessary to change the hardware image changed by the update is there. This change may simply require changing the image data, or the program itself may need to be changed.

Hereinafter, embodiments corresponding to each claim will be described. FIG. 2 shows an example of an embodiment corresponding to claims 1 and 3, showing a system configuration in which a host (PC) A, a host (PC) B, and a printer 1 are interconnected via a network 2. ing. In this case, the printer 1 includes a large-capacity storage unit such as a hard disk (HDD) 3. Further, the host A and the host B incorporate printer operation software for operating the printer device 1. A procedure for updating software (modules) of the host A and the host B in the above system configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG.
Arrows to indicate the data flow shown in the following description. To update a module for operating the printer 1 used by the host A and the host B, the printer administrator needs to update the H attached to the printer 1.
Store the new software in DD3. As a method of storing, there are a method of reading a flash RAM card storing new software, a method of transferring data from a server (not shown) via a network, and the like.
Thereafter, when the user of the host A wants to use the printer device 1 and starts the printer operation software of the host A, the printer operation software communicates with the printer device 1 via the network (). In this case, since the printer 1 stores the new module in the HDD 3, the printer 1 notifies the printer operation software of the host A which module has been updated or changed (). The printer operation software of the host A notified of the change of the module from the printer 1 judges that a new module is necessary from its own software information, and requests the printer 1 for the new module (). . Then, the printer device 1 takes out a new module from the HDD 3 and sends it to the printer operation software of the host A (). The printer operation software of the host A that has received it updates its own software (module). Updating of the printer operation software installed in the host B is performed in exactly the same manner as described above when the printer operation software of the host B is activated and the printer 1 is used.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment according to the first and fourth aspects, wherein a host (PC) A and a server (PC).
4 and a system configuration in which the printer device 1 is interconnected via a network 2. In this case, the printer device 1 does not include a large-capacity storage unit. The host A incorporates printer operation software for operating the printer device 1. Server 4
Is a PC that stores and manages in the HDD 5 software (modules) of printer operation software used by each host connected to the network 2 as well as the host A. A procedure for updating the software (module) of the host A in the above system configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Arrows shown in FIG. 5 indicate data flows shown in the following description.

To update the module of the printer operation software used by the host A, the printer manager stores the new software (module) in the HDD 5 of the server 4. The storage method includes a method of reading information on a floppy disk storing new software and a method of transferring data from another server via a network. Thereafter, the printer administrator registers the server name in the printer device 1 (). in this case,
The printer device 1 does not have a disk capable of storing a large amount of information, but has a storage element such as the NVRAM 6 and can store some data. Next, the printer administrator stores the new software (module) in the HDD 5 managed by the server 4 (). After storing the new software (module) in the HDD 5, the server 4 notifies the printer 1 that the new software has been stored (). Then, the printer device 1 stores a flag indicating that the server 4 has the new software in its own NVRAM 6. Thereafter, when the user of the host A wants to use the printer device 1 and starts the printer operation software of the host A, the printer operation software communicates with the printer device 1 via the network (). At this time, the printer device 1 checks the flag stored in the NVRAM 6, and notifies the printer operation software of the host A that the server 4 has the new module (). Upon receiving the notification, the host A requests the server 4 for a new module (). The server 4 sends the new software requested by the host A to the host A (). When receiving the new software from the server 4, the printer operation software of the host A updates its own software.

FIG. 6 shows an example of an embodiment corresponding to claims 2 and 5, showing a system configuration in which a host (PC) A and a print server (PC) 7 are interconnected via a network 2. ing. In this case, the printer device 1 has neither large-capacity storage means nor a network function, and operates under the control of the print server 7. The host A incorporates printer operation software for operating the printer 1 via the printer server 7. The print server 7 is connected to the printer device 1 via a printer cable. In the print server 7, printer management software is activated. The print server 7 has an HDD 8 for storing a new module of the printer operation software. The procedure for updating the software (module) of the host A in the above system configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Arrows shown in FIG. 7 indicate data flows shown in the following description. To update the module of the printer operation software used by the host A, the printer administrator
To store the new software (module). The storage method includes a method of reading information on a floppy disk storing new software and a method of transferring data from another server via a network.

After that, when the user of the host A wants to use the printer device 1 and starts the printer operation software of the host A, the printer operation software communicates with the print server 7 (). Print server 7 is H
Since the new module is stored in the DD 8, the printer operating software of the host A is notified of which module has been updated or changed (). The printer operating software of the host A notified of the change of the module from the print server 7 determines that a new module is necessary based on its own software information, and requests the print server 7 for the new module (). . Then, the print server 7 takes out a new module from the HDD 8 and sends it to the printer operation software of the host A (). The host A's printer operation software that has received it updates its own software. As described above, the host (PC) communicates with other devices existing on the network 2, exchanges software information held by each other, and acquires necessary software.
This eliminates the need for the printer operation software on the host (PC) to manage the version and the like of the printer operation software.

Even if some trouble occurs in the host (PC) and some software is erased or destroyed, if the printer operation software has a check function, its own software information is updated. It is also possible to use it to automatically restore corrupted software. The update of the printer operation software is performed when the user of each host (PC) starts up the printer operation software. Therefore, the software update of all the hosts (PCs) on the network 2 is performed simultaneously. Since it is unlikely to be performed and is performed in a distributed manner over time, there is no need to adjust the update timing for distributing the load applied to the network 2. Also, even if the printer operation software is installed on the PC, the update process is not performed on the host (PC) that no longer uses the printer operation software, so that there is no needless update procedure. Further, even when a user tries to use the printer device 1 after a long time has passed since new software is present on the network 2, there is no problem because the software is newly updated at that time.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be exhibited. According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the peripheral device is operated from the PC using the peripheral device operation software, if the latest peripheral device operation software or the latest module exists on the network, the operation is performed. The update information indicating that
The PC communicates with peripheral devices, other PCs, server computers, and the like existing on the network based on the updated information, and exchanges necessary software information with each other. The latest peripheral device operation software and the latest modules can be obtained. According to the invention described in claim 2, when the peripheral device is operated from the PC using the peripheral device operation software, if the latest peripheral device operation software or the latest module exists on the network, the Is transmitted from the server computer that manages the peripheral device to the PC, the PC transmits the update information indicating that the peripheral device exists on the network, another PC, a server computer, or the like based on the update information. By communicating with each other and exchanging each other's software information, the latest necessary peripheral device operation software and the latest module can be obtained. According to the invention described in claim 3, when a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk is attached to the peripheral device, the peripheral device operation software and a module used by the peripheral device operation software are stored in the hard disk of the peripheral device. The software can be managed and updated only between the peripheral device and the PC without requiring a server computer for software distribution.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk is not attached to the peripheral device, the peripheral device operation software is stored in the server computer, and the server computer stores the peripheral device operation software in the peripheral device. By storing a small amount of data such as information,
C can communicate with the server computer based on the server computer information and the update information, and acquire the latest necessary peripheral device operation software and the latest module. Since it is not necessary for each peripheral device to include a large-capacity storage device, costs for system construction and operation can be reduced. According to the invention described in claim 5, when the peripheral device does not have a network function, the server computer connectable to the network communicates with the PC as a client in place of the peripheral device, and operates the latest peripheral device necessary for the PC. You can send software and latest modules. Since it is not necessary for each peripheral device to include a large-capacity storage device, costs for system construction and operation can be reduced. According to the invention described in claim 6, the amount of data that can be stored in each PC is limited, but the storage capacity of the PC can be saved by deleting unnecessary software. By automatically performing such software management, it is possible to prevent human error such as erroneous deletion of necessary data.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the PC and peripheral devices such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a scanner, a digital camera, a digital video camera, etc. are interconnected via a network, and the PC is connected to these peripherals. It is possible to construct a system that can communicate with a device and another device, exchange software information held by each other, and acquire and update only necessary software. According to the invention described in claim 8, a program for causing a PC to execute the operation described in any one of claims 1 to 7 is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium, and the program is stored in a peripheral device. PCs interconnected via a network
, It is possible to construct the system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a display example of an image of a copying machine as an example of a peripheral device, in which (a) shows an image before update and (b) shows an image after update.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the system shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the system shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a system configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the system shown in FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 printer device (peripheral device), 2 networks, A
Host (personal computer), B host (personal computer), 3 hard disk (storage device), 4 server computer, 5 hard disk (storage device), 6 NVRAM, 7 print server (server computer), 8 hard disk (storage device)

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. In a situation where a peripheral device and a personal computer are mutually connected via a network and the personal computer holds peripheral device operation software for operating the peripheral device,
A system which is capable of distributing and updating all or a part of the peripheral device operation software incorporated in the personal computer, or a module used by the peripheral device operation software via the network. When operating the peripheral device from the personal computer using the peripheral device operation software, the personal computer communicates with the peripheral device, and the peripheral device operates the peripheral device with respect to the personal computer. Transmitting all or part of the latest peripheral device operation software for the purpose of performing the operation, or transmitting update information indicating that the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software exists on the network. Distribution of peripheral device operation software characterized by Update system. 2. A server computer for managing peripheral devices and a personal computer are interconnected via a network, and the server computer has peripheral device management software for managing the peripheral devices. In a situation where the personal computer holds peripheral device operation software intended to operate the peripheral device, all or part of the peripheral device operation software incorporated in the personal computer, or A system enabling distribution and updating of modules used by the peripheral device operation software via the network, wherein the personal computer operates the peripheral device using the peripheral device operation software. When the personal computer and the Server computer communicates with the personal computer, and all or part of the latest peripheral device operation software for the purpose of operating the peripheral device, or the peripheral device operation software communicates with the personal computer. A peripheral device operation software distribution / update system for transmitting update information indicating that the latest module to be used exists on the network. 3. All or part of the latest peripheral device operation software for operating the peripheral device,
Alternatively, the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software is stored in a storage device managed by the peripheral device, and when the personal computer receives the update information, the personal computer has its own software and the peripheral device. The peripheral software requests the peripheral device for required software by comparing the software with the software, and the peripheral device reads the software requested by the personal computer from the storage device and transmits the read software to the personal computer. 2. The distribution and updating system for peripheral device operation software according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A server connected to the network, wherein all or part of the latest peripheral device operation software for operating the peripheral device, or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software, is connected to the network. Along with storing in a storage device managed by the computer, server computer information for performing communication with the server computer is stored in a storage device managed by the peripheral device. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server computer information is transmitted. 5. All or part of the latest peripheral device operation software intended to operate the peripheral device, or the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software is stored in the storage managed by the server computer. 3. The system according to claim 2, wherein when stored in the device, the server computer transmits information indicating the fact to the personal computer. 6. The peripheral device operation software has a function of acquiring newly required software, storing the software in the personal computer, and erasing unnecessary software already existing on the personal computer. The peripheral device operation software distribution / update system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising: 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is an electronic device such as a printer device, a copying device, a facsimile device, a scanner device, a digital camera, and a digital video camera. Peripheral device operation software distribution update system. 8. The distribution and updating system for peripheral device operation software according to claim 1,
All or part of the latest peripheral device operation software,
Alternatively, a computer-readable storage medium in which a program for causing the personal computer to execute an operation of acquiring the latest module used by the peripheral device operation software from the network and automatically updating the module is recorded.