Patent ID: 9544450
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: H04N

Claim:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a storage unit configured to receive firmware from an information processing apparatus via a network, and to store the firmware received from the information processing apparatus; a search unit configured to search for one or more other image forming apparatuses on the network which are a same model of the image forming apparatus; a determination unit configured to determine whether another image forming apparatus on the network with the same model is connected on a same segment of the network with the image forming apparatus or is connected on a different segment of the network with the image forming apparatus; and an update execution management section configured, in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the same segment of the network, to send an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to deactivate an ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on an additional image forming apparatus on the network; the update execution management section configured, in response to a determination to update the another image forming apparatus that is connected to the different segment of the network, to send an instruction to the another image forming apparatus to activate the ability of the another image forming apparatus of updating the firmware on the additional image forming apparatus on the network.