Patent Publication Number: US-2009235244-A1

Title: Software update system for information equipment

Description:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
     The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP 2008-062001 filed on Mar. 12, 2008, the content which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a software update system and a server for managing the system which updates a software incorporated in an information appliance through a network. 
     Recently, there have been developed information appliances to be connected through a LAN, including consumer electronics such as TV sets, DVD recorders, refrigerators, rice cookers, etc. These information appliances are designed such that they are operated by using a software incorporated in a device in advance. In this way, a new function can be added to the information appliance and a software bug can be eliminated by updating the software. 
     In the case of updating the software for the information appliances, it is necessary that a user must have a technological knowledge since the user directly operates the respective information appliances, contacts to a vendor server for each of the information appliances, and also requires a download and an install of that software. Further, in the case where a vendor or maker is different for each of the information appliances, it is sometimes necessary to use a different update method for each of these appliances. Furthermore, it is necessary to update the software at every newly purchased information appliance, which makes the user compel a burden of work. 
     JP-A-2005-135187 has proposed a software update method of the information appliances. However, there is a problem that an exclusively use server must be installed at a home to control the information appliances resided in a home. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the current technique, an object of the invention is to provide a software update system for information equipment, including information appliances, capable of firstly updating a software incorporated in the information appliance without installing a specialized device such as an information appliance control server at a user, secondly standardizing and simplifying user interfaces of the software update processing for the information appliances, regardless of the types of information appliances, and thirdly simplifying the operation of the software processing for the information appliances and providing means for the user, for confirming updated contents of the software. 
     The software update system is provided for the information equipment, including information appliances, connected with a home network. The software update system includes a first server that is resided in a network different from the home network and provided with a storage device to store a software to be used for the information equipment. The software update system further includes a second server that is resided in a network different from the home network, and provided with an information equipment control unit that requests a software version to the information equipment that stores a software, and a service control unit that requests a software version to the first server that stores the software version and compares the software version acquired from the information equipment with the software version acquired from the first server. 
     According to the invention, the user can update the software to be used for the information appliances without installing a specialized or exclusively use server at a home. 
     The other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a block diagram showing a software update system in one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a block diagram showing a user terminal in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  is a block diagram showing an information appliance in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a diagram showing a user basic information database; 
         FIG. 2B  is a diagram showing a DHCP server using database; 
         FIG. 2C  is a diagram showing a product list database; 
         FIG. 2D  is a diagram showing a user identification database; 
         FIG. 2E  is a diagram showing a software management database; 
         FIG. 2F  is a diagram showing a vendor server using software management database; 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a sequence diagram in the software update; 
         FIG. 4A  is a flowchart showing an operation of the software update; 
         FIG. 4B  is a flowchart showing an operation of the software update; and 
         FIG. 5  is a screen transition diagram showing a user terminal for use in a software update processing. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1A  is a system constitution diagram relative to a software update system for information appliances.  FIG. 1B  is a detailed constitution diagram showing a user terminal.  FIG. 1C  is a detailed constitution diagram showing an information appliance. A user network  1  included in a user&#39;s home, a user management server  2  and a vendor server  3 , are connected with each other via an external network  4 . The user network  1  has a LAN environment which connects an information appliance-A  13 , an information appliance-B  14  and an information appliance-C  15  each resided in a home, with the external network  4 . That is, the user management server  2  and vendor server  3  are resided in a different network environment from the respective information appliances-A  13 , -B  14  and -C  15  via the external network  4 . 
     The information appliances-A  13 , -B  14  and -C  15  correspond to a refrigerator, a TV set, etc. These can be communicated with a network communications system installed at the home. The user network  1  has a communications device  12  at a connection part connected with the external network  4 . The communications device  12  may be acceptable of any types if it has a network communications function to be able to communicate with external network devices, such as a home gateway server, a router, etc. Further, the user network  1  provides a user terminal  11  which is operated by the user. The user terminal  11  may be acceptable of any types if it can display information on such a generally use personal computer, a network-use TV monitor, etc. The user terminal  11  outputs an update permission notification or a cancel notification when it receives a software update notification from the user management server  2 . The user terminal  11  also transmits an authentication key for a software downloaded to the user management server  2  when the software update is permitted. Alternatively, the user terminal  11  may command to the information appliances-A  13 , -B  14 , -C  15  to transmit the authentication keys in the respective information appliances to the user management server  2 . 
     The vendor server  3  stores an update-use software for the information appliances. 
     The user management server  2  manages the user terminal  11  and the information appliances for every user network  1  and updates the software present in the information appliances. The user management server  2  serves as an internet service provider which relays a connection from the respective homes to the external network  4 . The user management server  2  receives respectively software versions from the information appliances-A  13 , -B  14 , -C  15  in the user network  1 , also receives a latest software version from the vendor server  3  storing a software corresponding to the information appliance, and compares the software version from the information appliance with the latest software version. 
     For example, the user management server  2  points out the information appliance-A  13  which should install the latest software version. The user management server  2  then notifies a software update, which indicates that the update is necessary, to the user terminal  11  in the user network  1  to which the same network as the information appliance-A  13  belonged, and then executes an update processing permitted by the user. As a result of the foregoing processing, the user does not require to pay attention to different types of information appliances. Further, the user terminal  11  and the information appliances may only be communicated with the user management server  2 , so that the update processing can be executed without paying attention even to every difference of vendors by the user. The update is certainly notified to the user terminal  11 , so that the update processing for the information appliance can be executed by acquiring the permission from the user. Furthermore, the user can also confirm that which software is downloaded. 
     Function blocks of the user management server  2  will be described with reference to  FIG. 1A . The user management server  2  includes a communications process unit  201  to be communicated with the communications device  12  and vendor server  3 , and an IP address distribution unit  202  having a function of automatically allotting necessary information such as an IP address to a communications device to be temporarily connected. In the case of this embodiment, the user terminal  11  and information appliances-A  13 , -B  14  and -C  15  correspond to the temporarily connecting communications equipment. The user management server  2  also includes a vendor information acquiring unit  203  to acquire software information from the vendor server  3 , an information appliance control unit  204  to execute the software update for the information appliance, a user terminal control unit  205  to execute a communications processing with the user terminal  11 , and a storage device  207  having a plurality of databases to execute the software update of the information appliances resided in the user network  1 . 
     The respective databases contained in the storage device  207  will be described with use of  FIGS. 2A to 2F . A user basic information database  208  is used for managing a user ID for notifying information to the user and an IP address of the user to be communicated, and stores a user ID  401  to be allotted to the user terminal  11  and an IP address  402  of the user terminal  11  corresponding to the user ID  401 , as shown in  FIG. 2A . 
     A DHCP server-use database  209  manages the IP address to be allotted to which of equipment, when the IP address distribution unit  202  distributes the IP address to the respective equipment, at a time when the user terminal  11  and information appliances-A  13 , -B  14  and -C  15  are connected to the external network  4 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the DHCP server-use database  209  stores a correspondence of an allotted IP address  501  and a MAC address  502  of the respective information appliances. 
     A product list database  210  manages such that the software to be updated to the information appliance is resided in which of the vendor servers  3 . As shown in  FIG. 2C , the product list database  210  stores a MAC address range  601  being allotted to the respective products and a vendor server URL  602  storing a software used for the product having the MAC address in a range of the MAC address range  601 . The MAC address means a physical address of an inherent hardware in a network equipment, which is represented by 48 bits in which a first 24-bit is allotted to a network equipment manufacturer and a last 24-bit is allotted independently to the respective manufacturers such that they are not duplicated with each other. In fact, a vendor can be identified by checking the first 24-bit, and a product by checking the last 24-bit. Normally, the respective vendors allot a predetermined range of the last 24-bit to a specific product. 
     Specifically, the following description will be concerned with a case where a vendor “A” allotted with the first 24-bit “01-23-45” as the MAC address is connected to the user network  1 . In the case where a user purchases a “TV set made by A” as a product of “A”, the user turns on a switch of the user terminal  11  to activate the user network  1 . The MAC address “01-23-45-22-34-21” as “TV set made by A” is transmitted to the user management server  2 . The user management server  2  compares the received MAC address “01-23-45-22-34-21” with the MAC address range  601  in the product list database  210 . The MAC address “01-23-45-22-34-21” belongs to the MAC address range “01-23-45-00-00-01 to 01-23-45-FF-FF-FF” present in the first record of the product list database  210 . Therefore, an update-use software for the “TV set made by A” is discriminated such that it is held in a server indicating URL “aaa.aaa.aaa.aaa”. 
     As an identifier of the information appliance in the user management server  2 , there are used a scheme of DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) normally used for an external network connection and the MAC address as a value of an inherent equipment. For this reason, a constitution of the user side is not physically changed. In addition, it is necessary to set a correspondence of the MAC address range  601  and the vendor server URL  602  by a system manager, in advance. 
     A user identification database  211  manages such that each of the users holds which of the products (information appliance) and whether the software version is latest. As shown in  FIG. 2D , the user identification database  211  stores a user ID  701  corresponding to the user basic information database  208 , a MAC address  702  of the information appliance held by the user which is indicated by the user ID  701 , a product ID  703  indicating a model number of the product, a software version  704  of the information appliance, and an authentication key  705  necessary for acquiring the software from the vendor server  3 . The authentication key  705  is information for proving the user who is a right person, by entering such character string from the user. The authentication key  705  may be allotted with every user or every product, or may also be entered only at a time of a first update of the information appliance. 
     A software management database  212  stores necessary information for every product at a time of updating the software of the respective information appliances. As shown in  FIG. 2E , the software management database  212  stores a product ID  801  corresponding to the user identification database  211 , a MAC address range  802  allotted to the product indicated by the product ID  801 , a presently holding software version  803 , presently holding software update contents  804 , a presently holding software  805 , a control information  806  for absorbing differences of the update processing in every product of the information appliances and every vendor, and an authentication item  807  relative to items which require an entering from the user at a time of the software update. 
     Next, the following description will be concerned with function blocks in the vendor server  3 . The vendor server  3  includes a communications process unit  301  to communicate with the user management server  2  via the external network  4 , a storage device  304  containing a vendor server-use software management database  305  which stores information relative to the software to be used for the information appliances, a data collation unit  302  for incorporating the operation of the vendor server-use software management database  305  with the user management server  2  on the update processing of the information appliance, and an access authentication unit  303  for authenticating that whether the user has a right authority to update the software. 
     The vendor server-use software management database  305  manages the update-use software managed by the vendor server  3  for every product ID corresponding to the software management database  212 . As shown in  FIG. 2F , the vendor server-use software management database  305  stores a product ID  901  corresponding to the product ID in the software management database  212 , a MAC address range  902  allotted to the product indicated by the product ID  901 , latest software version information  903 , update contents  904 , a latest software  905 , control information  906 , and an authentication item  907 . 
     Next, the following description will be concerned with function blocks in the user terminal  11  with use of  FIG. 1B . The user terminal  11  includes an input/output unit  1101  to communicate with the user management server  2  via the external network  4 , an update information acquiring unit  1102  to store the update notification received from the user management server  2 , a screen display unit  111  to display an operation screen relative to the update notification stored in the update information acquiring unit  1102 , an input storage unit  1103  to store information entered by the user in accordance with an indication on the operation screen, an information transmission unit  1104  to transmit data of the input storage unit  1103  and a setting information storage unit  1105  to the user management server  2 , the setting information storage unit  1105  to store the user ID to be used for a registration processing for receiving an update service from the user management server  2  and the MAC address of the user terminal  11 , and an IP address acquiring unit  1106  to acquire the distributed IP address. In addition, it is necessary to set the user ID in the user terminal  11  in advance. 
     The following description will be concerned with function blocks in the information appliance-A  13  with use of  FIG. 1C . The information appliances-B  14  and -C  15  have the same constitution as the information appliance-A  13 . The information appliance A  13  includes an input/output unit  131  to communicate with the user management server  2  via the external network  4 , a MAC address notification unit  132  to notify the MAC address to the user management server  2  since the distribution of IP address is received by causing DHCP when a power is turned on, an IP address acquiring unit  133  to acquire the distributed IP address, a software storage unit  134  to store the update-use software received from the user management server  2 , and a software process unit  135  to execute the update processing by the update-use software stored in the software storage unit  134 . 
     Next, the following description will be concerned with a sequence of the software update processing with use of  FIG. 3 , as an example, of the information appliance-A  13 . An internally detailed operation of the respective equipment and servers will be described later. 
     In the user terminal  11  in  FIG. 1B , the information transmission unit  104  transmits a registration message containing the user ID in the setting information storage unit  1105  and the MAC address of the user terminal  11  to the user management server  2 , at a process  1200 . When the power of the information appliance-A  13  in  FIG. 1C  is turned on, the MAC address notification unit  132  notifies the MAC address of the information appliance-A  13  to the user management server  2  via the communications device  12 , at processes  1201  and  1202 . In the user management server  2 , the IP address distribution unit  202  distributes the IP address to both the user terminal  11  and information appliance-A  13  to connect to a network, and to make communicate with the other server, at the processes  1200  to  1202 . In addition, it is necessary to set the IP address of the user management server  2  in the user terminal  11  and the respective information appliances in advance. Further, in the user management server  2 , the user ID received from the user terminal  11  and the IP address distributed to the user terminal  11  are stored in the user basic information database  208 , at the process  1200 . 
     Next, the vendor server URL  602  and product ID  703  are extracted from the storage device  207  by using the received MAC address as a key, and the latest software version corresponding to the extracted product ID  703  is requested to the vendor server  3  indicated by the extracted vendor server URL  602 , at a process  1203 . The request of the latest software version at the process  1203  means that version information of the software corresponding to the product ID  703  held by the vendor server  3  is requested to the vendor server  3 , for example, the version information such as a version “1. 0. 1” is requested to the vendor server  3 . 
     In the vendor server  3  received the version request of the software, a software version corresponding to the received product ID  703  is extracted from the storage device  304 , and then replied to the user management server  2 , at a process  1204 . 
     When the information appliance-A  13  newly approaches to the user network  1  to be intended to connect with the user management server  2  for the first time, the user management server  2  inquires the presently installed software version in the information appliance-A  13  for the information appliance-A  13  other than the process  1204 , at processes  1205  and  1206 . This is because there is no software information in the user identification database  211  in the case where the information appliance-A  13  is connected to the user management server  2  for the first time. 
     The information appliance-A  13  received the version request of the software requests a user ID to the user terminal  11 , at processes  1207  and  1208 . Thereafter, the acquired user ID and the software version notification are transmitted to the user management server  2 , at processes  1209  and  1210 . This is because the user ID should be associated with the MAC address of the information appliance to be newly registered, since the user management serve  2  cannot discriminate that information appliance for which of the users have transmitted from, in the case where the information appliance is connected to the user management server  2  for the first time. 
     The following description will be concerned with a case where an association is given to between the MAC address and the user ID when the information appliance-C  15  is newly registered. First, in the user management server  2 , the MAC address “45-67-89-AB-CD-EF” of the information appliance-C  15  is acquired at the process  1202 , and the user identification database  211  is referred, but there is no a corresponding user ID and software version, because of a new registration. For this reason, the user management server  2  acquires a user ID “ 003 ” and a present software version “0.8” of the information appliance-C  15  at the processes  1205  to  1210 . A correspondence among the user ID “ 003 ”, the MAC address “45-67-89-AB-CD-EF”, and the present software version “0.8” of the information appliance-C  15 , is stored in the user identification database  211 . In addition, the foregoing processes  1203  and  1204 , and processes  1205  to  1210 , may be made back and forth in sequence. 
     Next, in the user management server  2 , the software version from the vendor server  3 , acquired from the process  1210 , is compared with the software version of the information appliance-A  13 . If the software version of the information appliance-A  13  is older than that of the vendor server  3 , the software update notification is transmitted to the user terminal  11  resided in the user network  1  in which the information appliance A- 13  is also resided, at processes  1211  and  1212 . 
     The user terminal  11  received the software update notification displays a screen for confirming and operating the software update for the user on the screen display unit  111 . The user enters an authentication key necessary for the update, and the user terminal  11  replies a software update approval notification (software update permission notification) containing the authentication key to the user management server  2 , at processes  1213  and  1214 , when the software update is approved. 
     After receiving the software update approval notification, the user management server  2  transmits, to the vendor server  3 , a software download request containing the received authentication key and the product ID of the information appliance-A  13  to be updated, at a process  1215 . In the vendor server  3  received the software download request, the received authentication key is authenticated by the access authentication unit  303 . If it is confirmed that the user is right, the latest software corresponding to the received product ID, update contents, control information, and authentication item, are replied to the user management server  2 , at a process  1216 . 
     In the user management server  2  received the latest software, the update process request containing the latest software acquired at the process  1216 , the update contents, the control information, and the authentication item, are transmitted to the information appliance-A  13  resided in the user network  1 , at processes  1217  and  1218 . The information appliance-A  13  carries out the update processing by executing the received latest software. The information appliance-A  13  transmits a software update completion notification to the user management server  2 , when the update processing is completed, at processes  1219  and  1220 . 
     The user management server  2  received the software update completion notification at the process  1220  inquiries the software version to the information appliance-A  13  which executed the update processing, for confirming that whether the update is executed normally, at processes  1221  and  1222 . The information appliance-A  13  received the inquiry replies the present software version to the user management server  2 , at processes  1223  and  1224 . The user management server  2  confirms that the update processing of the information appliance-A  13  is completed normally in response to the reply, and then transmits the software update completion notification to the user terminal  11 , at processes  1225  and  1226 . 
     The above-mentioned description has been paid attention to a message of the respective equipment in the system such as information appliance-A  13  etc., and the following description will be concerned with an internal operation of the respective equipment in detail with use of  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     Specifically, the following description will be concerned with a case where the information appliance-A  13  holding the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” resided in the user network  1  in which the user terminal  11  of the user ID “ 001 ” is also resided, are newly connected to the user management server  2 . In the user terminal  11 , for a purpose of receiving a registration subject to a service and an acceptance of the IP address, the information transmission unit  1104  extracts the MAC address and the user ID “ 001 ” itself from the setting information storage unit  1105  to transmit the registration message containing the MAC address and user ID “ 001 ” to the user management server  2  via the input/output unit  1101 , at a step  1999 . In addition, it is necessary to set the user ID and the IP address of the user management server  2  in the user terminal  11  in advance. 
     In the user management server  2 , the communications process unit  201  receives the MAC address notification from the user terminal  11  to transmit the notified MAC address to the IP address distribution unit  202  by a service control unit  206 . The IP address distribution unit  202  refers to the DHCP server-use database  209  to reply an empty IP address “120.10.0.23” to the user terminal  11  which received the MAC address notification and then store its correspondence or contents in the DHCP server-use database  209 , at a step  2000 . Further, the service control unit  206  refers to the user basic information database  208  by using the notified user ID “ 001 ” as a key and writes the given IP address “120.10.0.23” to a record of the corresponding user ID  401 , at a step  2001 . In this way, the IP address “120.10.0.23” is distributed to the user terminal  11  having the user ID “ 001 ” to be connected to the external network  4 . In addition, in the user management server  2 , the user basic information database  208  is referred by using the user ID “ 001 ” as a key to be able to notify information to the user terminal  11 . 
     The information appliance-A  13  is turned on, and then transmits the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” to the user management server  2  by the MAC address notification unit  132  via the input/output unit  131 , due to a reception of the IP address, at a step  2002 . 
     In the user management server  2 , the communications process unit  201  receives a notification of the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB”, which is then sent to the IP address distribution unit  202  by the service control unit  206 . The IP address distribution unit  202  refers to the DHCP server-use database  209  to reply an empty IP address “aaa.aaa.aaa.aaa” to the information appliance-A  13  which received the notification of MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” at a step  2003 . 
     The IP address distribution unit  202  makes store a correspondence of the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” and the IP address “aaa.aaa.aaa.aaa” in the DHCP server-use database  209 , at a step  2004 . In this way, the user management server  2  can be communicated with the information appliance-A  13  indicated by the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB.” The service control unit  206  refers to the user identification database  211  by using the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” acquired at the step  2003  as a key to acquire the user ID and the product ID corresponding to the information appliance-A  13 . In the case of example shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the information appliance-A  13  cannot acquire the user ID and the product ID since it is a newly connected appliance. After-mentioned steps  2010  and  2011  are then executed in the case of the newly connected appliance. 
     Next, the service control unit  206  refers to the software management database  212  by using the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” acquired at the step  2003  as a key to acquire the corresponding product ID “S 1 ” and register it to the user identification database  211 , at a step  2005 . 
     The service control unit  206  then extracts a URL “a.a.a.a” of the corresponding vendor server  3  from the product list database  210  by using the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” acquired at the step  2003  as a key, at a step  2006 . Next, the service control unit  206  inquires the latest software version corresponding to the product ID “S 1 ” extracted at the step  2005 , to the vendor server  3  indicated by the URL “a.a.a.a” extracted at the step  2006  via the communications process unit  201 . 
     In the vendor server  3 , the inquiry of the latest software version is sent to the data collation unit  302  via the communications process unit  301 . The data collation unit  302  extracts the latest software version “1.0”, the update contents, the control information, and authentication item from the vendor server-use software management database  305  by using the received product ID “S 1 ” as a key. The data collation unit  302  replies a response to the inquiry of the latest software version containing the extracted latest software version “1.0”, the update contents, control information, and authentication item to the user management server  2  via the communications process unit  301 , at a step  2008 . 
     In the user management server  2 , the response to the inquiry of the latest software version is sent to the service control unit  206  via communications process unit  201 . The service control unit  206  then refers to the software management database  212  by using the product ID “S 1 ” used for the inquiry, as a key. A software version “0.9” stored in the software management database  212  is compared with the notified latest software version “1.0”. By judging that the notified latest software version is new, the software version  803 , the update contents  804 , the software  805 , the control information  806 , and the authentication item  807  in the software management database  212 , are updated to the latest information received from the vendor server  3 , at a step  2009 . In this way, the user management server  2  can always provide the latest software by synchronism with the latest software resided in the vendor server  3  at every notification acquired from the information appliance. 
     Next, the service control unit  206  refers to the user identification database  211  by using the user ID “ 001 ” acquired at the step  2003  and the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” as a key to thereby acquire a presently resided software version “0.8”in the information appliance-A  13 , at a step  2010 . In addition, if the software version is not registered in the user identification database  211  or the information appliance-A  13  is firstly connected to the server, the information appliance control unit  204  requests to the information appliance-A  13  to acquire the software version on the basis of control information in the software management database  212  to then execute a step  2011 . If the information appliance-A  13  is not firstly connected, the step  2011  is omitted, but a step  2012  is executed. 
     In the case of an example shown in  FIG. 4A , the step  2011  is executed since the information appliance-A  13  is connected for the first time. In the user management server  2 , the product ID is extracted by using the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” of the information appliance-A  13 , acquired at the step  2003 , as a key. The information appliance control unit  204  then requests the software version information to the information appliance-A  13  in the user management server  2 . 
     The information appliance-A  13  receives the request for acquiring the software version via the input/output unit  131  to then request the user ID “ 001 ” to the user terminal  11 . Next, the software process unit  135  relies the notification of the software version “0.8” being stored in the software storage unit  134  and the user ID “ 001 ” to the user terminal  11  via the input/output unit  131 . In the user management server  2 , the notification of the software version “0.8” and the user ID “ 001 ” are received via the communications process unit  201 , and the service control unit  206  makes store the received user ID “ 001 ”, the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB”, the product ID “S 1 ”, and the correspondence of the software version “0.8” in the user identification database  211 , at the step  2011 . 
     The service control unit  206  then compares the presently resided software version “0.8” in the information appliance-A  13 , acquired at the steps  2010  and  2012 , with the latest software version “1.0”. In this case, a step  2014  and the subsequent steps are executed, at the step  2012 , since the software version in the information appliance-A  13  is not latest. If the software version in the information appliance-A  13  is latest, an update processing is terminated, at a step  2013 . 
     The service control unit  206  sends the software update request to the information appliance-A  13 , to the user terminal control unit  205 . The user terminal control unit  205  refers to the user basic information database  208  by using the user ID “ 001 ” acquired at the step  2005  as a key to acquire an IP address “120.10.0.23” of the user terminal  11 , and then sends a software update notification containing the latest software version “1.0”, the update contents, authentication item to the user terminal  11  via the communications process unit  201 , at a step  2014 . 
     The software update notification is transmitted to the user terminal  11  via the communications device  12 . In the user terminal  11 , the software update notification received from the input/output unit  1101  is stored in the update information acquiring unit  1102 , and the screen display unit  111  then notifies the update information to the user on the basis of the received authentication item, at a step  2015 . The authentication item contains information indicating that the information appliance-A  13  requires an authentication key of the product and necessary information to be displayed on the screen. In the case of this embodiment, necessary input items are the authentication key and the update approval. 
     The user terminal  11  stands by at a state indicating that the authentication key and update approval are entered from the user, at a step  2016 . The user terminal  11  accepts necessary information for the software update processing such as the authentication key and update approval from the user to then store the input contents in the input storage unit  1103 , and the information transmission unit  1104  replies the update approval notification containing the entered authentication key to the user management server  2  via the input/output unit  1101 , at a step  2017 . In the user terminal  11 , if the input indicating that the update processing is refused from the user is accepted at the step  2016 , the subsequent steps are omitted, and the update processing is terminated at a process  2018 . 
     In the user management server  2 , the update processing notification is received via the communications process unit  201  to be then sent to the service control unit  206 . The service control unit  206  makes store the received authentication key in the user identification database  211 , at a step  2019 . In addition, the input of the authentication key may be accepted only for the first time, and the second and subsequent steps may be unnecessary. 
     The service control unit  206  transmits a download request for the update-use software containing the authentication key, the software version “1.0”, and the product ID “S 1 ” to the vendor server  3  of the URL “a.a.a.a” acquired at the step  2003  via the communications process unit  201 , at a step  2020 . In addition, it is also possible to download the update-use software other than the latest version by indicating a software version at the step  2016 . 
     In the vendor server  3 , the download request of the update-use software is notified to the access authentication unit  303  via the communications process unit  301 . The access authentication unit  303  holds an authentication key list to be compared with the received authentication key, confirming that the user is right. The access authentication unit  303  outputs a download processing request to the data collation unit  302 , at a step  2021 , when the right user is discriminated. 
     The data collation unit  302  then extracts a targeted software from the vendor server-use software management database  305  by using the product ID “S 1 ” and software version “1.0” as a key to reply to the user management server  2  via the communications process unit  301 , at a step  2022 . 
     In the user management server  2 , the software received via the communications process unit  201  at the step  2022  is notified to the service control unit  206 . The service control unit  206  sends the received software to the vendor information acquiring unit  203 . The vendor information acquiring unit  203  makes store the received software in the software management database  212  to then notify it to the service control unit  206 , at a step  2023 . 
     Next, the service control unit  206  sends an update command for the information appliance-A  13  to the information appliance control unit  204 . The information appliance control unit  204  extracts the software and control information from the software management database  212  by using the product ID “S 1 ” acquired at the step  2005  as a key, at a step  2024 . The information appliance control unit  204  then refers to the DHCP server-use database  209  by using the MAC address “01-23-45-67-89-AB” acquired at the step  2003  as a key to extract the IP address “aaa.aaa.aaa.aaa” of the information appliance-A  13 , and then transmit the update information to the information appliance-A  13  via the communications process unit  201  on the basis of the control information acquired at the step  2024 , at a step  2025 . 
     In the information appliance-A  13 , the update information received via the input/output unit  131  is stored in the software storage unit  134 , and the update processing is executed by using the update information containing the stored software by the software process unit  135 , at a step  2026 . The software process unit  135  completes the software update to then reply a completion notification to the user management server  2  via the input/output unit  131 , at a step  2027 . In the user management server  2 , the communications process unit  201  receives the completion notification at a step  2028  to be then sent to the service control unit  206 . At this time, the software version of the information appliance-A  13  becomes the latest version “1.0”. 
     Likewise the sequence in the step  2010 , an acquiring request of the software version is transmitted to the information appliance-A  13 , at a step  2029 . The information appliance-A  13  replies the present software version “1.0”, which is the same as the step  2011 , at a step  2030 . Likewise the step  2012 , the service control unit  206  compares the software version in the information appliance-A  13  with the software version in the software management database  212 , at a step  2031 . 
     If the software version in the information appliance-A  13  is different from the software version in the software management database  212  at the step  2031 , the service control unit  206  judges that the update is not normally executed to thereby send an update non-completion notification to the information appliance control unit  204 . The information appliance control unit  204  makes the step return to a repetition processing at a step  2025 , to execute the software update processing, at a process  2032 . In the case of this processing, the software in the information appliance-A  13  is updated normally, therefore, a step  2033  is executed without executing the process  2032 . 
     If the software version in the information appliance-A  13  is the same as that in the software management database  212  at the step  2031 , the service control unit  206  judges that the update is normally executed, and then sends the update completion notification to the user terminal control unit  205 . The user terminal control unit  205  transmits the update completion notification to the user terminal  11  via the communications process unit  201 , at the step  2033 . 
     The update completion notification is transferred to the user terminal  11  via the communications device  12 . In the user terminal  11 , the update completion notification is received from the input/output unit  1101  to be sent to the update information acquiring unit  1102 . In the user terminal  11 , the contents of the update completion notification stored in the update information acquiring unit  1102  are displayed on the screen display unit  111  to thereby notify the update completion to the user, at a step  2034 . 
     In the user management server  2 , the service control unit  206  makes adapt the software version “0.8” in the user identification database  211  to the updated software version “1.0” at a step  2035 , after the processing of the step  2033 . As described above, the update processing in series is terminated. 
       FIG. 5  shows an example of a screen transition to be notified to the user, at the step  2015  in  FIG. 4B .  FIG. 5  illustrates a case where the user terminal  11  is a network-use TV monitor. A personal computer or other equipment may also be used. 
     First, the update notification is notified from the user management server  2  to display an update notification button  112  on the screen display unit  111  in the user terminal  11 . The user depresses a “notification” button on a remote controller  113  used for the TV monitor to display an update pop-up screen  114 . 
     Next, an OK button on the update pop-up screen  114  is depressed to display an authentication key input screen  115 , and stand by at a state indicating that the authentication key is entered from the user. Here, an input for selecting a cancel from the user is entered to display an update discontinuation notification screen  117 , and the update processing is then terminated. An input for selecting OK from the user is entered to display a software update screen  116  as a finally confirming screen. After completing the update of software, the update notification button  112  is again displayed on the screen display unit  111 , and the user depresses the “notification” button on the remote controller  113  to display an update completion notification screen  118 . 
     In this way, a routinely used TV monitor, a cellular telephone, etc. are used for a user interface to be able to confirm that whether the necessity of software update can be determined by the simply remote operation and whether the software update can be indicated thereby. 
     In relation to the above-mentioned equipment in this embodiment, the vendor server  3  may be represented as an update data server or a first server since it stores the update-use software. The user management server  2  may be represented as an update server or a second server since it updates the software in the information appliance in place of the vendor server  3 . 
     Further, the user network  1  may be represented as a home network since it is often installed in the user&#39;s home. The user terminal  11  may be represented as a terminal device since it is used for displaying the updated screen for the user. The information appliance may be represented as a network connectable information appliance including a personal computer etc., as an extensive meaning. 
     Likewise the foregoing reasons, the information appliance control unit  204  in the user management server  2  may be represented as an information equipment control unit. The user terminal control unit  205  in the user management server  2  may be represented as a terminal process unit. 
     Further, the communications process unit  201  in the user management server  2 , the input/output unit  1101  in the user terminal  11 , the input/output unit  131  in the information appliance-A  13 , and the communications process unit  301  in the vendor server  3 , are used for the communications processing, therefore, they may be represented as a first communications process unit, a second communications process unit, a third communications process unit, and a fourth communications process unit, respectively. 
     As described above, the user management server  2  resided in the external network  4  serves as an internet service provider (ISP) which relays to connect the homes with the external network  4 , and also serves as a DHCP server capable of allotting the IP address when the information appliances for use in the homes carry out communications. The user management server  2  further uses the MAC address provided as information of the appliance itself, when the respective information appliances acquire the IP address, so that the information of the respective information appliances can be possessed in the database resided in the user management server  2  itself. In this way, the information appliance can communicate with the other servers, at the same time, the software information in the information appliance can be handled. 
     The respective information appliances collate the database at every connection to the network to inquire, whether the software update of the information appliances is required, to the vendor server  3  of the information appliance, so that the version information of the software can be confirmed. When the software should be updated, the software is once downloaded at the user management server  2  to be able to install in each information appliance by adapting with a control system of each information appliance. In this way, the software can be updated without paying attention to the difference of interfaces. The software is once downloaded from the vendor server  3  to be able to install a module transformed software from the user management server  2 , without downloading from the vendor server  3 , in the case of the same software version. 
     When the vendor server  3  receives the download request of the update software for use in the information appliance from the user management server  2 , an information terminal such as the TV monitor or cellular telephone having communications means capable of two-way communications is used as an operation terminal for use in the homes, so that the software update can be executed with a simple operation of the remote controller by the user. 
     It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that although the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention, the invention is not limited thereto and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.