Patent ID: 7389504

Claim:
A software updating system, comprising: an update data supplying apparatus for supplying update confirmation information regarding a presence or absence of updates for installed software via a network; an electronic device for executing a process in accordance with said update confirmation information supplied from said update data supplying apparatus, wherein said electronic device includes: storing means for storing an update confirmation schedule for said installed software, said update confirmation schedule indicating when to make an inquiry on the presence of updates for the installed software, wherein said installed software includes a first program and a second program, and said update confirmation schedule includes a first time for indicating when to make an inquiry on the presence of updates for the first program and a second time for indicating when to make an inquiry on the presence of updates for the second program, the first time being different than the second time; judging means for judging whether, among said installed software, there exists software for which the presence of updates needs to be confirmed based on said update confirmation schedule; detection means for detecting said update data supplying apparatus to which an inquiry is to be made on the presence of updates for said software for which said judging means has judged a confirmation to be necessary; inquiring means for making an inquiry on the presence of updates for said software to said update data supplying apparatus detected by said detection means based on the update confirmation schedule; and execution means for executing a process based on said update confirmation information supplied from said update data supplying apparatus in response to said inquiry made by said inquiring means, and said update data supplying apparatus includes: confirmation means for confirming the presence or absence of updates for said software regarding which there was an inquiry on the presence of updates by said inquiring means of said electronic device; and supplying means for supplying to said electronic device said update confirmation information in accordance with a confirmation result by said confirmation means.