Patent ID: 7225251

Claim:
An image forming apparatus supervisory system configured to supervise a plurality of image forming apparatuses disposed at a plurality of user sides, said image forming apparatus supervisory system comprising: a central supervisory apparatus configured to include a processor and to determine updated hardware in an applicable one or more of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; a plurality of communications adapters configured to connect to the central supervisory apparatus by a communication line; a plurality of interfaces configured to connect each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses with each of the plurality of communications adapters; a firmware download device provided in the central supervisory apparatus and configured to download prescribed updated firmware to an applicable one or more image forming apparatuses in accordance with updated hardware of the one or more image forming apparatuses; a firmware update device provided in each of the image forming apparatuses and configured to update firmware of the one or more image forming apparatuses with the updated firmware when the updated firmware is downloaded; a hardware read device configured to read hardware information of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; a hardware information transmission device configured to transmit the hardware information from the each respective image forming apparatuses to the central supervisory apparatus; a database provided in the central supervisory apparatus and configured to store hardware information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses; and a database update device configured to update the database based upon the hardware information when receiving the hardware information from the one or more image forming apparatuses; a hardware information storage device provided in the each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses and configured to store its own hardware information; a hardware information update device configured to update its own hardware information; and a hardware read device provided in the hardware information update device and configured to read at least a version number of the hardware; an information comparison device configured to compare the at least a version number with the hardware information stored in the hardware information storage device; and a determination device configured to determine if the at least a version number conforms to the hardware information, wherein said hardware information update device updates its own hardware information with the at least a version number only when the at least a version number does conform to the hardware information.