Method and apparatus to upgrade driver of image forming apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus to upgrade a driver of an image forming apparatus. The method includes accessing a website having a website driver program useable by the image forming apparatus, converting a class mode of the image forming apparatus from an original class mode to a predetermined class mode that is different from the original class mode, comparing a driver program stored in the image forming apparatus with the website driver program on the website, and downloading the website driver program from the website and storing the website driver program in the image forming apparatus when the website driver program is a later version than the stored driver program.

1 . A method of upgrading a driver of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
 accessing a website having a website driver program useable by the image forming apparatus;   converting a class mode of the image forming apparatus from an original class mode to a predetermined class mode that is different from the original class mode;   comparing a stored driver program stored in the image forming apparatus with the website driver program on the website; and   downloading the website driver program from the website and storing the website driver program in the image forming apparatus when the website driver program is a later version than the stored driver program.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 installing the downloaded website driver program, which is stored in the image forming apparatus, in a host device connected to the image forming apparatus. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 converting the class mode of the image forming apparatus from the predetermined class mode to the original class mode when the installation of the website driver program in the host device is completed. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the comparing of the stored driver program with the website driver program comprises:
 reading version information corresponding to the stored driver program from the image forming apparatus and version information corresponding to the website driver program from the website; and   comparing the version information corresponding to the stored driver program from the image forming apparatus and the version information corresponding to the website driver program from the website.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the comparing of the stored driver program with the website driver program comprises:
 indicating to a user that the stored driver program is a latest driver version when the website driver program is not a later version than the stored driver program; and   converting the class mode of the image forming apparatus from the predetermined class mode to the original class mode.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the class mode of the image forming apparatus comprises a printer class mode as the original class mode and a CD-ROM class mode as the predetermined class mode. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus is one of a printer, a copy machine, a scanner, and a fax machine. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus to upgrade a driver of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
 a latest-driver information acquisition unit to read version information of a website driver program useable in the image forming apparatus by accessing a website having the website driver program;   a class mode conversion unit to convert a class mode of the image forming apparatus from an original class mode to a predetermined class mode that is different from the original class mode;   a driver comparison unit to read version information of a driver program stored in the image forming apparatus and to compare the stored version information of the stored driver program with the version information of the website driver program read by the driver information acquisition unit; and   a driver upgrade unit to download the website driver program of the website and to store the website driver program in the image forming apparatus when the website driver program is a later version than the stored driver program.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the driver upgrade unit installs the downloaded website driver program, which is stored in the image forming apparatus, in a host device connected to the image forming apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the class mode conversion unit converts the class mode of the image forming apparatus from the predetermined class mode to the original class mode when the driver installation is completed. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising:
 an upgrade indicator unit to indicate to a user that the stored driver program is a latest driver version when a result of the comparison by the driver comparison unit indicates that the website driver program is not a later version than the stored driver program, 
 wherein the class mode conversion unit converts the class mode of the image forming apparatus from the predetermined class mode to the original class mode when the result of the comparison by the driver comparison unit indicates that the website driver program is not a later version than the stored driver program. 
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the class mode of the image forming apparatus comprises a printer class mode as the original class mode and a CD-ROM class mode as the predetermined class mode. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the image forming apparatus is one of among a printer, a copy machine, a scanner, and a fax machine. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable medium including a computer program to perform a method of upgrading a driver of an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
 accessing a website having a website driver program useable by the image forming apparatus;   converting a class mode of the image forming apparatus from an original class mode to a predetermined class mode that is different from the original class mode;   comparing a driver program stored in the image forming apparatus with the website driver program on the website; and   downloading the website driver program from the website and storing the website driver program in the image forming apparatus when the website driver program is a later version than the stored driver program.   
     
     
         15 . A method of determining whether to upgrade a driver stored in an image forming apparatus having an image forming mode and a storage mode, the method comprising:
 comparing version information corresponding to the stored driver with version information corresponding to a driver downloadable through a network and external to the image forming apparatus while the image forming apparatus is in the storage mode to determine a most current version information among the version information corresponding to the stored driver and the version information corresponding to the downloadable driver;   determining to upgrade the stored driver when the version information corresponding to the downloadable driver is more current than the version information corresponding to the stored driver; and   determining not to upgrade the stored driver when the version information corresponding to the downloadable driver is not more current than the version information corresponding to the stored driver.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the determining to upgrade the stored driver comprises:
 downloading and installing the downloadable driver to the image forming apparatus; and   putting the image forming apparatus in the image forming mode.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 installing the downloadable driver to a host device connected to the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the installing the downloadable driver to the host device comprises:
 installing the downloadable driver to the host device using an auto-install program stored in the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 installing the downloadable driver to a second host device connected to the image forming apparatus through the network.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the determining not to upgrade the stored driver comprises:
 notifying a user that the stored driver is a most current version driver; and putting the image forming apparatus in the image forming mode.