Information processing system and method on a client server environment for software download

• US 10,025,578 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Jimbo, Junya
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US15/158,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 709203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00066 using a program downloaded or received from another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An information processing system includes at least one device and a server system. The server system includes a provision control unit, a first generation unit, a message screen request reception unit, a second generation unit, and a message screen transmission unit. The first generation unit generates first correspondence information in which each device is associated with an application not yet provided to the device. The message screen request reception unit receives a message screen request from the device. The second generation unit generates a message screen based on the first correspondence information. The message screen transmission unit transmits the message screen to the device in response to the message screen request. The device includes a message screen request transmission unit, a message screen reception unit, and a message screen display unit. The message screen display unit displays the message screen received by the message screen reception unit.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

at least one device, and

a server system that includes at least one server coupled to the at least one device via a network, the server system being configured to,

perform control to provide any of a plurality of applications held by the server system to the at least one device,

generate first correspondence information in which each of the at least one device is associated with message information corresponding to information indicating an application not yet provided to the at least one device, the message information including text, at least one image, and at least one hyperlink associated with the application not yet provided to the at least one device,

receive, from the at least one device, a message screen request for requesting a message screen that is a screen used to notify a user of the application not yet provided to the at least one device,

generate, in response to the message screen request, the message screen corresponding to the at least one device that is a requestor of the message screen request, based on the first correspondence information such that the message screen includes the text, the at least one image, and the at least one hyperlink included in the message information, and

transmit the message screen to the at least one device, in response to the message screen request, and

wherein the at least one device is configured to,

transmit the message screen request to the server system,

receive the message screen from the server system, and

perform control to display the message screen.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to,

hold the applications;

hold second correspondence information in which each of the at least one device is associated with an application having already been provided to the at least one device,

specify, for each of the at least one device, an application not yet provided to the at least one device among the applications held by server system, based on the second correspondence information, and

generate the first correspondence information wherein in the first correspondence information the at least one device is associated with the specified application.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the server system is configured to,

specify, for each of the at least one device, the application not yet provided to the at least one device wherein the application not yet provided to the at least one device was already provided to a certain number or more of other devices,

generate the first correspondence information wherein in the first correspondence information the at least one device is associated with the specified application.

4. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the server system is further configured to,

specify, for each of the at least one device, the application not yet provided to the at least one device wherein the application not yet provided to the at least one device was already provided to a certain number or more of other devices, and

generate the first correspondence information wherein in the first correspondence information the at least one device is associated with message information serving as a source of the message screen in which the specified applications are arranged in descending order of number of provisions of the application.

5. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the server system is configured to,

specify, for each of the at least one device, the application not yet provided to the at least one device wherein an unprovided application that is the application not yet provided to the at least one device was already provided to a certain number or more of other devices.

6. The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the server system is configured to,

specify, for each of the at least one device, a same-category application that is an application belonging to a same category as that of the unprovided application and is not yet provided to the at least one device, based on the second correspondence information and application classification information in which each application is associated with category information of a category of the application, and

generate the first correspondence information wherein in the first correspondence information the at least one device is associated with the unprovided application and the same-category application.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the server system is further configured to,

generate the first correspondence information wherein in the first correspondence information the at least one device is associated with the message information for each category, the message information serving as a source of the message screen in which applications corresponding to the unprovided application and the same-category application are arranged in descending order of number of provisions of the application.

8. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one device is further configured to transmit an email including the message screen to an address indicated by a set email address receiving the message screen.

9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the server system is further configured to,

hold the applications, and

perform control to register a new application to the server system in accordance with a user operation, and

when the new application is registered in the server system by the server system, the server system generates the first correspondence information in which each of the at least one device is associated with the registered new application.

10. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the server system is further configured to,

hold an application list screen including a button to which an installation instruction of an application is attached, and

transmit the application list screen to the at least one device in response to an application list screen request for requesting the application list screen from the at least one device, and

the at least one device is further configured to,

transmit the application list screen request to the server system,

receive the application list screen from the server system,

perform control to display the application list screen, and

execute the installation instruction attached to the button pressed by the user.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein

the server system is further configured to,

transmit, to the server system, an application request for requesting an application corresponding to the installation instruction attached to the button pressed by the user,

receive, from the server system, an application corresponding to the application request,

perform control to install the application in the at least one device, and

transmit any one of the applications to the at least one device in response to the application request from the at least one device.

12. An information processing method performed by an information processing system that includes at least one device and a server system provided with at least one server connected to the device via a network, the information processing method comprising:

controlling, by the server system, to provide any of a plurality of applications held by the server system to the device;

generating, by the server system, first correspondence information in which each of the at least one device is associated with message information corresponding to information indicating an application not yet provided to the device, the message information including text, at least one image, and at least one hyperlink associated with the application not yet provided to the at least one device;

receiving, by the server system, from the device, a message screen request that requests a message screen that is a screen used to notify a user of the application not yet provided to the device;

generating, by the server system in response to the message screen request, the message screen corresponding to the device based on the first correspondence information such that the message screen includes the text, the at least one image, and the at least one hyperlink included in the message information; and

transmitting, by the server system, the message screen the message screen to the device, in response to the message screen request;

transmitting, by the device, the message screen request to the server system;

receiving, by the device, the message screen from the server system; and

displaying, by the device, the message screen received at the receiving the message screen.

13. An information processing method comprising:

controlling, by a server system, to provide any of a plurality of applications held by the server system to a device;

generating, by the server system, first correspondence information associating the device with message information corresponding to information indicating an application not yet provided to the device among the plurality of applications, the message information including text, at least one image, and at least one hyperlink associated with the application not yet provided to the device;

receiving, by the server system, from the device, a message screen request requesting a message screen, the message screen being a screen used to notify a user of the application not yet provided to the device;

generating, by the server system in response to the message screen request, the message screen corresponding to the device, based on the first correspondence information such that the message screen includes the text, the at least one image, and the at least one hyperlink included in the message information; and

transmitting, by the server system, the message screen to the device, in response to the message screen request.