Method of managing download in network system

• US 20010054088A1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Naito, Yoshiko, Sakai, Tetsuo, Ikeno, Hideo, Horiyama, Jun, Kurumida, Tsuneaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network system includes a plurality of electronic devices (4-9), a manager PC (3) for downloading data to these electronic devices, and a server (2). The server (2) holds data downloaded to by the manager PC (3) and information pertaining to the download, thereby unitarily managing these data and information.

Claims

1. A network system comprising a plurality of electronic devices, one or a plurality of download apparatuses for downloading data to said electronic devices, and a server, wherein

said server holds the data downloaded by said download apparatus and information concerning the download.

2. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein said network system comprises a plurality of servers, and only a specific one of said servers holds the data and the information.

3. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the data contains at least one of data pertaining to software for controlling said electronic device, data pertaining to a resource of the software, and data for changing settings of said electronic device.

4. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the information contains at least one of information for specifying said electronic device to which the data is downloaded, the type of the data, the size of the data, the date of the download, and an operator who has performed the download operation.

5. The system according to

claim 2

, wherein said download apparatus directly transfers the data and the information to said specific server.

6. The system according to

claim 2

, wherein said download apparatus transfers the data and the information to said specific server via another one of said servers.

7. The system according to

claim 2

, wherein at least one of said servers comprises means for displaying information concerning the download.

8. The system according to

claim 2

, wherein at least one of said servers comprises means for displaying setting information concerning settings of each of said electronic devices.

9. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein said electronic devices include at least one of a printer, a scanner, a copying machine, a facsimile apparatus, and a composite apparatus having some functions thereof, and at least one computer which uses any of said printer, said scanner, said copying machine, said facsimile apparatus, and said composite apparatus.

10. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein

said download apparatus downloads data held by said server to said electronic device.

11. A download apparatus for downloading data to a plurality of electronic devices via a network system having said plurality of electronic devices and a server, characterized by comprising:

means for transferring the downloaded data and information concerning the download to said server.

12. The apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein

said network system comprises a plurality of servers, and

the data and the information are transferred to a specific one of said servers.

13. The apparatus according to

claim 12

, wherein

the data and the information are transferred to said specific server via another one of said servers.

14. The apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein

data held by said server is downloaded to said electronic device.

15. A server for managing download in a network system having a plurality of electronic devices and one or a plurality of download apparatuses for downloading data to said electronic devices, said sever comprising:

means for unitarily holding the downloaded data and information concerning the download.

16. A network system management method of managing download of data to a plurality of electronic devices in a network system in which said electronic devices and a server are connected, said method comprising the step of:

transferring the downloaded data and information concerning the download to said server.

17. The method according to

claim 16

, wherein

said network system comprises a plurality of servers, and

the data and the information are transferred to a specific one of said servers.

18. The method according to

claim 17

, wherein

the data and the information are transferred to said specific server via another one of said servers.

19. The method according to

claim 16

, wherein

data held by said server is downloaded to said electronic device.

20. A recording medium recording a program which, in order to manage download of data to a plurality of electronic devices in a network system having said electronic devices and a server, allows a computer to function as:

means for transferring the downloaded data and information concerning the download to said server.

21. The medium according to

claim 20

, wherein

said network system comprises a plurality of servers, and

said means transfers the data and the information to a specific one of said servers.

22. The medium according to

claim 21

, wherein

said means transfers the data and the information to said specific server via another one of said servers.

23. The medium according to

claim 20

, wherein

said program contains a program for allowing said computer to function as:

means for acquiring, from said server, data held by said server as the data to be downloaded to said electronic devices.

24. A recording medium recording a program which, in order to manage download of data to a plurality of electronic devices in a network system having said electronic devices and a server, allows a computer to function as:

means for unitarily holding the downloaded data and information concerning the download.

25. An information processing apparatus connected to a server apparatus for managing to download data to a plurality of electronic devices comprising

first display control means for obtaining information concerning said electronic devices from said server apparatus and display a list of them on a display unit, and

second display control means for obtaining information concerning data which can be downloaded to the electric device designated from said electric devices and display them on the display unit, wherein

data designated from said data which can be downloaded and are displayed by said second display control means are download to said designated electric device.

26. The information processing apparatus according to

claim 25

, wherein

said data are one of data for fonts, external characters, overlay forms or calibration tables.

27. A data management method executed on a system including a server apparatus for managing to download data to a plurality of electronic devices and client apparatuses connected to said server apparatus comprising

first display step of obtaining information concerning said electronic devices from said server apparatus and display a list of them on a display unit, and

second display step of obtaining information concerning data which can be downloaded to the electric device designated from said electric devices and display them on the display unit, wherein

data designated from said data which can be downloaded and are displayed in said second display step are download to said designated electric device.

28. The method according to

claim 27

, wherein

said data are one of data for fonts, external characters, overlay forms or calibration tables.

29. A data download program executed on a computer connected to a server apparatus for managing to download data to a plurality of electronic devices comprising

code for first display step of obtaining information concerning said electronic devices from said server apparatus and display a list of them on a display unit, and

code for second display step of obtaining information concerning data which can be downloaded to the electric device designated from said electric devices and display them on the display unit, wherein

data designated from said data which can be downloaded and are displayed in said second display step are download to said designated electric device.

30. The data download program according to

claim 29

, wherein

said data are one of data for fonts, external characters, overlay forms or calibration tables.