Information processing apparatus, management control method, computer program and memory medium

• US 20020083164A1
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawashima, Makoto, Nakamura, Shinichi, Hara, Hiroyuki, Hirose, Junichi, Ohmori, Kazushi, Katayama, Kojiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

The information processing apparatus of the present invention comprises alarm means for informing an alarm to expedite the delivery of an expendable to a communication address assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after the instruction for delivery according to the information on the expendable of predetermined type included in the inventory absence information received from a user base side and information for specifying the user, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of the expendable of the predetermined type.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus capable of acquiring, from a peripheral device management apparatus for managing information specific to a peripheral device connected through a local area network, information specific to said peripheral device through an external network, and, from a general-purpose computer management apparatus for managing information specific to a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network, information specific to said general-purpose computer through said external network, thereby executing unified management on said peripheral device and on said general-purpose computer, the information processing apparatus comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating whether the information received through said external network is specific to said peripheral device or is relating to said general-purpose computer;

specifying means for specifying, in case said discrimination means recognizes that the information received through said external network is specific to the peripheral device and indicates absence of inventory, information for specifying an expendable included in said information indicating the absence of inventory and information for specifying a user who is the owner of the expendable showing said absence of inventory; and

display control means for causing a predetermined display unit to display information indicating the type of said expendable specified by said specifying means and information for identifying said user.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising instruction means for instructing, to a distribution server communicable through an external network, delivery of the expendable of the type specified by said specifying means to a destination based on said user information.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said user information includes an e-mail address of a communication address, and the apparatus further comprises confirmation mail informing means for sending, to said e-mail address, a confirmation mail for instructing the delivery of the expendable of the type specified by said specifying means and showing absence of inventory.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising alarm means for informing an alarm to said distribution server or to a portable terminal assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after the instruction for delivery by said instruction means, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of the type specified by said specifying means.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inventory absence information includes information indicating the remaining number of inventory of said specified expendable.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition means includes first acquisition means for acquiring, through said external network, information on a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network and second acquisition means for acquiring, through said external network, information specific to the peripheral device connected through said local area network, wherein said first acquisition means acquires information relating to said general-purpose computer in a first format specific to said general-purpose computer and said second acquisition means acquires information specific to said peripheral device in a second format specific to said peripheral device.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising conversion means for converting the information of said first format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said first acquisition means into said second format, wherein said predetermined display unit is provided in an apparatus capable of interpreting said second format and is capable of display based on said second format.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising conversion means for converting the information of said second format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said second acquisition means into said first format, wherein said predetermined display unit is provided in an apparatus capable of interpreting said first format and is capable of display based on said first format.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising conversion means for converting the information of said first format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said first acquisition means and the information of said second format relating to said peripheral device and acquired by said second acquisition means into a common third format, wherein said predetermined display unit is capable of display based on said third format.

10. An information processing apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving inventory absence information indicating that the inventory number of expendable of a predetermined type used in a peripheral device is less than a predetermined number, together with information for specifying the user; and

informing means for informing an alarm to a communication address assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after an instruction for delivery according to the information on the expendable of predetermined type included in the inventory absence information received by said reception means and said information for specifying the user, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of said predetermined type by said reception means.

11. A management control method for an information processing apparatus capable of acquiring, from a peripheral device management apparatus for managing information specific to a peripheral device connected through a local area network, information specific to said peripheral device through an external network, and, from a general-purpose computer management apparatus for managing information specific to a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network, information specific to said general-purpose computer through said external network, thereby executing unified management on said peripheral device and on said general-purpose computer, the method comprising:

a discrimination step of discriminating whether the information received through said external network is specific to said peripheral device or is relating to said general-purpose computer;

a specifying step for specifying, in case said discrimination step recognizes that the information received through said external network is specific to the peripheral device and indicates absence of inventory, information for specifying an expendable included in said information indicating the absence of inventory and information for specifying a user who is the owner of the expendable showing said absence of inventory; and

a display control step of causing a predetermined display unit to display information indicating the type of said expendable specified by said specifying means and information for identifying said user.

12. A management control method according to claim 11, further comprising an instruction step of instructing, to a distribution server communicable through an external network, delivery of the expendable of the type specified by said specifying means to a destination based on said user information.

13. A management control method according to claim 12, wherein said user information includes an e-mail address of a communication address, and the method further comprises a confirmation mail informing step of sending, to said e-mail address, a confirmation mail for instructing the delivery of the expendable of the type specified by said specifying step and showing absence of inventory.

14. A management control method according to claim 12, further comprising an alarm step of informing an alarm to said distribution server or to a portable terminal assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after the instruction for delivery by said instruction step, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of the type specified by said specifying step.

15. A management control method according to claim 11, wherein said inventory absence information includes information indicating the remaining number of inventory of said specified expendable.

16. A management control method according to claim 11, wherein said acquisition step includes a first acquisition means for acquiring, through said external network, information on a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network and a second acquisition step of acquiring, through said external network, information specific to the peripheral device connected through said local area network, wherein said first acquisition step acquires information relating to said general-purpose computer in a first format specific to said general-purpose computer and said second acquisition step acquires information specific to said peripheral device in a second format specific to said peripheral device.

17. A management control method according to claim 16, further comprising a conversion step for converting the information of said first format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said first acquisition step into said second format, wherein said predetermined display unit is provided in an apparatus capable of interpreting said second format and is capable of display based on said second format.

18. A management control method according to claim 16, further comprising a conversion step of converting the information of said second format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said second acquisition step into said first format, wherein said predetermined display unit is provided in an apparatus capable of interpreting said first format and is capable of display based on said first format.

19. A management control method according to claim 16, further comprising a conversion step of converting the information of said first format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said first acquisition step and the information of said second format relating to said peripheral device and acquired by said second acquisition step into a common third format, wherein said predetermined display unit is capable of display based on said third format.

20. A management control method comprising:

a reception step of receiving inventory absence information indicating that the inventory number of expendable of a predetermined type used in a peripheral device is less than a predetermined number, together with information for specifying the user; and

an informing step of informing an alarm to a communication address assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after an instruction for delivery according to the information on the expendable of predetermined type included in the inventory absence information received by said reception step and said information for specifying the user, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of said predetermined type by said reception step.

21. A computer program to be executed by an information processing apparatus capable of acquiring, from a peripheral device management apparatus for managing information specific to a peripheral device connected through a local area network, information specific to said peripheral device through an external network, and, from a general-purpose computer management apparatus for managing information specific to a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network, information specific to said general-purpose computer through said external network, thereby executing unified management on said peripheral device and on said general-purpose computer, the program comprising:

a discrimination step of discriminating whether the information received through said external network is specific to said peripheral device or is relating to said general-purpose computer;

a specifying step for specifying, in case said discrimination step recognizes that the information received through said external network is specific to the peripheral device and indicates absence of inventory, information for specifying an expendable included in said information indicating the absence of inventory and information for specifying a user who is the owner of the expendable showing said absence of inventory; and

a display control step of causing a predetermined display unit to display information indicating the type of said expendable specified by said specifying means and information for identifying said user.

22. A computer program according to claim 21, further comprising an instruction step of instructing, to a distribution server communicable through an external network, delivery of the expendable of the type specified by said specifying means to a destination based on said user information.

23. A computer program according to claim 22, wherein said user information includes an e-mail address of a communication address, and the method further comprises a confirmation mail informing step of sending, to said e-mail address, a confirmation mail for instructing the delivery of the expendable of the type specified by said specifying step and showing absence of inventory.

24. A computer program according to claim 22, further comprising an alarm step of informing an alarm to said distribution server or to a portable terminal assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after the instruction for delivery by said instruction step, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of the type specified by said specifying step.

25. A computer program according to claim 21, wherein said inventory absence information includes information indicating the remaining number of inventory of said specified expendable.

26. A computer program according to claim 21, wherein said acquisition step includes a first acquisition means for acquiring, through said external network, information on a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network and a second acquisition step of acquiring, through said external network, information specific to the peripheral device connected through said local area network, wherein said first acquisition step acquires information relating to said general-purpose computer in a first format specific to said general-purpose computer and said second acquisition step acquires information specific to said peripheral device in a second format specific to said peripheral device.

27. A computer program according to claim 26, further comprising a conversion step for converting the information of said first format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said first acquisition step into said second format, wherein said predetermined display unit is provided in an apparatus capable of interpreting said second format and is capable of display based on said second format.

28. A computer program according to claim 26, further comprising a conversion step of converting the information of said second format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said second acquisition step into said first format, wherein said predetermined display unit is provided in an apparatus capable of interpreting said first format and is capable of display based on said first format.

29. A computer program according to claim 26, further comprising a conversion step of converting the information of said first format relating to said general-purpose computer and acquired by said first acquisition step and the information of said second format relating to said peripheral device and acquired by said second acquisition step into a common third format, wherein said predetermined display unit is capable of display based on said third format.

30. A computer program to be executed by an information processing apparatus, comprising:

a reception step of receiving inventory absence information indicating that the inventory number of expendable of a predetermined type used in a peripheral device is less than a predetermined number, together with information for specifying the user; and

an informing step of informing an alarm to a communication address assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after an instruction for delivery according to the information on the expendable of predetermined type included in the inventory absence information received by said reception step and said information for specifying the user, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of said predetermined type by said reception step.

31. A memory medium storing a computer readable program to be executed by an information processing apparatus capable of acquiring, from a peripheral device management apparatus for managing information specific to a peripheral device connected through a local area network, information specific to said peripheral device through an external network, and, from a general-purpose computer management apparatus for managing information specific to a general-purpose computer connected through said local area network, information specific to said general-purpose computer through said external network, thereby executing unified management on said peripheral device and on said general-purpose computer, the program comprising:

a discrimination step of discriminating whether the information received through said external network is specific to said peripheral device or is relating to said general-purpose computer;

a specifying step for specifying, in case said discrimination step recognizes that the information received through said external network is specific to the peripheral device and indicates absence of inventory, information for specifying an expendable included in said information indicating the absence of inventory and information for specifying a user who is the owner of the expendable showing said absence of inventory; and

a display control step of causing a predetermined display unit to display information indicating the type of said expendable specified by said specifying means and information for identifying said user.

32. A memory medium storing computer readable codes, the codes comprising:

a reception step of receiving inventory absence information indicating that the inventory number of expendable of a predetermined type used in a peripheral device is less than a predetermined number, together with information for specifying the user; and

an informing step of informing an alarm to a communication address assigned to a person in charge of distribution, in response, after an instruction for delivery according to the information on the expendable of predetermined type included in the inventory absence information received by said reception step and said information for specifying the user, to reception of information indicating a decrease or absence of the inventory of said expendable of said predetermined type by said reception step.