Peripheral equipment and peripheral equipment control method

• US 20020165915A1
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Torii, Kan
• Granted Patent: US 7,124,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

Peripheral equipment that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network by using a Web server manages a list of components assembled into the peripheral equipment. In the list of components, a plurality of component codes is assigned to each of the components. In response to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer, the Web server outputs the list of components in a format that the Web client can understand. In this instance, the component codes included in the list of components output by the Web server are selected from a plurality of component codes.

Claims

1. A peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network, the peripheral apparatus comprising:

a manager that manages component information of components assembled into the peripheral apparatus, wherein a plurality of component codes are assigned to each of the components; and

a Web server that outputs the component information managed by the manager.

2. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the Web server is responsive to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer to output the component information in a format that is understandable by the Web client.

3. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selector that selects component codes in response to an instruction from the Web client.

4. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, and the selector selects component codes according to the region selected by the Web client.

5. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a language among multiple languages, and the selector selects component codes according to the language selected by the Web client.

6. A peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network, the peripheral apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores component information of components assembled in the peripheral apparatus, wherein a plurality of component codes is assigned to each of the components in the component information;

a Web server that outputs in response to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer the component information in a format that is understandable by the Web client; and

a selector that selects component codes to be included in the component information to be output by the Web server from the plurality of component codes.

7. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the selector selects component codes in response to an instruction from the Web client.

8. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, and the selector selects component codes according to the region selected by the Web client.

9. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting one of languages, and the selector selects component codes according to the language selected by the Web client.

10. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, having at least one of a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copy function.

11. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

managing component information of components assembled in the peripheral apparatus, wherein a plurality of component codes is assigned to each of the components in the component information;

outputting from a Web server in response to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer the component information in a format that is understandable by the Web client; and

selecting component codes to be included in the component information to be output by the Web server from the plurality of component codes.

12. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the selector selects component codes in response to an instruction from the Web client.

13. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, and the selector selects component codes according to the region selected by the Web client.

14. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a language among multiple languages, and the selector selects component codes according to the language selected by the Web client.

15. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral apparatus has at least one of a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copy function.

17. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the step of selecting selects component codes in response to an instruction from the Web client.

18. A computer program according to claim 16, further comprising the step of having the Web server provide the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, wherein the step of selecting selects component codes according to the region selected by the Web client.

19. A computer program according to claim 16, further comprising the step of having the Web server provide the Web client with information for selecting a language among multiple languages, wherein the step of selecting selects component codes according to the language selected by the Web client.

20. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the peripheral apparatus has at least one of a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copy function.

16. A computer program to be executed by a computer of a peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information using a Web server to a computer via a network, the computer program comprising the steps of:

reading from a storage device that stores component information of components assembled in the peripheral apparatus the component information, wherein a plurality of component codes is assigned to each of the components in the component information;

outputting the read component information from the Web server in response to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer in a format that is understandable by the Web client; and

selecting component codes to be included in the component information to be output by the Web server from the plurality of component codes.

21. A computer readable storage medium that stores the computer program according to claim 16.