Device searching apparatus

• US 20030120754A1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Noboru, Muto, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for searching a device on a network. The device searching server acquires a search condition from the device searching client, searches a device on the network and returns the search result to the device searching client. If the number of the device matching the search condition is at least equal to a predetermined number, additional information such as location information and charge information is added to the search result. Also if the device matching the search condition is absent, a device of a high frequency of use, determined on the use history, is outputted as the search result.

Claims

1. A device searching apparatus for searching a device on a network, comprising:

management means for managing a database including identification information for identifying the device on the network and attribute information associated thereto;

input means for entering a search condition for searching a desired device on the network;

search means for searching a device matching the entered search condition from said database;

output means for outputting, on a device matching the entered search condition, a search result including the identification information and the attribute information of such device; and

control means for controlling the information to be outputted to said search result, according to the number of the device matching the entered search condition.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is adapted, in case the number of the devices outputted in said search result is at least equal to a predetermined value, to add additional information on each of the devices outputted by said search result, to said search result.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

communication means for acquiring device information, registered corresponding to said identification information in another apparatus on said network, from said another apparatus;

wherein said control means is adapted to acquire, by said communication means, additional information on each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said additional information to said search result.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means is adapted to acquire, from an apparatus managing location information of the devices on said network, the location information of each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said location information to said search result.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means is adapted to acquire, from an apparatus managing charge information of the devices on said network, the charge information of each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said charge information to said search result.

6. A device searching apparatus for searching a device on a network, comprising:

management means for managing a database including identification information for identifying the device on the network and static information associated thereto;

input means for entering a search condition for searching a desired device on the network;

search means for searching device matching the entered search condition from said database;

output means for outputting, on a device matching the entered search condition, a search result including the identification information and the static information of such device; and

control means for adding dynamic information to said search result, according to the number of the device matching the entered search condition.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means is adapted, in case the number of the devices outputted in said search result is at least equal to a predetermined value, to acquire dynamic information from the device matching the entered search condition and to add said dynamic information to said search result.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

discrimination means for discriminating a device of a high frequency of use, based on the dynamic information relating to the use history collected from the devices on said network;

wherein said control means is adapted, in case the number of the devices matching the entered search condition is zero, to add the information of the device discriminated as the device of a high frequency of use to said search result.

9. A device searching method for searching a device on a network, comprising steps of:

managing a database including identification information for identifying the device on the network and attribute information associated thereto;

entering a search condition for searching a desired device on the network;

searching a device matching the entered search condition from said database;

outputting, on a device matching the entered search condition, a search result including the identification information and the attribute information of such device; and

controlling the information to be outputted to said search result, according to the number of the device matching the entered search condition.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said control step is adapted, in case the number of the devices outputted in said search result is at least equal to a predetermined value, to add additional information on each of the devices outputted by said search result, to said search result.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving device information, registered corresponding to said identification information in another apparatus on said network, from said another apparatus;

wherein said control step is adapted to acquire, by said reception step, additional information on each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said additional information to said search result.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said control step is adapted to acquire, from an apparatus managing location information of the devices on said network, the location information of each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said location information to said search result.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said control step is adapted to acquire, from an apparatus managing charge information of the devices on said network, the charge information of each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said charge information to said search result.

14. A device searching method for searching a device on a network, comprising steps of:

managing a database including identification information for identifying the device on the network and static information associated thereto;

entering a search condition for searching a desired device on the network;

searching a device matching the entered search condition from said database;

outputting, on a device matching the entered search condition, a search result including the identification information and the static information of such device; and

adding dynamic information to said search result, according to the number of the device matching the entered search condition.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said control step is adapted, in case the number of the devices outputted in said search result is at least equal to a predetermined value, to acquire dynamic information from the device matching the entered search condition and to add said dynamic information to said search result.

16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

discriminating a device of a high frequency of use, based on the dynamic information relating to the use history collected from the devices on said network;

wherein said control step is adapted, in case the number of the devices matching the entered search condition is zero, to add the information of the device discriminated as the device of a high frequency of use to said search result.

17. A memory medium storing a computer program to be executed by a computer of a device searching apparatus for searching a device on a network, the computer program comprising steps of:

managing a database including identification information for identifying the device on the network and attribute information associated thereto;

entering a search condition for searching a desired device on the network;

searching a device matching the entered search condition from said database;

outputting, on a device matching the entered search condition, a search result including the identification information and the attribute information of such device; and

controlling the information to be outputted to said search result, according to the number of the device matching the entered search condition.

18. A memory medium according to claim 17, wherein said control step is adapted, in case the number of the devices outputted in said search result is at least equal to a predetermined value, to add additional information on each of the devices outputted by said search result, to said search result.

19. A memory medium according to claim 18, wherein the computer program further comprises:

receiving device information, registered corresponding to said identification information in another apparatus on said network, from said another apparatus;

wherein said control step is adapted to acquire, by said reception step, additional information on each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said additional information to said search result.

20. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein said control step is adapted to acquire, from an apparatus managing location information of the devices on said network, the location information of each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said location information to said search result.

21. A memory medium according to claim 19, wherein said control step is adapted to acquire, from an apparatus managing charge information of the devices on said network, the charge information of each of the devices outputted by said search result, and to add said charge information to said search result.

22. A memory medium storing a computer program to be executed by a computer of a device searching apparatus for searching a device on a network, the computer program comprising steps of:

managing a database including identification information for identifying the device on the network and static information associated thereto;

entering a search condition for searching a desired device on the network;

searching a device matching the entered search condition from said database;

outputting, on a device matching the entered search condition, a search result including the identification information and the static information of such device; and

adding dynamic information to said search result, according to the number of the device matching the entered search condition.

23. A memory medium according to claim 22, wherein said control step is adapted, in case the number of the devices outputted in said search result is at least equal to a predetermined value, to acquire dynamic information from the device matching the entered search condition and to add said dynamic information to said search result.

24. A memory medium according to claim 22, wherein the computer program further comprises:

discriminating a device of a high frequency of use, based on the dynamic information relating to the use history collected from the devices on said network;

wherein said control step is adapted, in case the number of the devices matching the entered search condition is zero, to add the information of the device discriminated as the device of a high frequency of use to said search result.