Image processing system, method of controlling the image processing system, and program for a peripheral apparatus in the system

• US 20050134911A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yasuyuki, Komatsu, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,791,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The image processing apparatus 1 at the manufacturing side can be accessed over the Internet 3 by the peripheral apparatuses 2A, 2B, and 2C at remote locations. When the image processing apparatus 1 receives from any of the peripheral apparatuses 2A, 2B, and 2C an image transmission command based on the HTTP protocol, it generates and transmits a response to the command carrying an image to the commanding peripheral apparatus 2A, 2B, or 2C. The peripheral apparatus 2A, 2B, or 2C upon being energized repeats an action of dispatching another image transmission command, an action of receiving the response, and an action of displaying the display image carried in the response in this order.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an image processing system which consists mainly of an image processing apparatus and a desired number of peripheral apparatuses connected together over a computer network for carrying out a given measurement action, wherein

the image processing apparatus repeats a first step of generating an image to be processed, a second step of generating a display image from the image to be processed, and a third step of saving the display image in a memory, and selectively performs, provided that an image transmission command based on a stateless protocol is received from any peripheral apparatus, a fourth step of extracting a desired number of the display images from the latest saved in the memory and a fifth step of generating and transmitting to the peripheral apparatus a response of a specific format to the image transmission command, predetermined by the image processing apparatus, which contains the extracted display images but not a control data of the peripheral, and

the peripheral apparatus performs a step A of dispatching to the image processing apparatus the image transmission command of a specific format predetermined by the peripheral apparatus, a step B of receiving the response to the image transmission command from the image processing apparatus, and a step C of displaying the display image, carried in the response, at a specific format predetermined by the peripheral apparatus on its monitor.

2. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing apparatus performs the fourth and fifth steps whenever receiving the image transmission command from the peripheral apparatus, and

the peripheral apparatus repeats the step A and the step B in this order and performs the step C while repeating the step B.

3. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing apparatus performs the fourth and fifth steps whenever receiving the image transmission command from the peripheral apparatus, and

the peripheral apparatus repeats the step A and the step B in order of B and A after executing the step A at least one time and, as preceded by the step A, performs the step C while repeating the step B.

4. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing apparatus waits for a given period of time when receiving the image transmission command from one peripheral apparatus and, when receiving the image transmission command from another peripheral apparatus during the waiting period, transmits the common response to both the one and another peripheral apparatuses.

5. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 1, wherein

the peripheral apparatus performs one cycle of the steps A, B, and C, determines from the execution of the cycle a processing period of time needed for communicating with the image processing apparatus, and performs a step Dof dispatching a secondary image transmission command including the processing period,

the image processing apparatus performs the fourth and fifth steps one time in response to the image transmission command including non of the processing period and when receiving the secondary image transmission command including the processing period, performs the fourth and fifth steps whenever the processing period is elapsed, and

the peripheral apparatus repeats the steps B and C after completing the step D.

6. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 5, wherein

the peripheral apparatus measures a period of time in which one cycle of the steps B and C is executed during performing the steps B and C after the step D and when the measured period is shorter by a given length than the processing period, repeats the step D through updating the processing period with the measured period, and

the image processing apparatus when receiving the secondary image transmission command including an updated version of the processing period, modifies the interval between the fourth step and the fifth step according to the updated version of the processing period.

7. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing apparatus repeats the fourth and fifth steps in response to the image transmission command from the peripheral apparatus, and

the peripheral apparatus performs the step A one time and performs the steps B and C whenever receiving the response from the image processing apparatus.

8. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 7, wherein

the peripheral apparatus, when the receipt of the response is completed at the step B, performs an action of notifying the image processing apparatus of the completion of the receipt, and

the image processing apparatus acknowledges the end of the fifth step from the notification of the receipt completion from the peripheral apparatus and repeats the fourth step.

9. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 1, wherein

the peripheral apparatus, when the setting action for the image processing apparatus is conducted at its operation panel, performs a step E of generating and dispatching an setting acceptance command including the setting data to the image processing apparatus, and

the image processing apparatus when receiving the setting acceptance command, performs a sixth step of updating the display image with the setting data carried in the command and a seventh step of saving the updated display image in the memory.

10. A method of controlling an image processing system, according to claim 9, wherein

the setting action includes selecting items for the setting, and

the image processing apparatus generates at the sixth step the display image including a menu of the items for the setting when receiving the setting acceptance command including the setting data.

11. An image processing system comprising an image processing apparatus and a desired number of peripheral apparatuses connected together over a computer network for carrying out a given measurement action, wherein

the image processing apparatus includes an image inputting device for inputting an image to be processed, a display image generating device for generating a display image from the image input by the image inputting device, a memory for saving the display image, a command receiving device for receiving an image transmission command based on a stateless protocol from any peripheral apparatus, an image extracting device for extracting a desired number of the display images from the latest saved in the memory, a responding device for generating and transmitting to the peripheral apparatus a response of a specific format to the image transmission command, predetermined by the image processing apparatus, which contains the extracted display images but not a control data of the peripheral apparatus, and a controlling device for actuating the image extracting device and the responding device, provided that the command receiving device receives the image transmission command, and

the peripheral apparatus includes a command dispatching device for dispatching to the image processing apparatus the image transmission command of a specific format predetermined by the peripheral apparatus, a response receiving device for receiving the response to the image transmission command from the image processing apparatus, and a display controlling device for displaying the display image, carried in the response, at a specific format predetermined by the peripheral apparatus.

12. An image processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus actuates the image extracting device and the responding device whenever the command receiving device receives the image transmission command from the peripheral apparatus, and

the command dispatching device in the peripheral apparatus dispatches another image transmission command whenever the receiving device receives the response and the display controlling device displays the display image.

13. An image processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus actuates the image extracting device and the responding device whenever the command receiving device receives the image transmission command from the peripheral apparatus, and

the command dispatching device in the peripheral apparatus conducts the dispatching of the image transmission command at least one time and dispatches another image transmission command prior to the display controlling device displaying the display image, whenever the receiving device receives the response.

14. An image processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus directs the responding device to wait for a given period of time when the command receiving device receives the image transmission command from one peripheral apparatus and, when receiving the image transmission command from another peripheral apparatus during the waiting period, transmits the common response to both the one and another peripheral apparatuses.

15. An image processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the peripheral apparatus includes a transmission command controlling device for performing one cycle of the actions of the command dispatching device, the response receiving device, and the display controlling device, determining from the execution of the cycle a processing period of time needed for communicating with the image processing apparatus, and directing the command dispatching device to dispatch a secondary image transmission command including the processing period, and

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus directs the image extracting device and the responding device to perform their action one time in response to the image transmission command including non of the processing period and when receiving the secondary image transmission command including the processing period, directs the image extracting device and the responding device to perform their action whenever the processing period is elapsed.

16. An image processing system according to claim 15, wherein

the transmission command controlling device in the peripheral apparatus includes a measuring device for measuring a period of time in which one cycle of the actions of the response receiving device and the display controlling device is executed when the secondary image transmission command including the processing period has been received, and a processing period updating device for updating the processing period with the measured period when the measured period is shorter by a given length than the processing period and then directs the command dispatching device to dispatch a further image transmission command including the updated processing period,

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus when receiving the further image transmission command including the updated processing period, modifies the interval between the action of the image extracting device and the action of the responding device according to the updated processing period.

17. An image processing system according to claim 11, wherein

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus directs the image extracting device and the responding device to repeat their action in response to the image transmission command received by the command receiving device, and

the peripheral apparatus includes a dispatch controlling device for directing the command dispatching device to dispatch the image transmission command one time and then actuating the response receiving device and the display controlling device whenever the response is received from the image processing apparatus.

18. An image processing system according to claim 17, wherein

the dispatch controlling device in the peripheral apparatus, when the receipt of the response by the response receiving device is completed, performs an action of notifying the image processing apparatus of the completion of the receipt, and

the controlling device in the image processing apparatus includes a device for receiving the notification of the receipt completion from the peripheral apparatus and acknowledges the end of the action of the responding device from the notification of the receipt completion and then restarts the action of the image extracting device.

19. An image processing system according to claim 11,

wherein the peripheral apparatus includes an inputting device for inputting the setting data for the image processing device and an setting acceptance command dispatching device for, when the setting data for the image processing apparatus is input by the setting action of the inputting device, generating and dispatching an setting acceptance command including the setting data to the image processing apparatus, and

the display image generating device in the image processing apparatus, when the setting acceptance command is received by the receiving device, updates the display image with the setting data carried in the command and saves the updated display image in the memory.

20. An image processing system according to claim 19, wherein

the setting action includes selecting items for the setting, and

the display image generating device in the image processing apparatus generates the display image including a menu of the items for the setting when receiving the setting acceptance command including the setting data.

21. A program for functioning a computer as a peripheral apparatus connected over a computer network to an image processing apparatus for performing a measurement action, whereby

the computer is assigned with a command dispatching device for dispatching to the image processing apparatus an image transmission command at a specific format or stateless protocol format predetermined by the peripheral apparatus, a response receiving device for receiving a response to the image transmission command from the image processing apparatus, and a display controlling device for displaying a display image, carried in the response, at a specific format predetermined by the peripheral apparatus on its monitor screen.