Service providing system, application management system, service providing apparatus, service providing program, application management program, recording medium, service providing method, and application management method

• US 20050166266A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fukao, Akihito, Taniguchi, Shinya
• Application Number:
  US11/044,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20050166266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A service providing system is provided which can easily perform service management of devices. A device management terminal configures device groups based on group configuration information and device information, detects added, deleted, or changed devices from the configured device groups as target devices, and performs group operations to the detected target devices. Further, the device management terminal configures application groups based on the group configuration information and the application information, detects added, deleted, or changed applications from the configured application groups as target applications, and performs group operations relating to the detected target applications to the devices.

Claims

1. A service providing system in which a plurality of devices are communicably connected to each other and which provides a service to at least one device of the plurality of communicably connected devices, the service providing system comprising:

a device information storing unit for storing device information which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices;

a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of devices constituting device groups;

a device group configuration unit for configuring the device groups based on the group configuration information in the group configuration information storing unit and the device information in the device information storing unit;

a target device detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed devices from the device groups configured by the device group configuration unit as target devices; and

a service providing unit for providing the service to the target devices detected by the target device detecting unit.

2. A service providing system in which devices are communicably connected to each other and which provides any one of a plurality of services to the communicably connected devices, the service providing system comprising:

a service information storing unit for storing service information which indicates attributes of the services for every service;

a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of services constituting service groups;

a service group configuration unit for configuring the service groups based on the group configuration information in the group configuration information storing unit and the service information in the service information storing unit;

a target service detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed services from the service groups configured by the service group configuration unit as target services; and

a service providing unit for providing the target services detected by the target service detecting unit to the devices.

3. An application management system in which a plurality of devices are communicably connected to each other and which manages applications of the plurality of communicably connected devices, the application management system comprising:

a device information storing unit for storing device information which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices;

a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of devices constituting device groups;

a device group configuration unit for configuring the device groups based on the group configuration information in the group configuration information storing unit and the device information in the device information storing unit;

a target device detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed devices from the device groups configured by the device group configuration unit as target devices; and

a group operation executing unit for performing group operations regarding distribution or deletion of the applications on the target devices detected by the target service detecting unit.

4. The application management system according to claim 3,

wherein the group configuration information includes conditions of applications constituting application groups,

wherein the application management system further comprises:

an application information storing unit for storing application information which indicates attributes of the applications for every application;

an application group configuration unit for configuring the application groups based on the group configuration information in the group configuration information storing unit and the application information in the application information storing unit; and

a group related information storing unit for storing group related information which indicates a correspondence relationship between the device groups and the application groups, and

wherein the group operation executing unit specifies the application groups corresponding to the device groups to which the target devices belong, based on the group related information in the group related information storing unit, and performs the group operations relating to the applications, which belong to the specified application groups, on the target devices.

5. The application management system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a target application detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed applications from the application groups configured by the application group configuration unit as target applications,

wherein the group operation executing unit specifies the device groups corresponding to the application groups to which the target applications detected by the target application detecting unit belong, based on the group related information in the group related information storing unit, and performs the group operations relating to the target applications on the devices which belong to the specified device groups.

6. The application management system according to claim 3, further comprising:

an application storing unit for storing applications,

wherein the group operation executing unit distributes the applications in the application storing unit to the target devices to which the applications are to be added or of which applications are to be changed.

7. The application management system according to claim 3,

wherein the group operation executing unit transmits an application deletion command to the target devices of which applications are to be deleted or changed.

8. The application management system according to claim 3,

wherein the detection by the target device detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed when a registration, deletion, or change of the device information is performed on the device information storing unit.

9. The application management system according to claim 3,

wherein the detection by the target device detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed when a change of the group configuration information is performed on the group configuration information storing unit.

10. The application management system according to claim 3,

wherein the detection by the target device detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed at predetermined intervals.

11. The application management system according to claim 3,

wherein the detection by the target device detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed when an execution request is input.

12. The application management system according to claim 5,

wherein the detection by the target application detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed when the registration, deletion, or change of the application information is performed on the application information storing unit.

13. The application management system according to claim 5,

wherein the detection by the target application detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed when the change of the group configuration information is performed on the group configuration information storing unit.

14. The application management system according to claim 5,

wherein the detection by the target application detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed at predetermined intervals.

15. The application management system according to claim 5,

wherein the detection by the target application detecting unit and the execution by the group operation executing unit are performed when an execution request is input.

16. An application management system in which devices are communicably connected to each other and which manages applications of the communicably connected devices, the application management system comprising:

an application information storing unit for storing application information which indicates attributes of the applications for every application;

a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of applications constituting application groups;

an application group configuration unit for configuring the application groups based on the group configuration information in the group configuration information storing unit and the application information in the application information storing unit;

a target application detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed applications from the application groups configured by the application group configuration unit as target applications; and

a group operation executing unit for performing group operations regarding distribution or deletion of the target applications detected by the target application detecting unit on the devices.

17. A service providing apparatus in which a plurality of devices are communicably connected to each other and which provides a service to at least one device of the plurality of communicably connected devices, the service providing apparatus comprising:

a device group configuration unit for acquiring from a database device, which has a device information storing unit for storing device information which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices and a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of devices constituting device groups, the group configuration information and the device information and for configuring the device groups based on the acquired group configuration information and device information;

a target device detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed devices from the device groups configured by the device group configuration unit as target devices; and

a service providing unit for providing the service to the target devices detected by the target device detecting unit.

18. A service providing apparatus in which devices are communicably connected to each other and which provides any one of a plurality of services to the communicably connected devices, the service providing apparatus comprising:

a service group configuration unit for acquiring from a database device, which has a service information storing unit for storing service information which indicates attributes of the services for every service and a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of services constituting service groups, the group configuration information and the service information, and for configuring the service groups based on the acquired group configuration information and the service information;

a target service detecting unit for detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed services from the service groups configured by the service group configuration unit as target services; and

a service providing unit for providing the target services detected by the target service detecting unit to the devices.

27. A service providing method in which a plurality of devices are communicably connected to each other and which provide a service to at least one device of the plurality of communicably connected devices, the service providing method comprising:

a device group configuration step of configuring device groups based on group configuration information, which includes device conditions of the device groups, stored in a group configuration information storing unit and device information, which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices, stored in a device information storing unit;

a target device detection step of detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed devices from the device groups configured in the device group configuration step as target devices; and

a service provision step of providing the service to the target devices detected in the target device detection step.

19. A service providing program which provides a service to devices and which causes a computer, which uses a device information storing unit for storing device information which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices and a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of devices constituting device groups, to execute a process comprising the method of claim 27.

23. A recording medium on which a service providing program for providing a service to devices is recorded,

wherein the service providing program comprises the service providing program of claim 19.

28. A service providing method in which devices are communicably connected to each other and which provides any one of a plurality of services to the communicably connected devices, the service providing method comprising:

a service group configuration step of configuring service groups based on group configuration information, which includes service conditions of the service groups, stored in a group configuration information storing unit and service information, which indicates attributes of the services for every service, stored in a device information storing unit;

a target service detection step of detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed services from the service groups configured in the service group configuration step as target services; and

a service provision step of providing the target services detected in the target service detection step to the devices.

20. A service providing program which provides services to devices and which causes a computer, which uses a service information storing unit for storing service information which indicates attributes of the services for every service and a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of services constituting service groups, to execute a process comprising the method of claim 28.

24. A recording medium on which a service providing program for providing services to devices is recorded,

wherein the service providing program comprises the service providing program of claim 20.

29. An application management method in which a plurality of devices are communicably connected to each other and which manages applications of the plurality of communicably connected devices, the application management method comprising:

a device group configuration step of configuring device groups based on group configuration information, which includes device conditions of the device groups, stored in a group configuration information storing unit and device information, which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices, stored in a device information storing unit;

a target device detection step of detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed devices from the device groups configured in the device group configuration step as target devices; and

a group operation execution step of performing group operations regarding distribution or deletion of the applications on the target devices detected in the target device detection step.

21. An application management program which manages applications of devices and which causes a computer, which uses a device information storing unit for storing device information which indicates attributes of the communicably connected devices and a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of devices constituting device groups, to execute a process comprising the method of claim 29.

25. A recording medium on which an application management program for managing applications of devices is recorded,

wherein the application management program comprises the application management program of claim 21.

30. An application management method in which devices are communicably connected to each other and which manages applications of the communicably connected devices, the application management method comprising:

an application group configuration step of configuring application groups based on group configuration information, which includes conditions of applications of the application groups, stored in a group configuration information storing unit and application information, which indicates attributes of the application for every application, stored in an application information storing unit;

a target application detection step of detecting at least one of added, deleted, and changed applications from the application groups configured in the application group configuration step as target applications; and

a group operation execution step of performing group operations regarding distribution or deletion of the target applications detected in the target application detection step, on the devices.

22. An application management program which manages applications of devices and which causes a computer, which uses an application information storing unit for storing application information which indicates attributes of the applications for every application and a group configuration information storing unit for storing group configuration information which includes conditions of applications constituting application groups, to execute a process comprising the method of claim 30.

26. A recording medium on which an application management program for managing applications of devices is recorded,

wherein the application management program comprises the application management program of claim 22.