Communication system, communication apparatus, and communication method

• US 20060080340A1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Oi, Hirokazu
• Application Number:
  US11/225,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080340A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

In a communication system for transmitting/receiving files between a plurality of apparatuses, a transmission end includes an identification information transmitting unit which transmits identification information of a self-apparatus, and a file transmitting unit which transmits a file and file name owned by the self-apparatus, and a reception end includes an identification information receiving unit which receives the identification information of the transmission end, a file receiving unit which receives the file and file name transmitted from the transmission end, and a file name determination unit which determines a file name to be given upon storing the received file in the self-apparatus on the basis of the identification information and file name received from the transmission end.

Claims

1. A communication system for transmitting/receiving files between a plurality of apparatuses, wherein

a transmission end comprises:

identification information transmitting means for transmitting identification information of a self-apparatus; and

file transmitting means for transmitting a file and file name owned by the self-apparatus, and

a reception end comprises;

identification information receiving means for receiving the identification information of said transmission end;

file receiving means for receiving the file and file name transmitted from said transmission end; and

file name determination means for determining a file name to be given upon storing the received file in the self-apparatus on the basis of the identification information and file name received from said transmission end.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission end further comprises list transmitting means for transmitting a list of files owned by the self-apparatus, and

said reception end further comprises:

judging means for judging non-owned files from the list of files received from said transmission end;

storing means for storing the file received from said transmission end by appending the file name determined by said file name determination means to that file;

file name reconstruction means for reconstructing an original file name and identification information appended by said transmission end on the basis of the file name stored in said storing means; and

list production means for producing a list of files owned by the self-apparatus, which includes the reconstructed file name and identification information.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said reception end further comprises:

directory name determination means for determining a name of a directory that stores files on the basis of the identification information; and

directory production means for producing a directory with the determined name on said storing means, and

said storing means stores files in the produced directory.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said reception end further comprises identification information reconstruction means for reconstructing the identification information of said transmission end on the basis of the directory name produced on said storing means, and

said list production means produces a list of files owned by the self-apparatus, which includes the reconstructed identification information.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein said reception end further comprises file association means for associating and storing the identification information of said transmission end, the determined file name, and the reconstructed file name.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein said reception end further comprises directory association means for associating and storing the identification information of said transmission end and the determined directory name.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said reception end further comprises:

file identification information receiving means for receiving file identification information of a file owned by said transmission end; and

file identification information acquisition means for acquiring file identification information of a file owned by the self-apparatus, and

said judging means judges a file which is not owned by the self-apparatus by comparing the two pieces of file identification information, and

said file receiving means receives the file which is judged to be not owned by the judging means.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said file name determination means determines a first file name on the basis of the file name and identification information of the apparatus included in the file identification information, and determines a second file name different from the first file name when a file having the first file name already exists.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the file identification information includes a file name, time information of production of a file, and identification information of an apparatus which has produced the file.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said reception end further comprises transmission file selection means for selecting files to be transmitted to said transmission end from files owned by the self-apparatus.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission end further comprises electronic watermark addition means for adding electronic watermark information to a file to be transmitted to said reception end.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said transmission and reception ends further comprises image sensing means for sensing an image of an object by photoelectric conversion, and the file is an image file sensed by said image sensing means.

13. A communication apparatus for receiving a file from another apparatus, comprising:

identification information receiving means for receiving identification information from a transmission end;

file receiving means for receiving a file and file name transmitted from the transmission end; and

file name determination means for determining a file name to be given upon storing the received file in a self-apparatus on the basis of the identification information and file name received from the transmission end.

14. A communication system in which a second apparatus which receives a file from a first apparatus transmits the file received from the first apparatus to a third apparatus, wherein

the first apparatus comprises:

transmission means for transmitting a file owned by a self-apparatus and inhibition information that inhibits the file from being transmitted to the third apparatus, and

the second apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving the file owned by the first apparatus and the inhibition information;

storing means for storing the file owned by the first apparatus, in association with the inhibition information; and

transmitting means for transmitting files owned by the self-apparatus except for the file associated with the inhibition information to the third apparatus.

15. A communication apparatus for receiving a file from another apparatus, comprising:

storing means for storing information of an apparatus which completes a communication;

judging means for judging if an apparatus which can communicate with a self-apparatus and does not complete the communication exists;

receiving means for receiving a file from the judged apparatus; and

control means for executing reception of files by said receiving means until said judging means judges that no apparatus which does not complete the communication exists, and for, when said judging means judges that no apparatus which does not complete the communication exists, erasing the information of the apparatuses stored in said storing means.

16. A communication method for transmitting/receiving files between a plurality of apparatuses, wherein

a transmission end comprises:

an identification information transmitting step of transmitting identification information of a self-apparatus; and

a file transmitting step of transmitting a file and file name owned by the self-apparatus, and

a reception end comprises;

an identification information receiving step of receiving the identification information of the transmission end;

a file receiving step of receiving the file and file name transmitted from the transmission end; and

a file name determination step of determining a file name to be given upon storing the received file in the self-apparatus on the basis of the identification information and file name received from the transmission end.

20. A program for making a computer implement a communication method of claim 16.

21. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program of claim 20.

17. A communication method for receiving a file from another apparatus, comprising:

an identification information receiving step of receiving identification information from a transmission end;

a file receiving step of receiving a file and file name transmitted from the transmission end; and

a file name determination step of determining a file name to be given upon storing the received file in a self-apparatus on the basis of the identification information and file name received from the transmission end.

22. A program for making a computer implement a communication method of claim 17.

23. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program of claim 22.

18. A communication method in which a second apparatus which receives a file from a first apparatus transmits the file received from the first apparatus to a third apparatus, wherein

the first apparatus comprises:

a transmission step of transmitting a file owned by a self-apparatus and inhibition information that inhibits the file from being transmitted to the third apparatus, and

the second apparatus comprises;

a receiving step of receiving the file owned by the first apparatus and the inhibition information;

a storing step of storing the file owned by the first apparatus in association with the inhibition information; and

a transmitting step of transmitting files owned by the self-apparatus except for the file associated with the inhibition information to the third apparatus.

24. A program for making a computer implement a communication method of claim 18.

25. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program of claim 24.

19. A communication method for receiving a file from another apparatus, comprising:

a storing step of storing information of an apparatus which completes a communication;

a judging step of judging if an apparatus which can communicate with a self-apparatus and does not complete the communication exists;

a receiving step of receiving a file from the judged apparatus; and

a control step of executing reception of files in the receiving step until it is judged in the judging step that no apparatus which does not complete the communication exists, and erasing, when it is judged in the judging step that no apparatus which does not complete the communication exists, the information of the apparatuses stored in the storing step.

26. A program for making a computer implement a communication method of claim 19.

27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program of claim 26.