System and server for providing content

• US 20060170963A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Aoki, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1237 Print job management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00917 Resuming after an intentional interruption, e.g. resetting parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32037 Automation of particular transmitter jobs, e.g. multi-address calling, auto-dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32048 Auto-dialling or Auto-calling H04N1/32053 - H04N1/32074 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3208 Transmitting a plurality of separate messages to a common destination in a single transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3276 : of a customised additional information profile, e.g. a profile specific to a user ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 : Transmission

Abstract

There is provided a server for providing contents, which is provided with a registration unit that stores first destination information representing a destination of offering of contents in a memory, as a regular destination of contents, if the registration unit receives a command for registration accompanied by the first destination information, a content providing unit that provides contents to a client device corresponding the regular destination stored in the memory, and a switched content providing unit that operates to stop offering of contents by the content providing unit for a predetermined time period if the switched content providing unit receives a command for switching accompanied by second destination information representing a destination of offering of contents, to provide contents to a client device corresponding to the second destination information, to stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information if the predetermined time period has elapsed, and to restart the offering of contents by the content providing unit.

Claims

1. A server for providing contents, comprising:

a registration unit that stores first destination information representing a destination of offering of contents in a memory, as a regular destination of contents, if the registration unit receives a command for registration accompanied by the first destination information;

a content providing unit that provides contents to a client device corresponding the regular destination stored in the memory; and

a switched content providing unit that operates to stop offering of contents by the content providing unit for a predetermined time period if the switched content providing unit receives a command for switching accompanied by second destination information representing a destination of offering of contents, to provide contents to a client device corresponding to the second destination information, to stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information if the predetermined time period has elapsed, and to restart the offering of contents by the content providing unit.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein:

if the switched content providing unit receives the command for switching, the switched content providing unit operates to stop offering of contents by the content providing unit, and to provide contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information until the switched content providing unit receives a command for releasing; and

if the switched content providing unit receives the command for releasing, the switched content providing unit operates to stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information, and to restart the offering of contents by the content providing unit.

3. The server according to claim 1, wherein:

if the switched content providing unit receives the command for switching, the switched content providing unit operates to stop offering of contents by the content providing unit, and to provide contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information until a predetermined time is reached; and

if the predetermined time is reached, the switched content providing unit operates to stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information, and to restart the offering of contents by the content providing unit.

4. The server according to claim 3, wherein:

the command for switching is accompanied by a switch end time defined by a source device of the command for switching;

if the switched content providing unit receives the command for switching, the switched content providing unit operates to stop offering of contents by the content providing unit, and to provide contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information until the switch end time is reached; and

if the switch end time is reached, the switched content providing unit operates to stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information, and to restart the offering of contents by the content providing unit.

5. The server according to claim 1, further comprising a conversion unit that converts a data format of contents to a format acceptable to a target client device which receives the contents from the server.

6. The server according to claim 5, wherein the conversion unit converts the contents into print data for a printing device if the target client device is the printing device.

7. The server according to claim 5, wherein the conversion unit converts the contents into facsimile data for a facsimile device if the target client device is the facsimile device.

8. A system for providing contents, comprising:

the server according to claim 1;

and

at least one client device that receives contents from the server.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein:

the server includes a judgment unit that judges whether it is necessary to provide each content item, which the switched content providing unit has provided to the client device, to the client device corresponding to the regular destination; and

the content providing unit operates to provide newly generated contents, not provided by the switched content providing unit, to the client device corresponding to the regular destination after restarted by the switched content providing unit, and to provide the contents, which the judgment unit judged that it is necessary to provide the contents to the client device corresponding to the regular destination, to the client device corresponding to the regular destination.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising an obtaining unit that obtains necessity information indicating whether it is necessary to provide each content item, which the switched content providing unit has provided to the client device, to the client device corresponding to the regular destination, from an operation unit which a user is able to operate,

wherein the judgment unit judges whether it is necessary to provide each content item, which the switched content providing unit has provided to the client device, to the client device corresponding to the regular destination, in accordance with the necessity information obtained by the obtaining unit.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein:

the server includes a judgment unit that judges whether it is necessary to provide contents, which the switched content providing unit has provided to the client device corresponding to the second destination information, to a client device corresponding to third destination information representing a destination of offering of contents accompanying a command for switching which is newly received while the switched content providing unit stops offering of contents by the content providing unit;

if the switched content providing unit receives the new command for switching while the switched content providing unit stops offering of contents by the content providing unit, the switched content providing unit operates;

to stop an operation thereof based on the command for switching already received;

to provide contents, which the judgment unit judges that it is necessary to provide the contents to the client device corresponding to the third destination information accompanying the newly received command for switching, to the client device corresponding to the third destination information;

to provide contents, newly generated after receiving the new command for switching, to the client device corresponding to the third destination information in place of the content providing unit during a certain time period from stoppage of the operation thereof;

to stop offering of contents when the certain time period has elapsed; and

to restart offering of contents by the content providing unit.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising an obtaining unit that obtains necessity information indicating whether it is necessary to provide each content item, which the switched content providing unit has provided to the client device, to the client device corresponding to the third destination information, from an operation unit which a user is able to operate,

wherein the judgment unit judges whether it is necessary to provide each content item, which the switched content providing unit has provided to the client device corresponding to the second destination information, to the client device corresponding to the third destination information, in accordance with the necessity information obtained by the obtaining unit, if the new command for switching is received while the switched content providing unit stops offering of contents by the content providing unit.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein:

the at least one client device is configured to transmit the command for registration and the command for switching, to the server, and to transmit information representing its own device as the destination of contents to the server when transmitting the command for registration.

14. A method for providing contents, comprising the steps of:

storing first destination information representing a destination of offering of contents in a memory, as a regular destination of contents, if a command for registration accompanied by the first destination information is received;

providing contents to a client device corresponding the regular destination stored in the memory;

stopping offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the regular destination for a predetermined time period if a command for switching accompanied by second destination information representing a destination of offering of contents is received;

providing contents to a client device corresponding to the second destination information;

stopping offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information if the predetermined time period has elapsed; and

restarting the offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the regular destination.

15. A computer program comprising computer readable instructions that cause a server which provides contents to:

store first destination information representing a destination of offering of contents in a memory, as a regular destination of contents, if a command for registration accompanied by the first destination information is received;

provide contents to a client device corresponding the regular destination stored in the memory;

stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the regular destination for a predetermined time period if a command for switching accompanied by second destination information representing a destination of offering of contents is received;

provide contents to a client device corresponding to the second destination information;

stop offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the second destination information if the predetermined time period has elapsed; and

restart the offering of contents to the client device corresponding to the regular destination.