Device search apparatus

• US 20060170967A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamada, Noboru, Maki, Nobuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

There is disclosed an apparatus for searching a device on a network. A device search client links a search condition for searching the device with an icon to store the search condition. When a user designates the icon, the search condition linked with the icon and stored is inquired of a device search server to obtain the search result. Subsequently, the display form of the designated icon corresponding to the search condition is changed based on the obtained search result.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an accepting unit adapted to accept selection of a device by a user; and

a generating unit adapted to generate, based on an attribute of the device selected by the user, a search condition by which the device having said attribute can be acquired as a search result.

29. An information processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said generating unit automatically extracts, from among the plural attributes of the device selected by the user, the attribute concerning the search condition, and generates the search condition based on the extracted attribute.

30. An information processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said generating unit generates the search condition by which the device not having the attribute of the device selected by the user is not acquired as the search result.

31. An information processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said accepting unit accepts the selection of the plural devices by the user, and said generating unit generates the search condition by which the device having the attribute common to the plural devices selected by the user can be acquired as the search result.

32. An information processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said generating unit generates the search condition by which the device not having the attribute common to the plural devices selected by the user is not acquired as the search result.

33. An information processing apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising a storing unit adapted to store the search condition generated by said generating unit.

34. An information processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the device is a print device, and the attribute is at least any one of presence/absence of a color print function, presence/absence of a double-sided print function, and presence/absence of a stapling function.

35. An information processing method comprising:

an accepting step of accepting selection of a device by a user; and

a generating step of generating, based on an attribute of the device selected by the user, a search condition by which the device having said attribute can be acquired as a search result.

36. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer readable program to cause an information processing apparatus to execute:

an accepting step of accepting selection of a device by a user; and

a generating step of generating, based on an attribute of the device selected by the user, a search condition by which the device having said attribute can be acquired as a search result.