Information processing apparatus and method of controlling same

• US 20060280447A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Eriko
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/243
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A device connected via a network is queried with regard to its status, a thumbnail image of content data possessed by the device is displayed and an image indicative of the device is displayed in association with the thumbnail image. Based upon a response to the inquiry, it is determined whether or not the acquisition of the content data from the device is possible. The result of the determination is displayed in identifiable form.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for processing information input thereto from a device connected to the apparatus, comprising:

inquiry means for querying the device with regard to status of the device;

reduced-image display means for displaying a reduced image of content data possessed by the device;

device-image display means for displaying an image, which is indicative of the device, in association with the reduced image;

determination means for determining whether or not acquisition of the content data from the device is possible based upon a response to the inquiry made by said inquiry means; and

display control means for identifiably displaying result of the determination by said determination means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inquiry means further queries the device with regard to storage destination of the content data;

and

said determination means determines whether or not acquisition of the content data from the device is possible based upon the storage destination and the status of the device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control means displays a mark, which indicates that acquisition of the content data from the device is possible or not, in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

identification means for identifying a reason for the determination made by said determination means; and

message display means for creating a text message, which indicates the reason for the determination, based upon the reason for the determination identified by said identification means, and displaying the text message in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

identification means for identifying a reason for the determination made by said determination means; and

remedy-message display means for creating a text message, which indicates a method of remedying the reason for the determination, based upon the reason for the determination identified by said identification means, and displaying the text message in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing information relating to a location at which the device has been installed;

wherein said device-image display means displays the information relating to the location by appending this information to the image indicative of the device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

identification means for identifying a reason for the determination made by said determination means; and

remedy-message display means for creating a text message, which relates to a method of remedying the reason for the determination and to the location of installation, based upon the reason for the determination identified by said identification means, and displaying the text message in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

8. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus for processing information input thereto from a device connected to the apparatus, comprising:

an inquiry step of querying the device with regard to status of the device;

a reduced-image display step of displaying a reduced image of content data possessed by the device;

a device-image display step of displaying an image, which is indicative of the device, in association with the reduced image;

a determination step of determining whether or not acquisition of the content data from the device is possible based upon a response to the inquiry made in said inquiry step; and

a display control step of identifiably displaying result of the determination in said determination step.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said inquiry step further includes querying the device with regard to storage destination of the content data;

and

it is determined in said determination step whether or not acquisition of the content data from the device is possible based upon the storage destination and the status of the device.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said display control step displays a mark, which indicates that acquisition of the content data from the device is not possible, in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

an identification step of identifying a reason for the determination made in said determination step; and

a message display step of creating a text message, which indicates the reason for the determination, based upon the reason for the determination identified in said identification step, and displaying the text message in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

an identification step of identifying a reason for the determination made in said determination step; and

a remedy-message display step of creating a text message, which indicates a method of remedying the reason for the determination, based upon the reason for the determination identified in said identification step, and displaying the text message in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

13. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of storing information relating to a location at which the device has been installed;

wherein said device-image display step displays the information relating to the location by appending this information to the image indicative of the device.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

an identification step of identifying a reason for the determination made in said determination step; and

a remedy-message display step of creating a text message, which relates to a method of remedying the reason for the determination and to the location of installation, based upon the reason for the determination identified in said identification step, and displaying the text message in association with the image indicative of the device or the reduced image.

15. A program for executing the information processing method set forth in claim 8.