Information processing apparatus and grouping method

• US 20070041381A1
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Wakai, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing

Abstract

In an information processing apparatus for identifying a plurality of communication devices, grouping and managing the identified communication devices, communication devices that are in a state of communication among devices forbidden are grouped and managed. Then, it acts for obtaining data of another communication device when the data is obtained among the communication devices grouped. The data obtaining proxy is performed when a request to obtain data of another communication device is received from a communication device, and data of another communication device is obtained based on the request, and it is sent to a communication device.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for identifying a plurality of communication devices,

grouping and managing the identified communication devices, comprising:

grouping means for grouping and managing communication devices that are in a state of communication among devices forbidden; and

data obtaining proxy means for acting for obtaining data of another communication device when the data is obtained among the communication devices grouped by said grouping means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data obtaining proxy means comprises:

receiving means for receiving a request to obtain data of another communication device from a communication device;

obtaining means for obtaining said data of another communication device based on said request; and

data sending means for sending said obtained data to said communication device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grouping means comprises:

reading means for reading identifying information for identifying a communication device;

means for listing the identified communication devices; and

designating means for designating communication devices to be grouped from the displayed list.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reading means can collectively read respective pieces of identifying information of a plurality of communication devices.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reading means is performed by non-contact ID tag reading means, USB connecting means, infrared communication means, short-range wireless means, barcode reading means, and capture means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said displayed list displays a capture image of a plurality of communication devices, and

said designating means designates communication devices to be grouped against said capture image.

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

creating means for creating a folder that is admitted to access said grouped communication devices; and

synchronizing means for automatically synchronizing said folder and data in another communication device.

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

corresponding folder creating means for creating a corresponding folder of each communication device in said folder,

wherein said synchronizing means synchronizes each of said corresponding folders with a corresponding communication device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said synchronizing means synchronizes data identifying information for identifying data and said receiving means receives said data identifying information.

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

synchronization object folder specifying means for specifying a synchronization object folder; and

synchronization details specifying means for specifying only data identifying information or all as synchronization details;

wherein said synchronizing means synchronizes according to said specified synchronization details.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said obtaining means saves said obtained data and determines whether the saved data is the same as the data within a device or not, and if it is determined as the same, uses said saved data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said grouping means determines whether grouping of communication devices is admitted or not, and if grouping of communication devices is not admitted, does not group the communication devices.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said grouping means determines whether grouping of the self device is admitted or not, and if the self device is not admitted to be grouped, does not group the self device.

14. A grouping method of an information processing apparatus for identifying a plurality of communication devices, grouping and managing the identified communication devices, comprising:

a grouping step of grouping and managing communication devices that are in a state of communication among devices forbidden; and

a data obtaining proxy step of acting for obtaining data of another communication device when the data is obtained among communication devices grouped at said grouping step.

15. A program that is recorded on a computer readable recording medium and causes the computer to execute the grouping method described in claim 14.

16. A computer readable recording medium that records a program described in claim 15.