INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20080024818A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

The convenience for a user can be improved when a printer apparatus is used through an information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes: an associating unit for associating an object with a printer driver corresponding to a printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is established, and releasing the association between the object and the printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and the network port relating to the communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is not established; and an object control unit for performing control to display on a display apparatus a first object associated by the associating unit with a printer driver corresponding to a first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the first printer apparatus, and a second object associated with a printer driver corresponding to a second printer apparatus different from the first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the second printer apparatus as the same object.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an associating unit configured to associate an object with a printer driver corresponding to a printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is established, and to release the association between the object and the printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and the network port relating to the communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is not established; and

an object control unit configured to perform control to display on a display apparatus a first object associated by the associating unit with a printer driver corresponding to a first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the first printer apparatus, and a second object associated with a printer driver corresponding to a second printer apparatus different from the first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the second printer apparatus as a same object.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a printer driver corresponding to a first printer apparatus and a printer driver corresponding to a second printer apparatus different from the first printer apparatus are retained.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a job applying unit configured to apply a job relating to a file to a printer apparatus corresponding to the printer driver and the network port through the printer driver and the port associated with the object when the file is dragged and dropped on the object displayed on the display apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the communication is not established with the printer apparatus, the associating unit releases the association between the object and the printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and the network port relating to the communication with the printer apparatus, and wherein the object control unit clears display of an object corresponding to the printer apparatus and displayed on the display apparatus based on the release of the association by the associating unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printer apparatus has a wireless communication capability.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an installation unit configured to install a printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus when a communication with the printer apparatus is established, and if a printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus is not installed, wherein the associating unit associates an object with a printer driver installed by the installation unit and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus.

7. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an associating unit configured to associate an object with a printer driver corresponding to a printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus when a communication with the printer apparatus is established;

an object control unit configured to perform control to display on a display apparatus an object associated by the associating unit with a printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus; and

a job applying unit configured to apply a job relating to a file to a printer apparatus corresponding to the printer driver and the network port through the printer driver and the port associated with the object when the file is dragged and dropped on the object displayed on the display apparatus.

8. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus, comprising:

associating an object with a printer driver corresponding to a printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is established, and releasing the association between the object and the printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and the network port relating to the communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is not established; and

performing control to display on a display apparatus a first object associated with a printer driver corresponding to a first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the first printer apparatus, and a second object associated with a printer driver corresponding to a second printer apparatus different from the first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the second printer apparatus as a same object.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising applying a job relating to a file to a printer apparatus corresponding to the printer driver and the network port through the printer driver and the port associated with the object when the file is dragged and dropped on the object displayed on the display apparatus.

10. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein when the communication is not established with the printer apparatus, the associating step releases the association between the object and the printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and the network port relating to the communication with the printer apparatus, and wherein the control performing step clears display of an object corresponding to the printer apparatus and displayed on the display apparatus based on the release of the association.

11. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising installing a printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus when a communication with the printer apparatus is established, and if a printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus is not installed, wherein the associating step associates an object with a printer driver installed in the installing step and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus.

12. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus, comprising:

associating an object with a printer driver corresponding to a printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus when a communication with the printer apparatus is established;

performing control to display on a display apparatus an object associated with a printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus; and

applying a job relating to a file to a printer apparatus corresponding to the printer driver and the network port through the printer driver and the port associated with the object when the file is dragged and dropped on the object displayed on the display apparatus.

13. A program, stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for causing a computer to execute an information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus, the information processing method comprising:

associating an object with a printer driver corresponding to a printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is established, and releasing the association between the object and the printer driver corresponding to the printer apparatus and the network port relating to the communication with the printer apparatus when the communication with the printer apparatus is not established; and

performing control to display on a display apparatus a first object associated with a printer driver corresponding to a first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the first printer apparatus, and a second object associated with a printer driver corresponding to a second printer apparatus different from the first printer apparatus and a network port relating to a communication with the second printer apparatus as a same object.