EXECUTION APPARATUS FOR EXECUTING FUNCTION IN RESPONSE TO REQUEST RECEIVED VIA A NETWORK, AND METHOD OF ACCEPTING REQUEST RECEIVED VIA A NETWORK

• US 20080189396A1
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Kenichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An execution apparatus for executing a function in response to a request received via a network obtains interface information representing an interface via which a component that provides a function accepts a request, and generates an interface for allowing the execution apparatus to accept a request via a network, based upon the obtained interface information of the component that accepts the request received via the network.

Claims

1. An execution apparatus for executing a function in response to a request received via a network, said apparatus comprising:

an obtaining unit adapted to obtain interface information representing an interface via which a component that provides a function accepts a request; and

a generation unit adapted to generate an interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a request via a network, based upon the interface information of the component that accepts the request received via the network, the interface information being obtained by said obtaining unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining unit has a holding unit adapted to hold a component that provides a function and control information of the component, and said obtaining unit obtains interface information of the component being held by said holding unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said obtaining unit has a requesting unit adapted to request the interface of the component to execute the function requested via the network, the request being made based upon the control information being held by said holding unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining unit accepts a request to register a component, and said generation unit, based upon interface information of the registered component, updates the interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a request from the network.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generation unit generates an interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a plurality of requests via the network, based upon interface information of a plurality of components that accept a request received via the network, the interface information being obtained by said obtaining unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining unit has an acquisition unit adapted to acquire a component, which is for executing the requested function, via the network in response to a request for a function, which is other than functions provided by a component for which interface information has been obtained by said obtaining unit.

7. A method of accepting a request received via a network, comprising steps of:

obtaining interface information representing an interface via which a component that provides a function accepts a request; and

generating an interface via which an execution apparatus accepts a request via a network, based upon the obtained interface information of the component that accepts the request received via the network.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said obtaining step has a holding step of holding a component that provides a function and control information of the component, and said obtaining step obtains interface information of the component being held.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said obtaining step has a requesting step of requesting the interface of the component to execute the function requested via the network, the request being made based upon the control information being held.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said obtaining step accepts a request to register a component, and said generation step, based upon interface information of the registered component, updates the interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a request from the network.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said generation step generates an interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a plurality of requests via the network, based upon interface information of a plurality of components that accept a request received via the network, the interface information being obtained at said obtaining step.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said obtaining step has an acquisition step of acquiring a component, which is for executing the requested function, via the network in response to a request for a function, which is other than a function provided by components for which interface information has been obtained at said obtaining step.

13. A storage medium storing a computer program for accepting a request received via a network, said computer program comprising steps of:

obtaining interface information representing an interface via which a component that provides a function accepts a request; and

generating an interface via which an execution apparatus accepts a request via a network, based upon the obtained interface information of the component that accepts the request received via the network.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said obtaining step has a holding step of holding a component that provides a function and control information of the component, said obtaining step obtaining interface information of the component being held, and said obtaining step has a requesting step of requesting the interface of the component to execute the function requested via the network, the request being made based upon the control information being held.

15. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said obtaining step accepts a request to register a component, and said generation step, based upon interface information of the registered component, updates the interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a request from the network.

16. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said generation step generates an interface via which the execution apparatus accepts a plurality of requests via the network, based upon interface information of a plurality of components that accept a request received via the network, the interface information being obtained at said obtaining step.

17. The storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said obtaining step has an acquisition step of acquiring a component, which is for executing the requested function, via the network in response to a request for a function, which is other than functions provided by components for which interface information has been obtained at said obtaining step.