DISPLAY INSTRUCTION APPARATUS, DISPLAY INSTRUCTION METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20080229208A1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Imai, Takuya, Asai, Takahiro, Emori, Mototsugu, Sahashi, Yukiko, Umehara, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,443,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

A display instruction apparatus transmits a display screen on which symbols representing network devices connected to a network are displayed to a client terminal connected to the network; and transmits, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.

Claims

1. A display instruction apparatus comprising:

a display-screen transmitting unit that transmits a display screen on which symbols representing a plurality of network devices connected to a network are displayed at appropriate positions to a client terminal connected to the network; and

an instruction transmitting unit that transmits, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.

2. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the network devices include image forming devices, and

the instruction transmitting unit transmits an instruction for executing a job-related process executed on the image forming devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation as the predetermined process to the image forming devices.

3. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a process-selection instructing unit that transmits, when the drag-and-drop operation is received from the client terminal, a selection instruction to select any one of processes of job moving, job dividing, and job copying as the job-related process to the client terminal, wherein

the instruction transmitting unit transmits the instruction for executing the job-related process to the image forming devices.

4. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the symbols includes a dragged symbol that is dragged in the drag-and-drop operation and represents an information processing device and a drop-destination symbol that is a drop-destination in the drag-and-drop operation and represents a printing device that executes a print process, and

the instruction transmitting unit transmits an instruction for executing a setting process regarding printing from the information processing device to the printing device as the predetermined process to either one of the information processing device and the printing device that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation.

5. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a process-selection instructing unit that transmits, when a drag-and-drop operation from the dragged symbol to the drop-destination symbol is received from the client terminal, a selection instruction to select either one of a default setting process on the printing device and a temporary setting process on the printing device as the setting process to the client terminal, wherein

the instruction transmitting unit transmits the instruction for executing the setting process to the image processing device.

6. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the network devices include information processing devices, and

the instruction transmitting unit transmits an instruction for executing a communication process between the information processing devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation as the predetermined process to the information processing devices.

7. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a process-selection instructing unit that transmits, when the drag-and-drop operation is received from the client terminal, a selection instruction to select any one of message transmission, IP phone, and file transmission as the communication process to the client terminal, wherein

the instruction transmitting unit transmits the instruction for executing the communication process from the client terminal to the information processing devices.

8. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display screen further displays user symbols representing users using the network devices, and

when a drag-and-drop operation between the user symbols is received from the client terminal, the instruction transmitting unit further transmits an instruction for executing a predetermined process between network devices for use by the users that are subjected to the drag-and drop operation to the network devices for use by the users.

9. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the instruction transmitting unit transmits an instruction for executing a communication process between the network devices for use by the users as the predetermined process to the network devices for use by the users.

10. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a process-selection instructing unit that transmits, when the drag-and-drop operation is received from the client terminal, a selection instruction to select any one of message transmission, IP phone, and cellular phone as the communication process to the client terminal, wherein

the instruction transmitting unit transmits the instruction for executing the communication process from the client terminal to the network devices for use by the users.

11. The display instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction transmitting unit is connected to the network, and transmits the instruction to a device management apparatus that instructs the network devices to perform the predetermined process.

12. A display instruction method comprising:

transmitting a display screen on which symbols representing a plurality of network devices connected to a network are displayed at appropriate positions to a client terminal connected to the network; and

transmitting, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.

13. The display instruction method according to claim 12, wherein

the network devices include image forming devices, and

the transmitting the instruction includes transmitting an instruction for executing a job-related process executed on the image forming devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation as the predetermined process to the image forming devices.

14. The display instruction method according to claim 12, wherein

the symbols includes a dragged symbol that is dragged in the drag-and-drop operation and represents an information processing device and a drop-destination symbol that is a drop-destination in the drag-and-drop operation and represents a printing device that executes a print process, and

the transmitting the instruction includes transmitting an instruction for executing a setting process regarding printing from the information processing device to the printing device as the predetermined process to either one of the information processing device and the printing device that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation.

15. The display instruction method according to claim 12, wherein

the network devices include information processing devices, and

the transmitting the instruction includes transmitting an instruction for executing a communication process between the information processing devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation as the predetermined process to the information processing devices.

16. The display instruction method according to claim 12, wherein

the display screen further includes user symbols representing users using the network devices, and

when a drag-and-drop operation between the user symbols is received from the client terminal, the transmitting the instruction further includes transmitting an instruction for executing a predetermined process between network devices for use by the users that are subjected to the drag-and drop operation to the network devices for use by the users.

17. The display instruction method according to claim 12, wherein the transmitting the instruction includes transmitting the instruction to a device management apparatus that instructs the network devices to perform the predetermined process through the network.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the medium that, when executed, causes a display instruction apparatus to execute:

transmitting a display screen on which symbols representing a plurality of network devices connected to a network are displayed at appropriate positions to a client terminal connected to the network; and

transmitting, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.