DATA MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD OF DATA MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE

• US 20080250096A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Koide, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A service providing unit adapted to provide a first service which transmits image data to the external apparatus under the control of the external apparatus on the network; a service retrieval unit adapted to retrieve the external apparatus, on the network, capable of providing a second service which processes the image data transmitted from the data management apparatus under the control of the data management apparatus; a service controlling unit adapted to control the external apparatus on the network such that the external apparatus provides the second service; and a switching unit adapted to switch between a first state that deactivates the service controlling unit and a second state that activates the service controlling unit based on a retrieval result by the service retrieving unit.

Claims

1. A data management apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus via a network, comprising:

a service providing unit adapted to provide a first service which transmits image data to the external apparatus under the control of the external apparatus on the network;

a service retrieval unit adapted to retrieve the external apparatus, on the network, capable of providing a second service which processes the image data transmitted from the data management apparatus under the control of the data management apparatus;

a service controlling unit adapted to control the external apparatus on the network such that the external apparatus provides the second service; and

a switching unit adapted to switch between a first state that deactivates the service controlling unit and a second state that activates the service controlling unit based on a retrieval result by the service retrieving unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

if the service retrieval unit does not detect existence of an external apparatus capable of providing the second service, the switching unit switches to the first state, and if the service retrieval unit detects existence of an external apparatus capable of providing the second service, the switching unit switches to the second state.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit adapted to accept an instruction from a user,

wherein the operation unit accepts a display instruction of an image file if the service controlling unit controls the second service provided by the external apparatus, and

the service controlling unit controls to transmit the image file to be displayed on the external apparatus to the external apparatus via the network based on the display instruction of the image file.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit adapted to accept an instruction from a user,

wherein the operation unit accepts a print instruction of an image file, if the service controlling unit controls the second service provided by the external apparatus,

and

the service controlling unit controls to transmit the image file and the print instruction of the image file to the external apparatus via the network so that the external apparatus prints the image file.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit adapted to accept an instruction from a user,

wherein if the operation unit accepts an operation in the second state, the data management apparatus executes control of the external apparatus by the service controlling unit, and if the operation unit accepts an operation in the first state, the data management apparatus executes switching to the second state by the switching unit.

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

an operation unit adapted to accept an instruction from a user; and

a notification unit adapted to notify, if a second service provided by the external apparatus is newly retrieved in the first state, that it is possible to switch to the second state.

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

a detection unit adapted to detect that the external apparatus on the network has disconnected from the network,

wherein if the detection unit detects that the external apparatus which provides the second service has disconnected from the network, the switching unit switches the second state to the first state.

8. A data management apparatus capable of communicating an external apparatus via a network, comprising:

a service providing unit adapted to provide a first service to the external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus on the network;

a service retrieval unit adapted to retrieve the external apparatus, on the network, capable of providing the second service;

a service controlling unit adapted to control the external apparatus on the network such that the external apparatus provides the second service; and

a switching unit adapted to switch between a first state that deactivates the service controlling unit and a second state that activates the service controlling unit based on a retrieval result of the service retrieving unit.

9. A method of controlling a data management apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus via a network, comprising:

providing a first service which transmits image data to the external apparatus under the control of the external apparatus on the network;

retrieving the external apparatus, on the network, capable of providing a second service which processes the image data transmitted from the data management apparatus under the control of the data management apparatus;

controlling the external apparatus on the network such that the external apparatus provides the second service; and

switching between a first state that deactivates control of the external apparatus and a second state that activates control of the external apparatus based on the retrieval result.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions causing a computer to execute the method of claim 9.

10. A method of controlling an data management apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus via a network, comprising:

providing a first service to the external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus on the network;

retrieving the external apparatus, on the network, capable of providing a second service;

controlling the external apparatus on the network such that the external apparatus provides the second service; and

switching between a first state that deactivates control of the external apparatus and a second state that activates control of the external apparatus based on the retrieval result.

12. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions causing a computer to execute the method of claim 10.