NETWORK DEVICE, SERVICE PROVIDING METHOD, AND SERVICE PROVIDING PROGRAM

• US 20090077169A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikeura, Ryuichi, Kuroko, Takehito
• Application Number:
  US12/207,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077169A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

A network device providing a service to a client device connected via a network. An information providing section provides information that promotes accessing the service by the client device. A service execution section executes the requested service according to a request from the client device based upon information provided by the information providing section. The information providing section and the service execution section are booted as separate processes.

Claims

1. A network device providing a service to a client device connected via a network, comprising:

an information providing section to provide information that promotes accessing said service by said client device; and

a service execution section to execute a requested service according to a request from said client device based upon the information provided by said information providing section,

wherein said information providing section and said service execution section are booted as separate processes.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein there is a corresponding one of said service execution sections for each type of said service, and said corresponding service execution section is booted as a process for each service.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein said information providing section includes a first section that according to a search request for one of the services from said client device determines the existence of the one service targeted for search and according to the determination results returns identification information to access the service to said client device, and a second section that according to the information returned by said first section and according to the request sent from said client device returns information pertaining to the network device;

said service execution section includes a third section that according to the request from said client device based upon said identification information executes the requested service, and a fourth section that notifies said client device of an occurrence of an event according to the execution of the requested service.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein said first section and said second section included in said information providing section and said third section and said fourth section included in said service execution section are booted as separate threads.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein upon booting the process of said service execution section, said information providing section is notified of the potential to provide a service, and said information providing section according to the notification from said service execution section announces via the network the potential to provide the service.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein said service execution section reports the termination of a provided service to said information providing section upon the termination of the processes, and said information providing section according to the report from said service execution section reports via the network the termination of providing said service.

7. A service providing method that is executed by a network device to provide a service to a client device connected via a network, comprising:

an information providing procedure to provide information that promotes accessing said service by said client device; and

a service execution procedure to execute a requested service according to a request from said client device based upon the information provided by said information providing procedure,

wherein said information providing procedure and said service execution procedure are booted as separate processes.

8. The service providing method of claim 7, wherein there is a corresponding one of said service execution procedures for each type of said service and said corresponding service execution procedure is booted as a process for each service.

9. The service providing method of claim 7, wherein said information providing procedure includes a first procedure that according to a search request for one of the services from said client device determines the existence of the one service targeted for search and according to the determination results returns identification information to access the service to said client device, and a second procedure that according to the information returned by said first procedure and according to the request sent from said client device returns information pertaining to the network device;

wherein said service execution procedure includes a third procedure that according to the request from said client device based upon said identification information executes the requested service, and a fourth procedure that notifies said client device of an occurrence of an event according to the execution of the requested service.

10. The service providing method of claim 9, wherein said first procedure and second procedure included in said information providing procedure and said third procedure and fourth procedure included in said service execution procedure are booted as separate threads.

11. The service providing method of claim 7, wherein upon booting the process of said service execution procedure, the process of said information providing procedure is notified of the potential to provide a service, and the process of said information providing procedure according to the notification from the process of said service execution procedure announces via the network the potential to provide the service.

12. The service providing method of claim 7, wherein upon the termination of the process of said service execution procedure the termination of a provided service is reported to the process of said information providing procedure, and the process of said information providing procedure according to the report from the process of said service execution procedure reports via the network the termination of providing said service.

13. A computer-readable recording medium comprising a service providing program by which computer network devices execute a service providing method that is executed by a network device to provide a service to a client device connected via a network, comprising:

an information providing procedure to provide information that promotes accessing said service by said client device; and

a service execution procedure to execute a requested service according to a request from said client device based upon the information provided by said information providing procedure,

wherein said information providing procedure and said service execution procedure are booted as separate processes.