INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20090100422A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Abe, Koichi
• Application Number:
  US12/245,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100422A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

If a device driver is simply installed in the same manner for any network environment, there is a possibility that the device driver is installed in a manner improper for a particular network environment. To avoid the above problem, an information processing apparatus selects an optimum installation mode according to property information of the information processing apparatus and property information of an image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus capable of communicating with an image-forming apparatus, comprising:

a setting unit configured to set first property information indicating a setup location of the information-processing apparatus; and

a selection unit configured to select an installation mode such that when the first property information set by the setting unit indicates a first setup location, the selection unit selects an automatic installation mode in which a device driver of the image-forming apparatus is automatically installed without accepting an installation command issued by a user, while when the first property information set by the setting unit indicates a second setup location, the selection unit selects a manual installation mode in which the device driver is installed according to the installation command issued by the user.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit configured to receive second property information indicating a setup location of the image-forming apparatus, wherein

the selection unit is configured to select the installation mode according to the second property information received by the receiving unit and the first property information.

3. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the receiving unit is configured to further acquire category information indicating a category of the image-forming apparatus, and

the selection unit is configured to select the installation mode in which to install the device driver, according to the category information, the first property information, and the second property information.

4. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an installation unit configured to install the device driver in the installation mode selected by the selection unit, wherein

the installation unit is configured so that, if the selection unit selects the automatic installation mode, the installation unit installs the device driver according to storage location information indicating a storage location of the device driver, the storage location information being transmitted from the image-forming apparatus.

5. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a determination unit configured to, if the selection unit selects the automatic installation mode, determine whether the installation in the automatic installation mode should be performed, according to identification information of the information-processing apparatus and identification information of the image-forming apparatus.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the automatic installation mode is selected, information associated with the image forming apparatus is displayed.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the information associated with the image forming apparatus includes information indicating at least one of a manufacturer name, a model name, and an image of the image forming apparatus.

6. A method for controlling an information-processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with an image-forming apparatus, the method comprising:

setting first property information indicating a setup location of the information-processing apparatus; and

selecting an installation mode such that when the first property information set in the setting step indicates a first setup location, an automatic installation mode is selected in which a device driver of the image-forming apparatus is automatically installed without accepting an installation command issued by a user, while when the first property information set in the setting step indicates a second setup location, a manual installation mode is selected in which the device driver is installed according to the installation command issued by the user.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising receiving second property information indicating a setup location of the image-forming apparatus, wherein

the selection step includes selecting the installation mode according to the second property information received in the receiving step and the first property information.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein

the receiving step includes further acquiring category information indicating a category of the image-forming apparatus, and

the selection step includes selecting the installation mode in which to install the device driver, according to the category information, the first property information, and the second property information.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising installing the device driver in the installation mode selected in the selection step, wherein

the installation step includes, if the automatic installation mode is selected in the selection step, installing the device driver according to storage location information indicating a storage location of the device driver, the storage location information being transmitted from the image-forming apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining, if the automatic installation mode is selected in the selection step, whether the installation in the automatic installation mode should be performed, according to identification information of the information-processing apparatus and identification information of the image-forming apparatus.

11. A storage medium encoded with a computer-executable program that causes the information-processing apparatus to perform the method according to claim 6.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein when the automatic installation mode is selected, information associated with the image forming apparatus is displayed.

14. The storage medium encoded with the computer-executable program that causes the information-processing apparatus to perform the method according to claim 11, wherein when the automatic installation mode is selected, information associated with the image forming apparatus is displayed.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the information associated with the image forming apparatus includes information indicating at least one of a manufacturer name, a model name, and an image of the image forming apparatus.

17. The storage medium encoded with the computer-executable program that causes the information-processing apparatus to perform the method according to claim 14, wherein the information associated with the image forming apparatus includes information indicating at least one of a manufacturer name, a model name, and an image of the image forming apparatus.