IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS WHICH SUPPORTS INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) MANAGEMENT AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20090103126A1
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: S-Printing Solution Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PARK, Jae-hyun
• Application Number:
  US12/193,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103126A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including a network interface unit to connect to a terminal, and an IP management unit to control the network interface unit to set a new IP address to be a main IP address and set the current IP address to be a sub IP address, if the current IP address is changed by the terminal. A user may use the printing operation of the image forming apparatus conveniently even when the IP address of the image forming apparatus is changed.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus having a plurality of Internet protocol (IP) addresses, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a network interface unit to connect to at least one terminal via a communications network; and

an IP management unit to control the network interface unit to set a new IP address to be a main IP address and set the current IP address to be a sub IP address, if the current IP address is changed.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one terminals changes the current IP address of the image forming apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IP address is changed by a static mode or dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) IP address allocation.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display unit to display the main and sub IP addresses.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit to notify at least one of the at least one terminals that the current IP address has changed.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit to execute a print job, if the print job is received from the at least one terminal connected via the communications network through the main IP address or the sub IP address.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit notifies the at least one terminal that the IP address has changed, if the print job is received from the at least one terminal connected via the communications network through the sub IP address.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control unit notifies the at least one terminal via the communications network that the IP address has changed using a simple network management protocol (SNMP) trap packet.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit to send out an address resolution protocol (ARP) packet through the network interface unit to determine whether at least one of the at least one terminals connected to the communications network is using the sub IP address, if the IP address is changed.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 9, wherein the control unit controls the IP management unit to avoid using the sub IP address, if another terminal of the at least one terminals is using the sub IP address.

11. A method of Internet protocol (IP) address management of an image forming apparatus having a plurality of IP addresses, the method comprising:

changing a current IP address of the image forming apparatus; and

setting a new IP address to be a main IP address and setting the current IP address to be a sub IP address.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the change of the IP address is performed by a static mode or dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) IP allocating method.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the main and sub IP addresses on the image forming apparatus.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising notifying at least one terminal connected to the image forming apparatus via a communications network of the main IP address.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising executing a print job, if the print job is received from a connected terminal through the main IP address or the sub IP address.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if the print job is received through the sub IP address from a terminal connected to the image forming apparatus via a communications network, notifying the terminal that the IP address of the image forming apparatus has changed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the notifying the terminal that the IP address of the image forming apparatus has changed comprises using a simple network management protocol (SNMP) trap packet.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if the IP address of the image forming apparatus has changed, sending out an address resolution protocol (ARP) packet through the network interface unit to determine whether one or more terminals connected to the image forming apparatus via a communications network are using the sub IP address.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

setting an IP management unit of the image forming apparatus to avoid using the sub IP address, if one or more terminals connected to the image forming apparatus via a communications network are using the sub IP address.

20. A method of Internet protocol (IP) address management of an image forming apparatus communicatively coupled to a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a new IP address for the image forming apparatus; and

setting the new IP address to be a main IP address and setting a pre-existing IP address of the image forming apparatus to be a sub IP address.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the new IP address is received from a terminal connected to the image forming apparatus via the communications network.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the new IP address is received from a service providing server connected to the image forming apparatus via the communications network.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising notifying at least one terminal connected to the image forming apparatus via the communications network that the new IP address has been set as the main IP address.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a print request from at least one terminal connected to the image forming apparatus via a communications network; and

executing the print request if the request is received via the main IP address or the sub IP address of the image forming apparatus.