SERVICE PROVIDING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20090132707A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Takafumi
• Application Number:
  US12/266,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132707A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine

Abstract

A service providing apparatus includes a receiving unit to receive a service request transmitted from other apparatus, a first determination unit to determine whether the other apparatus is an apparatus to be provided with a service by the service providing apparatus, a service providing unit to provide the service to the other apparatus when the first determination unit determines that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service, a second determination unit to determine whether other service providing apparatus that is to provide a service to the other apparatus can provide the service when the first determination unit determines that the other apparatus is not the apparatus to be provided with the service, wherein the service providing unit provides the service to the other apparatus when the second determination unit determines that the other service providing apparatus cannot provide the service.

Claims

1. A service providing apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a service request transmitted from other apparatus;

a first determination unit configured to determine whether the other apparatus is an apparatus to be provided with a service by the service providing apparatus;

a service providing unit configured to provide the service to the other apparatus in a case where the first determination unit determines that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service; and

a second determination unit configured to determine whether other service providing apparatus that is to provide a service to the other apparatus can provide the service in a case where the first determination unit does not determine that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service;

wherein the service providing unit provides the service to the other apparatus in a case where the second determination unit does not determine that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service and does not provide the service to the other apparatus in a case where the second determination unit determines that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service.

2. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit configured to transmit information indicating the other service providing apparatus to the other apparatus in a case where the second determination unit determines that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service.

3. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third determination unit configured to determine whether there is other service providing apparatus that is to provide the service to the other apparatus in a case where the first determination unit does not determine that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service by the service providing apparatus,

wherein the second determination unit determines whether the other service providing apparatus can provide the service to the other apparatus in a case where the third determination unit determines that there is the other service providing apparatus.

4. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a registration unit configured to register an apparatus to which the service providing apparatus provides the service, as an apparatus to be managed,

wherein the first determination unit determines whether the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service by the service providing apparatus by determining whether the other apparatus is registered in the registration unit.

5. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second determination unit determines based on information indicating a version of the service requested by the service request acquired from the other service providing apparatus.

6. The service providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second determination unit determines that the other service providing apparatus cannot provide the service in a case where the version of the service acquired from the other service providing apparatus is lower than the version of the service of the service providing apparatus.

7. The service providing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a requesting unit configured to request the other service providing apparatus to notify when the version of the service thereof is upgraded in a case where the version of the service acquired from the other service providing apparatus is lower than the version number of the service of the service providing apparatus.

8. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a log indicating that the service was previously provided to the other apparatus,

wherein the first determination unit determines whether the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service by the service providing apparatus based on the log stored in the storage unit.

9. The service providing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the storage unit stores the log for each of a plurality of services that can be provided by the service providing apparatus.

10. The service providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inquiring unit configured to inquire the other apparatus whether the other apparatus allows changing a service providing apparatus in a case where the second determination unit determines that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service.

11. The service providing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the service providing unit provides the service to the other apparatus in a case where the other apparatus does not allow a service providing apparatus to be changed as a result of an inquiry by the inquiring unit.

12. A method for controlling a service providing apparatus comprising:

receiving a service request transmitted from other apparatus;

determining whether the other apparatus is an apparatus to be provided with a service by the service providing apparatus;

providing the service to the other apparatus in a case where it is determined that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service;

determining whether other service providing apparatus that is to provide a service to the other apparatus can provide the service in a case where it is not determined that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service; and

providing the service to the other apparatus in a case where it is not determined that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service and not providing the service to the other apparatus in a case where it is determined that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service.

13. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for controlling a service providing apparatus, the method comprising:

computer-executable instructions for receiving a service request transmitted from other apparatus;

computer-executable instructions for determining whether the other apparatus is an apparatus to be provided with a service by the service providing apparatus;

computer-executable instructions for providing the service to the other apparatus in a case where it is determined that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service;

computer-executable instructions for determining whether other service providing apparatus that is to provide a service to the other apparatus can provide the service in a case where it is not determined that the other apparatus is the apparatus to be provided with the service; and

computer-executable instructions for providing the service to the other apparatus in a case where it is not determined that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service and not providing the service to the other apparatus in a case where it is determined that the other service providing apparatus can provide the service.