INFORMATION COLLECTING APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE INFORMATION COLLECTING APPARATUS, NETWORK APPARATUS, METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE NETWORK APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20090285115A1
• Filed: 05/13/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

An information collecting apparatus which is capable of reliably collecting information without troubling a user or a service person even when there is no device capable of playing the role of a server to collect information on its behalf. The apparatus collects information on network devices connected to a network. The collected information is transmitted to a server. When the apparatus cannot continue information collection, it is determined whether or not any network device is provided with the information collecting function. If any of them is provided, the apparatus instructs the device to execute the function, whereas if none of them is provided with the function, the apparatus instructs the device to transmit information on the device itself to the server.

Claims

1. An information collecting apparatus comprising;

a collecting unit configured to collect apparatus information on a network apparatus connected to a network;

a transmission unit configured to transmit the apparatus information collected by said collecting unit to an information processing apparatus on the network;

a determination unit configured to be operable when the information collecting apparatus cannot continue collection of apparatus information by said collecting unit, to determine whether or not the network apparatus is provided with a function for collecting apparatus information; and

a transfer unit configured to be operable when it is determined by said determination unit that the network apparatus is provided with the function, to instruct the network apparatus to execute the function, and when it is determined that the network apparatus is not provided with the function, to instruct the network apparatus to transmit apparatus information on the network apparatus itself to the information processing apparatus.

2. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination unit determines whether or not each of a plurality of network apparatuses is provided with the function, and

wherein when it is determined that at least one of the network apparatuses is provided with the function, said function transfer unit instructs one of the network apparatuses, which is selected based on priorities, to execute the function.

3. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the priorities are determined based on at least either of frequencies of process execution by the respective network apparatuses and rates of response thereof to requests for information collection.

4. A network apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive a transmission request for transmitting apparatus information on the network apparatus, from an information collecting apparatus connected to the network;

a transmission unit configured to transmit the apparatus information on the network apparatus to the information collecting apparatus in response to the transmission request received by said reception unit;

a second reception unit configured to receive, from the information collecting apparatus connected to the network, an instruction for transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to an information processing apparatus connected to the network; and

a second transmission unit configured to transmit the apparatus information on the network apparatus to the information processing apparatus in response to the instruction received by said second reception unit.

5. A method of controlling an information collecting apparatus, comprising:

collecting apparatus information on a network apparatus connected to a network;

transmitting the apparatus information collected by said collecting to an information processing apparatus on the network;

determining, when the information collecting apparatus cannot continue collection of apparatus information by said collecting, whether or not the network apparatus is provided with a function for collecting apparatus information; and

instructing the network apparatus to execute the function when it is determined by said determining that the network apparatus is provided with the function, and to transmit apparatus information on the network apparatus itself to the information processing apparatus when it is determined by said determining that the network apparatus is not provided with the function.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said determining includes determining whether or not each of a plurality of network apparatuses is provided with the function, and

wherein said instructing includes, when it is determined that at least one of the network apparatuses is provided with the function, instructing one of the network apparatuses, which is selected based on priorities, to execute the function.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the priorities are determined based on at least either of frequencies of process execution by the respective network apparatuses and rates of response thereof to requests for information collection.

8. A method of controlling a network apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

receiving a transmission request for transmitting apparatus information on the network apparatus, from an information collecting apparatus connected to the network;

transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to the information collecting apparatus in response to the transmission request received by said receiving;

receiving, from the information collecting apparatus connected to the network, an instruction for transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to an information processing apparatus connected to the network; and

transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to the information processing apparatus in response to the received instruction.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling an information collecting apparatus,

wherein the method comprises:

collecting apparatus information on a network apparatus connected to a network;

transmitting the apparatus information collected by said collecting to an information processing apparatus on the network;

determining, when the information collecting apparatus cannot continue collection of apparatus information by said collecting, whether or not the network apparatus is provided with a function for collecting apparatus information; and

instructing the network apparatus to execute the function when it is determined by said determining that the network apparatus is provided with the function, and to transmit apparatus information on the network apparatus itself to the information processing apparatus when it is determined by said determining that the network apparatus is not provided with the function.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling a network apparatus connected to a network,

wherein the method comprises:

receiving a transmission request for transmitting apparatus information on the network apparatus, from an information collecting apparatus connected to the network;

transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to the information collecting apparatus in response to the transmission request received by said receiving;

receiving, from the information collecting apparatus connected to the network, an instruction for transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to an information processing apparatus connected to the network; and

transmitting the apparatus information on the network apparatus to the information processing apparatus in response to the received instruction.