CLIENT, SERVER, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF THE SAME

• US 20140214923A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 9,621,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A client includes a registration unit that registers operation control information received from a server and corresponding to a service provided by the server, a calling unit that calls the service in order to cause the server to execute the service when a user selects the service corresponding to the operation control information registered by the user, and an execution unit that, when the user selects the service corresponding to the operation control information registered by the user, executes processing to be executed by the client indicated by the operation control information corresponding to the service, in calling of the service.

Claims

1. A client configured to perform communication with a server, comprising:

a request unit configured to access a service provided by the server and to request operation control information corresponding to the service;

a registration unit configured to execute registration processing of the operation control information received from the server according to the request;

a calling unit configured to call the service in order to cause the server to execute the service according to selection of the service corresponding to the operation control information registered by a user; and

an execution unit configured to execute processing to be executed by the client based on the operation control information, in calling of the service, in order to pass to the server information to be required for the service to be called according to the selection by the user.

2. The client according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit is provided as a function of a web browser executed by the client.

3. The client according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit executes the processing to be executed by the client before calling the service according to the selection by the user.

4. The client according to claim 2, wherein the client passes a result of the processing executed by the execution unit to the server for the service to be called.

5. The client according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit executes the processing to be executed by the client after execution of the called service according to the selection by the user.

6. The client according to claim 1, wherein the execution unit executes the processing to be executed by the client in an interval of the called service according to the selection by the user.

7. The client according to claim 1, wherein the service includes at least any of a firmware management service, a reporting service, an application distribution service, a resource distribution service, an address book distribution service, and a print service.

8. The client according to claim 1, wherein the processing to be executed by the client based on the operation control information by the execution unit includes at least any of (a) processing of acquiring device information, (b) processing of acquiring status information, (c) processing of acquiring print history information, (d) processing of acquiring firmware information, (e) processing of distributing firmware, and (f) processing of inquiring whether to continue the service, with respect to a device connected to the client through a network.

9. The client according to claim 1, wherein, in the operation control information, information for identifying a device serving as a target of processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified, and

wherein the execution unit executes the processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service with respect to a device corresponding to the information for identifying the device serving as the target from among devices connected to the client through a network.

10. The client according to claim 8, wherein the information for identifying the device includes at least any of information for identifying a vendor, information for identifying a product category, information for identifying a model, and information for identifying a platform that operates in the device.

11. A management system including a client and a server, wherein the client comprises:

a request unit configured to access a service provided by the server and to request operation control information corresponding to the service;

a registration unit configured to execute registration processing of the operation control information received from the server according to the request, as a function of a web browser executed by the client;

a calling unit configured to call the service in order to cause the server to execute the service according to selection of the service corresponding to the operation control information registered by a user; and

an execution unit configured to execute processing to be executed by the client based on the operation control information, in calling of the service, in order to pass to the server information to be required for the service to be called according to the selection by the user, and

wherein the server comprises;

a transmission unit configured to transmit data including the operation control information to the client in order to register the operation control information corresponding to a service to be provided to the client in the web browser according to the request from the client; and

an execution unit configured to execute the service according to calling of the service from the client using the operation control information,

wherein, in the operation control information, the processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

12. The management system according to claim 11, wherein, in calling of the service from the client, when the execution unit has been passed a result of the processing to be executed by the client indicated by the corresponding operation control information, the execution unit executes the service according to the result.

13. The management system according to claim 11, wherein, in the operation control information, information for identifying a device serving as a target of processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

14. The management system according to claim 13, wherein the information for identifying the device includes at least any of information for identifying a vendor, information for identifying a product category, information for identifying a model, and information for identifying a platform that operates in the device.

15. A server configured to perform communication with a client, the server comprising:

a transmission unit configured to, in order to register operation control information corresponding to a service to be provided to the client in a web browser executed by the client according to a request from the client, transmit data including the operation control information to the client; and

an execution unit configured to execute the service according to calling of the service from the client using the operation control information,

wherein, in the operation control information, processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

16. The server according to claim 15, wherein, in calling of the service from the client, when the execution unit has been passed a result of the processing to be executed by the client indicated by the corresponding operation control information, the execution unit executes the service according to the result.

17. The server according to claim 15, wherein, in the operation control information, information for identifying a device serving as a target of processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

18. The server according to claim 17, wherein the information for identifying the device includes at least any of information for identifying a vendor, information for identifying a product category, information for identifying a model, and information for identifying a platform that operates in the device.

19. A method in a client configured to perform communication with a server, the method comprising:

accessing a service provided by the server and requesting operation control information corresponding to the service;

executing registration processing of the operation control information received from the server according to the request;

calling the service in order to cause the server to execute the service according to selection of the service corresponding to the operation control information registered by a user; and

executing processing to be executed by the client based on the operation control information, in calling of the service, in order to pass to the server information to be required for the service to be called according to the selection by the user.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the registration processing is provided as a function of a web browser executed by the client.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the processing to be executed by the client is executed before calling of the service according to the selection by the user.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the processing to be executed by the client is executed after execution of the called service according to the selection by the user.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the processing to be executed by the client is executed in an interval of the called service according to the selection by the user.

24. A method in a management system including a client and a server, the method comprising:

at the client;

accessing a service provided by the server and requesting operation control information corresponding to the service;

executing registration processing of the operation control information received from the server according to the request, as a function of a web browser executed by the client;

calling the service in order to cause the server

to execute the service according to selection of the service corresponding to the registered operation control information by a user, and

executing processing to be executed by the client based on the operation control information, in calling of the service, in order to pass to the server information to be required for the service to be called according to the selection by the user, and

at the server;

transmitting data including the operation control information to the client in order to register the operation control information corresponding to a service to be provided to the client in the web browser according to the request from the client; and

executing the service according to calling of the service from the client using the operation control information,

wherein, in the operation control information, the processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein, in calling of the service from the client, when the server has been passed a result of the processing to be executed by the client indicated by the corresponding operation control information, the server executes the service according to the result.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein, in the operation control information, information for identifying a device serving as a target of processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the information for identifying the device includes at least any of information for identifying a vendor, information for identifying a product category, information for identifying a model, and information for identifying a platform that operates in the device.

28. A method in a server configured to perform communication with a client, the method comprising:

transmitting data including the operation control information to the client in order to register operation control information corresponding to a service to be provided to the client in a web browser executed by the client according to a request from the client, and

executing the service according to calling of the service from the client using the operation control information,

wherein, in the operation control information, the processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein, in calling of the service from the client, when a result of the processing to be executed by the client indicated by the corresponding operation control information has been passed, the service is executed according to the result.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein, in the operation control information, information for identifying a device serving as a target of processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the information for identifying the device includes at least any of information for identifying a vendor, information for identifying a product category, information for identifying a model, and information for identifying a platform that operates in the device.

32. A computer readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for making a computer execute a method for a client, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a service provided by a server and requesting operation control information corresponding to the service;

executing registration processing of the operation control information received from the server according to the request;

calling the service in order to cause the server to execute the service according to selection of the service corresponding to the operation control information registered by a user; and

executing processing to be executed by the client based on the operation control information, in calling of the service, in order to pass to the server information to be required for the service to be called according to the selection by the user.

33. A computer readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for making a computer execute a method for a server, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting data including the operation control information to the client in order to register operation control information corresponding to a service to be provided to the client in a web browser executed by the client according to a request from the client; and

executing the service according to calling of the service from the client using the operation control information,

wherein, in the operation control information, the processing to be executed by the client in calling of the service is specified.