COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20160063508A1
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukushima, Kenta
• Application Number:
  US14/832,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20160063508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales

Abstract

A communication system includes an image processing apparatus, an information processing apparatus configured to perform remote support on the image processing apparatus, and a management server configured to manage information relating to the image processing apparatus. Upon accepting a remote support service start request issued from the image processing apparatus, if the information managed by the management server is not the latest information, the image processing apparatus issues a request regarding the latest information and start of the remote support service to the management server. On the other hand, if the information managed by the management server is the latest information, the image processing apparatus issues a request regarding start the remote support service without updating the information.

Claims

1. A communication system including an image processing apparatus, an information processing apparatus configured to perform remote support on the image processing apparatus, and a management server configured to manage information relating to the image processing apparatus;

the image processing apparatus comprises;

an acceptance unit configured to accept a remote support service start request issued from the information processing apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is latest information; and

a request unit configured to, in a case where the determination unit determines that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is not the latest information, issue a request regarding the latest information and start of the remote support service to the management server, and, in a case where the determination unit determines that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is the latest information, issue a request regarding start of the remote support service to the management server; and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to the remote support service from the information processing apparatus, and

the management server comprises;

a management unit configured to manage information of a plurality of apparatuses included in the communication system; and

a notification unit configured to, upon accepting the remote support service start request from the image processing apparatus, notify the information processing apparatus providing the remote support service of the remote support service start request, and notify the information processing apparatus of the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus in accordance with the request from the information processing apparatus.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

if the information relating to the image processing apparatus is updated after the information relating to the image processing apparatus was most recently transmitted to the information processing apparatus, the determination unit determines that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is not the latest information.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing apparatus further comprises a transmission unit configured to transmit the information relating to the image processing apparatus to the management server at a predetermined time interval.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein

when the remote support service is started, the transmission unit changes the predetermined time interval to a shorter time interval than before the remote support service is started.

5. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein

the image processing apparatus performs a determination using the determination unit when the remote support service ends, and in a case where the determination unit determines that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is not the latest information, transmits the latest information to the management server using the transmission unit.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the information processing apparatus comprises an operation unit configured to accept a request to update the information relating to the image processing apparatus from a user, and

the image processing apparatus notifies, in a case where the operation unit has accepted the request to update the information relating to the image processing apparatus, the management server of latest information relating to the image processing apparatus in accordance with the request of which the information processing apparatus notifies the image processing apparatus.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the information relating to the image processing apparatus includes at least one of operating information relating to a processing result of the image processing apparatus and failure information relating to failure occurrence in the image processing apparatus.

8. An image processing apparatus configured to receive remote support from an information processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus comprising:

an acceptance unit configured to accept a remote support service start request issued from the information processing apparatus;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not information that is managed by a management server to be connected via a network and relates to the image processing apparatus is latest information;

a request unit configured to, in a case where the determination unit determines that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is not the latest information, issue a request regarding the latest information and start of the remote support service to the management server, and, in a case where the determination unit determines that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is the latest information, issue a request regarding start of the remote support service to the management server; and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to the remote support service from the information processing apparatus having the latest information that is notified via the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus.

9. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus configured to receive remote support from an information processing apparatus, the method comprising:

accepting a remote support service start request issued from the information processing apparatus;

determining whether or not information that is managed by a management server to be connected via a network and relates to the image processing apparatus is latest information;

issuing a request regarding the latest information and start of the remote support service to the management server in a case where it is determined in the determining that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is not the latest information, and, issuing a request regarding start of the remote support service to the management server in a case where it is determined in the determining that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is the latest information; and

acquiring information relating to the remote support service from the information processing apparatus having the latest information that is notified via the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute each step in a method for controlling an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

accepting a remote support service start request issued from the information processing apparatus;

determining, by a determination unit, whether or not information that is managed by a management server to be connected via a network and relates to the image processing apparatus is latest information;

issuing a request regarding the latest information and start of the remote support service to the management server in a case where it is determined in the determining that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is not the latest information, and, issuing a request regarding start of the remote support service to the management server in a case where it is determined in the determining that the information that is managed by the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus is the latest information; and

acquiring information relating to the remote support service from the information processing apparatus having the latest information that is notified via the management server and relates to the image processing apparatus.