Data communication apparatus connected to external information processing terminal through interface

• US 6,667,813 B2
• Filed: 03/10/1997
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamuro, Soichi, Kondo, Masaya, Kumagai, Takekazu, Ejiri, Seishi, Tsukamoto, Takeshi, Toyama, Masaki, Saruwatari, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel
• Assistant Examiner(s): POON, KING Y
• Application Number:
  US08/813,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,479 Days
• Field of Search: 358/404, 358/405, 358/406, 358/434, 358/435, 358/436, 358/438, 358/439, 358/468, 358/442, 358/1--, 358/1-1-, 395/839, 399/8
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/333 Mode signalling or mode changing; Handshaking therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33369 Storage of mode or retrieval of prestored mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33376 according to characteristics or state of one of the communicating parties, e.g. available memory capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33392 Details of handshaking

Abstract

In the communication between a facsimile apparatus and an information processing terminal, the communication of status information of the facsimile apparatus is efficiently effected and an operation efficiency of the apparatus is improved. In response to a command from the information processing terminal, information indicating a change in the status of the facsimile apparatus is set in a response transmitted from the facsimile apparatus to the information processing terminal, and the information processing terminal conducts a communication request of the status information of the facsimile apparatus in accordance with the information.

Claims

1. A data communication apparatus comprising:

an interface unit adapted to receive inquiries and commands from an external information processing terminal and to transmit responses to the external information processing terminal;

a status monitor adapted to monitor a status of said data communication apparatus; and

a memory adapted to store status information regarding the status of said data communication apparatus and status-change information indicating whether a change in the status of said data communication apparatus has occurred,

wherein, when said status monitor determines that a change has occurred in the status of said data communication apparatus, the status information stored in said memory is updated and the status-change information stored in said memory is set to indicate that a change has occurred,

wherein, when an inquiry about the status of said data communication apparatus is received from the external information processing terminal and if the status-change information is set to indicate that a change has occurred, said interface unit transmits the status information stored in said memory to the external information processing terminal in response, and then the status-change information stored in said memory is set to indicate no change, and

wherein, when a command unrelated to status is received from the external information processing terminal, said interface unit transmits a response to the command and, if the status-change information stored in said memory is set to indicate that a change has occurred, said interface unit adds to the response an indication that a status change has occurred to prompt the external information processing terminal to inquire about the status of said data communication apparatus.

2. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the response includes information indicating whether the command is to be accepted or not.

3. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the status of said data communication apparatus is detected by said status monitor.

4. A data communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the status information includes information on a status of a data input unit of said data communication apparatus, information on a status of a data output unit of said data communication apparatus, and information on an operation status of said data communication apparatus.

5. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a response indicating no change in the status information is transmitted to the information processing terminal, when the inquiry about the status of said data communication apparatus is received and the status-change information stored in said memory is set to indicate no change.

6. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said status monitor periodically monitors the status of said data communication apparatus and, upon detection of a change in the status, sets the status-change information stored in said memory to indicate that a change has occurred.

7. A processing method of an information processing terminal in communication with a data communication apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the data communication apparatus a status inquiry regarding a status of the data communication apparatus or a command unrelated to status, wherein the status inquiry is transmitted in a predetermined cycle;

if a status inquiry is transmitted in said transmitting step, receiving status information from the data communication apparatus;

if a command unrelated to status is transmitted in said transmitting step, receiving a response to the command from the data communication apparatus;

detecting whether the response to the command includes information indicating that a change in the status of the data communication apparatus has occurred,

wherein, if it is detected in said detecting step that the response includes information indicating that a change has occurred, said transmitting step transmits a status inquiry to the data communication apparatus out of the predetermined cycle.

8. A processing method according to claim 7, wherein the information processing terminal transmits a command to the data communication apparatus in accordance with a request from a terminal of a local area network.

9. A processing method according to claim 7, wherein the status information of the data communication apparatus status is stored in a memory, and the stored status information may be displayed.

10. A processing method according to claim 9, wherein the status information stored in the memory is updated when the received status information indicates a change.

11. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program for implementing a processing method of an information processing terminal in communication with a data communication apparatus, the program comprising:

program code for a transmission step of transmitting to the data communication apparatus a status inquiry regarding a status of the data communication apparatus or a command unrelated to status, wherein the status inquiry is transmitted in a predetermined cycle;

program code for a reception step of, if a status inquiry is transmitted in the transmission step, receiving status information from the data communication apparatus, or, if a command unrelated to status is transmitted in the transmission step, receiving a response to the command from the data communication apparatus;

program code for a detection step of detecting whether the response to the command includes information indicating that a change in the status of the data communication apparatus has occurred,

wherein, if it is detected in the detection step that the response includes information indicating that a change has occurred, the transmission step transmits a status inquiry to the data communication apparatus out of the predetermined cycle.

12. A storage medium according to claim 11, the information processing terminal transmits a command to the data communication apparatus in accordance with a request from a terminal of a local area network.

13. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the program further comprises:

program code for a storage step of storing the status information of the data communication apparatus status in a memory; and

program code for a display step of displaying the stored status information.

14. A storage medium according to claim 13, wherein further comprises program code for an update step of updating the statue information stored in the memory when the received status information indicates a change.

15. A processing method in an information processing terminal in communication with an image processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the image processing apparatus, in a predetermined cycle, a command for requesting performance of a predetermined process, wherein the command is unrelated to status;

receiving information generated in the image processing apparatus in response to the transmitted command;

analyzing the received information; and

recognizing whether or not the received information includes additional information indicating a status change in the image processing apparatus, in accordance with an analysis result, the additional information being unrelated to the transmitted command,

wherein, when said recognizing step recognizes that the additional information is included, said transmitting step transmits to the image processing apparatus a command corresponding to the additional information, out of the predetermined cycle.

16. A processing method according to claim 15, wherein said analyzing step includes analyzing the received information, which includes a response to the command and the additional information indicating a status change into image processing apparatus.

17. A processing method according to claim 16, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting a command requesting details of the status change in the image processing apparatus, when it is recognized in said recognizing step That a status change has occurred into image processing apparatus.

18. A processing method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting step includes cyclically transmitting the command using a timer.

19. A processing method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting the command based on a manual instruction by an operator.

20. A processing method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of displaying predetermined information regarding the status change.

21. A processing method according to claim 20, wherein said displaying step includes displaying information concerning an error condition of the image processing apparatus.

22. A communication method in a data communication apparatus in communication with an external information processing terminal, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an inquiry or a command from the external information processing terminal;

transmitting a response to the external information processing terminal;

monitoring a status of the data communication apparatus; and

storing in a memory status information regarding the status of the data communication apparatus and status-change information indicating whether a change in the status of the data communication apparatus has occurred,

wherein, when it is determined in said monitoring step that a change has occurred in the status of the data communication apparatus, the status information stored in the memory is updated and the status-change information stored in the memory is set to indicate that a change has occurred,

wherein, when an inquiry about the status of the data communication apparatus is received from the external information processing terminal and if the status-change information is set to indicate that a change has occurred, the response transmitted in said transmitting step includes the status information stored in the memory and then the status-change information stored in the memory is set to indicate no change, and

wherein, when a command unrelated to status is received from the external information processing terminal, a response to the command is transmitted in said transmitting step and, if the status-change information stored in the memory is set to indicate that a change has occurred, the response includes an indication that a status change has occurred to prompt the external information processing terminal to inquire about the status of the data communication apparatus.

23. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program for implementing a communication method in a data communication apparatus in communication with an external information processing terminal, the program comprising:

program code for a reception step of receiving an inquiry or a command from the external information processing terminal;

program code for a transmission step of transmitting a response to the external information processing terminal;

program code for a monitoring step of monitoring a status of the data communication apparatus; and

program code for a storage step of storing, in a memory, status information regarding the status of the data communication apparatus and status-change information indicating whether a change in the status of the data communication apparatus has occurred,

wherein, when it is determined in the monitoring step that a change has occurred in the status of the data communication apparatus, the status information stored in the memory is updated and the status-change information stored in the memory is set to indicate that a change has occurred,

wherein, when an inquiry about the status of the data communication apparatus is received from the external information processing terminal and if the status-change information is set to indicate that a change has occurred, the response transmitted in the transmission step includes the status information stored in the memory and then the status-change information stored in the memory is set to indicate no change, and

wherein, when a command unrelated to status is received from the external information processing terminal, a response to the command is transmitted in the transmission step and, if the status-change information stored in the memory is set to indicate that a change has occurred, the response includes an indication that a status change has occurred to prompt the external information processing terminal to inquire about the status of the data communication apparatus.

24. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program for implementing a processing method in an information processing terminal in communication with an image processing apparatus, the program comprising:

program code for a transmission step of transmitting to the image processing apparatus, in a predetermined cycle, a command for requesting performance of a predetermined process, wherein the command is unrelated to status;

program code for a reception step of receiving information generated in the image processing apparatus in response to the transmitted command;

program code for an analysis step of analyzing the received information; and

program code for a recognition step of recognizing whether or not the received information includes additional information indicating a status change in the image processing apparatus, in accordance with an analysis result, the additional information being unrelated to the transmitted command,

wherein, when the recognition step recognizes that the additional information is included, the transmission step transmits to the image processing apparatus a command corresponding to the additional information, out of the predetermined cycle.