INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD OF INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD OF INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING PROGRAMS CAPABLE OF BEING READ AND STORED BY COMPUTER

• US 6,915,514 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2000
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Machida, Haruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/544,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 709/200, 709/203
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

An information processing apparatus simply and quickly updates device drivers for devices shared on the network. If version information of a driver for a network device registered in a management server is newer than that of a driver installed in a PC, a CPU obtains driver setup information from the management server, and updates the driver based on the driver setup information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling means for displaying, on a display section, a system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network together with an icon by a user interface on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said acquiring means;

instructing means for instructing installation of a driver for said peripheral device shared on said network in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling means; and

installation controlling means for acquiring driver setting information instructed to be installed by said instructing means from said external device to execute automatic installation processing of said driver.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said instructing means can instruct the installation of drivers for a plurality of peripheral devices shared on said network by one operation instruction in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling means.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said instructing means instructs the installation of said drivers for said plurality of peripheral devices under control of a server icon, when an installation instruction is issued selecting said server icon in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling means.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said instructing means instructs the installation of a driver for a selected peripheral device when an installation instruction is issued selecting a peripheral device icon and displaying said system condition by said system display controlling means.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising installation shifting means for shifting to an installation function provided by an operating system when said driver instructed to be installed by said instructing means cannot be acquired from said external device.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising registering means for extracting setting information of said driver which is to be installed by said installation controlling means and for registering the extracted setting information in an external device which is a management server through said network.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising driver information display controlling means for acquiring said registered setting information of said driver from said management server and for displaying the acquired registered setting information on said display section, in executing said installation processing of said driver by said installation controlling means.

8. An information processing method for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

acquiring step for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling step for displaying, on a display section, a system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, together with an icon, by a user interface on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said acquiring step;

instructing step for instructing installation of a driver for said peripheral device shared on said network in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step; and

installation controlling step for acquiring driver setting information instructed to be installed by said instructing step from said external device to execute automatic installation processing of said driver.

9. The information processing method according to claim 8, wherein said instructing step can instruct the installation of drivers for a plurality of peripheral devices shared on said network by one operation instruction in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein said instructing step instructs the installation of said drivers for said plurality of peripheral devices under control of a server icon when an installation instruction is issued selecting said server icon in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step.

11. The information processing method according to claim 10, wherein said instructing step instructs the installation of a driver for a selected peripheral device when an installation instruction is issued selecting a peripheral device icon and displaying said system condition by said system display controlling step.

12. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising an installation shifting step for shifting to an installation function provided by an operating system when said driver instructed to be installed by said instructing step cannot be acquired from said external device.

13. The information processing method according to claim 8, further comprising a registering step for extracting setting information of said driver which is to be installed by said installation controlling step and for registering the extracted setting information in an external device, which is a management server, through said network.

14. The information processing method according to claim 13, further comprising a driver information display controlling step for acquiring said registered setting information of said driver from said management server and for displaying the acquired setting information on said display section, in executing said installation processing of said driver by said installation controlling step.

15. A computer-readable memory medium which stores a program for communicating with an external device through a network, said program comprising:

acquiring step for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling step for displaying, on a display section, a system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, together with an icon, by a user interface on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said acquiring step;

instructing step for instructing installation of a driver for said peripheral device shared on said network in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step; and

installation controlling step for acquiring driver setting information instructed to be installed by said instructing step from said external device to execute automatic installation processing of said driver.

16. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein said instructing step can instruct the installation of drivers for a plurality of peripheral devices shared on said network by one operation instruction in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step.

17. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 16, wherein said instructing step instructs the installation of said drivers for said plurality of peripheral devices under control of a server icon when an installation instruction is issued selecting said server icon in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step.

18. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 17, wherein said instructing step instructs the installation of a driver for a selected peripheral device when an installation instruction is issued selecting a peripheral device icon and displaying said system condition by said system display controlling step.

19. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, further comprising installation shifting step for shifting to an installation function provided by an operating system when said driver instructed to be installed by said instructing step cannot be acquired from said external device.

20. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, further comprising a registering step for extracting setting information of said driver which is to be installed by said installation controlling step and for registering the extracted setting information in an external device, which is a management server, through said network.

21. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 20, further comprising a driver information display controlling step for acquiring said registered setting information of said driver from said management server and for displaying the acquired setting information on said display section, in executing said installation processing of said driver by said installation controlling step.

22. A program which, when implemented by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

acquiring step for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling step for displaying, on a display section, a system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, together with an icon, by a user interface on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said acquiring step;

instructing step for instructing installation of a driver for said peripheral device shared on said network in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step; and

installation controlling step for acquiring driver setting information instructed to be installed by said instructing step from said external device to execute automatic installation processing of said driver.

23. The program according to claim 22, wherein said instructing step can instruct the installation of drivers for a plurality of peripheral devices shared on said network by one operation instruction in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step.

24. The program according to claim 23, wherein said instructing step instructs the installation of said drivers for said plurality of peripheral devices under control of a server icon when an installation instruction is issued selecting said server icon in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step.

25. The program according to claim 24, wherein said instructing step instructs the installation of a driver for a selected peripheral device when an installation instruction is issued selecting a peripheral device icon and displaying said system condition by said system display controlling step.

26. The program according to claim 22, further comprising an installation shifting step for shifting to an installation function provided by an operating system when said driver instructed to be installed by said instructing step cannot be acquired from said external device.

27. The program according to claim 22, further comprising a registering step for extracting setting information of said driver which is to be installed by said installation controlling step and for registering the extracted setting information in an external device which is a management server through said network.

28. The program according to claim 27, further comprising a driver information display controlling step for acquiring said registered setting information of said driver from said management server and for displaying the acquired setting information on said display section, in executing said install processing of said driver by said install controlling step.

29. An information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

device information acquiring means for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling means for displaying, on a display section, an overall system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, and a system condition of a user network of a peripheral device arbitrarily selected from said overall system condition, together with icons, by a user interface in such a manner that the overall system condition and the system condition of the user network can be identified, on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said device information acquiring means;

instructing means for instructing to register said peripheral device in said user network; and

installation controlling means for executing installation processing of a driver for said peripheral device when registering of said peripheral device to said user network is newly instructed by said instructing means,

wherein said system display controlling means dividedly displays a system window for displaying said overall system condition, and a peripheral window for displaying said system condition of a desired peripheral device designated by a user.

30. The information processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said peripheral window has icons of peripheral devices arranged around an icon of said information processing apparatus.

31. The information processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said instructing means instructs to register said peripheral device in said user network by effecting movement of an icon of said peripheral device between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed by said system displaying means.

32. The information processing apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising judging means for judging whether driver setting information for a driver of said icon has already been registered in said information processing apparatus during the movement of said peripheral device icon by said instructing means, wherein

said installation controlling means acquires said driver setting information to be installed from said external device to execute the installation processing of said driver when said judging means determines that said driver setting information has not been registered.

33. The information processing apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said installation controlling means uses said registered driver setting information to execute said installation processing of said driver when said judging means determines that said driver setting information has already been registered.

34. The information processing apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said instructing means can instruct, by drag and drop, the movement of said icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed.

35. The information processing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said system displaying means identifies a display mode of an icon of an installed device between said system window and said peripheral window which are separately displayed after completion of installation by said installation controlling means, and displays the identified display mode.

36. The information processing apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising writing means for writing positional information of an icon displayed in said peripheral favorite window into a storing means, wherein

said system displaying means arranging and displaying said icon on a basis of said positional information stored in said storing means.

37. An information processing method of an information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising the steps of:

device information acquiring step for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling step for displaying, on a display section, an overall system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, and a system condition of a user network of a peripheral device arbitrarily selected from said overall system condition, together with icons, by a user interface in such a manner that the overall system condition and the system condition of the user network can be identified, on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said device information acquiring step;

instructing step for instructing to register said peripheral device in said user network; and

installation controlling step for executing installation processing of a driver for said peripheral device when registration of said peripheral device to said user network is newly instructed by said instructing step,

wherein said system controlling step dividedly displays a system window for displaying said overall system condition and a peripheral window for displaying said system condition of a desired peripheral device designated by a user.

38. The information processing method according to claim 37, wherein said peripheral window has icons of peripheral devices arranged around an icon of said information processing apparatus.

39. The information processing method according to claim 37, wherein said instructing step instructs registration of said peripheral device by effecting movement of an icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed by said system displaying step.

40. The information processing method according to claim 39, further comprising a judging step for judging whether driver setting information for a driver of said icon has already been registered in said information processing apparatus during the movement of said icon by said instructing step, wherein

said installation controlling step acquires said driver setting information to be installed from said external device to execute the installation processing of said driver when said judging step determines that said driver setting information has not been registered.

41. The information processing method according to claim 40, wherein said installation controlling step uses said registered driver setting information to execute said installation processing of said driver when said judging step determines that said driver setting information has already been registered.

42. The information processing method according to claim 39, wherein said instructing step can instruct, by drag and drop, the movement of said icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed.

43. The information processing method according to claim 37, wherein said system displaying step identifies a display mode of an icon of an installed device between said system window and said peripheral window which are separately displayed after completion of installation by said installation controlling step, and displays the identified display mode.

44. The information processing method according to claim 37, further comprising a writing step for writing positional information of an icon displayed in said peripheral window into a storing means, wherein

said system displaying step comprises arranging and displaying said icon on a basis of said positional information stored in said storing step.

45. A computer-readable memory medium which stores a program of an information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, said program comprising:

device information acquiring step for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling step for displaying, on a display section, an overall system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, and a system condition of a user network of a peripheral device arbitrarily selected from said overall system condition, together with icons, by a user interface in such a manner that the overall system condition and the system condition of the user network can be identified, on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said device information acquiring step;

instructing step for instructing to register said peripheral device in said user network; and

installation controlling step for executing installation processing of a driver for said peripheral device when registration of said peripheral device to said user network is newly instructed by said instructing step,

wherein said system controlling step dividedly displays a system window for displaying said overall system condition and a peripheral window for displaying said system condition of a desired peripheral device designated by a user.

46. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 45, wherein said peripheral window has icons of peripheral devices arranged around an icon of said information processing apparatus.

47. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 45, wherein said instructing step instructs registration of said peripheral device by effecting movement of said icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed by said system displaying step.

48. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 47, further comprising a judging step for judging whether driver setting information for a driver of said icon has already been registered in said information processing apparatus during the movement of said icon by said instructing step, wherein

said installation controlling step acquires said driver setting information to be installed from said external device to execute installation processing of said driver when said judging step determines that said driver setting information has not been registered.

49. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 48, wherein said installation controlling step uses said registered driver setting information to execute said installation processing of said driver when said judging step determines that said driver setting information has already been registered.

50. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 47, wherein said instructing step can instruct, by drag and drop, the movement of said icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed.

51. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 45, wherein said system displaying step identifies a display mode of an icon of an installed device between said system window and said peripheral window which are separately displayed after completion of install by said installation controlling step, and displays the identified display mode.

52. The computer-readable memory medium according to claim 45, further comprising a writing step for writing positional information of an icon displayed in said peripheral window into a storing means, wherein

said system displaying step comprises arranging and displaying said icon on a basis of said positional information stored in said storing means.

53. A program which, when implemented by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for communicating with an external device through a network, said program comprising:

device information acquiring step for acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

system display controlling step for displaying, on a display section, an overall system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, and a system condition of a user network of a peripheral device arbitrarily selected from said overall system condition, together with icons, by a user interface in such a manner that the overall system condition and the system condition of the user network can be identified, on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said device information acquiring step;

instructing step for instructing to register said peripheral device in said user network; and

installation controlling step for executing installation processing of a driver for said peripheral device when registration of said peripheral device to said user network is newly instructed by said instructing step,

wherein said system controlling step dividedly displays a system window for displaying said overall system condition and a peripheral window for displaying said system condition of a desired peripheral device designated by a user.

54. The program according to claim 53, wherein said peripheral has icons of peripheral devices arranged around an icon of said information processing apparatus.

55. The program according to claim 53, wherein said instructing step instructs registration of said peripheral device by effecting movement of said icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed by said system displaying step.

56. The program according to claim 55, further comprising a judging step for judging whether driver setting information for a driver of said icon has already been registered in said information processing apparatus during the movement of said icon by said instructing step, wherein

said installation controlling step acquires said driver setting information to be installed from said external device to execute the installation processing of said driver when said judging step determines that said driver setting information has not been registered.

57. The program according to claim 56, wherein said installation controlling step uses said registered driver setting information to execute said installation processing of said driver when said judging step determines that said driver setting information has already been registered.

58. The program according to claim 55, wherein said instructing step can instruct, by drag and drop, the movement of said icon between said system window and said peripheral window which are dividedly displayed.

59. The program according to claim 53, wherein said system displaying step identifies a display mode of an icon of an installed device between said system window and said peripheral window which are separately displayed after completion of installation by said installation controlling step, and displays the identified display mode.

60. The program according to claim 53, further comprising a writing step for writing positional information of an icon displayed in said peripheral window into a storing means, wherein

said system displaying step comprises arranging and displaying said icon on a basis of said positional information stored in said storing means.

61. An information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

an acquiring unit that acquires device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

a system display controller that displays, on a display section, a system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network together with an icon by a user interface on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said acquiring unit;

an instructing unit instructs installation of a driver for said peripheral device shared on said network in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controller; and

an installation controller that acquires driver setting information instructed to be installed by said instructing unit from said external device to execute automatic installation processing of said driver.

62. An information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

a device information acquiring unit that acquires device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

a system display controller that displays, on a display section, an overall system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, and a system condition of a user network of a peripheral device arbitrarily selected from said overall system condition, together with icons, by a user interface in such a manner that the overall system condition and the system condition of the user network can be identified, on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said device information acquiring unit;

an instructing unit that instructs to register said peripheral device in said user network; and

an installation controller that executes installation processing of a driver for said peripheral device when registering of said peripheral device to said user network is newly instructed by said instructing unit,

wherein said system display controller dividedly displays a system window for displaying said overall system condition, and a peripheral window for displaying said system condition of a desired peripheral device designated by a user.

63. An information processing method for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising:

an acquiring of acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

a system display controlling step of displaying, on a display section, a system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, together with an icon, by a user interface on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said acquiring step;

an instructing step of instructing installation of a driver for said peripheral device shared on said network in said user interface having said system condition displayed by said system display controlling step; and

an installation controlling step of acquiring driver setting information instructed to be installed by said instructing step from said external device to execute automatic installation processing of said driver.

64. An information processing method of an information processing apparatus for communicating with an external device through a network, comprising the steps of:

a device information acquiring step of acquiring device information of a peripheral device shared on said network from said external device;

a system display controlling step of displaying, on a display section, an overall system condition of said peripheral device shared on said network, and a system condition of a user network of a peripheral device arbitrarily selected from said overall system condition, together with icons, by a user interface in such a manner that the overall system condition and the system condition of the user network can be identified, on a basis of said device information acquired from said external device by said device information acquiring step;

an instructing step of instructing to register said peripheral device in said user network; and

an installation controlling step of executing installation processing of a driver for said peripheral device when registration of said peripheral device to said user network is newly instructed by said instructing step,

wherein said system controlling step dividedly displays a system window for displaying said overall system condition and a peripheral window for displaying said system condition of a desired peripheral device designated by a user.