System for searching for apparatus connected to network and apparatus employed by same system, and control method therefor

• US 6,996,611 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2000
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Muto, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/625,842
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 345/734, 345/733, 709/223, 709/224, 709/232, 710/8, 710/9, 710/10, 358/1.13, 358/448
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The results obtained by searching for the apparatuses in a system are displayed by representing the hierarchical locations of the apparatuses, so that a user can easily identify the locations of the apparatuses. Further, based on a user of an apparatus to be searched for, the search for the apparatus is performed in accordance with its hierarchical location. And when a search for an apparatus is to be based on its hierarchical location, selected as the search results are map data that appropriately represent the hierarchical location of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage arranged to store location information of a plurality of devices;

a receiver arranged to receive location information which is input as a search condition by a user in order to search for a predetermined device and which is transferred from another information processing apparatus;

a retriever arranged to retrieve location information which represents a location of said another information processing apparatus;

a searcher arranged to search for a device in accordance with the location information input as the search condition received by said receiver, the location information of said another information processing apparatus retrieved by said retriever, and the location information of the plurality of devices stored in said storage; and

a transmitter arranged to transmit device information searched by said searcher to said another information processing apparatus.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the location information received by said receiver as the search condition is information which designates a first area, the location information which represents the location of the another information processing apparatus retrieved by said retriever is information which designates a second area, and said searcher searches for a device having location information which designates said first area and said second area.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device information transmitted by said transmitter includes identification information of the device and the location information of the device, and the transmitted location information is designated by a plurality of hierarchies.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a generator arranged to generate map information by selecting any of the plurality of hierarchies which designate the location information of the device searched by said searcher,

wherein said transmitter transmits the map information generated by said generator to the another information processing apparatus.

5. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first transmitter arranged to transmit location information input as a search condition by a user in order to search for a predetermined device;

a second transmitter arranged to transmit location information which represents a location of said information processing apparatus; and

a receiver arranged to receive search results of a device that is searched in accordance with the location information input as the search condition transmitted by said first transmitter and the location information of the information processing apparatus transmitted by said second transmitter.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the location information input as the search condition transmitted by said first transmitter is information which designates a first area, the location information which represents the location of the information processing apparatus transmitted by said second transmitter is information which designates a second area and a third area, and said reception means receives the search results comprising a device having the location information which designates said first area and said second area.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second area includes said first area and said third area.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said search results include identification information of the device and the location information of the device, and the location information of the device is designated by a plurality of hierarchies.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a selector arranged to select any of the hierarchies which designate the location information of the device of the search results received by said reception means; and

a display arranged to display the hierarchy selected by said selection means as a map.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display arranged to display the hierarchy selected by a user, among the location information of the devices in the search results received by said reception means.

11. A method of searching for a device, comprising:

a reception step of receiving location information which is input as a search condition by a user in order to search for a predetermined device and which is transferred from another information processing apparatus;

a retrieval step of retrieving location information which represents a location of said another information processing apparatus;

a search step of searching for a device in accordance with the location information input as the search condition received in said reception step, the location information of said another information processing apparatus retrieved in said retrieval step; and

a transfer step of transferring device information searched in said search step to said another information processing apparatus.

12. A method of searching for a device, comprising:

a first transfer step of transferring location information input as a search condition by a user in order to search for a predetermined device;

a second transfer step of transferring location information which represents a location of an information processing apparatus; and

a reception step of receiving search results of a device that is searched in accordance with the location information input as the search condition transferred by said first transfer step and the location information of the information processing apparatus transferred by said second transfer step.

13. A computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute said program comprising:

a reception step of receiving location information which is input as a search condition by a user in order to search for a predetermined device and which is transferred from another information processing apparatus;

a retrieval step of retrieving location information which represents a location of said another information processing apparatus;

a search step of searching for a device in accordance with the location information input as the search condition received in said reception step, and the location information of said another information processing apparatus retrieved in said retrieval step; and

a transfer step of transferring device information searched in said search step to said another information processing apparatus.

14. A computer-executable program including program codes for causing a computer to execute said program comprising:

a first transfer step of transferring location information input as a search condition by a user in order to search for a predetermined device;

a second transfer step of transferring location information which represents a location of an information processing apparatus; and

a reception step of receiving search results of a device that is searched in accordance with the location information input as the search condition transferred by said first transfer step and the location information of the information processing apparatus transferred by said second transfer step.