Graphic display of configuration information and of further device components required

• US 7,024,659 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamura, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEELMAN, MARY J
• Application Number:
  US10/119,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 715762-765, 715962-968, 717168-178, 717120-122, 705 26- 29, 705410-411
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

In this information processing system, when a function that cannot be enabled in the current system configuration of a device is selected by a user on a setting window for setting various functions, control is performed to display information about a component required to enable the selected function. The system also performs control to obtain information about the component from a server. With the above arrangement, the information processing system can easily provide information about a component required to allow a device to enable the function selected by a user.

Claims

1. An information processing system that executes computer program for setting functions to be executed by a device, wherein the computer program causes the information processing system to execute the steps of:

obtaining configuration information of the current device;

displaying a setting window for setting functions to be executed by the current device, the setting window being displayed based on the obtained configuration information, wherein the displayed setting window includes graphical items associated with one or more functions that the current device can perform and another graphical items associated with one or more functions that the current device cannot perform; and

generating control commands for driving the current device in accordance with the functions set in the setting window, wherein when one of said another graphical items associated with functions that the current device cannot perform is selected on the setting window by the user, in said step of displaying the setting window, it is displayed information about a further device component required to enable the selected function of the selected another graphical item.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the computer program causes the information processing system to further execute the step of obtaining the information about the further component from a shop server via a network.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the information about the further component is obtained by periodically making inquiries to the shop server.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the information about the further component is obtained by making an inquiry to the shop server when the setting window is activated.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the information about the further component includes sales information about the further component required to enable the selected function.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the computer program causes the information processing system to further execute the step of ordering an article on the basis of the sales information of the further component.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information of the current device is obtained automatically.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the obtained configuration information of the current device is input by a user.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the computer program is a printer driver program.

10. An information processing method for setting functions to be executed by a device, the method comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining configuration information of the current device;

a display step of displaying a setting window for setting functions to be executed by the current device, the setting window being displayed based on the obtained configuration information, wherein the displayed setting window includes graphical items associated with one or more functions that the current device can perform and another graphical items associated with one or more functions that the current device cannot perform; and

a generating step for generating control commands for driving the current device in accordance with the functions set in the setting window, wherein when one of said another graphical items associated with functions that the current device cannot perform is selected on the setting window by the user, in said step of displaying the setting window, it is displayed, information about a further device component required to enable the function of the selected another graphical item.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the computer program causes the information processing system to further execute an information obtaining step of obtaining information about the further component from a shop server via a network.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein in the information obtaining step, the information about the further component is obtained by periodically making inquiries to the shop server.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein in the information obtaining step, the information about the further component is obtained by making an inquiry to the shop server when the setting window is activated.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the information about the further component includes sales information about the further component required to enable the selected function.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the ordering step of ordering an article on the basis of the sales information of the further component.

16. A computer readable storage medium storing a computer program including program codes for setting functions to be executed by a device, which can be executed by a computer, the computer program comprising:

a program code for the obtaining step of obtaining configuration information of the current device;

a program code for the display step of displaying a setting window for setting functions to be executed by the current device, the setting window being displayed based on the obtained configuration information, wherein the displayed setting window includes graphical items associated with one or more functions that the current device can perform and another graphical items associated with one or more functions that the current device cannot perform; and

a program code for the generating step for generating control commands for driving the current device in accordance with the functions set in the setting window, wherein, when one of said another graphical items associated with functions that the current device cannot perform is selected on the setting window by the user, in said step of displaying the setting window, it is displayed, information about a further device component required to enable the function of the selected another graphical item.