Control method for image processing apparatus connectable to computer network

• US 7,120,910 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Tomoya, Matsuda, Hiroshi, Hikichi, Yukiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BULLOCK JR, LEWIS ALEXANDER
• Application Number:
  US09/818,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 718100-108, 399/8, 909201-238, 715/740
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00225 details of image data generation, e.g. scan-to-email or network scanners using an image reading device as a local input to a computer H04N1/00241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32106 separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0018 via a non-image communication channel, e.g. via a computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3212 of data relating to a job, e.g. communication, capture or filing of an image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A Web server function is provided for an image processing apparatus including a scanner for reading an image on a document, a printer for printing an image, an E-mail transmission/reception function, a FAX transmission/reception function, and the like to make the image processing apparatus generate a list of information about the status of various jobs and image data stored in a storage unit as a Web page. A user can browse and operate this Web page by using the Web browser of a computer connected to the apparatus through a LAN. The user of the computer can therefore grasp and manipulate information about a plurality of jobs executed by the image processing apparatus and information about image data at a remote place from the image processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A copying apparatus comprising:

an image scanner, adapted to scan a document and to generate data representing an image on the scanned document;

a communication unit, adapted to receive data through a network;

a printer, adapted to print an image based on input data;

a processor, adapted to perform a plurality of jobs including print jobs performed by using said printer;

a management unit, adapted to manage information about the jobs performed by said processor, the information including (i) respective types of the print jobs which include a print of an image based on the data from said communication unit and a local copy which prints an image based on the data from said image scanner equipped by said copying apparatus, and (ii) status information regarding each of the print jobs, which indicates whether each of the print jobs is waiting to be performed or is being performed;

a sorting unit, adapted to sort jobs performed by said processor in accordance with types of jobs;

a generating unit, adapted to generate a Web page indicating a list of the print jobs and the status information managed by said management unit;

a transmitter, adapted to transmit the Web page generated by said generating unit to a Web browser;

a receiver, adapted to receive a request from the Web browser; and

a controller, adapted to control said management unit so as to change the status information of at least one of the print jobs managed by said management unit in a case where the request received by said receiver indicates that the status information is to be changed,

wherein said generating unit generates the Web page on the basis of sorting performed by said sorting unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generating unit generates a Web page according to HTML.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter transmits a Web page according to HTTP.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage, adapted to store data processed by jobs performed by said processor,

wherein said generating unit generates a Web page indicating information about the data stored in said storage.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sender, adapted to send data stored in said storage in accordance with the request received by said receiver.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said management unit rewrites managed information in accordance with the request received by said receiver.

7. A control method for a data processing system including a copying apparatus which has a Web server function and can perform a plurality of jobs including print jobs for image data from an image scanner and image data received through a communication unit from a sender on a network, and a client terminal having a Web browse function, said method comprising the steps of:

causing the copying apparatus to manage information about the print jobs including

 

(i) respective types of the print jobs which include a print of an image based on the data from said communication unit and a local copy which prints an image based on the data from said image scanner equipped by said copying apparatus, and

 

(ii) status information of the print jobs, which indicates whether each of the print jobs is waiting to be performed or is being performed,

sort performed jobs in accordance with types of jobs,

generate a Web page indicating a list of the print jobs and the status information managed in said managing step, wherein the Web page is generated on the basis of sorting performed in said sorting step, and

transmit the generated Web page to said client terminal; and

causing the client terminal to

receive the Web page from the copying apparatus,

give an instruction to the copying apparatus to change the status information of one of the print jobs based on the received Web page, and

transmit the instruction to the copying apparatus; and

causing the copying apparatus to

receive the instruction from the client terminal, and

change the managed status information of one of the print jobs in accordance with the received instruction.

8. A control method for a copying which has an image scanner for scanning a document to generate data representing image on the scanned document, a printer for printing image and a communication unit for receiving data from a sender on a network, comprising the steps of:

managing information about a plurality of print jobs, executed by the printer of the copying apparatus, including (i) respective types of the print jobs which include a print of an image based on the data from said communication unit and a local copy which prints an image based on the data from the image scanner equipped by said copying apparatus, and (ii) status information of the print jobs, which indicates whether each of the print jobs is waiting to be performed or is being performed;

sorting the jobs in accordance with types of jobs;

generating a Web page indicating a list of the print jobs and the status information managed in said managing step on the basis of the managed information, wherein the Web page is generated on the basis of sorting performed in said sorting step;

transmitting the Web page generated in said generating step to the Web browser;

receiving a request from the Web browser; and

changing the status information of at least one of the print jobs managed in said managing step in a case where the request received in said receiving step indicates that the status information is to be changed.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing computer program code for controlling a copying apparatus which has an image scanner for scanning a document to generate data representing image on the scanned document, a printer for printing image and a communication unit for receiving data from a sender on a network, said product comprising process procedure code for:

managing information about a plurality of print jobs, executed by the printer of the copying apparatus, including (i) respective types of the print jobs which include a print of an image based on the data from said communication unit and a local copy which prints an image based on the data from the image scanner equipped by said copying apparatus, and (ii) status information of the print lobs, which indicates whether each of the plurality of print jobs is waiting to be performed or is being performed;

sorting the jobs in accordance with types of jobs;

generating a Web page indicating a list of the print jobs and the status information managed in said managing step on the basis of the managed information, wherein the Web page is generated on the basis of sorting performed in said sorting step;

transmitting the Web page generated in said generating step to the Web browser;

receiving a request from the Web browser; and

changing the status information of at least one of the print jobs managed in said managing step in a case where the request received in said receiving step indicates that the status information is to be changed.