Service management apparatus for managing service information for services present in network system and apparatus for instructing service management apparatus

• US 7,167,909 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spectrio
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masahito
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US09/823,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/203, 709/224, 709/225, 709/229, 370/230, 370/252, 370/428
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a network system capable of providing various services dispersed among plural apparatuses, the invention provides a service management apparatus capable of managing service information on the services present in the network system. The service management apparatus transfers the managed service information in response to a request from an external apparatus, and also renews the service information based on the current actual quality of the service.

Claims

1. A service management apparatus in a network system, for managing service information of a service provided by a service apparatus and transferring the managed service information to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus, said service management apparatus comprising:

test means for executing a process of a trial use of the service provided by the service apparatus, wherein, in the trial use, said test means sends data to the service by using an operation of the service;

evaluation means for evaluating the quality of the service, based on a result of the trial use of the service executed by said test means; and

renewal means for renewing the managed service information based on the quality evaluated by said evaluation means.

2. A service management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation means evaluates the result of the trial use of the service executed by said test means by a predetermined evaluation function.

3. A service management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said renewal means deletes the managed service information in a case the evaluation by the predetermined evaluation function does not meet a predetermined reference.

4. A service management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined evaluation function evaluates the quality of the service based on the time required for calling the service.

5. A service management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined evaluation function evaluates the quality of the service based on an error frequency generated by a service calling.

6. A service management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said test means executes an access process for writing data to a storage service and reading data from the storage service on a trial basis; and

said evaluation means evaluates the quality of the storage service based on the result of the access process performed by said test means.

7. A service management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation means detects the number of colors or recording sheets available in an imaging service and evaluates the quality of the service based on the number of colors or recording sheets available in the service.

8. A service management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service apparatus comprises a printer.

21. A service management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said test means, in the trial use, sends a service request to the one service and receives a response from the one service after the service executes a predetermined process in the one apparatus.

9. An apparatus connected to a service management apparatus for managing service information of a service on a network system and transferring the managed service information to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

test means for executing a process of a trial use of a service of another apparatus belonging to a same group as that of said apparatus, wherein, in the trial use, the service of the other apparatus is executed;

evaluation means for evaluating the quality of the service, based on a result of the trial use of the service executed by said test means; and

deletion means for instructing, in a case in which the quality evaluated by said evaluation means does not meet a predetermined reference, the service management apparatus to delete the service information related to said apparatus and to the other apparatus from the service management apparatus.

22. A service management apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said test means, in the trial use, sends a service request to the one service and receives a response from the one service after the service executes a predetermined process in the one apparatus.

10. A service management method in a network system, for managing service information of a service provided by an apparatus and transferring the managed service information to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus, said service management method comprising:

a test step of executing a process of a trial use of the service provided by the apparatus, wherein, in the trial use, said test means sends data to the service by using an operation of the service;

an evaluation step of evaluating the quality of the service, based on a result of the trial use of the service executed in said test step; and

a renewal step of renewing the managed service information based on the quality evaluated in said evaluation step.

11. A service management method according to claim 10, wherein said evaluation step includes evaluating the result of the trial use of the service executed in said test step by a predetermined evaluation function.

12. A service management method according to claim 11, wherein said renewal step includes deleting the managed service information in a case the evaluation by the predetermined evaluation function does not meet a predetermined reference.

13. A service management method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined evaluation function evaluates the quality of the service based on the time required for calling the service.

14. A service management method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined evaluation function evaluates the quality of the service based on an error frequency generated by a service calling.

15. A service management method according to claim 10, wherein:

said test step includes executing an access process for writing data to a storage service and reading data from the storage service on a trial basis; and

said evaluation step includes evaluating the quality of the storage service based on the result of the access process performed in said test step.

16. A service management method according to claim 10, wherein said evaluation step includes detecting the number of colors or recording sheets available in an imaging service and evaluates the quality of the imaging service based on the number of colors or recording sheets available in the imaging service.

17. A service management method according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of apparatuses includes a printer.

23. A service management method according to claim 10, wherein said test step includes, in the trial use, sending a service request to the one service and receiving a response from the one service after the service executes a predetermined process in the one apparatus.

18. A method for use in an apparatus connected to a service management apparatus for managing service information of a service on a network system and transferring the managed service information to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus, said method comprising:

a test step of executing a process of a trial use of a service of another apparatus belonging to a same group as that of the apparatus, wherein in the trial use, the service of the other apparatus is executed;

an evaluation step of evaluating the quality of the service, based on a result of the trial use of the service executed in said test step; and

a deletion step of instructing, in a case in which the quality evaluated in said evaluation step does not meet a predetermined reference, the service management apparatus to delete the service information related to the apparatus and to the other apparatus from the service management apparatus.

24. A service management method according to claim 18, wherein said test step includes, in the trial use, sending a service request to the one service and receiving a response from the one service after the service executes a predetermined process in the one apparatus.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for executing a service management method in a network system, for managing service information of a service provided by an apparatus and transferring the managed service information to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus, said program comprising:

code for a test step of executing a process of a trial use of the service provided by the apparatus, wherein, in the trial use, data are sent to the service by using an operation of the service;

code for an evaluation step of evaluating the quality of the service, based on a result of the trial use of the service executed by said code for a test step; and

code for a renewal step of renewing the managed service information based on the quality evaluated by execution of said code for an evaluation step.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing a program executing a method for use in an apparatus connected to a service management apparatus for managing service information of a service on a network system and transferring the managed service information to an external apparatus in response to a request from the external apparatus, said program comprising:

code for a test step of executing a process of a trial use of a service of another apparatus belonging to a same group as that of the apparatus, wherein, in the trial use, the service of the other apparatus is executed;

code for an evaluation step of evaluating the quality of the service, based on a result of the trial use of the service executed by said code for a test step; and

code for a deletion step of instructing, in a case in which the quality evaluated by execution of said code for an evaluation step does not meet a predetermined reference, the service management apparatus to delete the service information related to the apparatus and to the other apparatus from the service management apparatus.