Network system, network device, access restriction method for network device, storage medium, and program

• US 7,240,118 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yokokura, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US09/867,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20010052018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 709/229, 709/200, 709/225, 709/228, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 713/156, 707/104, 707/203, 707/10, 715/513, 726/15, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

When access is attempted by a device equipped with Web client capabilities, a device connected to a network and equipped with Web server capabilities judges whether to restrict the access. If it is judged that the access should be restricted, information about the reason for the access restriction is sent regardless of the information possessed by the device equipped with Web client capabilities.

Claims

1. A network-connectable apparatus, comprising:

a restricting device adapted to restrict access to the network-connectable apparatus by another apparatus in accordance with a status of the network-connectable apparatus;

a detecting device adapted to detect whether a request from the other apparatus is a request for inquiry about update of a file;

a discrimination device adapted to discriminate, based on detection by said detecting device, whether a file corresponding to a file cached by the other apparatus has been updated, wherein said discrimination device makes its discrimination in accordance with time information included in the request; and

a sending device adapted, in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is not restricted by said restricting device, selectively to send information representing that the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus has not been updated, to the other apparatus, or to send the updated file to the other apparatus, in accordance with the discrimination by said discrimination device, and,

in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is restricted by said restricting device, to send information representing that the access is rejected to the other apparatus, regardless as to whether or not the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus is updated, wherein the information representing the access-rejection is information for describing a screen image which indicates in the other apparatus the reason for the access restriction.

2. The network-connectable apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said restricting device restricts access by the other apparatus in accordance with whether the network-connectable apparatus is under maintenance.

3. A network-connectable apparatus, comprising:

a restricting device adapted to restrict access by another apparatus in accordance with a status of the network connectable apparatus;

a detection device adapted to detect time information related to a file possessed by the other apparatus;

a discrimination device adapted to discriminate whether a file corresponding to a file cached by the other apparatus has been updated, in accordance with time information detected by said detection device; and

a sending device adapted, in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is not restricted by said restricting device, selectively to send information representing that the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus has not been updated, to the other apparatus, or to send the updated file to the other apparatus, in accordance with the discrimination by said discrimination device, and,

in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is restricted by said restricting device, to send information representing that the access is rejected to the other apparatus, regardless as to whether or not the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus is updated, wherein the information representing access-restriction is information for describing a screen image which indicates in the other apparatus the reason for the access restriction.

4. The network-connectable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in a case in which access-restriction is made, said sending device sends the information representing that the access is rejected to the other apparatus without performance of discrimination by said discrimination device.

5. The network-connectable apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said restricting device restricts access by the other apparatus in accordance with whether the network-connectable apparatus is under maintenance.

6. A control method for a network-connectable apparatus, comprising:

a restriction step of restricting access to the network-connectable apparatus by another apparatus in accordance with a status of the network-connectable apparatus;

a detecting step of detecting whether a request from the other apparatus is a request for inquiry about update of a file;

a discrimination step of discriminating whether a file corresponding to a file cached by the other apparatus has been updated, in accordance with the detection in said detecting step, wherein said discrimination step makes its discrimination in accordance with time information included in the request; and

a sending step of, in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is not restricted, selectively sending information representing that the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus has not been updated, to the other apparatus, or sending the updated file to the other apparatus, in accordance with the discrimination in said discrimination step, and,

in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is restricted, sending information representing that the access is rejected to the other apparatus, regardless as to whether or not the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus is updated, wherein the information representing the access-restriction is information for describing a screen image which indicates in the other apparatus the reason for the access restriction.

7. A control method for a network-connectable apparatus, comprising:

a restricting step of restricting access by another apparatus in accordance with a status of the network-connectable apparatus;

a detection step of detecting time information related to a file possessed by the other apparatus;

a discrimination step of discriminating whether a file corresponding to a file cached by the other apparatus has been updated, in accordance with time information detected in said detection step; and

a sending step of, in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is not restricted, selectively sending information representing that the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus has not been updated, to the other apparatus, or sending the updated file to the other apparatus, in accordance with the discrimination in said discrimination step, and,

in the case where the access to the network-connectable apparatus by the other apparatus is restricted, sending information representing that the access is rejected to the other apparatus, regardless as to whether or not the file corresponding to the file cached by the other apparatus is updated, wherein the information representing the access-rejection is information for describing a screen image which indicates in the other apparatus the reason for the access restriction.