Information processing apparatus, network system, device-map display method, and storage medium

• US 7,260,787 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nara, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/778,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20010017620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,385 Days
• Field of Search: 345/734, 345/735, 345/737, 345/736, 345/853, 345/854, 345/855, 345/742, 345/738, 345/753, 345/802, 345/804, 345/772, 345/771, 345778-779, 345/824, 345859-862, 358/210, 358/1.11, 358/1.12, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 715734-737, 715738-739, 715/966, 715/968, 715969-970, 715/811, 715/745, 715/744, 715746-747, 715/740, 715/805, 715/803, 715/802, 715771-773, 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 715/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units

Abstract

An information processing apparatus provides the user with a status of a device on a network correctly and efficiently to improve the work efficiency of the user. A display unit displays a device map according to information previously stored in a storage unit, when an application for displaying the device map (status of the device on the network) is activated, and re-displays the device map thereafter according to the latest information obtained by an obtaining unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus that activates an application for displaying on a display screen information of a peripheral device that communicates with the information processing apparatus via a communication link, comprising:

storage means for storing information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link in a resident memory;

obtaining means for obtaining status information or alert information of the peripheral device through the communication link in response to an instruction to invoke the application;

first display control means for displaying on the display screen the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link according to the information stored in the storage means prior to invoking the application in response to the instruction to invoke the application and before the obtaining means completes obtaining the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link; and

second display control means for updating a content of the information displayed by the first display control means according to the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device obtained by the obtaining means in response to completion of a process for obtaining at least one of the status information and the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining means obtains the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device from a storage device in the peripheral device.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is one of a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile machine.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising changing means for updating the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link stored in the resident memory, according to the information obtained by the obtaining means.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second display control means displays a progress of obtaining the status information or the alert information by the obtaining means, on the display screen.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second display control means displays status information of a device for which the status information has been changed from a time when the application is first activated, in a predetermined display form.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining means sequentially obtains status information of each of a plurality of devices that communicates via the communication link in an order based on a predetermined condition.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising registration means for specifying the predetermined condition externally.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising determination means for determining whether the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link stored in the storage means is dynamic information, which is changed as time passes,

wherein the first display control means displays the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link on the display screen according to information which is determined not to be dynamic information by the determination means.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second display control means updates the content of the information displayed by the first display control means according to dynamic information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link obtained by the obtaining means.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second display control means changes a form of a symbol of the information of the peripheral device displayed by the first display control means according to the dynamic information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link obtained by the obtaining means.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to a state of expendables for the peripheral device.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to whether an error has occurred in the peripheral device.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to whether the peripheral device is in use.

15. An information processing method for information processing apparatus for displaying on a display screen information of a peripheral device that communicates with the information processing apparatus via a communication link when all application is activated, comprising the steps of:

a reading step of reading information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link from a resident memory;

an obtaining step of obtaining status information or alert information of the peripheral device through the communication link in response to an instruction to invoke the application;

a first display control step of displaying on the display screen the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link according to the information read from the resident memory prior to invoking the application in response to the instruction to invoke the application and before the obtaining step completes obtaining the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link; and

a second display control stop of updating a content of the information displayed in the first display control step, according to the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device obtained in the obtaining step in response to completion of a process for obtaining at least one of the status information and the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link.

16. An information processing method according to claim 15, wherein the obtaining step obtains the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device from a storage device in the peripheral device.

17. An information processing method according to claim 15, wherein the peripheral device is one of a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile machine.

18. An information processing method according to claim 15, further comprising a changing step for updating the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link stored in the resident memory according to the information obtained in the obtaining step.

19. An information processing method according to claim 15, wherein a progress of obtaining information in the obtaining step is displayed on the display screen in the second display control step.

20. An information processing method according to claim 15, wherein status information of a device for which the status information has been changed from a time when the application is first activated is displayed in a predetermined display form in the second display control step.

21. An information processing method according to claim 15, wherein status information of each of a plurality of devices on the communication link is sequentially obtained in an order based on a predetermined condition in the obtaining step.

22. An information processing method according to claim 21, further comprising a registration step of specifying the predetermined condition externally.

23. An information processing method according to claim 15, further comprising a determination step of determining whether the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link stored in the resident memory is dynamic information, which is changed as time passes,

wherein the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link is displayed on the display screen in the first display control step according to information which is determined not to be dynamic information in the determination step.

24. An information processing method according to claim 23, wherein the content of the information displayed by the first display control step is updated in the second display control step according to dynamic information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link obtained in the obtaining step.

25. An information processing method according to claim 24, wherein a form of a symbol of the information of the device displayed in the first display control step is changed in the second display control step according to the dynamic information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link obtained in the obtaining step.

26. An information processing method according to claim 24, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to a state of expendables for the peripheral device.

27. An information processing method according to claim 24, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to whether an error has occurred in the peripheral device.

28. An information processing method according to claim 24, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to whether the peripheral device is in use.

29. A computer readable medium on which is stored a computer readable program, the program comprising computer executable code for an information processing apparatus for displaying on a display screen information of a peripheral device that communicates with the information processing apparatus via a communication link when an application is activated, the program comprising the steps of:

a reading step of reading information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link from a resident memory;

an obtaining step of obtaining status information or alert information of the peripheral device through the communication link in response to an instruction to invoke the application;

a first display control step of displaying on the display screen information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link according to the information read from the resident memory prior to invoking the application in response to the instruction to invoke the application and before the obtaining step completes obtaining the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link; and

a second display control step of updating a content of the information displayed in the first display control step according to the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device obtained in the obtaining step in response to completion of a process for obtaining at least one of the status information and the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link.

30. A computer medium according to claim 29, wherein status information of a device for which the status information has been changed from a time when the application is first activated is displayed in a predetermined display form in the second display control step.

31. A computer medium according to claim 29, wherein status information of each of a plurality of devices on the communication link is sequentially obtained in an order based on a predetermined condition in the obtaining step.

32. A computer medium according to claim 31, further comprising a registration step of specifying the predetermined condition externally.

33. A computer medium according to claim 29, further comprising a determination step of determining whether the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link stored in the resident memory is dynamic information, which is changed as time passes,

wherein the information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link is displayed on the display screen in the first display control step according to information which is determined not to be dynamic information in the determination step.

34. A computer medium according to claim 33, wherein the content of the information displayed by the first display control step is updated in the second display control step according to dynamic information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link obtained in the obtaining step.

35. A computer medium according to claim 34, wherein a form of a symbol of the information of the device displayed in the first display control step is changed in the second display control step according to the dynamic information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link obtained in the obtaining step.

36. A computer medium according to claim 34, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to a state of expendables for the peripheral device.

37. A computer medium according to claim 34, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to whether an error has occurred in the peripheral device.

38. A computer medium according to claim 34, wherein the dynamic information includes information related to whether the peripheral device is in use.

39. An information processing apparatus that activates an application for displaying on a display screen information of a peripheral device that communicates with the information processing apparatus via a communication link, comprising:

a storage unit that stores information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link in a resident memory;

an obtaining unit that obtains status information or alert information of the peripheral device through the communication link in response to an instruction to invoke the application;

a first display control unit that displays on the display screen information of the peripheral device that communicates via the communication link according to the information stored in the storage unit prior to invoking the application in response to the instruction to invoke the application and before the obtaining unit obtains the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device front the peripheral device via the communication link; and

a second display control unit that updates a content of the information displayed by the first display control unit according to the status information or the alert information of the peripheral device obtained by the obtaining unit in response to completion of a process for obtaining at least one of the status information and the alert information of the peripheral device from the peripheral device via the communication link.