Obtaining temporary exclusive control of a device
First Claim
1. A method for providing exclusive control of a device'"'"'s capabilities to a user over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities;
determining, by the device, whether the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities;
in a case where the device determines in the determining step that the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, providing, by the device, the user with exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities;
in a case where the device determines in the determining step that the device is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, adding, by the device, the user to a reservation queue of users requesting to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities;
requesting, by the information processing apparatus, that the device process a job using the device'"'"'s capabilities; and
adding, by the device, the job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the device'"'"'s capabilities,wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, maintains exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Remotely obtaining exclusive control of a device by remotely establishing communication with the device over a network, requesting to obtain remote exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, and determining whether remote exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities can be obtained based on whether or not another user already has exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities. In a first case where it is determined that remote exclusive control can be obtained, authenticating a user requesting to obtain remote exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, providing the user remote exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities after the user has been authenticated, and temporarily deferring requests by users other than the user who has obtained remote exclusive control to perform operations utilizing the device'"'"'s capabilities during a period in which the user maintains remote exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities. In a second case where it is determined that remote exclusive control cannot be obtained, denying the user'"'"'s request to obtain remote exclusive control, adding the user to a reservation queue of user'"'"'s requesting to obtain exclusive control of the device, and when the user ascends in the reservation queue to be the next user to obtain exclusive control, the user is notified that he can now obtain remote exclusive control of the device.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method for providing exclusive control of a device'"'"'s capabilities to a user over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; determining, by the device, whether the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; in a case where the device determines in the determining step that the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, providing, by the device, the user with exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; in a case where the device determines in the determining step that the device is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, adding, by the device, the user to a reservation queue of users requesting to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; requesting, by the information processing apparatus, that the device process a job using the device'"'"'s capabilities; and adding, by the device, the job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the device'"'"'s capabilities, wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, maintains exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, the process steps executed by a device to provide exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to a user, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; determining whether the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; in a case where the determining step determines that the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, providing the user with exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; in a case where the determining step determines that the device is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, adding the user to a reservation queue of users requesting to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; and adding a job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the device'"'"'s capabilities, wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, maintains exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer-readable medium on which is stored computer-executable code to be executed by a device for providing exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to a user, the computer-executable code comprising:
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receiving, from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; determining whether the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; in a case where the determining step determines that the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, providing the user exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; in a case where the determining step determines that the device is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, adding the user to a reservation queue of users requesting exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities; and adding a job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the device'"'"'s capabilities, wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities maintains exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities.
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34. An apparatus for providing a user with exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory which stores computer-executable process steps; and a processor which executes the computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps comprising (a) receiving, via a network from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, (b) determining whether the apparatus is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, (c) in a case where the determining step determines that the apparatus is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, providing the user with exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, (d) in a case where the determining step determines that the apparatus is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, adding the user to a reservation queue of users requesting to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, and (e) adding a job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device'"'"'s capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities, maintains exclusive control of the apparatus'"'"' capabilities. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification