System for searching device on network

• US 7,293,067 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maki, Nobuhiko, Ochiai, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US09/612,565
• Time in Patent Office: 2,678 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 709/223, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 709/225, 717/11, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

There is disclosed a network system in which the position, attribute, and status of a desired device on a network can visually comprehensibly be grasped. A server manages location information indicating information on the device position in a hierarchical manner and attribute information from the device. Each device holds a plurality of status information (icon information) in accordance with various statuses of the device. A client holds map information corresponding to each class of the location information, and overlaps and outputs (display output) device status information obtained by communication by a polling system with the device detected by search in the server, and map information corresponding to the location information of the device.

Claims

1. A network system comprising a server, a client, and a device,

said server comprising:

a first storage unit, adapted to store position information indicating a geographical location in which said device is installed and a network address of said device; and

a first transmission unit, adapted to transmit the position information and the network address stored by said first storage unit to said client via a network,

said device comprising;

a second storage unit, adapted to store icon data indicating an icon for visually representing said device; and

a control unit, adapted to transmit the icon data stored by said second storage unit to said client via the network, and

said client comprising;

a first reception unit, adapted to receive the position information and the network address transmitted by said first transmission unit via the network;

a second transmission unit, adapted to transmit a request to said device based on the network address received by said first reception unit so as to acquire the icon data stored in said second storage unit from said device via said network;

a second reception unit, adapted to receive the icon data transmitted by said control unit via the network;

a display unit, adapted to display the geographical location in which said device is installed indicated by the position information received by said first reception unit, and to display the icon indicated by the icon data received by said second reception unit; and

a third storage unit, adapted to store map data corresponding to the position information,

wherein said display unit selects the map data from said third storage unit based on the received position information, and displays the icon in accordance with the selected map data.

2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein

said device further comprises a judgment unit, adapted to judge a status of said device,

said second storage unit stores a plurality of icon data each of which corresponds to the status of said device, and

said control unit selects the icon data in accordance with the judged status from the plurality of stored icon data and transmits the selected icon data to said client.

3. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said client further comprises a processor unit adapted to process the received position information to identify a device corresponding to the received position information, and wherein said second transmission unit transmits the request to the identified device.

4. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the position information indicates at least two geographical areas in which said device is located, a first one of the geographical areas being included within another of the geographical areas.

5. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said client further comprises a third transmission unit adapted to transmit a request to a device corresponding to the received position information so as to acquire a status of that device, and wherein said second reception unit receives the icon data corresponding to the status of that device.

6. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said client further comprises a third transmission unit adapted to transmit a request to said server so as to search for a desired device, and wherein said first reception unit receives the position information as a response to the request transmitted by said third transmission unit.

7. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said display unit displays the location of said device defined by the position information received by said first reception unit in characters.

8. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the position information defining the geographical location of said device comprises information that defines the geographical location of said device in a plurality of hierarchical layers.

9. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the position information defining the geographical location of said device comprises information selected from the group consisting of (a) information defining which of plural companies'"'"' facility said device is in, (b) information defining which of plural cities said device is in, (c) information defining which of plural building said device is in, (d) information defining which of plural floors of a building said device is on, and (e) information defining which of plural locations on a floor said device is in.

10. An information processor for communicating with another information processor and a device via a network, comprising:

a first reception unit, adapted to receive from the other information processor, via the network, position information indicating a geographical location in which the device is installed and a network address of the device;

a transmission unit, adapted to transmit a request to the device based on the network address received by said first reception unit so as to acquire icon data from the device, the icon data indicating an icon for visually representing the device;

a second reception unit, adapted to receive the icon data from the device via the network;

a display unit, adapted to display the geographical location in which the device is installed indicated by the position information received by said first reception unit, and to display the icon indicated by the icon data received by said second reception unit; and

a storage unit, adapted to store map data corresponding to the position information, wherein said display unit selects map data from said storage unit based on the received position information, and displays the icon in accordance with the selected map data.

11. The information processor according to claim 10, wherein said display unit displays the location of said device defined by the position information received by said first reception unit in characters.

12. An information processor according to claim 10, wherein the position information defining the geographical location of said device comprises information selected from the group consisting of (a) information defining which of plural companies'"'"' facility said device is in, (b) information defining which of plural cities said device is in, (c) information defining which of plural building said device is in, (d) information defining which of plural floors of a building said device is on, and (e) information defining which of plural locations on a floor said device is in.

13. A method of displaying an icon for a device on a network, comprising:

a first reception step of receiving from an information processor, via the network, position information indicating a geographical location in which the device is installed and a network address of the device;

a transmission step of transmitting a request to the device based on the received network address so as to acquire icon data from the device, the icon data indicating an icon for the device;

a second reception step of receiving the icon data from the device via the network;

a display step of displaying the geographical location in which the device is installed indicated by the position information received in said first reception step, and displaying the icon indicated by the icon data received in said second reception step; and

a selection step of selecting map data corresponding to the position information from among a plurality of map data, wherein said display step includes displaying the icon in accordance with the selected map data.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a processing step of processing the received position information to identify a device corresponding to the received position information, wherein said transmission step includes transmitting the request to the identified device.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the position information indicates at least two geographical areas in which the device is located, a first one of the geographical areas being included within another of the geographical areas.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a second transmission step of transmitting a request to a device corresponding to the received position information so as to acquire a status of that device, and wherein said second reception step includes receiving the icon data corresponding to the status of that device.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising a second transmission step of transmitting a request to the information processor so as to search for a desired device, wherein said first reception step includes receiving the position information and the network address as a response to the request transmitted in said second transmission step.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein said display step includes displaying the location of the device defined by the position information received in said first reception step in characters.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein the position information defining the geographical location of the device comprises information selected from the group consisting of (a) information defining which of plural companies'"'"' facility the device is in, (b) information defining which of plural cities the device is in, (c) information defining which of plural building the device is in, (d) information defining which of plural floors of a building the device is on, and (e) information defining which of plural locations on a floor the device is in.

20. A storage medium storing a computer program executed by a computer of an information processor for implementing a method of displaying an icon for a device on a network, said computer program comprising:

code for a first reception step of receiving from an information processor, via the network, position information indicating a geographical location in which the device is installed and a network address of the device;

code for a transmission step of transmitting a request to the device based on the received network address so as to acquire icon data from the device, the icon data indicating an icon for the device;

code for a second reception step of receiving the icon data from the device via the network;

code for a display step of displaying the geographical location in which the device is installed indicated by the position information received in the first reception step, and displaying the icon indicated by the icon data received in the second reception step; and

code for a selection step of selecting map data corresponding to the position information from among a plurality of map data, wherein said display step includes displaying the icon in accordance with the selected map data.

21. A storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the position information defining the geographical location of the device comprises information selected from the group consisting of (a) information defining which of plural companies'"'"' facility the device is in, (b) information defining which of plural cities the device is in, (c) information defining which of plural building the device is in, (d) information defining which of plural floors of a building the device is on, and (e) information defining which of plural locations on a floor the device is in.