Service providing system for providing services using a devoted web page created by a web server provided outside and connected to a network

• US 7,325,031 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US10/395,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/227, 709/209, 709/225, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/50 Address allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A service providing system providing an improved comfortability when a user receives services offered using a web page. In the service providing system, a printer transmits information (e.g. the MAC address and information of status and consumables) related to the printer to a web server on the Internet. The web server creates a web page devoted to the printer, for providing services related to the printer (e.g. download of software already set up for the printer and indication of information of the consumables for the printer), based on the information received from the printer. With the service providing system, a user of the printer can receive services related to the printer by accessing to the web page through the web browser of a printer.

Claims

1. A service providing system for providing services related to an apparatus by means of a web server using a web page, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting unit that transmits specific information specific to the apparatus to the web server provided outside and connected to a network,

an apparatus-related web page providing unit that provides an apparatus-related web page related to the apparatus in response to a request from an outside device provided with a web browser, and

a (Uniform Resource Locator) URL obtaining unit; and

the web server comprising;

a receiving unit that receives the specific information of the apparatus transmitted by the transmitting unit of the apparatus,

a web page creating unit that creates a devoted web page related to the apparatus from which the specific information is transmitted based on the specific information received by the receiving unit, and

a URL outputting unit that outputs the URL of the devoted web page created by the web page creating unit,

wherein the URL obtaining unit of the apparatus obtains the URL of the devoted web page output by the URL outputting unit of the web server, and

wherein the apparatus displays a link specified by the URL of the devoted web page obtained by the URL obtaining unit on the apparatus-related web page provided by the apparatus-related web page providing unit, and wherein the apparatus includes a printer and the specific information includes printer information.

2. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the specific information includes user registration information.

3. The service providing system according to claim 2, wherein the user registration information includes a user ID for identifying a user.

4. The service providing system according to claim 2, wherein when user registration is performed, required information about the user except for a user ID is input from a terminal unit associated with the apparatus and transmitted to the web server through the apparatus, and wherein a user ID assigned by the web server is sent to the terminal unit.

5. The service providing system according to claim 3, wherein the web server updates a user information page in accordance with the user ID.

6. The service providing system according to claim 2, wherein the user registration information includes information indicating a user'"'"'s address.

7. The service providing system according to claim 2, wherein the user registration information includes an e-mail address for transmitting a user information page in respect with a user to the user.

8. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the specific information includes consumables information related to the apparatus.

9. The service providing system according to claim 8, wherein the consumables information includes information of the remaining amount of toner.

10. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the specific information includes printer address information.

11. The service providing system according to claim 10, wherein the printer address information includes information to set up exclusive software.

12. The service providing system according to claim 11, wherein the exclusive software includes a network analyzer.

13. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the specific information includes model information indicating the model name of the apparatus.

14. The service providing system according to claim 13, wherein the model information includes support information to support the apparatus.

15. The service providing system according to claim 13, wherein the model information includes information of a successor model of the apparatus.

16. The service providing system according to claim 2, wherein the devoted web page includes a user information page created based on the user registration information.

17. The service providing system according to claim 16, wherein the apparatus is a printer, and wherein the user information page includes a link to a printer information page indicating information related to the printer.

18. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the devoted web page includes a printer information page created based on at least one of model information about the model of a printer, address information for specifying the printer, and consumables information related to the printer.

19. The service providing system according to claim 18, wherein the printer information page may be read through the link from a user information page.

20. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the devoted web page comprises a user information page created based on user information and a printer information page created based on at least one of model information, address information and consumables information.

21. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the devoted web page displays information corresponding to the specific information.

22. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the devoted web page is designed for downloading software corresponding to the specific information.

23. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the devoted web page is linked to a web page for providing services corresponding to the specific information.

24. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the specific information to the web server at each predetermined timing, and

wherein, when the devoted web page related to the apparatus, from which the specific information received by the receiving unit is transmitted, is already created, the web page creating unit updates the contents of the web page based on the received specific information.

25. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a trouble detecting unit that detects a trouble related to the apparatus, and wherein the transmitting unit uses the timing when a trouble is detected by the trouble detecting unit as the predetermined timing for transmitting the specific information to the web server.

26. The service providing system according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus periodically transmits specific information specific to the apparatus to the web server.

27. An apparatus for use in a service providing system wherein a web server for creating a web page based on information received from the apparatus provides services related to the apparatus using the created web page, and wherein the web server outputs a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the created web page by a URL outputting unit to the apparatus,

the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting unit that transmits specific information specific to the apparatus to the web server provided outside and connected to a network,

an apparatus-related web page providing unit that provides an apparatus related web page related to the apparatus in response to a request from an outside device provided with a web browser, and

a URL obtaining unit that obtains the URL of the created web page output by the URL outputting unit of the web server,

wherein the apparatus displays a link specified by the URL of the created web page obtained by the URL obtaining unit on the apparatus-related web page provided by the apparatus-related web page providing unit, and wherein the apparatus includes a printer and the specific information includes printer information.

28. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 27, wherein the specific information includes user registration information.

29. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 28, wherein the user registration information includes a user ID for identifying a user.

30. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 28, wherein when user registration is performed, required information about the user except for a user ID is input from a terminal unit associated with the apparatus and transmitted to the web server through the apparatus, and wherein a user ID assigned by the web server is sent to the terminal unit.

31. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 29, wherein the web server updates a user information page in accordance with the user ID.

32. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 28, wherein the user registration information includes information indicating a user'"'"'s address.

33. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 28, wherein the user registration information includes an e-mail address for transmitting a user information page in respect with a user to the user.

34. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 27, wherein the specific information includes consumables information related to the apparatus.

35. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 34, wherein the consumables information includes information of the remaining amount of toner.

36. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 27, wherein the specific information includes printer address information.

37. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 36, wherein the printer address information includes information to set up exclusive software.

38. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 37, wherein the exclusive software includes a network analyzer.

39. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 27, wherein the specific information includes model information indicating the model name of the apparatus.

40. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 39, wherein the model information includes support information to support the apparatus.

41. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 39, wherein the model information includes information of a successor model of the apparatus.

42. The apparatus for use in the service providing system according to claim 27, wherein the apparatus periodically transmits specific information specific to the apparatus to the web server.