Terminal apparatus and control method thereof

• US 7,444,430 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Minari, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US10/695,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,827 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/245, 709/247, 709/248, 717/170, 717/171
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• 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

Management information which is transmitted from another terminal apparatus or a management apparatus and contains instructions used to manage terminal apparatuses is received (S200). A process according to the corresponding instruction is executed with reference to the received management information (S210-S290). A terminal apparatus which has not received management information yet is searched for, and the management information is transferred to the found terminal apparatus (S310).

Claims

1. A terminal apparatus connected to a network to which a management apparatus is connected, the terminal apparatus comprising:

reception means for receiving an instruction which is transmitted from the management apparatus or another terminal apparatus connected to the network;

storage means for storing identifications of instructions received in the past by said reception means;

determination means for determining whether or not an instruction newly received by said reception means is the same as any one of instructions have been already received in the past, using an identification of the newly received instruction and the identifications stored in said storage means;

installation means for, if the newly received instruction is a program install instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, downloading a program designated by the newly received instruction from a server designated by the newly received instruction, and installing the downloaded program;

execution means for, if the newly received instruction is a program execution instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, executing a program designated by the newly received instruction;

quitting means for, if the newly received instruction is a program execution quit instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, quitting a program which has been executed and is designated by the newly received instruction;

informing means for informing the management apparatus about the installation if said installation means installs the downloaded program, and about the execution if said execution means executes the program designated by the newly received instruction;

search means for searching for a second terminal apparatus which is connected to the network and has not received the newly received instruction; and

transfer means for transferring the newly received instruction to the second terminal apparatus,

wherein if the newly received instruction includes both the program install instruction and the program execution instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past,

said installation means downloads a program designated by the newly received instruction from a server designated by the newly received instruction, and installs the downloaded program, and

said execution means executes the program, which is designated by the newly received instruction and is installed by said installation means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reception means further receives instruction for instructing at least one of a delete process of a program which is held in advance, an environment setup process of a program which is held in advance, and a process for acquiring status of a program which is held in advance and sending the acquired status to the management apparatus.

3. A system comprising a management apparatus and a plurality of terminal apparatuses, which are connected to a network,

said management apparatus comprising:

generation means for generating an instruction; and

transmission means for transmitting the generated instruction to one of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, and

each terminal apparatus comprising;

reception means for receiving an instruction which is transmitted from the management apparatus or another terminal apparatus connected to the network;

storage means for storing identifications of instructions received in the past by said reception means;

determination means for determining whether or not an instruction newly received by said reception means is the same as any one of instructions have been already received in the past, using an identification of the newly received instruction and the identifications stored in said storage means;

installation means for, if the newly received instruction is a program install instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, downloading a program designated by the newly received instruction from a server designated by the newly received instruction, and installing the downloaded program;

execution means for, if the newly received instruction is a program execution instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, executing a program designated by the newly received instruction;

quitting means for, if the newly received instruction is a program execution quit instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, quitting a program which has been executed and is designated by the received program execution quit instruction;

informing means for informing the management apparatus about the installation if said installation means installs the downloaded program, and about the execution if said execution means executes the program designated by the newly received instruction;

search means for searching for a second terminal apparatus which is connected to the network and has not received the newly received instruction; and

transfer means for transferring the newly received program execution quit instruction to the second terminal apparatus,

wherein if the newly received instruction includes both the program install instruction and the program execution instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past,

said installation means downloads a program designated by the newly received instruction from a server designated by the newly received instruction, and installs the downloaded program, and

said execution means executes the program, which is designated by the newly received instruction and is installed by said installation means.

4. A method of controlling a terminal apparatus connected to a network to which a management apparatus is connected, the method comprising:

a reception step of receiving an instruction which is transmitted from the management apparatus or another terminal apparatus connected to the network;

a storage step of storing identifications of instructions received in the past by said reception step;

a determination step of determining whether or not an instruction newly received by said reception step is the same as any one of instructions have been already received in the past, using an identification of the newly received instruction and the identifications stored in said storage step;

an installation step of, if the newly received instruction is a program install instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, downloading a program designated by the newly received instruction from a server designated by the newly received instruction, and installing the downloaded program;

an execution step of, if the newly received instruction is a program execution instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, executing a program designated by the newly received instruction;

a quitting step of, if the newly received instruction is a program execution quit instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past, quitting a program which has been executed and is designated by the newly received instruction;

an informing step of informing the management apparatus about the installation if said installation step installs the downloaded program, and about the execution if said execution step executes the program designated by the newly received instruction;

a search step of searching for a second terminal apparatus which is connected to the network and has not received the newly received instruction; and

a transfer step of transferring the newly received instruction to the second terminal apparatus,

wherein if the newly received instruction includes both the program install instruction and the program execution instruction and is different from each of instructions have been already received in the past,

said installation step downloads a program designated by the newly received instruction from a server designated by the newly received instruction, and installs the downloaded program, and

said execution step executes the program, which is designated by the newly received instruction and is installed by said installation step.

5. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program for making a computer execute a control method of a terminal apparatus of claim 4.