Data processor, data processing method, and control program

• US 7,447,757 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Muto, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdullahi; Salad
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUSSAIN, IMAD
• Application Number:
  US10/553,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/230, 709/203, 709/206, 709/208, 709/217, 709/221, 709/245, 713/300, 713/320, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 710/5, 710/8
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3284 Power saving in printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1221 with regard to power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1226 Discovery of devices having required properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

A printer as a peripheral device notifies a proxy response server connectable to a LAN during transition to a sleep mode from a normal data processing wait state of sleep transition request. After the proxy response server receives a sleep mode transition request, and when the proxy response server receives a sleep release request from any client PC in which a proxy response server is connected to a LAN, a sleep mode is released at a sleep release request from the proxy response server.

Claims

1. A peripheral device which can communicate with a plurality of client devices and with a proxy response server connected to a network, comprising:

notification means for notifying the proxy response server connectable to the network of a sleep mode transition request when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

reception means for receiving a sleep release request from the proxy response server based on a network packet indicating a discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to a sleep mode issued by any client device connected to the network after the proxy response server receives the sleep mode transition request from said notification means, wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices; and

control means for releasing the sleep mode and returning to a normal data processing wait status when said reception means receives the sleep release request,

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status is different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

2. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein the network packet includes an instruction indicating a discovery request to a sleeping device.

3. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein said sleep mode is a mode in which power is not supplied to a status management unit of a printer controller from which a LAN controller receives a status.

4. A server device proxy for a peripheral device which can communicate with a plurality of client devices connected to a network, comprising:

registration means for receiving and registering a sleep mode transition request announced from a peripheral device in the network when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

discovery means for retrieving information about a peripheral device in a sleep status depending on a network packet indicating a device discovery request for a sleeping peripheral device issued from any client device connected to the network after registration by said registration means, wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices; and

notification means for notifying for release a sleeping peripheral device whose sleep mode transition request has been registered and whose information has been retrieved by said discovery means,

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status is different from a multicast address discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

5. The server device according to claim 4, wherein the network packet includes an instruction indicating a discovery request to a sleeping device.

6. A client device which can communicate with a plurality of peripheral devices and a server device proxy connected over a network, comprising:

issue means for issuing a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to sleep status based on a response result from a network for a request to retrieve a peripheral device in a normal status, wherein the network packet for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices;

reception means for receiving a return response from any peripheral device notified of a sleep release request by said server device proxy after the discovery request has issued by said issue means; and

data processing means for transmitting a predetermined data processing request to a specific peripheral device whose sleep mode has been released after said reception means has received the return response,

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status can be different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

7. The client device according to claim 6, wherein the network packet includes an instruction indicating a discovery request to a sleeping device.

8. A network device system in which a plurality of peripheral devices connected over a network can communicate with a plurality of client devices capable of recognizing a connection status of a peripheral device in a normal data processing wait status in the network,

wherein said peripheral device comprises:

notification means for notifying a proxy response server connectable to the network of a sleep mode transition request when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

reception means receiving a sleep release request from the proxy response server based on a network packet indicating a discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to a sleep mode issued by any client device connected to the network after the proxy response server receives the sleep mode transition request from said notification means; and

control means for releasing the sleep mode and returning to a normal data processing wait status when said reception means receives the sleep release request,

and wherein said proxy response server comprises;

registration means for receiving and registering a sleep mode transition request announced from a peripheral device in the network when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

discovery means for retrieving information about a peripheral device in a sleep status depending on a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for a sleeping peripheral device issued from any client device connected to the network after registration by said registration means; and

notification means for notifying for release a sleeping peripheral device whose sleep release request has been registered and whose information has been retrieved by said discovery means,

and wherein said client device comprises;

issue means for issuing a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to sleep status based on a response result from a network for a request to retrieve a peripheral device in a normal status;

reception means for receiving a return response from any peripheral device notified of a sleep release request by said server device proxy after the discovery request has issued by said issue means; and

data processing means for transmitting a predetermined data processing request to a specific peripheral device whose sleep mode has been released after said reception means has received the return response,

wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices, and

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status can be different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

9. The network device system according to claim 8, wherein the network packet includes an instruction indicating a discovery request to a sleeping device.

10. A device retrieving method for use with a peripheral device which can communicate with a plurality of client devices and with a proxy response server connected to a network, comprising:

a notifying step of notifying the proxy response server connectable to the network of a sleep mode transition request when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

a receiving step of receiving a sleep release request from the proxy response server based on a network packet indicating a discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to a sleep mode issued by any client device connected to the network after the proxy response server receives the sleep mode transition request from said notifying step, wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices; and

control step of releasing the sleep mode and returning to a normal data processing wait status when said receiving step receives the sleep release request,

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status can be different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

11. A device retrieving method for use with a server device proxy for a peripheral device which can communicate with a plurality of client devices connected to a network, comprising:

a registration step of receiving and registering a network packet indicating a sleep mode transition request announced from a peripheral device in the network when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

a retrieving step of retrieving information about a peripheral device in a sleep status depending on a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for a sleeping peripheral device issued from any client device connected to the network after registration in said registering step, wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices; and

a notifying step of notifying for release a sleeping peripheral device whose sleep release request has been registered and whose information has been retrieved in said retrieving step,

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status can be different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

12. A device retrieving method for use with client device which can communicate with a plurality of peripheral devices and a server device proxy connected over a network, comprising:

a issuing step of issuing a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for discovery of a peripheral device which has transitioned to sleep status based on a response result from a network for a request to retrieve a peripheral device in a normal status, wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices;

a receiving step of receiving a return response from any peripheral device notified of a sleep release request by said server device proxy after the discovery request has issued in said issuing step; and

a data processing step of transmitting a predetermined data processing request to a specific peripheral device whose sleep mode has been released after said receiving step has received the return response,

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status can be different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.

13. A device retrieving method for use with a network device system in which a plurality of peripheral devices connected over a network can communicate with a plurality of client devices capable of recognizing a connection status of a peripheral device in a normal data processing wait status in the network,

wherein, in the peripheral device, said method comprises:

a notifying step of notifying a proxy response server connectable to the network of a network packet indicating a sleep mode transition request when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

a receiving step of receiving a sleep release request from the proxy response server based on a discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to a sleep mode issued by any client device connected to the network after the proxy response server receives the sleep mode transition request from the said notifying step; and

a control step of releasing the sleep mode and returning to a normal data processing wait status when the sleep release request is received in said receiving step,

and wherein, in the proxy response server, said method comprises;

a registering step of receiving and registering a sleep mode transition request announced from a peripheral device in the network when the peripheral device changes from a normal data processing wait status to a sleep mode;

a retrieving step of retrieving information about a peripheral device in a sleep status depending on a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for discovery of a sleeping peripheral device issued from any client device connected to the network after registration in said registering step; and

a notifying step of notifying for release a sleeping peripheral device whose sleep release request has been registered and whose information has been retrieved in said retrieving step,

and wherein, in the client device, said method comprises;

an issuing step of issuing a network packet indicating a specific discovery request for a peripheral device which has transitioned to sleep status based on a response result from a network for a request to retrieve a peripheral device in a normal status;

a receiving step of receiving a return response from any peripheral device notified of a sleep release request by the server device proxy after the discovery request has issued in said issuing step; and

a data processing step of transmitting a predetermined data processing request to a specific peripheral device whose sleep mode has been released after the return response has been received in said receiving step,

wherein the network packet is for a predetermined multicast address set for a plurality of peripheral devices, and

wherein the multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a sleep status can be different from a multicast address for a discovery request for peripheral devices in a normal status.