Image processing system having management apparatus with processing section

• US 7,624,186 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanida, Mio
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, MARIEGEORGES A
• Application Number:
  US11/297,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/213, 709/217, 709/226, 709/231, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25084 Select configuration as function of operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00511 for a group of users, e.g. a workgroup, company, or a service provider
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network

Abstract

An information processing system, which processes information based on setting information, having: a first apparatus; a second apparatus; and a management apparatus, wherein the first apparatus includes sections which transmit a first device information and a first setting information to the management apparatus; the management apparatus includes sections to store the information associated with the first device information; the second apparatus includes a section which transmits a second device information to the management apparatus, an section to inquire about the first setting information to the management apparatus, and a display; and the management apparatus further includes a processing section which specifies a difference between the first and the second device information, and modifies the first setting information according with the difference, and a section which transmits a modified first setting information, wherein the display section displays the result of the inquiry.

Claims

1. An information processing system which processes information based on setting information, comprising:

a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus;

each having at least one of a facsimile function, a copying function, and a printing function; and

a management apparatus to communicate with the first and the second information processing apparatus;

wherein the first information processing apparatus comprises;

a device information transmitting section which transmits a first device information of the first information processing apparatus to the management apparatus, wherein the first device information is attribute information representing capability of functions and kind of functions inherent to the first image processing apparatus; and

a setting information transmitting section which transmits a first setting information set in the first information processing apparatus to the management apparatus, wherein the setting information is a job record of the first information processing apparatus set for executing at least one of a facsimile job, a copying job, and a printing job;

wherein the management apparatus comprises;

a device information storing section which stores the first device information received from the first information processing apparatus; and

a setting information storing section which stores the first setting information received from the first information processing apparatus associated with the first device information;

wherein the second information processing apparatus comprises;

a device information transmitting section which transmits a second device information of the second information processing apparatus to the management apparatus, wherein the second device information is attribute information representing capability of functions and kind of functions inherent to the second image processing apparatus;

an inquiry section which executes an inquiry about the first setting information of the job record stored in the setting information storing section to the management apparatus; and

a display section which displays a result of the inquiry;

wherein the management apparatus further comprises;

a processing section which specifies a difference between the first device information and the second device information, when the management apparatus receives the inquiry from the second information processing apparatus, and modifies the first setting information of the job record in accordance with the difference such that the modified first setting information of the job record can be executed by the second information processing apparatus; and

an information transmitting section which transmits a processed first setting information to the second information processing apparatus;

wherein the display section of the second information processing apparatus displays the result of the inquiry based on the modified first setting information of the job record.

2. The information processing system of claim 1,

wherein the processing section of the management apparatus adds an information identifying whether the setting information is processed or not, and a content of a processing by the processing section, and

wherein the display section displays whether the setting information is processed or not, and the content of the processing.

3. The information processing system of claim 1,

wherein the management apparatus stores the processed setting information associated with the device information of the second information processing apparatus into the setting information storing section.

4. The information processing system of claim 1,

wherein the processing section of the management apparatus processes the setting information so as to minimize a difference between a result to be obtained when the first information processing apparatus processes the information based on the first setting information and a result to be obtained when the second information processing apparatus processes the information based on the processed setting information.

5. The information processing system of claim 1,

wherein when a function of the first information processing apparatus is not available in the second information processing apparatus, the processing section of the management apparatus processes the first setting information so as to provide a substitute function for the unavailable function.

6. The information processing system of claim 1,

wherein the setting information transmitting section of the first information processing apparatus associates and transmits to the management apparatus the first setting information for each user and user ID of a user who set the first setting information,

wherein the inquiry section of the second information processing apparatus executes an inquiry, including user ID, about the first setting information stored in the setting information storing section to the management apparatus,

wherein the setting information storing section of the management apparatus stores the first setting information and the user ID received from the first information processing apparatus associated with the first device information, and

the processing section of the management apparatus extracts the first setting information associated with the user ID identical to the user ID included in the inquiry, and processes an extracted first setting information of the job record in accordance with the difference such that the processed setting information of the job record can be executed by the second information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing system of claim 6,

wherein the management apparatus stores the processed setting information associated with the user ID and the second device information of the second information processing apparatus into the setting information storing section.

8. An information processing system which processes information based on setting information, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having at least one of a facsimile function, a copying function, and a printing function; and

a management apparatus to communicate with the information processing apparatuses;

wherein each information processing apparatus comprises;

a device information transmitting section which transmits a device information of the information processing apparatus to the management apparatus wherein the device information is attribute information representing capability of functions and kind of functions inherent to the image processing apparatus;

a setting information transmitting section which transmits a setting information set in the information processing apparatus to the management apparatus wherein the setting information is a job record of the information processing apparatus set for executing at least one of a facsimile job, a copying job, and a printing job;

an inquiry section which executes an inquiry about the setting information stored in the setting information storing section to the management apparatus, and

a display section which displays a result of the inquiry;

wherein the management apparatus comprises;

a device information storing section which stores the device information received from the information processing apparatus; and

a setting information storing section which stores the setting information received from the information processing apparatus associated with the device information;

a processing section which specifies a difference between the device information stored in the device information storing section and the device information of the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry, when the management apparatus receives the inquiry from the information processing apparatus, and modifies the setting information of the job record in accordance with the difference such that the modified setting information of the job record can be executed by the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry; and

an information transmitting section which transmits the processed setting information to the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry;

wherein the display section of the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry displays the result of the inquiry based on the modified setting information.

9. The information processing system of claim 8,

wherein the processing section of the management apparatus adds an information identifying whether the setting information is processed or not, and a content of a processing by the processing section, and

wherein the display section displays whether the setting information is processed or not, and the content of the processing.

10. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the management apparatus stores the processed setting information associated with the device information of the information processing apparatus, which has executed the inquiry, into the setting information storing section.

11. The information processing system of claim 8,

wherein the processing section of the management apparatus processes the setting information so as to minimize a difference between a result to be obtained when the information processing apparatus, having set the setting information, processes the information based on the setting information and a result to be obtained when the information processing apparatus, having executed the inquiry, processes the information based on the processed setting information.

12. The information processing system of claim 8,

herein when a function of the information processing apparatus, having set the setting information, is not available in the information processing apparatus, having executed the inquiry, the processing section of the management apparatus processes the setting information so as to provide a substitute function for the unavailable function.

13. The information processing system of claim 8,

wherein the setting information transmitting section of the information processing apparatus associates and transmits to the management apparatus the setting information for each user and user ID of a user who set the setting information,

wherein the inquiry section of the information processing apparatus executes an inquiry, including user ID, about the setting information stored in the setting information storing section to the management apparatus,

wherein the setting information storing section of the management apparatus stores the setting information and the user ID received from the information processing apparatus associated with the first device information, and

the processing section of the management apparatus extracts the setting information of the job record associated with the user ID identical to the user ID included in the inquiry, when the management apparatus receives the inquiry from the information processing apparatus, and processes an extracted setting information in accordance with the difference such that the processed setting information of the job record can be executed by the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry.

14. The information processing system of claim 13,

wherein the management apparatus stores the processed setting information associated with the user ID and the device information of the information processing apparatus the inquiry, into the setting information storing section.

15. An information processing system which processes information based on setting information, comprising:

a plurality of information processing apparatuses each having at least one of a facsimile function, a copying function, and a printing function; and

a management apparatus to communicate with the information processing apparatuses;

wherein each information processing apparatus comprises;

a device information transmitting section which transmits a device information of the information processing apparatus and device ID to the management apparatus wherein the device information is attribute information representing capability of functions and kind of functions inherent to the image processing apparatus;

a setting information transmitting section which transmits a setting information set in the information processing apparatus and device ID to the management apparatus wherein the setting information is a job record of the information processing apparatus set for executing at least one of a facsimile job, a copying job, and a printing job;

an inquiry section which executes an inquiry, including the device ID, about the setting information stored in the setting information storing section to the management apparatus; and

a display section which displays a result of the inquiry;

wherein the management apparatus comprises;

a device information storing section which stores the device information and the device ID received from the device information transmitting section; and

a setting information storing section which stores the setting information and the device ID received from the setting information transmitting section associated with the device information;

a processing section which specifies a difference between the device information corresponding to the device ID stored in the device information storing section and the device information corresponding to the device ID included in the inquiry, when the management apparatus receives the inquiry from the information processing apparatus, and modifies the setting information of the job record in accordance with the difference such that the modified setting information of the job record can be executed by the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry; and

an information transmitting section which transmits a modified setting information to the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry;

wherein the display section of the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry displays the result of the inquiry based on the modified setting information.

16. The information processing system of claim 15,

wherein the processing section of the management apparatus adds an information identifying whether the setting information is processed or not, and a content of a processing by the processing section, and

wherein the display section displays whether the setting information is processed or not, and the content of the processing.

17. The information processing system of claim 15,

wherein the management apparatus stores the processed setting information associated with the device information of the information processing apparatus, which has executed the inquiry, into the setting information storing section.

18. The information processing system of claim 15,

wherein the processing section of the management apparatus processes the setting information so as to minimize a difference between a result to be obtained when the information processing apparatus, having set the setting information, processes the information based on the setting information and a result to be obtained when the information processing apparatus, having executed the inquiry, processes the information based on the processed setting information.

19. The information processing system of claim 15,

wherein when a function of the information processing apparatus, having set the setting information, is not available in the information processing apparatus, having executed the inquiry the processing section of the management apparatus processes the setting information so as to provide a substitute function for the unavailable function.

20. The information processing system of claim 15,

wherein the setting information transmitting section of the information processing apparatus associates and transmits to the management apparatus the setting information for each user and user ID of a user who set the setting information,

wherein the inquiry section of the information processing apparatus executes an inquiry, including user ID, about the setting information stored in the setting information storing section to the management apparatus,

wherein the setting information storing section of the management apparatus stores the setting information and the user ID received from the information processing apparatus associated with the device information, and

the processing section of the management apparatus extracts the setting information of the job record associated with the user ID identical to the user ID included in the inquiry, when the management apparatus receives the inquiry from the information processing apparatus, and modifies an extracted setting information of the job record in accordance with the difference such that the modified setting information of the job record can be executed by the information processing apparatus which has executed the inquiry.

21. The information processing system of claim 20, wherein the management apparatus stores the processed setting information associated with the user ID and the device information of the information processing apparatus, which has executed the inquiry, into the setting information storing section.