Information processing system, an information apparatus, macro executing method, and storage medium

• US 7,720,926 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Asahara, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miah; Razu A
• Application Number:
  US11/677,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

An information processing system in which a warning is generated in advance when a macro including unsupported functions is executed, realizing improved usability for users. A multi-function apparatus and a server holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network. A macro referring section provided in the multi-function apparatus acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus. An unsupported function checking section provided in the server detects functions that cannot be realized by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro. A warning information providing section provided in the second information apparatus creates warning information relating to the detected unsupported functions and transmits the warning information to the multi-function apparatus. A warning section provided in the multi-function apparatus notifies a user of the transmitted warning information.

Claims

1. An information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising:

a macro acquiring unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and that detects functions that are not supported by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a warning information transmitting unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and that creates warning information relating to the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus;

a notifying unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that notifies a user of the warning information transmitted by said warning information transmitting unit; and

an alternative macro creating unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and creates an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit with alternative functions supported by the first information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting unit further transmits information on the alternative macro to the first information apparatus,

wherein said notifying unit further notifies the user of information on the alternative macro transmitted from said warning information transmitting unit,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

wherein the first information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said warning information transmitting unit adds information relating to an information apparatus that supports the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit from among a plurality of information apparatuses connected to the network and transmits the information to the first information apparatus.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1,

wherein the first information apparatus further comprises a function notifying unit that notifies the second information apparatus of functions that are supported by the first information apparatus, and

wherein said unsupported function detecting unit that regards the functions notified from said function notifying unit as functions that are supported by the first information apparatus.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said alternative macro creating unit creates a plurality of alternative macros, and

wherein said notifying unit notifies the user of information on the plurality of alternative macros and a message that prompts the user to select an alternative macro.

5. An information apparatus that holds at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function and is connected to another information apparatus via a network, comprising:

a macro information providing unit that provides the other information apparatus with a macro designated by the other information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting unit that detects functions that are not supported by the other information apparatus from among functions included in the designated macro;

a warning information transmitting unit that creates warning information on the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit and transmits the warning information to the other information apparatus; and

an alternative macro creating unit that creates an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit with alternative functions supported by the other information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting unit further transmits information on the alternative macro to the other information apparatus,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

wherein the other information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

6. An information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising:

a macro acquiring unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting unit that is provided in the first information apparatus and that detects functions that are not supported by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a warning information transmitting unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and that creates warning information relating to the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus;

a notifying unit provided in the first information apparatus and that notifies a user of the warning information transmitted by said warning information transmitting unit; and

an alternative macro creating unit that is provided in the second information apparatus and creates an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit with alternative functions supported by the first information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting unit further transmits information on the alternative macro to the first information apparatus,

wherein said notifying unit further notifies the user of information on the alternative macro transmitted from said warning information transmitting unit,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

wherein the first information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein said notifying unit adds information relating to an information apparatus that supports the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit from among a plurality of information apparatuses connected to the network and notifies the information to the user.

8. The information processing system according to claim 6,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

wherein the first information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

9. An information apparatus that is connected to another information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function via a network, comprising:

a macro acquiring unit that acquires a macro held by the other information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting unit that detects functions that are not supported by the information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a notifying unit that receives warning information relating to the functions, detected in said unsupported function detecting unit, from the other information apparatus and notifies a user of the warning information,

wherein said macro acquiring unit further acquires an alternative macro from the other information apparatus, wherein the alternative macro replaces the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting unit with alternative functions supported by the information apparatus,

wherein said notifying unit further receives information on the alternative macro from the other information apparatus,

wherein said notifying unit further notifies the user of the information on the alternative macro received from the other information apparatus,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

wherein the information apparatus further comprises macro execution control unit that provides control to execute the macro or cancel execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

10. A macro executing method applied to an information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising:

a macro acquiring step in which the first information apparatus acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting step in which the second information apparatus detects functions that are not supported by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a warning information transmitting step in which the second information apparatus creates warning information relating to the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus;

a notifying step in which the first information apparatus notifies a user of the warning information transmitted in said warning information transmitting step; and

an alternative macro creating step in which the second information apparatus creates an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting step with alternative functions supported by the first information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting step further transmits information on the alternative macro to the first information apparatus,

wherein said notifying step further notifies the user of information on the alternative macro transmitted by said warning information transmitting step,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

a macro execution control step in which the first information apparatus executes the macro or cancels execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

11. A macro executing method applied to an information apparatus that holds at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function and is connected to another information apparatus via a network, comprising:

a macro providing step of providing the other information apparatus with a macro designated by the other information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that are not supported by the other information apparatus from among functions included in the designated macro;

a warning information transmitting step of creating warning information on the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmitting the warning information to the other information apparatus; and

an alternative macro creating step of creating an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting step with alternative functions supported by the other information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting step further transmits information on the alternative macro to the other information apparatus,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

a macro execution control step in which the other information apparatus executes the macro or cancels execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

12. A macro executing method applied to an information processing system in which a first information apparatus and a second information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function are connected to each other via a network, comprising:

a macro acquiring step in which the first information apparatus acquires a macro held by the second information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting step in which the first information apparatus detects functions that are not supported by the first information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a warning information transmitting step in which the second information apparatus creates warning information relating to the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmits the warning information to the first information apparatus;

a notifying step in which the first information apparatus notifies a user of the warning information transmitted in said warning information transmitting step; and

an alternative macro creating step in which the second information apparatus creates an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting step with alternative functions supported by the first information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting step further transmits information on the alternative macro to the first information apparatus,

wherein said notifying step further notifies the user of information on the alternative macro transmitted from said warning information transmitting step,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

a macro execution control step in which the first information apparatus executes the macro or cancels execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

13. A macro executing method applied to an information apparatus that is connected to another information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function via a network, comprising:

a macro acquiring step of acquiring a macro held by the other information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that are not supported by the information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a notifying step of receiving warning information relating to the functions, detected in said unsupported function detecting step, from the other information apparatus and notifying a user of the warning information;

an alternative macro acquiring step of acquiring an alternative macro from the other information apparatus, wherein the alternative macro replaces the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting step with alternative functions supported by the information apparatus;

an information receiving step of receiving information on the alternative macro from the other information apparatus, and

an alternative macro notifying step of notifying the user of the information on the alternative macro received from the other information apparatus,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

a macro execution control step in which the information apparatus executes the macro or cancels execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

14. A storage medium storing a program for causing an information apparatus to execute a macro executing method applied to the information apparatus that holds at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one macro indicative of a procedure of executing at least one function and connected to another information apparatus via a network, said method comprising:

a macro providing step of providing the other information apparatus with a macro designated by the other information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that are not supported by the other information apparatus from among functions included in the designated macro; and

a warning information transmitting step of creating warning information on the functions detected in said unsupported function detecting step and transmitting the warning information to the other information apparatus; and

an alternative macro creating step of creating an alternative macro by replacing the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting step with alternative functions supported by the other information apparatus,

wherein said warning information transmitting step further transmits information on the alternative macro to the other information apparatus,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

a macro execution control step in which the other information apparatus executes the macro or cancels execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.

15. A storage medium storing a program for causing an information apparatus to execute a macro executing method applied to the information apparatus that is connected to another information apparatus holding at least one macro indicative of a procedure for executing at least one function via a network, said method comprising:

a macro acquiring step of acquiring a macro held by the other information apparatus;

an unsupported function detecting step of detecting functions that are not supported by the information apparatus from among functions included in the macro;

a notifying step of receiving warning information relating to the functions, detected in said unsupported function detecting step, from the other information apparatus and notifying a user of the warning information; and

an alternative macro acquiring step of acquiring an alternative macro from the other information apparatus, wherein the alternative macro replaces the functions detected by said unsupported function detecting step with alternative functions supported by the information apparatus;

an information receiving step of receiving information on the alternative macro from the other information apparatus, and

an alternative macro notifying step of notifying the user of the information on the alternative macro received from the other information apparatus,

wherein the warning information includes information that prompts the user to give an instruction regarding execution of the macro, and

a macro execution control step in which the information apparatus executes the macro or cancels execution of the macro in accordance with an intent of the user who has responded to the warning information.