Client-server system

• US 7,853,644 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgess; Barbara N
• Application Number:
  US10/388,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,829 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/216, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1236 Connection management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A client-server system includes a client personal computer and a plurality of printers, all connected to a network. One of the printers broadcasts a GET request using SNMP at a predetermined timing to the other printers to obtain model name, idle rate, and information about image files stored in each of the other printers. Later, a Web browser of the client personal computer sends a Web page request. The printer receives this request. Based on the information obtained from the broadcast, a Web server inside the printer prepares HTML data and sends the HTML data to the client personal computer. The HTML data designates one or more of the other printers as image sources for the client to obtain or otherwise receive the image files from. Based on the HTML data, the Web browser of the client personal computer requests the image files from the other printers.

Claims

1. A client-server system connected to a network, the system comprising:

a client that is a personal computer connected to the network, the client sending a data request requesting page data over the network, the page data comprising first partial data and second partial data;

a first printer including a data-providing server that is a web server connected to the client by the network and stores-is configured to store the first partial data; and

a second printer including an assisted server that is a web server connected to the client and the data-providing server by the network and stores the first partial data and the second partial data, the second partial data including designation data indicating one of the assisted server and the data-providing server the assisted server receiving the data request from the client over the network and providing the client with the second partial data, the assisted server stores inquiring regarding the first partial data stored in the data-providing server by using a broadcast via the network, and the data-providing server providing identical data to the assisted server upon receiving the inquiry from the assisted server;

wherein, when the identical data indicates the first partial data, the assisted server creates the second partial data and provides the second partial data to the client, the second partial data including the designation data indicating the data-providing server;

wherein, when the identical data does not indicate the first partial data, the assisted server creates the second partial data and provides the second partial data to the client, the second partial data including the designation data indicating the assisted server;

wherein the client receives the second partial data from the assisted server and receives the first partial data from one of the assisted server and the data-providing server that is indicated by the designation data included in the second partial data;

wherein the assisted server uses an acquisition command to instruct the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server, the acquisition command indicating that the client should obtain the first partial data directly from the data-providing server, the client, upon receiving the acquisition command from the assisted server, sending a data request for the first partial data to the data-providing server, the data-providing server, upon receiving the data request from the client, sending the first partial data to the client.

2. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server again inquires regarding the first partial data stored in the data-providing server each time a predetermined time duration elapses.

3. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server judges whether a processing load of the assisted server is lower than a predetermined low level, the predetermined low level being lower than a predetermined high level, the assisted server inquiring regarding the first partial data stored by the data-providing server if the assisted server judges that the processing load of the assisted server is lower than the predetermined low level.

4. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server judges whether traffic on the network is lower than a predetermined traffic level, the assisted server inquiring regarding the first partial data stored by the data-providing server if the assisted server judges that traffic on the network is lower than the predetermined traffic level.

5. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server judges whether the assisted server has just entered a communicable condition with the data-providing server through the network, the assisted server inquiring regarding the first partial data stored by the data-providing server if the assisted server judges that the assisted server has just entered a communicable condition with the data-providing server.

6. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server judges whether the data-providing server has just entered a communicable condition with the assisted server through the network, the assisted server inquiring regarding the first partial data stored by the data-providing server if the assisted server judges that the data-providing server has just entered a communicable condition with the assisted server.

7. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an other server that stores the first partial data and that is connected to the network, the assisted server judging whether the data-providing server and the other server are communicable servers that remain in a communicable condition with the network, the assisted server inquiring, when the assisted server judges that at least one of the data-providing server and the other server are no longer communicable servers, regarding the first partial data stored in any communicable server amongst the data-providing server and the other server.

8. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server judges whether the assisted server receives the data request from the client and, upon judging that the assisted server has received the data request from the client, inquires regarding the first partial data stored in the data-providing server.

9. The client-server system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an other client connected to the network, the assisted server, upon receiving an other data request, judges:

whether the other data request is from the client or from the other the client;

whether the other data request is for the same page data as requested in the data request; and

whether the other data request was received within a predetermined time from receipt of the data request;

the assisted server inquiring regarding the first partial data stored in the data-providing server when the assisted server judges that the other data request is from the client, that the other data request is for the same page data, and that the other data request was received within the predetermined time.

10. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server judges whether a load margin level of the data-providing server is less than a predetermined value, the assisted server, when the assisted server judges that the load margin level of the data-holding server is less than the predetermined value, determining that the data-providing server does not store the first partial data.

11. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a user interface enabling a user to selectively allow the assisted server to instruct the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server and prohibit the assisted server from instructing the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server, the assisted server instructing the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server only when the user, through the user interface, allows the assisted server to instruct the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server.

12. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data-providing server stores the first partial data, further comprising:

an other data-providing server that stores the first partial data, the assisted server instructing the client to receive the first partial data from one of the data-providing server and the other data-providing server; and

a memory that stores data indicating, as a previously referred server, the one of the data-providing server and the other data-providing server that the assisted server instructed the client to receive the first partial data from, the client sending another data request for the first partial data over the network, the assisted server receiving the other data request and instructing the client to receive the first partial data from the previously referred server indicated by the data stored in the memory.

13. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an other server that stores the first partial data and that is connected to the network, the assisted server also judging inquiring regarding the first partial data stored in the other server, the assisted server judging whether the other server stores the first partial data requested by the client and, upon judging that the other server stores the first partial data, instructing the client to receive the first partial data from the other server instead of the assisted server providing the first partial data to the client.

14. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory, the assisted server storing, in the memory, data that represents the first partial data stored in the data-providing server, the assisted server referring to the memory to judge whether the data-providing server stores the first partial data requested by the client and, upon judging that the data-providing server stores the first partial data, instructing the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server.

15. The client-server system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a peripheral apparatus connected to the network, the assisted server being incorporated in the peripheral apparatus to enable the peripheral apparatus to send information about the peripheral apparatus to the client via the assisted server.

16. The client-server system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a type-storing memory that stores a type of the peripheral apparatus, the assisted server further judging a type of the data-providing server and judging whether the type of the data-providing server is the same as the type of the peripheral apparatus, the type-storing memory, when the assisted server judges that the type of the data-providing server is the same as the type of the peripheral apparatus, storing data indicating that the data-providing server stores the same data as the peripheral apparatus, the assisted server, upon receiving the data request from the client device, judging whether the data request is for data that the peripheral apparatus stores and, if the data request is for data that the peripheral apparatus stores and the type-storing memory stores the data indicating that the data-providing server stores the same data as the peripheral apparatus, instructing the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server.

17. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an other data-providing server that stores the first partial data, wherein the assisted server instructs the client to receive the first partial data from either one of the data-providing server and the an other data-providing server, wherein the second partial data includes data indicating the one of the data-providing server and the an other data-providing server that the assisted server instructs the client to receive the first partial data from, and the client receives the first partial data from the one of the data-providing server and the an other data-providing server that is indicated by the data of the second partial data.

18. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first partial data is image data, and the second partial data is HTML data.

19. The client-server system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assisted server requests the data-providing server to provide data indicating the first partial data stored in the data-providing server, and determines that the data-providing server stores the first partial data when the data provided from the data-providing server is in coincidence with data indicating the first partial data stored in the assisted server.

20. A client-server system connected to a network, the system comprising:

a client that is a personal computer connected to the network, the client sending a data request requesting page data over the network, the page data comprising first partial data and second partial data;

a first printer including a data-providing server that is a web server connected to the client by the network and stores-is configured to store the first partial data; and

a second printer including an assisted server that is a web server connected to the client and the data-providing server by the network and stores the first partial data and the second partial data, the second partial data including designation data indicating one of the assisted server and the data-providing server the assisted server receiving the data request from the client over the network and providing the client with the second partial data, the assisted server stores inquiring regarding the first partial data stored in the data-providing server by using a broadcast via the network, and the data-providing server providing identical data to the assisted server upon receiving the inquiry from the assisted server;

wherein, when the identical data indicates the first partial data, the assisted server creates the second partial data and provides the second partial data to the client, the second partial data including the designation data indicating the data-providing server;

wherein, when the identical data does not indicate the first partial data, the assisted server creates the second partial data and provides the second partial data to the client, the second partial data including the designation data indicating the assisted server;

wherein the client receives the second partial data from the assisted server and receives the first partial data from one of the assisted server and the data-providing server that is indicated by the designation data included in the second partial data;

wherein the assisted server transmits a transmission command to the data-providing server and a transmission notification to the client upon judging that the data-providing server stores the first partial data, the transmission command indicating that the data-providing server should send the first partial data to the client, the transmission notification indicating that the client should prepare to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server.

21. The client-server system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the client includes:

a receptor that receives the transmission notification from the assisted server; and

an acquisition device that, based on the transmission notification received by the receptor acquires the data sent from the data-providing server.

22. A method comprising:

inquiring, with an assisted server of a second printer, regarding first partial data stored in a data-providing server of a first printer by using a broadcast via a network upon receiving a data request requesting page data over the network from a client, the data-providing server being a web server that is connected to the client by the network and storing the first partial data, the page data comprising the first partial data and second partial data, the client being a personal-computer, the data-providing server providing identical data to the assisted server upon receiving the inquiry from the assisted server, the assisted server being a web server that is connected to the client and the data-providing server by the network and storing the first partial data and the second partial data, the second partial data including designation data indicating one of the assisted server and the data-providing server;

upon receiving the identical data indicating the first page data from the data-providing server, creating the second partial data and providing the client with the second partial data, the second partial data including the designation data indicating the data-providing server; and

upon receiving the identical data failing to indicate the first page data from the data-providing server, creating the second partial data and providing the client with the second partial data;

the second partial data including the designation data indicating the assisted server, the client receiving the second partial data from the assisted server and receiving the first partial data from one of the assisted server and the data-providing server that is indicated by the designation data included in the second partial data;

wherein the assisted server uses an acquisition command to instruct the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server, the acquisition command indicating that the client should obtain the first partial data directly from the data-providing server, the client, upon receiving the acquisition command from the assisted server, sending a data request for the first partial data to the data-providing server, the data-providing server, upon receiving the data request from the client, sending the first partial data to the client.

23. A non-transitory recording medium storing programs for controlling an assisted server connected to a data-providing server and a client through a network, the recording medium storing:

an inquiring program that inquires regarding first partial data stored in a data- providing server of a first printer by using a broadcast via a network upon receiving a data request requesting page data over the network from a client, the data-providing server being a web server that is connected to the client by the network and storing the first partial data, the page data comprising the first partial data and second partial data, the client being a personal computer, the data-providing server providing identical data to an assisted server upon receiving the inquiry from the assisted server, the assisted server being a web server that is connected to the client and the data-providing server by the network and storing the first partial data and the second partial data, the second partial data including designation data indicating one of the assisted server and the data-providing server; and

a creating program that creates, upon receiving the identical data indicating the first partial data from the data-providing server, the second partial data and provides the client with the second partial data, the second partial data including designation data indicating the data-providing server, and that creates, upon receiving the identical data failing to indicate the first partial data from the data-providing server, the second partial data and provides the client with the second partial data, the second partial data including designation data indicating the data-providing server, the client receiving the second partial data from the assisted server and receiving the first partial data from one of the assisted server and the data-providing server included in the second partial data;

wherein the assisted server uses an acquisition command to instruct the client to receive the first partial data from the data-providing server, the acquisition command indicating that the client should obtain the first partial data directly from the data-providing server, the client, upon receiving the acquisition command from the assisted server, sending a data request for the first partial data to the data-providing server, the data-providing server, upon receiving the data request from the client, sending the first partial data to the client.