Information processing apparatus, information processing method, alternate response apparatus, response method, control program, and network system

• US 8,205,212 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, PHUONG N
• Application Number:
  US11/868,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/312
• 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 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4413 Plug-and-play [PnP]

Abstract

A mechanism for enabling a computer which includes an installer for providing Plug and Play (PnP) to obtain information for a network device is provided. Using an existing development resource, such as a PnP installer, a simple installation method is provided. By causing a proxy server to as a communication intermediary between the computer and a peripheral device which is not in compliance with a predetermined management method, the peripheral device can be managed using the predetermined management method.

Claims

1. An information processing method for an information processing apparatus which communicates with a peripheral device via a network and which includes an installer for a control program for controlling the peripheral device, the information processing method comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining a message from the peripheral device, wherein the message is in compliance with a predetermined network discovery protocol and is described in a markup language;

a parse step of parsing the obtained message for interpreting contents of the obtained message;

a first extracting step of extracting first identification information including manufacturer information and model information of the peripheral device from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol according to the parsing;

a second extracting step of extracting a network address of the peripheral device from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol according to the parsing;

a generating step of generating second identification information which indicates a manufacturer and a model of the peripheral device by using the extracted first identification information of the peripheral device extracted from the message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol, wherein the second identification information is information suitable for controlling the installation by said installer;

an inputting step of inputting the generated second identification information to the installer;

an installation controlling step of controlling the installer to start installation of the control program into the information processing apparatus by using the second identification information input in said inputting step; and

a setting step of setting the network address of the peripheral device extracted in the second extracting step from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol to the control program installed by the installer.

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a designation step of designating the peripheral device to be controlled by the control program in accordance with the message obtained in said obtaining step in response to a search request previously issued by the information processing apparatus,

wherein, in said installation controlling step, the installer is controlled to start the installation of the control program for controlling the peripheral device in response to the designation input in said designation step.

3. The information processing method according to claim 2, wherein, in said designation step, a peripheral device which provides a specific service is designated.

4. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display controlling step of displaying a service on a display of the information processing apparatus, and

an issuing step of issuing a search request for searching for available peripheral devices on the network when an item, which is displayed on the display, for designating a search and addition is input,

wherein, in said display controlling step, a list of peripheral devices is displayed on the display of the information processing apparatus in accordance with a plurality of messages obtained in said obtaining step in response to the search request, and

in said installation control step, in response to the selection of a peripheral device from the list of peripheral devices displayed in said display controlling step, the installer is controlled to start the installation of the control program for controlling the selected peripheral device.

5. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein, in said installation controlling step, using information indicating a storage region for storing the control program, the information being included in the obtained message, the control program is obtained from the storage region.

6. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination step of determining whether or not the control program for controlling the peripheral device is stored in the information processing apparatus,

wherein, when it is determined in said determination step that the control program is stored in the information processing apparatus, in said installation controlling step, the control program stored in the information processing apparatus is obtained and the installer is controlled to start the installation of the obtained control program, and

when it is determined in said determination step that the control program is not stored in the information processing apparatus, the control program is obtained using URL information or an UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path name which indicates a storage region for storing the control program, the URL information or the UNC path name being included in the message and the installer is controlled to start the installation of the obtained control program.

7. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein, in said installation controlling step, when the second identification information of the peripheral device is input to the installer, using the input second identification information, the installer is controlled to call an application program interface of an operating system.

8. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus can use a plurality of network discovery protocols, and in said first extracting step, even if the message obtained in said obtaining step is in compliance with any of the plurality of network discovery protocols, the first identification information including the manufacturer information and the model information of the peripheral device is extracted from the obtained message.

9. An information processing apparatus which communicates with a peripheral device via a network and which includes an installer for a control program for controlling the peripheral device, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor and a memory;

an obtaining unit that obtains a message from the peripheral device, wherein the message is in compliance with a predetermined network discovery protocol and is described in a markup language;

a parser that parses the obtained message for interpreting contents of the obtained message;

a first extracting unit that extracts first identification information including manufacturer information and model information of the peripheral device from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol according to the parsing;

a second extracting unit that extracts a network address of the peripheral device from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol according to the parsing;

a generating unit that generates second identification information which indicates a manufacturer and a model of the peripheral device, by using the extracted first identification information of the peripheral device extracted from the message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol, wherein the second identification information is information suitable for controlling the installation by said installer;

an inputting unit that inputs the generated second identification information to the installer;

an installation control unit that controls the installer to start installation of the control program into the information processing apparatus by using the second identification information input by the inputting unit; and

a setting unit that sets the network address of the peripheral device extracted by the second extracting unit from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol to the control program installed by the installer.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a designation unit that designates the peripheral device to be controlled by the control program in accordance with the message obtained by said obtaining unit in response to a search request previously issued by the information processing apparatus,

wherein said installation control unit controls the installer to start the installation of the control program for controlling the peripheral device in response to the designation input by said designation unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said designation unit designates a peripheral device which provides a specific service.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a display control unit that displays a service on a display of the information processing apparatus, and

an issuing unit that issues a search request for searching for available peripheral devices on the network when an item, which is displayed on the display, for designating a search and addition is input,

wherein said display control unit displays a list of peripheral devices on the display of the information processing apparatus in accordance with a plurality of messages obtained by said obtaining unit in response to the search request, and

said installation control unit, in response to the selection of a peripheral device from the list of peripheral devices displayed by said display control unit, controls the installer to start the installation of the control program for controlling the selected peripheral device.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, said installation control unit, using information indicating a storage region for storing the control program, the information being included in the obtained message, obtains the control program installed by the installer from the storage region.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a determination unit that determines whether or not the control program for controlling the peripheral device is stored in the information processing apparatus,

wherein, when said determination unit determines that the control program is stored in the information processing apparatus, said installation control unit obtains the control program stored in the information processing apparatus and controls the installer to start the installation of the obtained control program, and

when said determination unit determines that the control program is not stored in the information processing apparatus, said installation control unit obtains the control program using URL information or an UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path name which indicates a storage region for storing the control program, the URL information or the UNC path name being included in the message and controls the installer to start the installation of the obtained control program.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said installation control unit, when the second identification information is input to the installer, using the input second identification information, controls the installer to call an application program interface of an operating system.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the information processing apparatus can use a plurality of network discovery protocols, and said first extracting unit, even if the message obtained by said obtaining unit is in compliance with any of the plurality of network discovery protocols, extracts the first identification information including the manufacturer information and the model information of the peripheral device from the obtained message.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer readable program for executing an information processing method for an information processing apparatus which communicates with a peripheral device via a network and which includes an installer for a control program for controlling the peripheral device, the information processing method comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining a message from the peripheral device, wherein the message is in compliance with a predetermined network discovery protocol and is described in a markup language;

a parse step of parsing the obtained message for interpreting contents of the obtained message;

a first extracting step of extracting first identification information including manufacturer information and model information of the peripheral device from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol according to the parsing;

a second extracting step of extracting a network address of the peripheral device from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol according to the parsing;

a generating step of generating second identification information which indicates a manufacturer and a model of the peripheral device by using the extracted first identification information of the peripheral device extracted from the message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol, wherein the second identification information is information suitable for controlling the installation by said installer;

an inputting step of inputting the generated second identification information to the installer;

an installation controlling step of controlling the installer to start installation of the control program into the information processing apparatus by using the second identification information input in said inputting step; and

a setting step of setting the network address of the peripheral device extracted in the second extracting step from the obtained message which is in compliance with the predetermined network discovery protocol to the control program installed by the installer.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising a designation step of designating the peripheral device to be controlled by the control program in accordance with the message obtained in said obtaining step in response to a search request previously issued by the information processing apparatus,

wherein, in said installation controlling step, the installer is controlled to start the installation of the control program for controlling the peripheral device in response to the designation input in said designation step.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, further comprising:

a display controlling step of displaying a service on a display of the information processing apparatus, and

an issuing step of issuing a search request for searching for available peripheral devices on the network when an item, which is displayed on the display, for designating a search and addition is input,

wherein, in said display controlling step, a list of peripheral devices is displayed on the display of the information processing apparatus in accordance with a plurality of messages obtained in said obtaining step in response to the search request, and

in said installation control step, in response to the selection of a peripheral device from the list of peripheral devices displayed in said display controlling step, the installer is controlled to start the installation of the control program for controlling the selected peripheral device.

20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein, in said designation step, a peripheral device which provides a specific service is designated.

21. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein, in said installation controlling step, using information indicating a storage region for storing the control program, the information being included in the obtained message, the control program installed by the installer is obtained from the storage region.

22. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

a determination step of determining whether or not the control program for controlling the peripheral device is stored in the information processing apparatus,

wherein, when it is determined in said determination step that the control program is stored in the information processing apparatus, in said installation controlling step, the control program stored in the information processing apparatus is obtained and the installer is controlled to start the installation of the obtained control program, and

when it is determined in said determination step that the control program is not stored in the information processing apparatus, in said installation controlling step, the control program is obtained using URL information or an UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path name which indicates a storage region for storing the control program, the URL information or the UNC path name being included in the message and the installer is controlled to start the installation of the obtained control program.

23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein, in said installation controlling step, when the second identification information of the peripheral device is input to the installer, using the input second identification information, the installer is controlled to call an application program interface of an operating system.