Image processing apparatus and information processing system

• US 8,315,429 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Hattori, Yasuhiro, Sugishita, Satoru, Ishii, Yukinori, Aono, Yoshiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US13/067,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20110261399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/128, 382/131, 382/132, 382/305, 382/307, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 709/202, 709/238
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32571 Details of system components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32625 Fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32651 Indicating or reporting details of user-machine interface H04N1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus H04N2201/0074; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015

Abstract

A disclosed image processing apparatus includes process components configured to input, process, or output image data; and a registration unit configured to obtain a list of the process components available in the image processing apparatus, to display on a display unit a screen for selecting a plurality of the process components from the list and thereby defining a combination of the process components which combination implements an application program for performing an image processing task, and to register the combination with an identifier in the image processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of external apparatuses, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a plurality of data processes from at least one of the external apparatuses, the at least one external apparatus being configured to execute at least one of the plurality of data processes;

a generating unit configured to generate a process flow by combining at least two of the received plurality of data processes; and

a transmitting unit configured to transmit a request to register the generated process flow to the at least one external apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generating unit is further configured to generate the process flow by connecting the at least two of the received plurality of data processes in a desired order of execution.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit configured to graphically display a list of the received plurality of data processes, the received plurality of data processes being executed on the at least one external apparatus and the received plurality of data processes being registered on the at least one external apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generating unit is configured to set identifying information for the process flow, to define a sequence of execution of the at least two process components and to define conditions governing the execution of the process flow.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the identifying information includes at least one of a process flow name, a process flow creator, and a process flow registration date.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive a registration completion report for the process flow from the at least one external apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a selecting unit configured to select the at least one external apparatus where the process flow is registered.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the selecting unit is configured to select any one of the plurality of external apparatuses connected to the network.

9. A method of operating an information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of external apparatuses, the method comprising:

receiving, via a receiving unit, a plurality of data processes from at least one of the external apparatuses, the at least one external apparatus being configured to execute at least one of the plurality of data processes;

generating, using a generating unit, a process flow by combining at least two of the received plurality of data processes; and

transmitting, using a transmitting unit, a request to register the generated process flow to the at least one external apparatus.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating step generates the process flow by connecting the at least two of the received plurality of data processes in a desired, order of execution.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying as graphics, using a display unit, a list of the received plurality of data processes, the received plurality of data processes being executed on the at least one external apparatus and the received plurality of data processes being registered on the at least one external apparatus.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating step sets identifying information for the process flow, defines a sequence of execution of the at least two process components and defines conditions governing the execution of the process flow.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein setting the identifying information includes providing at least one of a process flow name, a process flow creator, and a process flow registration date.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving step receives a registration completion report for the process flow from the at least one external apparatus.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting, using a selecting unit, the at least one external apparatus where the process flow is registered.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting step selects any one of the plurality of external apparatuses connected to the network.