Information processing apparatus and computer usable medium therefor

• US 8,381,232 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Kudo, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RONI, SYED A
• Application Number:
  US12/076,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/318
• 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 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• 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 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3219 of a job status, e.g. successful execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

An information processing apparatus is provided. The information processing apparatus includes an event detecting unit to detect events, an event notifying information generating unit to generate event notifying information, an event notifying information storage to store the event notifying information in a predetermined arrangement, a client information list storage to store information concerning the client device to which event information concerning each of the events is provided, a notifying unit to provide a piece of the event information corresponding to a first event to the client device, and a judging unit to judge whether the piece of the event information was provided to the client device normally. The notifying unit provides another piece of the event information corresponding to a second event, when the judging unit judges the precedent piece of the event information was provided to the client device normally.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to, when executing computer readable instructions, provide;

an event detecting unit to detect events occurring in the information processing apparatus;

an event notifying information generating unit configured to generate event notifying information, which includes event information concerning each of the events and information concerning at least one client device to which the event information is provided;

an event notifying information storage unit configured to store the event notifying information in a predetermined arrangement so that the event information is provided to the at least one client device in chronological order in which the events occur according to the predetermined arrangement;

a client information storage unit configured to store information concerning a plurality of client devices to which the event notifying information is to be provided, the plurality of client devices including a first client device and a second client device;

a notifying unit configured to provide a piece of the event information corresponding to a first event among the plurality of events to the plurality of client devices including the first client device and the second client device; and

a judging unit configured to judge whether the piece of the event information was provided to the first client device successfully, and whether the piece of the event information was provided to the second client device successfully,

wherein if the judging unit judges that a piece of the event information corresponding to the first event was provided to the first client device successfully, the notifying unit provides a piece of the event information corresponding to the second event, which occurs subsequently to the first event, to the first client device even if a judging unit judges that notification of the piece of the event information corresponding to the first event to the second client device was failed.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a notification request, issued by the at least one client device to request the information processing apparatus to provide the event information to the at least one client device; and

a requesting client device list storage unit configured to include client device information concerning the at least one client device which issued the notification request,

wherein the event notifying information generating unit includes the client device information being included in the requesting client device list storage unit to generate the event notifying information concerning the event occurring in the information processing apparatus so that the event information of the event is provided to the at least one client device according to the client device information included in the event notifying information, when the event detecting unit detects the event.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

a cancellation receiving unit configured to receive a cancellation request, issued by the at least one client device to cancel the notification request so that the information processing apparatus ceases providing the event information to the at least one client device; and

a client information removing unit configured to remove the client device information of the at least one client device which issued the cancellation request from the requesting client device list storage unit and the event notifying information so that the event information of the event is prevented from being provided to the at least one client device which issued the cancellation request.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the event notifying information is stored in the event notifying information storage unit in the predetermined arrangement on the basis of an event type of the event occurring in the information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the event notifying information includes a counter to indicate number of the at least one client device being stored in the client information list storage unit on the event type basis;

and

wherein the information processing apparatus is provided with a first subtracting unit to subtract the number of the client device, which was provided with the event information normally from the number indicated in the counter, when the piece of the event information was provided to one of the at least one client device normally.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:

an event information deleting unit configured to delete the event notifying information, in which the number of the client device indicated in the counter is zero, from the event notifying information storage unit.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a client device information deleting unit configured to delete the client device information of the at least one client device, to which the piece of the event information was judged to be incapable of being provided, from the client information list storage unit and the event notifying information having the piece of the event information;

a second subtracting unit configured to subtract one from the number indicated in the counter in the event notifying information having the piece of the event information; and

a third subtracting unit configured to subtract one from the number indicated in the counter in the event notifying information which is arranged, in the predetermined order in the event notifying information storage unit, to follow the event notifying information, of which event information is judged to be incapable of being provided.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the notifying unit is configured to provide a piece of event information to the plurality of client devices, respectively, the notifying unit notifies a piece of event information corresponding to a second event to the first client device when the judging unit judges that a piece of event information corresponding to a first event has been provided to the first client device successfully, the notifying unit not providing a piece of event information corresponding to the second event until the judging unit judges that the event information corresponding to the first event has been provided to the second client device normally, regardless whether the first client device executes notification of the piece of event information corresponding to the second event.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying unit stops providing the event information corresponding to the first event and the event information corresponding to the second event to the second client device if it is judged that notification of the event information corresponding to the first event to the second client device was failed.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a success notification receiving unit configured to receive success notification indicating that the event information corresponding to the first event has been received successfully from each of the plurality of client devices including the first client device and the second client device,

wherein the judging unit judges that notification of the event information corresponding to the first event to the first client device is successful when the success notification receiving unit receives the success notification from the first client device, and

wherein the judging unit judges that notification of the event information corresponding to the first event to the second client device is successful when the success notification receiving unit receives the success notification from the second client device.

11. A method to control an information processing apparatus capable of monitoring a plurality of events which occur in the information processing apparatus and providing event information concerning each of the events to at least one client device which is communicable with the information processing apparatus, comprising:

detecting an event occurring in the information processing apparatus;

generating event notifying information, which includes the event information and information concerning the at least one client device to which the event information is provided;

storing the event notifying information in a predetermined arrangement in an event notifying information storage unit so that the event information concerning each of the events is provided to the at least one client device in chronological order in which the events occur according to the predetermined arrangement;

storing information concerning a plurality of client devices to which the event notifying information is to be provided, the plurality of client devices including a first client device and a second client device;

providing a piece of the event information corresponding to a first event among the plurality of events to the plurality of client devices including the first client device and the second client device;

judging whether the piece of the event information was provided to the first client device successfully; and

whether the piece of the event information was provided to the second client device successfully,

wherein if it is judged that a piece of the event information corresponding to the first event was provided to the first client device successfully, providing a piece of the event information corresponding to a second event, which occurs subsequently to the first event, to the first client device even if it is judged that notification of the piece of the event information corresponding to the first event to the second client device was failed.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising:

receiving a notification request, issued by the at least one client device to request the information processing apparatus to provide the event information to the at least one client device; and

storing client device information concerning the at least one client device which issued the notification request in a requesting client device list storage unit; and

including the client device information being stored in the requesting client device list storage unit to generate the event notifying information concerning the event occurring in the information processing apparatus so that the event information of the event is provided to the at least one client device according to the client device information included in the event notifying information, when the event is detected.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising:

receiving a cancellation request, issued by the at least one client device to cancel the notification request so that the information processing apparatus ceases providing the event information to the at least one client device; and

removing the client device information of the at least one client device which issued the cancellation request from the requesting client device list storage unit and the event notifying information so that the event information of the event is prevented from being provided to the at least one client device which issued the cancellation request.

14. The method according to claim 11, comprising:

storing the event notifying information in the event notifying information storage unit in the predetermined arrangement on the basis of an event type of the event occurring in the information processing apparatus.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the event notifying information includes a counter to indicate number of the at least one client device being stored in the client information list storage unit on the event type basis;

and

wherein the method includes subtracting the number of the client device which was provided with the event information normally from the number indicated in the counter when the piece of the event information was provided to one of the at least one client device normally.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising:

deleting the event notifying information, in which the number of the client device indicated in the counter is zero, from the event notifying information storage unit.

17. The method according to claim 11, comprising:

deleting the client device information of the at least one client device, to which the piece of the event information was judged to be incapable of being provided, from the client information list storage unit and the event notifying information having the piece of the event information;

subtracting one from the number indicated in the counter in the event notifying information having the piece of the event information; and

subtracting one from the number indicated in the counter in the event notifying information which is arranged, in the predetermined order in the event notifying information storage unit, to follow the event notifying information, of which event information is judged to be incapable of being provided.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing information related to the plurality of client devices including the first client device and the second client device in the client information list storage unit;

notifying a piece of event information corresponding to a second event to the first client device when the judging unit judges that a piece of event information corresponding to a first event has been provided to the first client device successfully using a notifying unit, the notifying unit being configured to provide a piece of event information to the plurality of client devices, respectively, wherein the notifying unit not providing a piece of event information corresponding to the second event until the judging unit judges that the event information corresponding to the first event has been provided to the second client device normally, regardless whether the first client device executes notification of the piece of event information corresponding to the second event.

19. A computer readable storage device comprising computer readable instructions for controlling a computer to monitor a plurality of events which occur in an information processing apparatus and provide event information concerning each of the events to at least one client device which is communicable with the information processing apparatus by executing steps of:

detecting an event occurring in the information processing apparatus;

generating event notifying information, which includes the event information and information concerning the at least one client device to which the event information is provided;

storing the event notifying information in a predetermined arrangement in an event notifying information storage unit so that the event information concerning each of the events is provided to the at least one client device in chronological order in which the events occur according to the predetermined arrangement;

storing information concerning a plurality of client devices to which the event notifying information is to be provided, the plurality of client devices including a first client device and a second client device;

providing a piece of the event information corresponding to a first event among the plurality of events to the plurality of client devices including the first client device and the second client device;

judging whether the piece of the event information was provided to the first client device successfully; and

whether the piece of the event information was provided to the second client device successfully,

wherein if it is judged that a piece of the event information corresponding to the first event was provided to the first client device successfully, providing a piece of the event information corresponding to the second event, which occurs subsequently to the first event, to the first client device even if it is judged that providing the piece of the event information corresponding to the first event to the second client device was failed.