Server apparatus, method for controlling the server apparatus, and storage medium

• US 8,819,114 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumagai, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US12/473,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/223, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 705/26.1, 705/302, 705/342, 705/346
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention provides a server apparatus that can communicate with a plurality of client apparatuses via a network, including a receiving unit configured to receive device information relating to a peripheral device capable of being connected to a client apparatus along with an acquisition scheme of the device information from the client apparatus, a storing unit configured to store the device information in association with the acquisition scheme, a judging unit configured to judge whether or not the device information received by the receiving unit has already been stored in the storing unit, and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the device information is valid based on the acquisition scheme when it is judged by the judging unit that the received device information has already been stored in the storing unit.

Claims

1. A server apparatus, that can communicate with a plurality of client apparatuses via a network, comprising:

instructions stored in a memory and a processor executing instructions, wherein the processor configures;

a receiving unit to receive user information for specifying a user of a client apparatus, device information relating to a peripheral device connected to the client apparatus and acquisition scheme information representing an acquisition scheme of the device information from the client apparatus, whereby the client apparatus acquires the device information using a first acquisition scheme which acquires the device information via values manually inputted by the user or using a second acquisition scheme whereby the device information is to be automatically inputted from the peripheral device connected to the client apparatus;

a storing unit to store the received device information and the acquisition scheme information in association with the user information; and

a replacing unit to replace second user information stored in association with second device information already stored in the storing unit with first user information received in association with first device information, if the first device information matches the second device information,

wherein said replacing unit does not replace the second user information with the first user information, if first acquisition information received in association with the first device information represents the first acquisition scheme and second acquisition information stored in association with the second device information represents the second acquisition scheme, even if the first device information matches the second device information.

2. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the device information includes a serial number and a model name, and

the storing unit does not store a model name included in the first device information in a case where a serial number included in the first device information matches a serial number included in the second device information and the first acquisition information represents the first acquisition scheme, and stores a model name included in the first device information by overwriting a model name included in the second device information with the model name included in the first device information in a case where the serial number included in the first device information matches the serial number included in the second device information and the first acquisition information represents the second acquisition scheme.

3. The server apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the storing unit stops storing the first device information in a case where the first device information matches the second device information and the first acquisition information represents the first acquisition scheme.

4. The server apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification unit configured to notify the client apparatus of an error message representing that the first device information is invalid if the first device information matches the second device information, in a case where the first acquisition information represents the first acquisition scheme, and not notify the client apparatus of the error message in a case where the first acquisition information represents the second acquisition scheme.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the receiving unit receives user information of a client apparatus that a log-in authentication has succeeded, and

the notification unit notifies the client apparatus of the error message each time the client apparatus logs into the server apparatus.

6. A method for controlling a server apparatus that can communicate with a plurality of client apparatuses via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving user information for specifying a user of a client apparatus, device information relating to a peripheral device connected to the client apparatus and acquisition scheme information representing an acquisition scheme of the device information from the client apparatus, whereby the client apparatus acquires the device information using a first acquisition scheme which acquires the device information via values manually inputted by the user or using a second acquisition scheme whereby the device information is to be automatically inputted from the peripheral device connected to the client apparatus;

storing the received device information and the acquisition scheme information in association with the user information;

replacing second user information stored in association with second device information already stored in the storing step with first user information received in association with first device information, if the first device information matches the second device information,

wherein the replacing step does not replace the second user information with the first user information, if first acquisition information received in association with the first device information represents the first acquisition scheme and second acquisition information stored in association with the second device information represents the second acquisition scheme, even if the first device information matches the second device information.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing a computer readable program causing a computer actualizing a server apparatus that can communicate with a plurality of clients apparatuses via a network to execute the steps of:

receiving user information for specifying a user of a client apparatus, device information relating to a peripheral device connected to the client apparatus and acquisition scheme information representing an acquisition scheme of the device information from the client apparatus, whereby the client apparatus acquires the device information using a first acquisition scheme which acquires the device information via values manually inputted by the user or using a second acquisition scheme whereby the device information is to be automatically inputted from the peripheral device connected to the client apparatus;

storing the received device information and the acquisition scheme information in association with the user information;

replacing second user information stored in association with second device information already stored in the storing step with first user information received in association with first device information, if the first device information matches the second device information,

wherein the replacing step does not replace the second user information with the first user information, if first acquisition information received in association with the first device information represents the first acquisition scheme and second acquisition information stored in association with the second device information represents the second acquisition scheme, even if the first device information matches the second device information.