Information processing apparatus and control method thereof, service providing apparatus and control method thereof, information processing system, information processing method, program, and recording medium

• US 9,374,439 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasuma, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): JAKOVAC, RYAN J
• Application Number:
  US12/699,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 709/250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

An information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for a service that a service providing apparatus provides to a control apparatus, the information processing apparatus includes: a first communications unit adapted to connect to a first communications path; a second communications unit adapted to connect to a second communications path; a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the first communications unit; a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the providing apparatus exists via the second communications unit; a connection unit adapted to connect to the providing apparatus via the second communications unit; and a proxy unit adapted to connect to the control apparatus via the first communications unit, and provide a proxy for a service between the providing apparatus and the control apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit adapted to communicate via a first network;

a second communication unit adapted to communicate via a second network;

a first detection unit adapted to detect a disconnection of a service providing apparatus, which provides a UPnP service on the first network, from the first network;

a second detection unit adapted to detect the service providing apparatus on the second network based on communication by the second communication unit connecting to the service providing apparatus on the second network via Bluetooth;

a proxy unit adapted to perform a proxy process, on the first network, for a service provided by a service providing apparatus, in a case that the first detection unit detects the disconnection of the service providing apparatus from the first network and the second detection unit detects the service providing apparatus on the second network;

a memory adapted to store a program; and

a processor adapted to function as at least one of the units by executing the program stored on the memory.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second communication unit connects to the service providing apparatus via the second network.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the proxy unit provides the proxy process based on the communication by the first communication unit via the first network.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit adapted to transmit, to the service providing apparatus via the first network, parameters necessary for connecting to the service providing apparatus via the second communications unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a publishing unit adapted to send a signal for publishing to the first network the fact that the information processing apparatus has a proxy function of providing a proxy for the service.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a power consumption of the service providing apparatus in a case that said information processing apparatus performs the proxy process is lower than the power consumption of the service providing apparatus in a case that said service providing apparatus connects to the first network.

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

a search unit adapted to search for the service providing apparatus in the first network using the first communication unit;

a determination unit adapted to determine whether the service providing apparatus that is searched for by the search unit has requested for the proxy process; and

a transmission unit adapted to transmit, to the service providing apparatus via the first network, parameters necessary for connecting to the service providing apparatus via the second communications unit in a case that the determination unit determines that the service providing apparatus has requested for the proxy process,

wherein the proxy unit performs the proxy process in a case that the first detection unit detects the disconnection of the service providing apparatus from the first network after the transmission by the transmission unit and the second detection unit detects the service providing apparatus on the second network after the transmission by the transmission unit.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first communication unit communicates via wireless LAN.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proxy process is a process by the information processing apparatus for, in response to a content request from an apparatus connected to the first network to said service providing apparatus, providing the requested content to said apparatus connected to the first network without releasing a sleep state of the service providing apparatus.

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

a third detection unit adapted to detect an identifier of the service providing apparatus based on communication by the first communication unit on the first network;

a fourth detection unit adapted to detect an identifier of an apparatus connected to the second network based on communication by the second communication unit on the second network; and

a judging unit adapted to judge, in a case that the first communication unit receives from the service providing apparatus information indicating to end communication via the first network, whether or not an identifier detected by the third detection unit matches an identifier detected by the fourth detection unit,

wherein the proxy unit is adapted to perform the proxy process on the first network in a case that the judging unit judges that the identifier detected by the third detection unit matches the identifier detected by the fourth detection unit.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the proxy unit provides a proxy for the service on the first network when a request for the proxy has been made from the service providing apparatus.

6. An information processing system having a control apparatus, a service providing apparatus that provides a service to the control apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that provides a proxy for the service, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit adapted to communicate via a first network;

a second communication unit adapted to communicate via a second network;

a first detection unit adapted to detect a disconnection of a service providing apparatus which provides a UPnP service on the first network, from the first network;

a second detection unit adapted to detect the service providing apparatus on the second network based on communication by the second communication unit connecting to the service providing apparatus on the second network via Bluetooth;

a proxy unit adapted to perform the a proxy process, on the first network, for a service provided by the service providing apparatus, in a case that the first detection unit detects the disconnection of the service providing apparatus from the first network and the second detection unit detects the service providing apparatus on the second network;

a memory adapted to store a program; and

a processor adapted to function as at least one of the units by executing the program stored on the memory.

7. A method for controlling an information processing apparatus that comprises a first communications unit adapted to communicate via a first network and a second communications unit adapted to communicate via a second network, the method comprising:

a first detection step of detecting a disconnection of a service providing apparatus, which provides a UPnP service on the first network, from the first network;

a second detection step of detecting the service providing apparatus on the second network based on communication by the second communication unit connecting to the second network on the second network via Bluetooth; and

a proxy step of performing a proxy process, on the first network, for a service provided by a service providing apparatus, in a case that the disconnection of the service providing apparatus from the first network is detected in the first detection step and the service providing apparatus on a second network is detected in the second detection step.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to function as an information processing apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit adapted to communicate via a first network;

a second communications unit adapted to communicate via a second network;

a first detection unit adapted to detect a disconnection of a service providing apparatus, which provides a UPnP service on the first network, from the first network;

a second detection unit adapted to detect the service providing apparatus on the second network based on communication by the second communication unit connecting to the service providing apparatus on the second network via Bluetooth; and

a proxy unit adapted to perform the a proxy process, on the first network, for a service provided by a service providing apparatus, in a case that the first detection unit detects the disconnection of the service providing apparatus from the first network and the second detection units detects the service providing apparatus on the second network.