System for searching for apparatus connected to network and apparatus employed by same system, and control method therefor

• US 20040243572A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Muto, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The results obtained by searching for the apparatuses in a system are displayed by representing the hierarchical locations of the apparatuses, so that a user can easily identify the locations of the apparatuses. Further, based on a user of an apparatus to be searched for, the search for the apparatus is performed in accordance with its hierarchical location. And when a search for an apparatus is to be based on its hierarchical location, selected as the search results are map data that appropriately represent the hierarchical location of the apparatus.

Claims

1. to 20. (Canceled).

21. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, comprising:

a retriever arranged to retrieve a device satisfying a demand to use the device from another information processing apparatus;

a receiver arranged to receive a user ID transmitted from said another information processing apparatus; and

a storage arranged to store information representing plural user ID'"'"'s usable for said plural devices respectively,

wherein said retriever retrieves the device satisfying said demand, from among the plural devices, each capable of being used by the user ID specified based on the user ID received by said receiver and the user ID information stored in said storage.

22. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said storage further stores information representing respective ranks of the plural user ID'"'"'s, and the information representing the user ID usable for each of said plural devices is represented by using the rank of each other user ID.

23. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, comprising:

a retriever arranged to retrieve a device satisfying a demand to use the device from another information processing apparatus, from among the plural devices within a predetermined retrieval range;

a receiver arranged to receive a user ID transmitted from said another information processing apparatus; and

a storage arranged to store information representing retrievable user ID'"'"'s respectively for plural retrieval ranges,

wherein said retriever retrieves the device satisfying said demand, from among the plural devices within the retrieval range, capable of being retrieved by the user ID specified based on the user ID received by said receiver and the user ID information stored in said storage.

24. An information processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said storage further stores information representing respective ranks of the plural user ID'"'"'s, and the information representing the retrievable user ID for each of the plural retrieval ranges is represented by using the rank of each user ID.

25. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, comprising:

a retriever arranged to retrieve a device satisfying a demand to use the device from another information processing apparatus, from among the plural devices within a predetermined retrieval range;

a receiver arranged to receive a user ID transmitted from said another information processing apparatus; and

a storage arranged to store first information representing user ID'"'"'s usable for said plural devices respectively, and second information representing retrievable user ID'"'"'s respectively for plural retrieval ranges,

wherein said retriever retrieves the device satisfying said demand, from among the plural devices, each capable of being used by the user ID and within the retrieval range capable of being retrieved by the user ID, specified based on the user ID received by said receiver and the first information and the second information stored in said storage.

26. An information processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said storage further stores information representing respective ranks of the plural user ID'"'"'s, and each of the first information and the second information is represented by using the rank of each user ID.

27. A device retrieval method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, said method comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving a demand to use a device and a user ID transmitted from another information processing apparatus; and

a retrieval step of retrieving a device satisfying the demand, the device being retrieved from among plural devices each capable of being used by the user ID specified based on the user ID received in said reception step, and user ID information stored in a storage means which represents user ID'"'"'s usable for the plural devices, respectively.

28. A device retrieval method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, said method comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving a demand to use a device and a user ID transmitted from another information processing apparatus; and

a retrieval step of retrieving a device satisfying the demand from among the plural devices within a retrieval range, and capable of being retrieved by the user ID received in said reception step, specified based on the user ID received in said reception step and information stored in a storage means representing retrievable user ID'"'"'s respectively for plural retrieval ranges.

29. A device retrieval method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, said method comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving a demand to use a device and a user ID transmitted from another information processing apparatus; and

a retrieval step of retrieving a device satisfying the demand from among the plural devices, each capable of being used by the user ID received in said reception step and within a retrieval range capable of being retrieved by the user ID specified based on the user ID received in said reception step, first information stored in a storage means representing user ID'"'"'s usable for the plural devices respectively, and second information stored in the storage means representing retrievable user ID'"'"'s respectively for plural retrieval ranges.

30. A computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute a device retrieval method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, said program comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving a demand to use a device and a user ID transmitted from another information processing apparatus; and

a retrieval step of retrieving a device satisfying the demand, the device being retrieved from among plural devices each capable of being used by the user ID specified based on the user ID received in said reception step, and user ID information stored in a storage means which represents user ID'"'"'s usable for the plural devices, respectively.

31. A computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute a device retrieval method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, said program comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving a demand to use a device and a user ID transmitted from another information processing apparatus; and

a retrieval step of retrieving a device satisfying the demand from among the plural devices within a retrieval range, and capable of being retrieved by the user ID received in said reception step, specified based on the user ID received in said reception step and information stored in a storage means representing retrievable user ID'"'"'s respectively for plural retrieval ranges.

32. A computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute a device retrieval method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with plural devices, said program comprising the steps of:

a reception step of receiving a demand to use a device and a user ID transmitted from another information processing apparatus; and

a retrieval step of retrieving a device satisfying the demand from among the plural devices, each capable of being used by the user ID received in said reception step and within a retrieval range capable of being retrieved by the user ID specified based on the user ID received in said reception step, first information stored in a storage means representing user ID'"'"'s usable for the plural devices respectively, and second information stored in the storage means representing retrievable user ID'"'"'s respectively for plural retrieval ranges.