Peripheral equipment and peripheral equipment control method

• US 7,124,178 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Torii, Kan
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano, Sargon N.
• Application Number:
  US10/131,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20020165915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/219, 709/229, 709/217, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information

Abstract

Peripheral equipment that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network by using a Web server manages a list of components assembled into the peripheral equipment. In the list of components, a plurality of component codes is assigned to each of the components. In response to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer, the Web server outputs the list of components in a format that the Web client can understand. In this instance, the component codes included in the list of components output by the Web server are selected from a plurality of component codes.

Claims

1. A peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network, the peripheral apparatus comprising:

a manager that manages component information of components assembled into the peripheral apparatus, wherein a plurality of component identifiers are assigned to one of the components and the plurality of component identifiers are represented in respective different languages;

a selector that selects one component identifier represented in a certain language from among the plurality of component identifiers represented in the respective different languages for the one component; and

a transmitter that transmits the component information managed by the manager including the one component identifier selected by the selector.

2. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a Web server is responsive to a demand by a Web client operating on the computer to output the component information in a format that is understandable by the Web client.

3. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selector selects the component identifier in response to an instruction from a Web client.

4. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, and the selector selects the component identifier according to the region selected by the Web client.

5. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a language among multiple languages, and the selector selects the component identifier according to the language selected by the Web client.

6. A peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network, the peripheral apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores component information of components assembled in the peripheral apparatus, wherein a plurality of component identifiers represented in respective different languages are assigned to one of the components in the component information;

a Web server that outputs the component information in a format that is understandable by a Web client; and

a selector that selects one component identifier represented in a certain language to be included in the component information to be output by the Web server from the plurality of component identifiers represented in the respective different languages for the one component.

7. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the selector selects the component identifier in response to an instruction from the Web client.

8. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, and the selector selects the component identifier according to the region selected by the Web client.

9. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting one of languages among multiple languages, and the selector selects the component identifier according to the language selected by the Web client.

10. A peripheral apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus has at least one of a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copy function.

11. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information to a computer via a network, the method comprising the steps of:

managing component information of components assembled in the peripheral apparatus, wherein a plurality of component identifiers represented in respective different languages are assigned to one of the components in the component information;

outputting from a Web server the component information in a format that is understandable by a Web client; and

selecting one component identifier represented in a certain language to be included in the component information to be output by the Web server from the plurality of component identifiers represented in the respective different languages for the one component.

12. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the selecting step selects the component identifier in response to an instruction from the Web client.

13. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, and the selecting step selects the component identifier according to the region selected by the Web client.

14. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the Web server provides the Web client with information for selecting a language among multiple languages, and the selecting step selects the component identifier according to the language selected by the Web client.

15. A method for controlling a peripheral apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral apparatus has at least one of a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copy function.

16. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium, the program to be executed by a computer of a peripheral apparatus that is capable of providing information using a Web server to a computer via a network, the computer program comprising the steps of:

reading from a storage device that stores component information of components assembled in the peripheral apparatus the component information, wherein a plurality of component identifiers represented in respective different languages are assigned to one of the components in the component information;

outputting the read component information from the Web server in a format that is understandable by a Web client; and

selecting one component identifier represented in a certain language to be included in the component information to be output by the Web server from the plurality of component identifiers represented in the respective different languages for the one component.

17. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the selecting step selects the component identifier in response to an instruction from the Web client.

18. A computer program according to claim 16, further comprising the Web server providing the Web client with information for selecting a region among multiple regions, wherein the selecting step selects the component identifier according to the region selected by the Web client.

19. A computer program according to claim 16, further comprising the Web server providing the Web client with information for selecting a language among multiple languages, wherein the selecting step selects the component identifier according to the language selected by the Web client.

20. A computer program according to claim 16, wherein the peripheral apparatus has at least one of a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function and a copy function.

21. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a network interface unit adapted to communicate with a peripheral apparatus that stores a plurality of component identifiers represented in respective different languages assigned to one of a plurality of components of the peripheral apparatus and to transmit specific information to the peripheral apparatus; and

a display control unit adapted to receive from the peripheral apparatus one component identifier represented in a certain language selected from among the plurality of component identifiers for the one component in the peripheral apparatus based on the specific information transmitted by said network interface unit, and to control a display unit to display the received one component identifier.

22. An information processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the specific information indicates a location of the peripheral apparatus, and said display control unit receives one of the plurality of component identifiers that fits the location and controls the display unit to display information that corresponds to the location.

23. A method for an information processing apparatus, comprising:

communicating with a peripheral apparatus that stores a plurality of component identifiers represented in respective different languages assigned to one of a plurality of components of the peripheral apparatus to transmit specific information to the peripheral apparatus; and

a display control step of receiving from the peripheral apparatus one component identifier represented in a certain language selected from among the plurality of component identifiers for the one component in the peripheral apparatus based on the transmitted specific information, and controlling a display unit to display the received one component identifier.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the specific information indicates a location of the peripheral apparatus, and said display control step receives one of the plurality of component identifiers that fits the location and controls the display unit to display information that corresponds to the location.

25. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium, the program executing a method for an information processing apparatus, the program comprising:

communicating with a peripheral apparatus that stores a plurality of component identifiers represented in respective different languages assigned to one of a plurality of components of the peripheral apparatus to transmit specific information to the peripheral apparatus; and

a display control step of receiving from the peripheral apparatus one component identifier represented in a certain language selected from among the plurality of component identifiers for the one component in the peripheral apparatus based on the transmitted specific information, and controlling a display unit to display the received one component identifier.