Network service system, service proxy processing method, computer-readable storage medium storing program, and program therefor

• US 7,805,493 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishio, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Neurauter, Jr.; George C
• Application Number:
  US10/547,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 709220-222, 709/249, 709/208, 713/300, 713/310, 713/324
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3284 Power saving in printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A service proxy processing method is used with a network service system in which a service providing device connected over a network for performing predetermined capability processing can communicate with a plurality of client devices for performing network connection capability processing for recognizing connection status of each service providing device over a network. Each service providing device has a proxy process step of specifying a specific communications capability in response to a communications capability request from any client device when a predetermined service providing process is not performed in a predetermined period, allowing any service providing device in a network to perform as a proxy a communications process based on the specified specific communications capabilities, and making a transition to a network sleep status not recognized by a client device in the network.

Claims

1. A service providing device comprising at least a processor and memory, and further comprising:

a proxy commission unit

that commissions one of other service providing devices on a network to proxy a communication process based on a predetermined communication function to respond to a communication request from one of client devices on the network and

that transits to a network sleep mode so as not to be recognized by the client devices;

a discrimination unit that, when a sleep release request is received via the network in the network sleep mode, discriminates whether the sleep release request is issued by the other service providing device commissioned to proxy the communication process by said proxy commission unit; and

a release unit that performs a release process from the network sleep mode to a network alive mode when said discrimination unit discriminates that the sleep release request is issued by the other service providing device commissioned to proxy the communication process by said proxy commission unit.

2. A service providing device according to claim 1, wherein the communication process is executed based on the received communication request after the release process from the network sleep mode to the network alive mode by said release unit.

3. A service providing device according to claim 2, wherein the other service providing device issues a key code, and if the key code does not match another key code previously issued, no response is issued to the sleep release request from the other service providing device.

4. A service providing device according to claim 3, wherein the key code comprises encrypted information.

5. A service providing device according to claim 1, wherein the other service providing device issues the sleep release request to said service providing device when the other service providing device receives a communication request for a function other than the predetermined communication function from the one client device.

6. A service providing device according to claim 1, further comprising a search unit that searches the other service providing devices on the network for one which can be commissioned to proxy the communication process.

7. A service providing device according to claim 1, wherein the other service providing device which can be commissioned to proxy the communication process includes a printer.

8. A service providing method, performed at a service providing device on a network, said method comprising:

a proxy commissioning step, of

commissioning one of other service providing devices on a network to proxy a communication process based on a predetermined communication function to respond to a communication request from one of client devices on the network, and

transiting to a network sleep mode so as not to be recognized by the client devices;

a discrimination step of, when a sleep release request is received via the network in the network sleep mode, discriminating whether the sleep release request is issued by the other service providing device commissioned to proxy the communication process in said proxy commission step; and

a release step, of performing a release process from the network sleep mode to a network alive mode when it is determined in said discrimination step that the sleep release request is issued by the other service providing device commissioned to proxy the communication process in said proxy commission step.

9. A service providing method according to claim 8, wherein the communication process is executed based on the received communication request after the release process from the network sleep mode to the network alive mode in said release step.

10. A service providing method according to claim 9, wherein the other service providing device issues a key code, and if the key code does not match another key code previously issued, no response is issued to the sleep release request from the other service providing device.

11. A service providing method according to claim 10, wherein the key code comprises encrypted information.

12. A service providing method according to claim 8, wherein the other service providing device issues the sleep release request to the service providing device when the other service providing device receives a communication request for a function other than the predetermined communication function from the one client device.

13. A service providing method according to claim 8, further comprising a search step, of searching the other service providing devices on the network for one which can be commissioned to proxy the communication process.

14. A service providing method according to claim 8, wherein the other service providing device which can be commissioned to proxy the communication process includes a printer.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing, in executable form, a program for causing a computer to perform a service providing method at a service providing device on a network, said method comprising:

a proxy commissioning step, of

commissioning one of other service providing devices on a network to proxy a communication process based on a predetermined communication function to respond to a communication request from one of client devices on the network, and

transiting to a network sleep mode so as not to be recognized by the client devices;

a discrimination step of, when a sleep release request is received via the network in the network sleep mode, discriminating whether the sleep release request is issued by the other service providing device commissioned to proxy the communication process in said proxy commission step; and

a release step, of performing a release process from the network sleep mode to a network alive mode when it is determined in said discrimination step that the sleep release request is issued by the other service providing device commissioned to proxy the communication process in said proxy commission step.