Information processing system, information processing apparatus, and information processing method

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing program instructions that cause the processor to
• store storage service information for each external storage service of a plurality of external storage services in a first storage device, the stored storage service information identifying an external storage service and including folder hierarchy acquisition method information that specifies a folder hierarchy acquisition method used to acquire folder hierarchy information of one or more folders for storing electronic data of the external storage service;
• receive, from a requesting image forming apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus via a network, a request to acquire the folder hierarchy information of a specified folder from among the one or more folders included in a selected external storage service from among the plurality of the external storage services;
• identify the folder hierarchy acquisition method used to acquire the folder hierarchy information of the specified folder included in the selected external storage service when the request is received by referring to the stored storage service information corresponding to the selected external storage service, the storage service information of the selected external storage service indicating whether the folder hierarchy acquisition method is a first folder hierarchy acquisition method or a second folder hierarchy acquisition method, wherein
• the first folder hierarchy acquisition method acquires folder information of folders in a folder hierarchy of the specified folder and in a predetermined number of hierarchies below the hierarchy of the specified folder, from the selected external storage service, and
• the second folder hierarchy acquisition method acquires the folder information of the folders in the folder hierarchy of the specified folder and in all of the hierarchies below the hierarchy of the specified folder, from the selected external storage service;
• acquire the folder hierarchy information of the specified folder from the selected external storage service, based on the identified folder hierarchy acquisition method;
• and
• send the acquired folder hierarchy information of the specified folder to the requesting image forming apparatus, wherein
• when the identified folder hierarchy acquisition method is the first folder hierarchy acquisition method, the processor repeatedly acquires the folder hierarchy information of the folders in the hierarchy of the specified folder and in the predetermined number of hierarchies lower than the hierarchy of the specified folder,
• when the identified folder hierarchy acquisition method is the second folder hierarchy acquisition method, the processor acquires the folder hierarchy information of the folders in the hierarchy of the specified folder and in all hierarchies lower than the hierarchy of the specified folder, and
• the image forming apparatus displays a folder selection screen by which a user selects a storage destination folder on a display of the image forming apparatus based on the received folder hierarchy information of the specified folder.

An information processing method performed by an information processing system including a memory configured to store storage service information for each external storage service of a plurality of external storage services in a first storage device, the stored storage service information identifying an external storage service and including folder hierarchy acquisition method information that specifies a folder hierarchy acquisition method used to acquire folder hierarchy information of one or more folders for storing electronic data of the external storage service, and one or more information processing apparatuses for implementing various functions of the information processing system, the information processing method comprising:

• receiving, from a requesting image forming apparatus connected to the information processing system via a network, a request to acquire the folder hierarchy information of a specified folder from among the one or more folders included in a selected external storage service from among the plurality of the external storage services;
• identifying the folder hierarchy acquisition method used to acquire the folder hierarchy information of the specified folder included in the selected external storage service when the request is received by referring to the stored storage service information corresponding to the selected external storage service, the storage service information of the selected external storage service indicating whether the folder hierarchy acquisition method is a first folder hierarchy acquisition method or a second folder hierarchy acquisition method, wherein
• the first folder hierarchy acquisition method acquires folder information of folders in a folder hierarchy of the specified folder and in a predetermined number of hierarchies below the hierarchy of the specified folder, from the selected external storage service, and
• the second folder hierarchy acquisition method acquires the folder information of the folders in a folder hierarchy of the specified folder and in all of the hierarchies below the hierarchy of the specified folder, from the selected external storage service;
• acquiring the folder hierarchy information of the specified folder from the selected external storage service, based on the identified folder hierarchy acquisition method;
• and
• sending the acquired folder hierarchy information of the specified folder to the requesting image forming apparatus, wherein
• when the identified folder hierarchy acquisition method is the first folder hierarchy acquisition method, the folder hierarchy information of the folders in the hierarchy of the specified folder, and in the predetermined number of hierarchies lower than the hierarchy of the specified folder, is repeatedly acquired from the selected external storage service,
• when the identified folder hierarchy acquisition method is the second folder hierarchy acquisition method, the folder hierarchy information of the folders in the hierarchy of the specified folder and in all hierarchies lower than the hierarchy of the specified folder, is acquired from the selected external storage service, and
• the image forming apparatus displays a folder selection screen by which a user selects a storage destination folder on a display of the image forming apparatus based on the received folder hierarchy information of the specified folder.