Method for allocating peripheral device, information processing system, information processing unit and management apparatus

An information processing system including a management apparatus, a plurality of terminals, a plurality of information processing units and a plurality of peripheral devices that are connected to one another through a network, wherein:

• said terminal has means for transmitting address information of an information processing unit as a communication counter-part and information relating to a utilization site of said terminal to said management apparatus through said network;
• said management apparatus includes means for storing information relating to utilization sites of said plurality of terminals and driver and driver setting information of said plurality of peripheral devices in association with one another, means for receiving the address information of said information processing unit and the information relating to the utilization site of said terminal from said terminal through said network, means for specifying any of said peripheral devices from among said plurality of peripheral devices on the basis of the information relating to the utilization site of said terminal received by said reception means and the information of said storage means, and means for reading out the driver and driver setting information of said peripheral device specified from said storage means and transmitting the driver and driver setting information to said information processing unit through said network on the basis of said address information;
• and
• said information processing unit includes means for receiving the driver and driver setting information of said peripheral device from said management apparatus through said network and means for executing installation of said driver received and setting of the driver setting information.

A management apparatus connected to a plurality of terminals, a plurality of information processing units and a plurality of peripheral devices through a network, comprising:

• a storage portion for storing information relating to utilization sites of said plurality of terminals and driver and driver setting information of said plurality of peripheral devices in association with one another;
• a reception portion for receiving address information of said information processing unit and the information relating to the utilization sites of said terminals from said terminal through said network;
• and
• a control portion for specifying any of said peripheral devices from said plurality of peripheral devices on the basis of the information relating to the utilization sites of said terminals received by said reception portion and the information of said storage portion, reading out said driver and driver setting information of said peripheral device specified and transmitting them to said information processing unit through said network on the basis of said address information.

A management apparatus connected to a plurality of terminals, a plurality of information processing units and a plurality of peripheral devices through a network, comprising:

• a first storage portion for storing information relating to utilization sites of said plurality of terminals and driver and driver setting information of said plurality of peripheral devices in association with one another;
• a second storage portion for storing condition information of said plurality of peripheral devices;
• a reception portion for receiving address information of said information processing unit and the information relating to the utilization sites of said terminals from said terminal through said network;
• and
• a control portion for specifying any of said peripheral devices from said plurality of peripheral devices on the basis of the information relating to the utilization site of said terminal received by said reception portion and the information of said first and second storage portions, reading out the driver and driver setting information of said peripheral device specified from said first storage portion and transmitting them to said information processing unit through said network on the basis of said address information.

An information processing unit connected to at least a plurality terminals and a plurality of peripheral devices through a network, comprising:

• a first storage portion for storing information relating to utilization sites of said plurality of terminals and drivers and driver information of said plurality of peripheral devices in association with one another;
• a second storage portion for storing condition information of said plurality of peripheral devices;
• and
• a control portion for generating a screen for inputting information relating to a utilization site of said terminal when an output instruction of an application is received from said terminal, transmitting said screen to said terminal, and specifying any of said peripheral devices from said plurality of peripheral devices on the basis of the information relating to the utilization site of said terminal received and the information of said first and second storage portions when the information relating to the utilization site of said terminal is received from said terminal, generating said output data on the basis of the driver and driver setting information of said peripheral device and said application and transmitting them to said peripheral device through said network.

A method for allocating peripheral devices in an information processing system comprising the steps of:

• transmitting, at one of a plurality of terminals, address information of an information processing unit as a communication counter-part and information relating to a utilization site of the one of terminals to a management apparatus connected to each of the terminals through a network;
• receiving, at the management apparatus, the address information of the information processing unit and the information relating to the utilization site of the terminal;
• specifying, at the management apparatus, any of peripheral devices from among a plurality of peripheral devices on the basis of information of storage within the management apparatus for storing the information relating to the utilization site of the terminal received and the information relating to the utilization sites of the plurality of terminals in association with one another and the driver and driver setting information of the plurality of peripheral devices;
• reading out a driver and driver setting information of the peripheral device specified from the storage;
• transmitting, at the management apparatus, the driver and driver setting information to the information processing unit through the network on the basis of the address information;
• and
• receiving, at an information processing unit connected to the plurality of terminals and management apparatus through the network, the driver and driver setting information of the peripheral device from the management apparatus and executing installation of the driver received and setting of the driver setting information.