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US 7,116,434 B2Granted
Controlling a cluster operation
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYoshinori Abe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To perform a cluster operation of a plurality of multi-function devices, if the number of devices in a stand-by state is smaller than a required number of devices, a device in a sleep state is restored to the stand-by state. In this case, a device that returns to the stand-by state earliest is selected and restored to the stand-by state.
Claims21
A control device that controls a cluster operation of a plurality of devices, comprising:
- a determination portion that determines whether a required number of devices for the cluster operation are in a stand-by state;
- a restoring portion that restores a device by transferring the device from an energy saving state to a stand-by state, wherein the restoring is based on a determination by the determination portion;
- and
- a distribution portion that distributes a job to each device in the cluster operation based on a sum of devices reaching said required number,
- wherein the sum of devices is the addition of the number of devices in the stand-by state and the number of devices transferring to the standby state by said restoring portion, and
- wherein said restoring portion determines a device to be restored among a plurality of devices in accordance with a specified restoring condition, then sets up the determined device to restore.
3 more elements
A control device that controls a cluster operation of a plurality of devices, comprising:
- a selecting portion;
- and
- a distribution portion,
- wherein, if the number of devices in a stand-by state is less than a required number of devices needed for the cluster operation, said selecting portion selects devices from among the devices in an energy saving state for the remaining number of devices needed in the cluster, and
- wherein, after selection, said distribution portion distributes a job to each device in the stand-by state and each selected device in the energy saving state, and
- wherein said distribution portion distributes the job so that an allocated portion of job to each device in the energy saving state that is selected by said selecting portion is less than an allocated portion of job to each device in the stand-by state.
3 more elements
A control method for controlling a cluster operation of a plurality of devices, comprising:
- a determining step of determining whether a required number of devices for the cluster operation are in a stand-by state;
- a restoring step of restoring a device by transferring the device from an energy saving state to a stand-by state, wherein the restoring is based on a determination by the determining step;
- and
- a distribution step of distributing a job to each device in the cluster operation based on a sum of devices reaching said required number,
- wherein the sum of the devices is the addition of the number of devices in the stand-by state and the number of devices transferring to the stand-by state in said restoring step, and
- wherein said restoring step determines a device to be restored among a plurality of devices in accordance with a specified restoring condition, then sets up the determined device to restore.
3 more elements
A control method for controlling a cluster operation of a plurality of devices, comprising:
- a selecting step;
- and
- a distribution step,
- wherein, if the number of devices in a stand-by state is less than a required number of devices needed for the cluster operation, said selecting step selects devices from among the devices in an energy saving state for the remaining number of devices needed in the cluster, and
- wherein, after selection, said distribution step distributes a job to each device in the stand-by state and each selected device in the energy saving state, and
- wherein said distribution step distributes the job so that an allocated portion of job to each device in the energy saving state that is selected at said selecting step is less than an allocated portion of job to each device in the stand-by state.
3 more elements
A computer executable program stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:
- code for a determining step to determine whether a required number of devices for a cluster operation are in a stand-by state;
- code for a restoring step to restore a device by transferring the device from an energy saving state to a stand-by state, wherein the restoring is based on a determination by the determining step;
- and
- code for a distribution step to distribute a job to each device in the cluster operation based on a sum of devices reaching said required number,
- wherein the sum of devices is the addition of the number of devices in the stand-by state and the number of devices transferring to the stand-by state in said restoring step, and
- wherein said restoring step determines a device to be restored among a plurality of devices in accordance with a specified restoring condition, then sets up the determined device to restore.
3 more elements
A computer executable program stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:
- code for a selecting step;
- and
- code for a distribution step,
- wherein, if the number of devices in a stand-by state is less than a required number of devices needed for a cluster operation, said selecting step selects devices from among the devices in an energy saving state for the remaining number of devices needed in the cluster, and
- wherein, after selection, said distribution step distributes a job to each device in the stand-by state and each selected device in the energy saving state, and
- wherein said code for a distribution step distributes the job so that an allocated portion of job to each device in the energy saving state that is selected at said selecting step is less than an allocated portion of job to each device in the stand-by state.
3 more elements
A network device having a printing unit in which a cluster operation can be realized in cooperation of a plurality of network devices, each of which having a printing unit, comprising:
- a determination portion that determines whether the network device is included in a cluster system, wherein the determination is made when conditions, being intrinsic to the device itself, for transferring to an energy saving state are met;
- and
- a state transfer portion that transfers the network device to the energy saving state, wherein if the determination portion determines that the network device is included in the cluster system, the state transfer portion transfers the network device to an energy saving state only in accordance with an instruction from an external device, irrespective of said conditions.
A control method for a network device having a printing unit in which a cluster operation can be realized in cooperation of a plurality of network devices, each of which having a printing unit, comprising:
- a determination step of determining whether the network device is included in a cluster system, wherein the determination is made when conditions, being intrinsic to the device itself, for transferring to an energy saving state are met;
- and
- a state transfer step of transferring the network device to the energy saving state, wherein if the determination step determines that the network device is included in the cluster system, the state transfer step transfers the network device to an energy saving state only in accordance with an instruction from an external device, irrespective of said conditions.
A computer executable program stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:
- code for a determination step to determine whether a network device having a printing unit is included in a cluster system, wherein the determination is made when conditions, being intrinsic to the device itself, for transferring the network device to an energy saving state are met;
- and
- code for a state transfer step to transfer the network device to the energy saving state, wherein if the determination step determines that the network device is included in the cluster system, the code for a state transfer step transfers the network device to an energy saving state only in accordance with an instruction from an external device, irrespective of said conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.