Obtaining temporary exclusive control of a device

Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer readable medium, the process steps executed by a device to provide exclusive control of the device's capabilities to a user, comprising the steps of:

• receiving, from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• determining whether the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• in a case where the determining step determines that the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities, providing the user with exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• in a case where the determining step determines that the device is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities, adding the user to a reservation queue of users requesting to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• and
• adding a job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the device's capabilities,
• wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device's capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the device's capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the device's capabilities, maintains exclusive control of the device's capabilities.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored computer-executable code to be executed by a device for providing exclusive control of the device's capabilities to a user, the computer-executable code comprising:

• receiving, from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• determining whether the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• in a case where the determining step determines that the device is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities, providing the user exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• in a case where the determining step determines that the device is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the device's capabilities, adding the user to a reservation queue of users requesting exclusive control of the device's capabilities;
• and
• adding a job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the device's capabilities,
• wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device's capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the device's capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the device's capabilities maintains exclusive control of the device's capabilities.

An apparatus for providing a user with exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory which stores computer-executable process steps;
• and
• a processor which executes the computer-executable process steps, the computer-executable process steps comprising (a) receiving, via a network from an information processing apparatus, a request for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, (b) determining whether the apparatus is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, (c) in a case where the determining step determines that the apparatus is available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, providing the user with exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, (d) in a case where the determining step determines that the apparatus is not available for the user to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, adding the user to a reservation queue of users requesting to obtain exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, and (e) adding a job to a job queue of jobs to be processed using the apparatus' capabilities,
• wherein, if the device provides exclusive control of the device's capabilities to the user when the user is at a first position within the reservation queue, a job at a first position within the job queue, corresponding to a user other than the user who has been provided exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, is deferred from being processed during a period in which the user, who has been provided exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities, maintains exclusive control of the apparatus' capabilities.