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US 8,941,859 B2Granted
Information processing method, system, and storage medium storing a computer program, that determine the state of an information procesing apparatus and display different contents based on the determined state
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroshi Atobe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An information processing method which is capable of easily and reliably giving a user information on whether or not the user's information processing apparatus satisfies the requirements for receiving services provided by a service provider. It is determined whether or not a predetermined function and a program for enabling the function are installed in a multi-function printer, as a requirement for receiving a service provided by an application service provider. The result of the determination is displayed on a display of an operating section of the multi-function printer.
Claims9
An image forming apparatus communicable to an application service provider providing to the image forming apparatus a plurality of network services realized by a hardware unit comprising at least one of a scanning unit, a printing unit, or a facsimile unit, and software, the image forming apparatus comprising:
- a recognition unit that recognizes the hardware unit needed for receiving one of the network services provided by the application service provider;
- a first determining unit that determines whether or not the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit recognized by said recognition unit;
- a second determining unit that determines whether or not a program installed on the image forming apparatus for controlling the hardware unit is in an updated state, only if said first determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit;
- and
- a displaying unit that displays:
- a first symbol, in a case where said first determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus is not equipped with the hardware unit, so as to display first information recommending that the image forming apparatus should be equipped with the hardware unit when the first symbol displayed by said displaying unit is depressed, without performing determination by said second determination unit;
- a second symbol, in a case where said first determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit and said second determining unit determines that the program for controlling the hardware unit is not in the updated state, so as to display second information recommending that the program for controlling the hardware unit should be downloaded to the latest version and a URL address indicating a web site distributing the latest program when the second symbol displayed by said displaying unit is depressed, wherein after said first determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit, said second determining unit determines whether or not a program for controlling the hardware unit is in an updated state;
- and
- a third symbol, in a case where said first determining unit determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit and said second determining unit determines that the program for controlling the hardware unit is in the updated state, so as to connect the application service provider to receive the network service when the third symbol displayed by said displaying unit is depressed.
6 more elements
A method of controlling an image forming apparatus communicable to an application service provider providing to the image forming apparatus a plurality of network services realized by a hardware unit comprising at least one of a scanning unit, a printing unit, or a facsimile unit, and software, the method comprising:
- a recognition step of recognizing the hardware unit needed for receiving one of the network services provided by the application service provider;
- a first determining step of determining whether or not the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit recognized in said recognition step;
- a second determining step of determining whether or not a program installed on the image forming apparatus for controlling the hardware unit is in an updated state, only if said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit;
- and
- a displaying step of displaying in a displaying unit:
- a first symbol, in a case where said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is not equipped with the hardware unit, so as to display first information recommending that the image forming apparatus should be equipped with the hardware unit when the first symbol displayed in said displaying step is depressed, without performing said second determining step;
- a second symbol, in a case where said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit and said second determining step determines that the program for controlling the hardware unit is not in the updated state, so as to display second information recommending that the program for controlling the hardware unit should be downloaded to the latest version and a URL address indicating a web site distributing the latest program when the second symbol displayed in said displaying step is depressed, wherein after said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit, said second determining step determines whether or not a program for controlling the hardware unit is in an updated state;
- and
- a third symbol, in a case where said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit and said second determining step determines that the program for controlling the hardware unit is in the updated state, so as to connect the application service provider to receive the network service when the third symbol displayed in said displaying step is depressed.
6 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for implementing a method of controlling an image forming apparatus communicable to an application service provider providing to the image forming apparatus a plurality of network services realized by a hardware unit comprising at least one of a scanning unit, a printing unit, or a facsimile unit, and software, the method comprising:
- a recognition step of recognizing the hardware unit needed for receiving one of the network services provided by the application service provider;
- a first determining step of determining whether or not the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit recognized in said recognition step;
- a second determining step of determining whether or not a program installed on the image forming apparatus is for controlling the hardware unit is in an updated state, only if said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit;
- and
- a displaying step of displaying in a displaying unit:
- a first symbol, in a case where said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is not equipped with the hardware unit, so as to display first information recommending that the image forming apparatus should be equipped with the hardware unit when the first symbol displayed in said displaying step is depressed, without performing said second determining step;
- a second symbol, in a case where said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit and said second determining step determines that the program for controlling the hardware unit is not in the updated state, so as to display second information recommending that the program for controlling the hardware unit should be downloaded to the latest version and a URL address indicating a web site distributing the latest program when the second symbol displayed in said displaying step is depressed, wherein after said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit, said second determining step determines whether or not a program for controlling the hardware unit is in an updated state;
- and
- a third symbol, in a case where said first determining step determines that the image forming apparatus is equipped with the hardware unit and said second determining step determines that the program for controlling the hardware unit is in the updated state, so as to connect the application service provider to receive the network service when the third symbol displayed in said displaying step is depressed.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.