The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese priority document 2007-064113 filed in Japan on Mar. 13, 2007.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display instruction apparatus, a display instruction method, and computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there are many types of instant messaging (IM) and IP phone in offices, with employees using information processing apparatuses, such as personal computers (PCs), connected to a network, and also using network devices, such as image forming apparatuses including printers and multifunction products (MFPs), connected simultaneously to the network, information storage servers, and the network. When these devices are used, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses indicating addresses of devices are required to be specified. When a user operates an information processing apparatus, specifying an IP address is burdensome for the user and is very difficult to understand. On the other hand, a scheme can be thought such that a name that is easy for the user to recognize is associated with an IP address. However, it is not easy to recognize the thing indicated by the name and, moreover, inputting such a name is cumbersome.
Therefore, as a scheme of making an instruction for a process on a network device, generally known are technologies of using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to perform a drag-and-drop operation in which a symbol, such as an icon, is dragged and dropped into a predetermined area, thereby making an instruction for a process on a network device.
A first conventional technology (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-84937) relates to a system including a host apparatus and an information processing apparatus connected to a network, wherein an icon that is subjected to a job process is dragged and dropped onto an icon representing the information processing apparatus, thereby making an instruction for the job process. In this technology, the information processing apparatus includes a unit that detects a possible process as a job, and the host apparatus receives the result indicative of the detection to make an instruction for the process.
Moreover, a second conventional technology (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-52093) relates to a control apparatus in which local network devices within home connected to a global network are stored with their network addresses and a Web page for display according to a visual map database is generated to remotely control the devices. In this disclosed technology, an icon representing a network device is dragged and dropped onto an icon representing another device. With this, settings can be made that cause a plurality of devices to successively perform processing.
However, in the first conventional technology, the icon that is subjected to the drag-and-drop operation, that is, the dragged icon, is an icon representing data, such as an icon representing document data, that is subjected to a job process. Therefore, it is merely possible to specify data to be processed for one network device for executing a job.
Moreover, in the second conventional technology, an icon representing a network device is dragged and dropped onto an icon representing another network device. However, a process to be executed by this operation is, for example, a combined process, such as process A+process B. Therefore, load distribution among the network devices cannot be achieved.
Furthermore, it is complicated for individuals to install a newly-registered network device. There is also a problem that, for example, a person may fail to notice the placement of a new network device without delay and therefore may not be able to advantageously use the newly-introduced network device. Furthermore, for the purpose of speedy operation, selection of an optimum network device and load distribution among a plurality of networks become important problems.
Moreover, for communications among users, a user first selects a way of communications, such as telephone, mail, or IM. Therefore, a more direct instruction is desirable, instead of further selecting a communication counterpart.
It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems in the conventional technology.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display instruction apparatus including a display-screen transmitting unit that transmits a display screen on which symbols representing a plurality of network devices connected to a network are displayed at appropriate positions to a client terminal connected to the network; and an instruction transmitting unit that transmits, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display instruction method including transmitting a display screen on which symbols representing a plurality of network devices connected to a network are displayed at appropriate positions to a client terminal connected to the network; and transmitting, when a drag-and-drop operation between symbols of network devices is received from the client terminal, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product including a computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the medium that, when executed, causes a display instruction apparatus to execute the above display instruction method.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The device management server 100a is a server that manages network devices in a network A, while the device management server 100a is a server that manages network devices in a network B. In the example of
The position management server 400 is a server device that manages position information of each network device in the network A and the network B. The position information represents position coordinates of each network device on a device layout screen that is displayed on the PC 700 as a client terminal by the display instruction server 200 transmitting it to the PC 700. The position management server 400 has a position database (not shown) stored in a storage medium, such as a hard disk drive device (HDD) or memory. In the position database, identification information, such as names of the network devices, and position information are associated with each other. When a request for position information specifying identification information of a network device is issued from other servers or the like, a response is made with the requested position information of the network device.
The display instruction server 200 is a server device that causes a display screen on which icons representing network devices are displayed at positions on the device layout image corresponding to placement locations to be transmitted to the PC 700 as a client terminal for display, and also receives an instruction on such a display screen from the PC 700 to transmit a process execution instruction for executing a process corresponding to the instruction to the device management servers 100a and 100b.
The position-information obtaining unit 201 is a processing unit that requests the position management server 400 for position information of a network device (position coordinates on the screen layout) and obtains the position information.
The display-screen transmitting unit 202 is a processing unit that generates a display screen on which icons representing network devices are displayed at positions on the screen layout corresponding to placement locations and transmits the display screen to the PC 700 for display. The icons are pictures or pictographs representing various data and process functions for display on the display screen. Although the icons representing the network devices are displayed on the display screen in the present embodiment, this is not meant to be restrictive. Alternatively, symbols including the icons, and signs and character strings representing various data and process functions can be displayed on the display screen.
The process-selection instructing unit 205 is a processing unit that transmits, when an instruction by a drag-and-drop operation by an operator on the display screen displayed on the PC 700 is received, a process selection instruction for selecting a type of job to be executed among the network devices corresponding to the icons that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation, the instruction being transmitted to the PC 700.
The instruction receiving unit 203 is a processing unit that receives the instruction by the drag-and-drop operation by the operator on the display screen displayed on the PC 700. Specifically, the instruction receiving unit 203 receives a device name of the network device corresponding to the icon that is subjected to the drag-and-drop operation and the type of job specified in response to the process selection instruction.
The instruction transmitting unit 204 is a processing unit that specifies a process to be executed based on the received device name of the network device and type of job and transmits a process execution instruction for executing the specified process to the device management server that manages the network device that is subjected to the drag-and-drop operation.
The display method DB 206 is a database that defines a display method on the network-device screen layout for each network device.
As shown in
The device combination DB 207 is a database having registered therein types of job (process) executable by dragging and dropping an icon based on a combination of network devices.
As shown in
Next, the device management server 100 (100a and 100b) is explained.
The device-information receiving unit 103 is a processing unit that receives a state from each network device at predetermined intervals, such as a job execution state of the network device, within the network managed by its own, and registers the state in the device information DB 104.
The device-information transmitting unit 102 is a processing unit that reads, when a request for device information of a specified network device is received from the display instruction server 200, the device information of the relevant network device from the device information DB 104 and then transmits the read device information to the display instruction server 200.
The process-execution instructing unit 101 is a processing unit that instructs, when a process execution instruction is received from the display instruction server 200, the network device that is subjected to the process execution instruction to execute the process.
The device information DB 104 is a database having registered therein device information regarding the network devices, and is stored in a storage device, such as an HDD or memory.
As shown in
Next, an entire process of the display instruction system configured as explained above according to the present embodiment is explained.
First, the device management servers 100a and 100b transmit a device information request to network devices at predetermined intervals (step S11). In response, each network device transmits its own device information (step S12). These processes at steps S11 and S12 are all performed for each network device, and are also repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals. The device management servers 100a and 100b obtaining the device information then register the obtained device information with the device information DB 104.
Next, to generate a display screen to be displayed on the PC 700, the display instruction server 200 transmits to the device management server 100 a device information request, with the device names of all network devices to be displayed on the display screen being specified (step S13). The device management server 100 that has received the device information request reads the device information of the network devices requested by the device information DB 104, and then transmits the read device information to the display instruction server 200 (step S14).
Next, the display instruction server 200 transmits to the position management server 400 a request for position information of the network devices, with the device names of all network devices to be displayed on the display screen being specified (step S15). The position management server 400 that has received the position information request reads position coordinates of the network devices requested from the position information DB on the screen layout, and then transmits the position coordinates as position information to the display instruction server 200 (step S16). The display instruction server 200 that has received the position information of the network devices then registers the received position information with the display method DB 206.
Upon reception of a display information request from the PC 700 (step S17), the display instruction server 200 executes a display and instruction process (step S18). During this display and instruction process, the display instruction server 200 generates a display screen for transmission to the PC 700 (step S19).
The PC 700 that has received the display screen causes the display screen to be displayed on a displaying device, such as a display device (step S20). When the operator of the PC 700 performs a drag-and-drop operation for an icon representing a network device on the display screen, the PC 700 receives this operation (step S21), and then transmits information as such to the display instruction server 200.
The display instruction server 200 then refers to the device combination DB 207 and transmits job types corresponding to the network device specified by the drag-and-drop operation as a process selection instruction to the PC 700 (step S22).
The PC 700 displays the received job types (the process selection instruction) on the display screen and receives the process selection instruction from the operator (step S23), and then transmits a specified job type to the display instruction server 200 (step S24). The display instruction server 200 then determines a process to be executed on the network device according to the received job, and transmits a process execution instruction for executing the determined process to the device management servers 100a and 100b (step S25).
The device management servers 100a and 100b that have received the process execution instruction then instruct each network device to execute the process according to the process execution instruction (step S26). With this, the process of the specified job is executed among the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation on the PC 700.
Next, details of the display and instruction process at step S18 are explained.
Next, the display-screen transmitting unit 202 transmits the generated display screen to the PC 700 (step S32). In the PC 700, the display screen is displayed, and when the operator drags and drops an icon representing a network device on the display screen, the instruction receiving unit 203 of the display instruction server 200 receives from the PC 700 the device name of the dragged network device and the device name of the drop-destination network device (step S33).
The process-selection instructing unit 205 then refers to the device combination DB 207 to transmit job types corresponding to these two received device names as a process selection instruction to the PC 700 (step S34). Then, the instruction receiving unit 203 receives a specified job type from the PC 700 (step S35), and the instruction transmitting unit 204 determines a process execution instruction according to the received job (step S36), and transmits the determined process execution instruction to the device management server 100 (step S37).
The job moving means that the job being executed at the dragged network device is moved to the drop-destination network device. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes a job canceling instruction for canceling the job being executed at the dragged network device and a job generating instruction for generating the job at the drop-destination network device.
The job dividing means that part of a plurality of jobs being executed at the dragged network device is moved to the drop-destination network device. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes a job canceling instruction for canceling the part of the jobs being executed at the dragged network device and a job generating instruction for generating the part of the jobs at the drop-destination network device.
The job copying means that the job(s) being executed at the dragged network device is copied to the drop-destination network device. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes a job generating instruction for generating at the drop-destination network device the same job being executed at the dragged network device.
The “set as default printer” means that the drop-destination network device (printer) is set as a default printer to the dragged network device (PC). In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for setting the drop-destination network device to the dragged network device.
The “set to this printer” means that the drop-destination network device (printer) is temporarily (within the current session, within a predetermined time, or others) set as a print destination of the dragged network device (PC). In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for temporarily setting the drop-destination network device to the dragged network device.
The setting IM transmission means that a computer program for instant messaging is activated between the dragged network device (PC) and the drop-destination network device (PC), and an IP address of each network device's counterpart is specified as a destination. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for activating the instant messaging program at the dragged network device and the drop-destination network device and an instruction for specifying the IP address of each network device's counterpart as a destination.
The setting IP phone means that a computer program for IP phone is activated between the dragged network device (PC) and the drop-destination network device (PC), and an IP address of each network device's counterpart is specified as a destination. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for activating the IP phone program at the dragged network device and the drop-destination network device and an instruction for specifying the IP address of each network device's counterpart as a destination.
The setting file transmission means that a file is transferred from the dragged network device (PC) to the drop-destination network device (PC). In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for transferring a file from the dragged network device to the drop-destination network device.
According to the display instruction system in the first embodiment, the display instruction server 200 transmits a display screen on which icons representing network devices are arranged on a screen layout to the PC 700 to be displayed on the displaying device of the PC 700. When a drag-and-drop operation is performed by the operator on the PC 700 between icons representing a plurality of network devices, an instruction for executing a job-related process or a communication-related process between the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation is transmitted to the device management server 100 that manages the network devices that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation, and is then executed between the network devices. Therefore, load distribution among network devices can be achieved. Furthermore, the operator can easily recognize network devices and processes using the network devices.
In a display instruction system according to a second embodiment, icons representing users are further displayed on the display screen. With the icons representing the users also being subjected to a drag-and-drop operation, various processes are executed among the network devices for use by the users.
The presence management server 2600 is a server device that manages present states indicative of possible job types for each user. The display instruction server 2200 includes functions similar to those in the first embodiment, and further includes functions of transmitting a display screen on which icons representing users that use the network devices are displayed on the screen layout to the PC 700, and transmitting, when a drag-and-drop operation by the operator between the icons representing the users is received from the PC 700, an instruction for executing a predetermined process between the network devices for use by the users that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation to the network devices for use by the users that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation.
The position-information obtaining unit 201, the instruction receiving unit 203, the instruction transmitting unit 204, the display method DB 206, the device combination DB 207, and the HDD 208 are similar to those according to the first embodiment.
The display-screen transmitting unit 2202 is a processing unit that causes icons representing the network devices to be displayed at positions on the screen layout corresponding to placement locations, as in the first embodiment, and also generates a display screen on which icons representing users are displayed and transmits the display screen to the PC 700 for display. Moreover, the display-screen transmitting unit 2202 issues a presence request to the presence management server 2600, with names of the users specified, to perform a process of obtaining presences of the users from the presence management server 2600. The presence means a process type of job that can be used by the user, that is, a job type.
The presence combination DB 2207 is a database having job types corresponding to presences of two users registered therein.
Next, the presence management server 2600 is explained.
The presence receiving unit 2602 is a processing unit that receives a presence of a network device for use by a user from the network device and registers the presence with the presence DB 2603.
The presence transmitting unit 2601 is a processing unit that reads, upon reception of a user's presence request from the display instruction server 2200, the requested presence of the user from the presence DB 2603, and then transmits the read presence to the display instruction server 2200.
The presence DB 2603 is a database having presences of users registered thereon, and is stored in a storage medium, such as an HDD or memory.
As shown in
Next, an entire process of the display instruction system configured as explained above according to the present embodiment is explained.
Processes from steps S41 to S47 are performed in a similar manner to the processes from steps S1 to S17 in the first embodiment. When the display instruction server 2200 receives a display information request from the PC 700, a display and instruction process is executed (step S48). In the second embodiment, during this display and instruction process, to display the icons representing the users on the display screen, the display instruction server 200 requests the presence management server 2600 for presences of the users (step S49). In response, the display instruction server 200 obtains the presences of the users (step S50). Then, the display instruction server 200 generates a display screen including icons representing the users for transmission to the PC 700 (step S51). In the PC 700, the received display screen is displayed (step S52).
The subsequent processes from steps S53 to S58 are performed in a similar manner to those from steps S21 to S26 in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, a drag-and-drop operation can be performed on the icons representing the users on the display screen. A process when such an operation is performed is explained in details in the display and instruction process.
Next, details of the display and instruction process at step S48 are explained.
Upon reception of a display-information request from the PC 700, with placement locations specified, the display-screen transmitting unit 2202 transmits to the presence management server 2600 a request for presences of users to be displayed on the display screen (step S61).
Upon reception of the presences of the users from the presence management server 2600 (step S62), two sets of the received presences are selected, and presences overlapping between the selected two sets of presences are selected (step S63).
The display-screen transmitting unit 2202 then associates the selected overlapping presences with the presences of the two users as job types for registration in the presence combination DB 2207 (step S64).
Next, the display-screen transmitting unit 2202 generates a display screen displaying the network devices and the users, with users' presences and the display method DB 206 (step S65). At this time, a screen layout corresponding to the requested placement locations is read from the HDD 208, and also icon images are read based on the file names of the icon images set at the display method DB 206. Then, by arranging the icon images on the screen layout at the coordinate positions registered as position information of the display method DB, a display screen is generated.
Next, the display-screen transmitting unit 2202 transmits the generated display screen to the PC 700 (step S66). The PC 700 causes the display screen to be displayed. When the operator performs a drag-and-drop operation on an icon representing a network device or an icon representing a user on this display screen, the instruction receiving unit 203 of the display instruction server 200 checks the types of the icons that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation (step S67).
Then, when the icons that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation represent network devices, the process-selection instructing unit 205 refers to the device combination DB 207 to transmit to the PC 700 job types corresponding to the received two device names as a process selection instruction (step S68).
On the other hand, at step S67, when the icons that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation represent users, the presence combination DB 2207 is referred to, and job types corresponding to the presences of the received two users are transmitted to the PC 700 as a process selection instruction (step S69).
The instruction receiving unit 203 receives a specified job from the PC 700 (step S70), and the instruction transmitting unit 204 determines a process execution instruction according to the received job (step S71) and transmits the determined process execution instruction to the device management server 100 (step S72).
The setting IM transmission means that a computer program for instant messaging is activated between the network device corresponding to the dragged user, i.e., for use by the dragged user and the network device corresponding to the drop-destination user, and an IP address of a network device corresponding to the user counterpart is specified as a destination. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for activating the instant messaging program at the network devices corresponding to the dragged and drop-destination users and an instruction for specifying the IP address of each user counterpart as a destination.
The setting IP phone means that a computer program for IP phone is activated between the network device corresponding to the dragged user and the network device corresponding to the drop-destination user, and an IP address of a network device corresponding to the user counterpart is specified as a destination. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for activating the IP phone program at the network devices corresponding to the dragged and drop-destination users and an instruction for specifying the IP address of each user counterpart as a destination.
The setting cellular phone means that cellular phone communication between the network device corresponding to the dragged user and the network device corresponding to the drop-destination user is started. In this case, the process execution instruction to the device management server 100 determined by the instruction transmitting unit 204 includes an instruction for starting a call with a specified telephone number of the cellular phone corresponding to the drop-destination user from the dragged user.
According to the display instruction system in the second embodiment, the display instruction server 2200 transmits a display screen on which icons representing network devices and also icons representing users are arranged on a screen layout to the PC 700 to be displayed on the displaying device of the PC 700. When the operator performs on the PC 700 a drag-and-drop operation on icons representing a plurality of users, an instruction for executing a process regarding communications among network devices for use by the users that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation is transmitted to the device management server 100 that manages the network devices for use by the users that are subjected to the drag-and-drop operation, and is then executed among these network devices. Therefore, load distribution among network devices can be achieved. Furthermore, the operator can recognize network devices and processes using the network devices more easily.
The display instruction servers 200 and 2200, the position management server 400, the device management servers 100a and 100b, and the presence management server 2600 according to the first and second embodiments each has a hardware configuration using a normal computer, these servers each including: a control device, such as a CPU; a storage device, such as a Read Only Memory (ROM) or a Random Access Memory (RAM); an external storage device, such as an HDD or a Compact Disk (CD) drive; a displaying device; and an input device, such as a keyboard or a mouse.
An display instruction program to be executed on the display instruction server 200 according to the first and second embodiments are provided as being recorded as a file in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium, such as a Compact-Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), a flexible disk (FD), a Compact-Disk Recordable (CD-R), or a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD).
Moreover, the display instruction program to be executed on the display instruction server 200 according to the first and second embodiments can be configured to be stored on a computer connected to a network, such as the Internet, and downloaded via the network for provision. Furthermore, the display instruction program to be executed on the display instruction server 200 according to the first and second embodiments can be configured to be provided or distributed via a network, such as the Internet.
Moreover, the display instruction program to be executed on the display instruction server 200 according to the first and second embodiments can be configured to be provided as being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.
The display instruction program to be executed on the display instruction server 200 according to the first and second embodiments has a module configuration including each unit explained above (the position-information obtaining unit 201, the display-screen transmitting units 202 and 2202, the instruction receiving unit 203, the instruction transmitting unit 204, and the process-selection instructing unit 205). As actual hardware, the CPU (processor) reads the display instruction program from the recording medium for execution, thereby loading each unit onto a main storage device and generating the position-information obtaining unit 201, the display-screen transmitting units 202 and 2202, the instruction receiving unit 203, the instruction transmitting unit 204, and the process-selection instructing unit 205 on the main storage device.
Note that the present invention is not meant to be restricted to the embodiments as they are. In a practical stage, the components can be modified within a range not deviating from the gist of the present invention for implementation. Moreover, by appropriately combining the components disclosed in the embodiments, various embodiments of the present invention can be formed. For example, some components can be removed from all of the components disclosed in the embodiments. Furthermore, components of different embodiments can be combined as appropriate.
According to an aspect of the present invention, load distribution among network devices can be achieved, and the operator can easily recognize the network devices and processes using the network devices.
Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.
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Japanese Office Action mailed on Aug. 23, 2011 issued for JP Application No. 2007-064113, filed on Mar. 12, 2008. |
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20080229208 A1 | Sep 2008 | US |