INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD FOR INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

The address of an image processing apparatus is set as the network address of an external network of an information processing apparatus, a network address different from the address of the image processing apparatus is set as the network address of a local network, and an address different from these network addresses is distributed to another information processing apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a network environment that uses an extended image processing system according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the extended image processing system as the combination of an image processing apparatus and extended control apparatuses according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware arrangement of a controller apparatus of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the software module configuration of the controller apparatus of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a basic dialog displayed on a display unit of an operation unit of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware arrangement of one extended control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the software module configuration of the extended control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware arrangement of the other extended control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the software module configuration of the extended control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a chart showing an example of a local address request sequence according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence in the image processing apparatus upon settlement of the local addresses according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence of a packet controller of the extended control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence of a local address distribution module which runs on the extended control apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing an example of the packet header of a configurator protocol.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing the structure of a data part of the packet in the configurator protocol.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a network environment that uses a conventional extended image processing system.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing another example of a network environment that uses a conventional extended image processing system.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising: a first network interface adapted to connect the image processing apparatus via a network;a second network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus via a network;a first setting unit adapted to set a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of said second network interface;a second setting unit adapted to set a network address different from the network address set by said first setting unit as a network address of said first network interface;a first determining unit adapted to determine a network address different from the network address set by said first setting unit and the network address set by said second setting unit as a network address of the other information processing apparatus based on the network address set by said first setting unit and the network address set by said second setting unit; anda transmitting unit adapted to transmit the network address determined by said first determining unit to the other information processing apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit adapted to receive an ARP request packet transmitted from the image processing apparatus, wherein said first setting unit sets a source network address of the ARP request packet as the network address of said second network interface.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting unit transmits the network address determined by said first determining unit to the other information processing apparatus in response to a request from the other information processing apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a query unit adapted to send a query about a network address to be set in said first network interface to the image processing apparatus; anda second determining unit adapted to determine, when a response to the query sent from said query unit is not received, a network address different from the network address set by said first setting unit,wherein said second setting unit sets the network address determined by said second determining unit as the network address of said first network interface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit adapted to store a plurality of network address candidates to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus, wherein said first determining unit determines a network address different from the network address set by said first setting unit and the network address set by said second setting unit as a network address of the other information processing apparatus from the plurality of network address candidates stored in said storage unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer, and said information processing apparatus is an apparatus that provides one of a secure print function and an e-mail print function.

7. An information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising: a network interface adapted to connect the image processing apparatus and other information processing apparatus via a network;a first setting unit adapted to set a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of said network interface;a second setting unit adapted to set a network address different from the network address set by said first setting unit as a network address of said network interface;a first determining unit adapted to determine a network address different from the network address set by said first setting unit and the network address set by said second setting unit as a network address of the other information processing apparatus based on the network address set by said first setting unit and the network address set by said second setting unit; anda transmitting unit adapted to transmit the network address determined by said first determining unit to the other information processing apparatus.

8. An information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising: a first network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus, which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a first network, via a second network different from the first network;a second network interface adapted to connect a third network different from the first network and the second network;a first setting unit adapted to set a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of said second network interface;a receiving unit adapted to receive a network address different from a network address set in the other information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; anda second setting unit adapted to set the network address received by said receiving unit as a network address of said first network interface.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer, and said information processing apparatus is an apparatus that provides one of a secure print function and an e-mail print function.

10. An information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising: a first network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus, which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a first network, via a second network different from the first network;a second network interface adapted to connect a third network different from the first network and the second network;a first setting unit adapted to set a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of said second network interface;a receiving unit adapted to receive a network address different from a network address set in the other information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; anda second setting unit adapted to set a network address different from the network address received by said receiving unit as a network address of said first network interface.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer, and said information processing apparatus is an apparatus that provides one of a secure print function and an e-mail print function.

12. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said method comprising: a first setting step of setting a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of a second network interface out of a first network interface adapted to connect the image processing apparatus via a network, and the second network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus via a network;a second setting step of setting a network address different from the network address set in the first setting step as a network address of the first network interface;a first determining step of determining a network address different from the network address set in the first setting step and the network address set in the second setting step as a network address of the other information processing apparatus based on the network address set in the first setting step and the network address set in the second setting step; anda transmitting step of transmitting the network address determined in the first determining step to the other information processing apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising a receiving step of receiving an ARP request packet transmitted from the image processing apparatus, and in the first setting step, a source network address of the ARP request packet is set as the network address of the second network interface.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the transmitting step, the network address determined in the first determining step is transmitted to the other information processing apparatus in response to a request from the other information processing apparatus.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: a query step of sending a query about a network address to be set in the first network interface to the image processing apparatus; anda second determining step of determining, when a response to the query is not received, a network address different from the network address set in the first setting step,wherein in the second setting step, the network address determined in the second determining step is set as the network address of the first network interface.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the first determining step, a network address different from the network address set by the first setting step and the network address set by the second setting step is determined as a network address of the other information processing apparatus from plurality of network address candidates stored in a storage unit adapted to store a plurality of network address candidates to be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus.

17. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said method comprising: a first setting step of setting a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of a second network interface out of a first network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus, which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a first network, via a second network different from the first network, and the second network interface adapted to connect a third network different from the first network and the second network;a receiving step of receiving a network address different from a network address set in the other information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; anda second setting step of setting the network address received in the receiving step as a network address of the first network interface.

18. A method of controlling an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said method comprising: a first setting step of setting a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of a second network interface out of a first network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus, which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a first network, via a second network different from the first network, and the second network interface adapted to connect a third network different from the first network and the second network;a receiving step of receiving a network address different from a network address set in the other information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; anda second setting step of setting a network address different from the network address received in the receiving step as a network address of the first network interface.

19. A computer-executable program which implements a method of controlling an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said program being comprising: a first setting step of setting a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of a second network interface out of a first network interface adapted to connect the image processing apparatus via a network, and the second network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus via a network;a second setting step of setting a network address different from the network address set in the first setting step as a network address of the first network interface;a first determining step of determining a network address different from the network address set in the first setting step and the network address set in the second setting step as a network address of the other information processing apparatus based on the network address set in the first setting step and the network address set in the second setting step; anda transmitting step of transmitting the network address determined in the first determining step to the other information processing apparatus.

20. A computer-executable program which implements a method of controlling an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said program being comprising: first setting step of setting a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of a second network interface out of a first network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus, which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a first network, via a second network different from the first network, and the second network interface adapted to connect a third network different from the first network and the second network;receiving step of receiving a network address different from a network address set in the other information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; andsecond setting step of setting the network address received in the receiving step as a network address of the first network interface.

21. A computer-executable program which implements a method of controlling an information processing apparatus which can communicate with an image processing apparatus, said program being comprising: first setting step of setting a network address of the image processing apparatus as a network address of a second network interface out of a first network interface adapted to connect other information processing apparatus, which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a first network, via a second network different from the first network, and the second network interface adapted to connect a third network different from the first network and the second network;receiving step of receiving a network address different from a network address set in the other information processing apparatus from the other information processing apparatus; andsecond setting step of setting a network address different from the network address received in the receiving step as a network address of the first network interface.