Image processing device, image processing system and non-transitory readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10122879-B2
Application number	US-201615375122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2016
Priority date	Dec 10, 2015
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

An image processing device that communicates with a first server and a second server includes a main controller and a power controller. The main controller establishes a connection that enables communication with the first and second servers, establishes a periodic communication with the first and second servers to maintain the connection, manages a first time interval between the periodic communication with the first server, manages a second time interval between the periodic communication with the second server, and changes one or both of the first time interval and the second time interval. The power controller stops and starts power supply to the main controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing device that communicates with a first server and a second server, the image processing device comprising:
a main controller that:
establishes a connection that enables communication with the first server, and establishes a periodic communication with the first server to maintain the connection,
establishes a connection that enables communication with the second server, and establishes a periodic communication with the second server to maintain the connection,
manages a first time interval between the periodic communication with the first server, and
manages a second time interval between the periodic communication with the second server; and

a power controller that:
stops power supply to the main controller if a predetermined condition is met, and
starts the power supply to the main controller based on the first time interval and the second time interval,

wherein the main controller changes one or both of the first time interval and the second time interval, and synchronizes a timing at which the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the first server and a timing at which the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the second server to enable the main controller to establish the periodic communication with the first and second servers at the same timing when the first time interval differs from the second time interval.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the main controller matches the first time interval with the second time interval when the first time interval is shorter than the second time interval.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2 , wherein
the main controller decreases the first time interval and the second time interval if an error notice is received by the main controller when the power supply to the main controller is restarted based on the first time interval and the second time interval, and
the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the respective first and second servers after the first time interval is matched with the second time interval.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the main controller matches the second time interval with the first time interval when the second time interval is longer than the first time interval.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4 , wherein
the main controller extends the first time interval and the second time interval if a time change request is received by the main controller from the second server when the power supply to the main controller is restarted based on the first time interval and the second time interval, and
the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the first and second servers after the second time interval is matched with the first time interval.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the main controller matches another time interval with one of the first and second time intervals if one of the first or second time interval is not allowed to change.

7. The image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the main controller changes one of the first or second time interval to N times or one-Nth times another time interval when the first time interval and the second time interval are not allowed to match each other.

8. An image processing system comprising:
a first server;
a second server; and
an image processing device that communicates with the first server and the second server, wherein
each of the first and second servers includes:
a communication controller that establishes a connection that enables communication with the image processing device in response to a connection request from the image processing device and maintains the connection with the image processing device by receiving a periodic communication from the image processing device, and terminates the connection if a predetermined period of time has elapsed without receiving the periodic communication from the image processing device,

the image processing device includes:
a main controller that:
establishes a connection that enables the communication with the first server by sending a connection request to the first server, and establishes the periodic communication with the first server to maintain the connection,
establishes a connection that enables the communication with the second server by sending a connection request to the second server, and establishes the periodic communication with the second server to maintain the connection,
manages a first time interval between the periodic communication with the first server, and
manages a second time interval between the periodic communication with the second server; and

a power controller that stops power supply to the main controller if a predetermined condition is met, and restarts the power supply to the main controller based on the first time interval and the second time interval, and

the main controller changes one or both of the first time interval and the second time interval and synchronizes a timing at which the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the first server and a timing at which the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the second server to enable the main controller to establish the periodic communication with the first and second servers at the same timing when the first time interval differs from the second time interval.

9. The image processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the main controller matches the first time interval with the second time interval when the first time interval is shorter than the second time interval.

10. The image processing system according to claim 9 , wherein each of the communication controllers of the first and second servers:
sends an error notice when the periodic communication is received from the image processing device after the connection with the image processing device is terminated,
and decreases the first time interval and the second time interval if the error notice is received by the main controller of the image processing device when the power supply to the main controller is restarted based on the first time interval and the second time interval, and
wherein the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the first and second servers after the first time interval is matched with the second time interval.

11. The image processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the main controller matches the second time interval with the first time interval when the second time interval is longer than the first time interval.

12. The image processing system according to claim 11 , wherein the communication controller of the second server sends a time change request to the image processing device to change the time interval between the periodic communication if a value of the interval from a receipt of the previous periodic communication to the receipt of the current periodic communication exceeds a predetermined minimum value when the periodic communication is received from the image processing device before the predetermined period of time has elapsed, and
the main controller of the image processing device extends the first time interval and the second time interval if the time change request is received by the main controller from the second server when the power supply to the main controller is restarted based on the first time interval and the second time interval and the main controller establishes the periodic communication with the first and second servers after the second time interval is matched

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Anezaki Kazuya
• Ohshima Atsushi
• Matsuhara Kenji
• Masuda Satoshi
• Sakiyama Daisuke
• Maekawa Takeshi
• Harada Hironori

Classifications

• H04N1/33384

  according to transient characteristics or state · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N1/00891 Primary

  Switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use (H04N1/00896 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/32765

  Initiating a communication · CPC title

• H04N1/32625

  Fault detection · CPC title