Information processing apparatus, recording medium, and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10547495-B2
Application number	US-201715853606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

An information processing method includes: activating the SNMP module, and controlling an SNMP module to obtain device configuration information of an image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus by using SNMP-based-communication information stored in Queue Property Bag by means of SNMP-based communication via a communication interface, the SNMP-based-communication information being authentication information necessary for the SNMP-based communication, and to store the obtained device configuration information in the Queue Property Bag; and determining a function that the image forming apparatus is configured to execute on the basis of the device configuration information obtained and stored in the Queue Property Bag by the SNMP module, and generating a first customized UI supporting the determined function, the first customized UI being a customized UI of the V4 printer driver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:
a communication interface configured to execute a SNMP-based communication with an image forming apparatus via a network;
a memory that stores
a Queue Property Bag that stores the SNMP-based-communication information, the SNMP-based-communication information being authentication information necessary for the SNMP-based communication,
an SNMP module configured to execute the SNMP-based communication, and
a V4 printer driver including a printer extension module; and

a processor configured to execute the printer extension module and the SNMP module, wherein
when the processor executes the printer extension module, the processor operates as an SNMP manager configured to
activate the SNMP module, and
control the SNMP module to obtain device configuration information of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus by using the SNMP-based-communication information stored in the Queue Property Bag by means of the SNMP-based communication via the communication interface, and to store the obtained device configuration information in the Queue Property Bag, and

a first device configuration manager configured to
determine a function that the image forming apparatus is configured to execute on the basis of the device configuration information obtained and stored in the Queue Property Bag by the SNMP module, and
generate a first customized UI supporting the determined function, the first customized UI being a customized UI of the V4 printer driver.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the printer extension module includes an SNMP-based-communication configuration UI, the SNMP-based-communication configuration UI being a UI that is used to configure the SNMP-based-communication information, and
the SNMP manager is configured to store the SNMP-based-communication information input by using the SNMP-based-communication configuration UI in the Queue Property Bag.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the printer extension module includes an SNMP frequency configuration UI, the SNMP frequency configuration UI being a UI that is used to configure a frequency of executing the SNMP-based communication, and
the SNMP manager is configured to activate the SNMP module and control the SNMP module to obtain the device configuration information of the image forming apparatus at the frequency of executing the SNMP-based communication input by using the SNMP frequency configuration UI.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the printer extension module includes an SNMP immediate-execution UI, the SNMP immediate-execution UI being a UI that is used to immediately execute the SNMP-based communication, and
the SNMP manager is configured to detect an input in the SNMP immediate-execution UI, and then activate the SNMP module and control the SNMP module to obtain the device configuration information of the image forming apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the memory further stores a utility program configured to support the image forming apparatus, and
when the processor executes the utility program, the processor operates as
a second device configuration manager configured to
determine a function that the image forming apparatus is configured to execute on the basis of the device configuration information obtained and stored in the Queue Property Bag by the SNMP module, and
generate a second customized UI supporting the determined function, the second customized UI being a customized UI of the utility program.

6. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium, that stores a printer extension module of a V4 printer driver, the printer extension module causing a processor of an information processing apparatus to operate as:
an SNMP manager configured to
activate the SNMP module, and
control an SNMP module to obtain device configuration information of an image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus by using SNMP-based-communication information stored in Queue Property Bag by means of SNMP-based communication via a communication interface, the SNMP-based-communication information being authentication information necessary for the SNMP-based communication, and to store the obtained device configuration information in the Queue Property Bag; and

a first device configuration manager configured to
determine a function that the image forming apparatus is configured to execute on the basis of the device configuration information obtained and stored in the Queue Property Bag by the SNMP module, and
generate a first customized UI supporting the determined function, the first customized UI being a customized UI of the V4 printer driver.

7. The recording medium according to claim 6 , wherein
the printer extension module includes an SNMP-based-communication configuration UI, the SNMP-based-communication configuration UI being a UI that is used to configure the SNMP-based-communication information, and
the SNMP manager is configured to store the SNMP-based-communication information input by using the SNMP-based-communication configuration UI in the Queue Property Bag.

8. The recording medium according to claim 6 , wherein
the printer extension module includes an SNMP frequency configuration UI, the SNMP frequency configuration UI being a UI that is used to configure a frequency of executing the SNMP-based communication, and
the SNMP manager is configured to activate the SNMP module and control the SNMP module to obtain the device configuration information of the image forming apparatus at the frequency of executing the SNMP-based communication input by using the SNMP frequency configuration UI.

9. The recording medium according to claim 6 , wherein
the printer extension module includes an SNMP immediate-execution UI, the SNMP immediate-execution UI being a UI that is used to immediately execute the SNMP-based communication, and
the SNMP manager is configured to detect an input in the SNMP immediate-execution UI, and then activate the SNMP module and control the SNMP module to obtain the device configuration information of the image forming apparatus.

10. An information processing method, comprising:
activating the SNMP module, and controlling an SNMP module to obtain device configuration information of an image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus by using a SNMP-based-communication information stored in a Queue Property Bag by means of a SNMP-based communication via a communication interface, the SNMP-based-communication information being authentication information necessary for the SNMP-based communication, and to store the obtained device configuration information in the Queue Property Bag; and
determining a function that the image forming apparatus is configured to execute on the basis of the device configuration information obtained and stored in the Queue Property Bag by the SNMP module, and generating a first customized UI supporting the determined function, the first customized UI being a customized UI of a V4 printer driver.

11. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
storing the SNMP-based-communication information input by using an SNMP-based-communication configuration UI in the Queue Property Bag, the SNMP-based-communication configuration UI being a UI that is used to configure the SNMP-based-communication information.

12. The information processing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
activating the SNMP module and controlling the SNMP modul

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Manabe Hiroshi
• Siy Paul Michael Ong

Classifications

• H04L41/0213 Primary

  Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP] · CPC title

• H04L41/0853

  by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information · CPC title

• G06F3/1254

  Automatic configuration, e.g. by driver · CPC title

• G06F3/1204

  resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data · CPC title

• H04L41/0803

  Configuration setting · CPC title