Remote maintenance system for image processing apparatus, capable of reducing user's time and effort, communication establishment method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018332182-A1
Application number	US-201815969145-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 2, 2018
Priority date	May 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A remote maintenance system capable of reducing user's time and effort required to establish communication between an image processing apparatus and an operator terminal. An operator terminal performs remote maintenance communication with an image processing apparatus via a relay server, for performing a maintenance operation of the image processing apparatus. A connection request for connecting to an operator terminal is received from an image processing apparatus, and the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus and the operator terminal is established based on the connection request. When the connection request is received, an operator terminal that has not established the remote maintenance communication is assigned to an image processing apparatus that has sent the connection request, and the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the connection request and the assigned operator terminal is established.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A remote maintenance system for an image processing apparatus, in which an operator terminal performs remote maintenance communication with an image processing apparatus via a relay server, for performing a maintenance operation of the image processing apparatus, comprising:
at least one memory device that stores a set of instructions; and at least one processor that executes the set of instructions to: receive a connection request from the image processing apparatus, for connecting to the operator terminal, establish the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus and the operator terminal based on the connection request, assign, in a case where the connection request is received, an operator terminal that has not established the remote maintenance communication to an image processing apparatus that has sent the connection request, and establish the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the connection request and the assigned operator terminal.

2 . The remote maintenance system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage area which can be accessed from both of the image processing apparatus having sent the connection request and the assigned operator terminal, and
wherein data is transmitted and received via the storage area in the remote maintenance communication.

3 . The remote maintenance system according to claim 2 , wherein the remote maintenance system includes a plurality of storage areas,
wherein the at least one processor further executes instructions to: queue the connection request received from the image processing apparatus when all of the storage areas are in use, and establish, in a case where any of the storage areas is released, the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the queued connection request and the assigned operator terminal, and wherein data is transmitted and received via the released storage area in the remote maintenance communication.

4 . The remote maintenance system according to claim 3 , wherein the remote maintenance system includes a plurality of operator terminals,
wherein the at least one processor further executes instructions to: queue a connection request received from the image processing apparatus when all of the operator terminals have established the remote maintenance communication, and establish, when any of the plurality of operator terminals has disconnected the remote maintenance communication, the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the queued connection request and the operator terminal having disconnected the remote maintenance communication.

5 . A communication establishment method of establishing remote maintenance communication for an operator terminal to perform a maintenance operation of an image processing apparatus via a relay server, comprising:
receiving a connection request from the image processing apparatus, for connecting to the operator terminal; and establishing the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus and the operator terminal based on the connection request, wherein said establishing the remote maintenance communication includes assigning, in a case where the connection request is received, an operator terminal that has not established the remote maintenance communication to an image processing apparatus that has sent the connection request, and establishing the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the connection request and the assigned operator terminal.

6 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for executing a communication establishment method of establishing remote maintenance communication for an operator terminal to perform a maintenance operation of an image processing apparatus via a relay server,
wherein the method comprises: receiving a connection request from the image processing apparatus, for connecting to the operator terminal; and establishing the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus and the operator terminal based on the connection request, wherein said establishing the remote maintenance communication includes assigning, in a case where the connection request is received, an operator terminal that has not established the remote maintenance communication to an image processing apparatus that has sent the connection request, and establishing the remote maintenance communication between the image processing apparatus having sent the connection request and the assigned operator terminal.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Fukasawa Nobuaki

Classifications

• H04N2201/0094

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

• H04N1/32358

  using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter (H04N1/17 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00244

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title

• H04N2201/0041

  Point to point (H04N2201/0039 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/32771

  in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document · CPC title