Information processing device, data transmission method, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018349080-A1
Application number	US-201815991555-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2017
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An information processing device is provided together with other information processing devices in a network and is capable of communicating with a server, and includes: a data communicator that transmits a predetermined kind of information about the respective other information processing devices to the server when the information processing device is in a first mode, and transmits the predetermined kind of information about the information processing device to a device functioning in the first mode when the information processing device is in a second mode; an acquisitor that acquires load information; a determiner that determines a smallest load device; a mode setter that performs a mode setting process to realize a state where in the device determined to be the smallest load device is in the first mode, and the other devices are in the second mode; and a mode notifier that notifies the other information processing devices of the state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An information processing device that is provided together with a plurality of other information processing devices in a network and is capable of communicating with a server,
the information processing device comprising: a data communicator that transmits a predetermined kind of information about the respective other information processing devices to the server when the information processing device is in a first mode, and transmits the predetermined kind of information about the information processing device to a device functioning in the first mode among the other information processing devices when the information processing device is in a second mode; an acquisitor that acquires load information about a load of each of the other information processing devices; a determiner that determines a smallest load device that is the device having the smallest load among the other information processing devices and the information processing device, in accordance with the acquired load information and the load information about the information processing device; a mode setter that performs a mode setting process to realize a state where the device determined to be the smallest load device is in the first mode, and the other devices are in the second mode, among the other information processing devices and the information processing device; and a mode notifier that notifies the other information processing devices of the state.

2 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first mode is a master mode, and the second mode is a slave mode.

3 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the server is provided outside the network.

4 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , which has a function to execute a job.

5 . The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the job is a job of performing image formation.

6 . The information processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the job is one of a job of reading and printing a document, a job of reading a document and transmitting the read document as image data to another device, and a job of receiving image data from another device and printing an image.

7 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined kind of information includes at least one piece of hardware-related information and expendable-related information.

8 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the load information is calculated in accordance with contents of a job being executed or scheduled to be executed.

9 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein,
when the information processing device is in the first mode in a first period, and the information processing device remains in the first mode in a second period later than the first period, the data communicator transmits the predetermined kind of information about each of the other information processing devices to the server in the second period, and, when the information processing device is in the first mode in the first period, and the information processing device is put into the second mode in the second period, the data communicator transmits the predetermined kind of information about the information processing device to a device newly put into the first mode among the other information processing devices in the second period.

10 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the information processing device is in the second mode in a first period, and the information processing device is put into the first mode in a second period later than the first period, the data communicator transmits the predetermined kind of information about the information processing device and the predetermined kind of information about each of the other information processing devices to the server in the second period.

11 . The information processing device according to claim 9 , wherein, when the information processing device is in the first mode in the first period, and the information processing device is put into the second mode in the second period, the mode notifier sends data for identifying a device to be newly put into the first mode among the other information processing devices to devices other than the device newly put into the first mode before the second period.

12 . The information processing device according to claim 9 , wherein the second period is a period that follows the first period.

13 . The information processing device according to claim 11 , further comprising
a storage that stores authentication information for logging in to the server, wherein, when the information processing device is in the first mode in the first period, and the information processing device is put into the second mode in the second period, the mode notifier transmits the authentication information to a device newly put into the first mode among the other information processing devices before the second period, and the data communicator transmits the predetermined kind of information to the server after logging in to the server using the authentication information.

14 . The information processing device according to claim 13 , further comprising
a deleter that deletes the authentication information stored in the storage, after the authentication information is transmitted.

15 . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the load information is calculated in accordance with a history of executed print jobs.

16 . The information processing device according to claim 9 , wherein,
when the information processing device is in the first mode in the first period, the acquisitor acquires the load information about each of the other information processing devices in the first period, and the information processing device further comprises a determination part that determines before the second period into which one of the first mode and the second mode the information processing device is to be put in the second period, in accordance with the load information received from each of the other information processing devices and the load information about the information processing device.

17 . The information processing device according to claim 16 , wherein, when the information processing device is put into the second mode in the second period, the data communicator transmits the load information about the information processing device to a device newly put into the first mode among the other information processing devices.

18 . The information processing device according to claim 17 , wherein
the acquisitor acquires the load information about each of the other information processing devices by issuing a request at a predetermined timing, when the load indicated by the load information about the information processing to device exceeds a predetermined magnitude, the data communicator transmits the load information about the information processing device to the device newly put into the first mode without waiting for a request from the device newly put into the first mode among the other information processing devices, and, when the load indicated by the load information about information processing device does not exceed the predetermined magnitude, the data communicator transmits the load information about the information processing device after the request is issued.

19 . A mode setting method implemented in an infor

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Oikawa Takashi

Classifications

• G06F3/1203

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• H04N1/00228

  Image push arrangements, e.g. from an image reading device to a specific network destination (push-based network services H04L67/55) · CPC title

• G06F3/1286

  via local network · CPC title

• G06F9/5083

  Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system · CPC title

• G06F3/1291 Primary

  Pool of printer devices: self-managing printing devices in a network, e.g. without a server · CPC title