Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575547-B2
Application number	US-201314141535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2013
Priority date	Jan 11, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a power mode information storage unit that stores power mode information indicating whether a power mode of an electronic apparatus is a first power mode in which at least a first communication unit is operable or a second power mode in which the first communication unit is not operable and a second communication unit is operable; an update unit that updates the power mode information; a determination unit that refers to the power mode information and determines the power mode; a first acquisition unit that, if the power mode is the first power mode, obtains state information from the electronic apparatus via the first communication unit; a state information storage unit that stores the state information; and a second acquisition unit that, if the power mode is the second power mode, obtains the state information from the state information storage unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to,
store power mode information indicating whether a power mode of an electronic apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit is a first power mode in which at least the first communication unit is operable or a second power mode in which the first communication unit is not operable and the second communication unit is operable, and
store state information, the state information indicating whether the electronic apparatus is in a state capable of selected processing; and

a controller configured to,
update the power mode information based on a shift notification about the power mode of the electronic apparatus upon receiving the shift notification from an external device,
refer to the power mode information and determine whether the power mode is the first power mode or the second power mode,
obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus via the first communication unit if the power mode is the first power mode, and
obtain the state information from the memory if the power mode is the second power mode until receiving a notification indicating that the power mode has changed to the first power mode.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to,
determine whether the power mode is the first power mode or the second power mode based on an event of obtaining the state information; and
obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus via the first communication unit if the power mode is the first power mode and store the state information in the memory.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus via the first communication unit if the shift notification is a notification of a shift to the second power mode and store the state information in the memory.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second communication unit is configured to consume less power than the first communication unit.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to,
store the state information based on the shift notification,
send an information request to the electronic apparatus, and
obtain the state information indicating a shift from the first power mode to the second power mode, the controller configured to store the state information during the shift from the first power mode to the second power mode.

6. An information processing system comprising:
at least one information processing apparatus; and
an electronic apparatus including a first communication unit and a second communication unit, wherein
the at least one information processing apparatus includes,
a memory configured to,
store power mode information indicating whether a power mode of the electronic apparatus is a first power mode in which at least the first communication unit is operable or a second power mode in which the first communication unit is not operable and the second communication unit is operable, and
store state information, the state information indicating whether the electronic apparatus is in a state capable of selected processing; and
a controller configured to,
update the power mode information based on a shift notification about the power mode of the electronic apparatus upon receiving the shift notification from an external device,
refer to the power mode information and determine whether the power mode is the first power mode or the second power mode,
obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus via the first communication unit if the power mode is the first power mode, and
obtain the state information from the state information storage unit if the power mode is the second power until receiving a notification indicating that the power mode has changed to the first power mode, and

the electronic apparatus issues the shift notification when shifting the power mode.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to,
determine whether the power mode is the first power mode or the second power mode based on an event of obtaining the state information; and
obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus via the first communication unit if the power mode is the first power mode and store the state information in the memory.

8. The information processing system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a plurality of information processing apparatuses including the at least one information processing apparatus, wherein
the electronic apparatus is configured to issue the shift notification to the plurality of information processing apparatuses.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8 , wherein if the at least one information processing returns from a state in which the at least one information processing apparatus is not able to obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus to a state in which the at least one information processing apparatus is able to obtain the state information, the controller is configured to obtain the state information from another information processing apparatus and store the state information in the memory.

10. The information processing system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a plurality of the information processing apparatuses including the at least one information processing apparatus; and
a remote control apparatus, wherein
the electronic apparatus is configured to issue the shift notification to the remote control apparatus, and
the remote control apparatus is configured to issue the shift notification to the plurality of information processing apparatuses.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10 , wherein if the at least one information processing apparatuses returns from a state in which the at least one information processing apparatus is not able to obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus to a state in which the at least one information processing apparatus is able to obtain the state information, the controller is configured to obtain the state information from another information processing apparatus and store the state information in the memory.

12. The information processing system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a remote control apparatus, wherein
when the at least one information processing apparatus returns from a state in which the at least one information processing apparatus is not able to obtain the state information from the electronic apparatus to a state in which the at least one information processing apparatus is able to obtain the state information, the controller is configured to send a shift instruction to the remote control apparatus, the shift instruction instructing the electronic apparatus to shift from the second power mode to the first power mode to,
the remote control apparatus transmits the shift instruction to the electronic apparatus,
the electronic apparatus shifts the power mode from the second power mode to the first power mode based on the shift instruction, and issues the notification of the shift to the first power mode;
the controller updates the power mode information so that the power mode information indicates the first power mode, based on the notification of the shift to the first power mode;
the controller refers to the power mode information and determines that the power mode is the first power mode; and
if the power mode is the first power mode, the

Assignees

• Nagasawa Yuichi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagasawa Yuichi

Classifications

• G06F3/1221

  with regard to power consumption · CPC title

• Y02B60/1271

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F3/1285

  Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title