Relay apparatus, communication apparatus, and control methods of relay apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9674379-B2
Application number	US-201113283436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2011
Priority date	Nov 4, 2010
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A relay apparatus to be connected through a network to a server apparatus configured to store image data and a communication apparatus configured to acquire the image data from the server and output an image based on the acquired image data, the relay apparatus includes: a first receiving unit configured to receive a request for acquiring location information from the communication apparatus; an acquiring unit configured to acquire the location information for acquiring the image data from the server apparatus upon receipt of the request; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the acquired location information to the communication apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a relay apparatus, which is configured to be connected through a network to a server apparatus that is configured to store original image data and thumbnail image data, and an image processing apparatus that is configured to acquire the image data from the server apparatus and print an image based on the acquired image data, causes the relay apparatus to execute:
receiving a request from the image processing apparatus through the network;
if the request received from the image processing apparatus through the network corresponds to a first request, acquiring plural pieces of the location information for acquiring the thumbnail image data from the server apparatus through the network and electronic file identification information for identifying an electronic file corresponding to the original image data from the server apparatus through the network, each piece of the location information corresponding to each of a plurality of thumbnail images having different sizes;
selecting, from the plural pieces of the acquired location information at the relay apparatus, one piece of the location information for acquiring the thumbnail image data having a data size appropriate for being output by the image processing apparatus,
associating the selected located information with the electronic file identification information and transmitting the selected location information and the electronic file identification information from the relay apparatus to the image processing apparatus through the network, the electronic file identification information identifying, on the server apparatus, original image data corresponding to the thumbnail image corresponding to the selected location information;
receiving, from the image processing apparatus through the network, data size identification information for identifying the data size appropriate for being output by the image processing apparatus communication apparatus;
storing the received data size identification information;
if the request received from the image processing apparatus through the network corresponds to a second request received after the first request and includes the electronic file identification information, acquiring electronic file location information for acquiring the electronic file from the server apparatus through the network, the second request being for acquiring the electronic file location information of the electronic file identified by the electronic file identification information included in the request; and
transmitting the acquired electronic file location information to the image processing apparatus through the network,
wherein selecting the one piece of location information for acquiring the thumbnail image data having the data size appropriate for being output by the image processing apparatus is based on the received data size identification information at the relay apparatus.

2. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the computer program further causes the relay apparatus to execute:
identifying an image data size identified by the data size identification information; and
determining whether the identified image data size matches a size of the thumbnail image data identified by the location information,
selecting the location information so that the identified image data matches the size of the identified thumbnail image data.

3. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the computer program further causes the relay apparatus to execute:
identifying an image data size identified by the data size identification information,
wherein selecting the location information for acquiring the thumbnail image data is based on a closest data size to the identified image data size.

4. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 3 , wherein
the data size of the thumbnail image data acquired based on the selected location information is larger than the identified image data size.

5. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the computer program further causes the relay apparatus to execute:
acquiring the location information for acquiring the thumbnail image data having the data size which can be output by the image processing apparatus is based on the stored size identification information.

6. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein:
the data size identification information includes a model name of the image processing apparatus; and
the one piece of the location information is selected based on the model name of the image processing apparatus included in the data size identification information.

7. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 6 , wherein:
a memory of the relay apparatus stores the model name of the image processing apparatus and the appropriate data size, wherein the stored model name of the image processing apparatus and the appropriate data size are associated with each other; and
wherein selecting the one piece of location information further comprises:
identifying the appropriate data size, which is stored in the memory and associated with the model name included in the data size identification information received from the image processing apparatus; and
selecting the location information for acquiring the thumbnail image data having the data size appropriate for being output by the image processing apparatus.

8. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 1 , wherein the computer program, when executed by the relay apparatus, causes the relay apparatus to execute:
transmitting a file list request to the server apparatus through the network to acquire the plural pieces of the location information and the electronic file identification information.

9. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 8 , wherein the file list request includes search condition information which is information on search condition based on which the server apparatus searches for the electronic file.

10. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a computer program, when executed by a computer of a relay apparatus configured to communicate, through a network, with an image processing apparatus including a printing unit, a first server apparatus providing a first service and a second server apparatus providing a second service, the relay apparatus storing a first program for accessing to the first server apparatus and using the first service and a second program for accessing to the second server apparatus and using the second service, causing the relay apparatus to execute:
a receiving instruction of receiving, from the image processing apparatus through the network, a first location information acquisition request and service identification information indicative of one of the first service and the second service;
an acquiring instruction of acquiring location information of first thumbnail data from the first server apparatus through the network according to the first program when the received service identification information identifies the first service, and acquiring location information of second thumbnail data from the second server apparatus according to the second program when the received service identification information identifies the second service;
a transmitting instruction of transmitting the acquired location information from the relay apparatus to the image processing apparatus through the

Assignees

• Nogawa Hideki
• Miyazawa Masafumi
• Shimada Yusuke
• Nagasaki Takeshi
• Watanabe Satoshi
• Ito Katsuaki
• Banno Hirokazu
• Yamamoto Kazutaka
• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nogawa Hideki
• Miyazawa Masafumi
• Shimada Yusuke
• Nagasaki Takeshi
• Watanabe Satoshi
• Ito Katsuaki
• Banno Hirokazu
• Yamamoto Kazutaka

Classifications

• H04N1/00464

  using browsers, i.e. interfaces based on mark-up languages · CPC title

• H04N1/0023

  Image pull arrangements, e.g. to a multifunctional peripheral from a networked computer · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

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

• H04N1/00244 Primary

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

• H04N2201/0039

  Connection via a network · CPC title