Cooperative system, information processing apparatus, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9712694-B2
Application number	US-201615061672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 20, 2015
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An operation unit in a child device causes a main unit in the child device to execute a stand-alone job, and causes the main unit and a server device to execute a cooperating job. The main unit executes the stand-alone job every time it is requested, and generates and manages a stand-alone job log including stand-alone job log identification information. The server device controls the execution of stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job based on a request for executing the cooperating job, and manages cooperating job identification information associated with the stand-alone job log identification information of the stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job. The server device acquires the stand-alone job logs from the main unit and extracts the stand-alone job logs including the stand-alone job log identification information associated with the cooperating job identification information, to generate a cooperating job log corresponding to the cooperating job.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooperative system comprising:
at least one device that includes at least one first processor and at least one second processor, the at least one second processor configured to establish external communications; and
an information processing apparatus including at least one third processor, wherein
the at least one first processor is configured to cause the at least one second processor and the information processing apparatus to execute a cooperating job cooperatively, the cooperating job including a plurality of stand-alone jobs, and
the at least one second processor is configured to
execute at least one of the plurality of stand-alone jobs when at least one of the at least one first processor and the information processing apparatus requests execution of the one of the plurality of stand-alone jobs; and
generate and manage a first stand-alone job log for each executed stand-alone job, the first stand-alone job log is a log of the respective stand-alone job and that includes stand-alone job log identification information for identifying the first stand-alone job log,

the at least one third processor is configured to,
store the first stand-alone job logs;
control execution of the plurality of stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job, based on a request for executing the cooperating job from the at least one first processor;
manage cooperating job identification information for identifying the cooperating job in an association with the stand-alone job log identification information of the plurality of stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job; and
acquire second stand-alone job logs from the at least one second processor and extract the first stand-alone job logs including the stand-alone job log identification information associated with the cooperating job identification information to generate a cooperating job log that is a log of the cooperating job based on the acquired second stand-alone job logs and the extracted first stand-alone job logs,
wherein the at least one third processor is configured to request the at least one second processor to execute at least one of the plurality of stand-alone jobs in the cooperating job and to request the information processing apparatus to execute at least another one of the plurality of stand-alone jobs in the cooperating job.

2. The cooperative system according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one device includes a plurality of devices, and
the at least one third processor is configured to request the at least one second processor to execute the plurality of stand-alone jobs according to the stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job.

3. The cooperative system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one third processor is configured to generate and output the cooperating job log based on a cooperating job log output request.

4. The cooperative system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one third processor is configured to generate the cooperating job log subsequently to the execution of the cooperating job.

5. The cooperative system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first processor and the information processing apparatus are connected over a network.

6. The cooperative system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first processor and the at least one second processor are internally connected, and the at least one second processor and the information processing apparatus are connected over a network.

7. An information processing apparatus that is connected to at least one device over a network, the at least one device including at least one first processor and at least one second processor, the information processing apparatus comprising:
at least one third processor configured to,
control execution of a cooperating job including a plurality of first stand-alone jobs based on a request for causing the at least one second processor and the information processing apparatus to execute the cooperating job, the request being received from the at least one first processor, the at least one third processor further configured to cause the at least one second processor to execute at least one of the plurality of first stand-alone jobs,

manage cooperating job identification information for identifying the cooperating job in an association with first stand-alone job log identification information of the first stand-alone jobs included in the cooperating job, among second stand-alone job log identification information of respective first and second stand-alone job logs managed by the at least one second processor every time execution of one of the first stand-alone jobs is requested by at least one of the at least one first processor and the information processing apparatus, and
acquire third stand-alone job logs from the at least one first processor and extract the first stand-alone job logs including the first stand-alone job log identification information associated with the cooperating job identification information to generate a cooperating job log that is a log of the cooperating job based on the acquired third stand-alone job logs and the extracted first stand-alone job logs,
wherein the at least one third processor is configured to request the at least one second processor to execute at least one of the plurality of first stand-alone jobs in the cooperating job and to request the information processing apparatus to execute at least another one of the plurality of first stand-alone jobs in the cooperating job.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the at least one device includes a plurality of devices and the information processing apparatus is connected to the plurality of the devices over the network, and
the at least one third processor is configured to request the at least one second processors to execute the first stand-alone jobs.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one third processor is configured to generate and output the cooperating job log in response to a cooperating job log output request.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the cooperating job log is a log that is based on the cooperating job log output request.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the cooperating job log output request includes intended use information representing intended use of the cooperating job log, and
the cooperating job log is a log that is based on intended use specified in the intended use information.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein when the intended use information indicates checking for usage, the at least one third processor generate the cooperating job log using the first stand-alone job logs and the third stand-alone job logs.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein when the intended use information indicates checking for processing load, the at least one third processor sorts the extracted first stand-alone job logs based on from where the first stand-alone job logs are extracted to generate the cooperating job log.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one third processor is configured to output a structure screen presenting how the extracted first stand-alone job logs are structured, and generate the cooperating job log using first stand-alone job logs selected on the structure screen.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the structure screen is a screen presenti

Assignees

• Sasaki Tohru
• Saitoh Hirohisa
• Watanabe Mie
• Watanabe Shunsuke
• Konno Yuka
• Toriumi Takashi
• Tsukioka Yasunori
• Tanaka Katsumi
• Sakuyama Hiroyuki
• Okazato Atsushi
• Maemura Koichiro
• Ishii Yukinori
• Kuroyanagi Tomohiro
• Kittaka Fumiyoshi
• Sasaki Makoto
• Aoki Junki
• Mori Takuya
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Tohru
• Saitoh Hirohisa
• Watanabe Mie
• Watanabe Shunsuke
• Konno Yuka
• Toriumi Takashi
• Tsukioka Yasunori
• Tanaka Katsumi
• Sakuyama Hiroyuki
• Okazato Atsushi
• Maemura Koichiro
• Ishii Yukinori
• Kuroyanagi Tomohiro
• Kittaka Fumiyoshi
• Sasaki Makoto
• Aoki Junki
• Mori Takuya

Classifications

• H04N2201/0074

  Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

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

• H04N2201/0013

  Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus · CPC title

• H04N1/00347 Primary

  with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus (circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32) · CPC title

• H04N1/00344

  with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus (monitoring H04N1/00002) · CPC title