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INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS,
INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD
AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 5
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method and a computer readable medium, and more particularly to an 10 information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer readable medium for operating, by a client apparatus, an apparatus to be operated which apparatus is managed by a server apparatus.
There is a system in which a peripheral apparatus such as :5 a printer and the like is operated from a remote computer via a network. Recently, since the period of improvement of the peripheral apparatus is becoming shorter, frequency for removing or adding the peripheral apparatus to the system is increasing. Therefore, a configuration in which adding or 20 removing an apparatus is easily carried out is needed for the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a conventional information processing system 1. The conven- 25 tional information processing system 1 is configured such that a client computer 2 is connected to a server computer 4 and printers 5, 6 through a network 3.
The client computer 2 operates the server computer 4 and ^ the printers 5, 6 by sending commands to each of the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the commands are sent directly to the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6 through the network 3 from the client computer
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Therefore, the client computer 2 needs to have a command list for operating the server computer 4 and a command list for operating the printers 5, 6 separately when the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6 are operated by different commands. 40
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another example of a conventional information processing system 7. In FIG. 2, the same components have the same symbols as shown in FIG. 1, and descriptions of the components will be omitted.
The information processing system 7 shown in FIG. 2 is 45 configured such that a client terminal 9 for example, other than the client computer 2, can operate the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6 through a wireless line 8.
In this case, the client terminal 9 needs to have command lists for operating the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 50 6 in the same way as the client computer 4. Further, each of the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6 needs to have a wireless communication device since the wireless line 8 is used for sending commands from the client terminal 9 to the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6. 55
However, according to the information processing systems 1, 7, since the command lists for the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6 are necessary for operating the server computer 4 and the printer 5, 6 from the client computer 2 and the client terminal 9, the command lists in the client 60 computer 2 and the client terminal 9 should be updated in the case of, for example, losing compatibility between versions of commands after updating the server computer 4 and the printers 5, 6, and in the case of operating a new device. There is a problem that updating the command lists of the 65 client computer 2 and the client terminal 9 takes time and effort.
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Further, when the client terminal 9 which uses a communication type different from that of the client computer 2 is connected, as shown in FIG. 2, each apparatus to be operated needs to have a communication device for communicating with the client computer 2 and a communication device for communicating with the client terminal 9. Therefore, the configurations of the apparatuses to be operated such as the server computer 4, the printers 5, 6, and the like become complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus, information processing method and computer readable medium which can easily support different communication types.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by an information processing apparatus to which an operating apparatus and an apparatus to be operated by the operating apparatus are connected, the information processing apparatus including:
an instruction information storing part which stores instruction information for the apparatus to be operated; and
an instruction information send part which reads the instruction information from the instruction information storing part in response to a request from the operating apparatus and sends the instruction information to the operating apparatus. According to the above-mentioned invention, the information processing apparatus such as a server computer stores instruction information of an apparatus to be operated such as a command list and sends the instruction information to the operating apparatus according to a request from the operating apparatus. Therefore, the operating apparatus does not need to store the command list of the apparatus to be operated. Since the information processing apparatus manages the command lists, an apparatus to be operated can be added only by adding a command list to the information processing apparatus. Thus, it becomes easy to add and update an apparatus to be operated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a conventional information processing system 1;
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another example of a conventional information processing system 7;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a server computer according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are flowcharts showing operations of a client computer, a server computer and a printer when the client computer operates the printer;
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining operations when the client computer operates the printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention. An
