Controlling image processing system

Abstract

In an image processing system, when a user request is received from a client apparatus, an image processing management apparatus determines whether the user request can be processed by the image processing system to generate a determination result, and generate an instruction indicating how the image processing system should operate based on the determination result.

1 . An image processing system, comprising:
 a first apparatus provided on a network and configured to generate an image processing request according to a user instruction for applying image processing to input data to generate output data, the image processing request including image processing information regarding the image processing to be applied to the input data to generate the output data;   a service providing apparatus provided on the network, the service providing apparatus including an image processing apparatus configured to provide an image processing function; and   an image processing management apparatus provided on the network, the image processing management apparatus comprising:
 a registrar configured to receive device information from the service providing apparatus via the network, the device information including image processing function information regarding the image processing function provided by the image processing apparatus of the service providing apparatus; 
 a session manager configured to receive the image processing request from the first apparatus via the network; and 
 a service manager configured to determine whether the service providing apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information by referring to the image processing function information to generate a first service determination result, and to generate an image processing instruction when the first service determination result indicates that the service providing apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the 
   image processing information,   wherein the image processing apparatus of the service providing apparatus is further configured to apply the image processing specified by the image processing information using the image processing function to generate the output data, according to the image processing instruction generated by the image processing management apparatus.   
   
   
       2 . The image processing system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the image processing apparatus of the service providing apparatus includes a plurality of image processing apparatuses each applying at least one of a plurality of image processing operations of the image processing,   wherein the image processing management apparatus further comprises:
 a processing order manager configured to determine an order of applying the plurality of image processing operations to generate a processing order determination result, 
   and wherein the image processing apparatus of the service providing apparatus is further configured to apply the plurality of image processing operations according to the order specified by the processing order determination result.   
   
   
       3 . The image processing system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first apparatus further generates an image transfer request according to a user instruction for transferring the output data to a second apparatus provided on the network,   wherein the session manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to send a session start instruction to at least one of the first apparatus, the second apparatus, and the service providing apparatus,   and wherein at least two of the first apparatus, the second apparatus, the service providing apparatus, and the image processing management apparatus is further configured to establish a session when the session start instruction is received by the at least one of the first apparatus, the second apparatus, and the service providing apparatus, the output data being transferred to the second apparatus after the session is established.   
   
   
       4 . The image processing system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the service providing apparatus further includes an image forming apparatus configured to provide an image forming function, the device information being received by the registrar of the image processing management apparatus further includes data format information regarding a data format interpretable by the image forming apparatus,   wherein the first apparatus is further configured to generate an image forming request according to a user instruction for forming an image of the output data generated from the input data, and to send the image forming request to the image processing management apparatus via the network,   wherein, when the image forming request is received by the session manager of the image processing management apparatus, the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to determine whether the image forming apparatus is capable of interpreting the data format of at least one of the input data and the output data by referring to the data format information to generate a second service determination result, and to generate an image forming instruction when the second service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is capable of interpreting the data format of at least one of the input data and the output data,   and wherein the image forming apparatus is further configured to form the image of the output data according to the image forming instruction.   
   
   
       5 . The image processing system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the service providing apparatus is further configured to store the output data to which the image processing is applied in a storage provided on the network,   wherein the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to generate a data obtaining instruction, the data obtaining instruction including data location information regarding the location of the storage on the network,   and wherein the session manager is further configured to send the data obtaining instruction to at least one of the first apparatus and the image forming apparatus to cause the at least one of the first apparatus and the image forming apparatus to obtain the output data using the data location information.   
   
   
       6 . The image processing system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to generate a data transfer instruction to cause the service providing apparatus to send the output data to at least one of the first apparatus, the image processing management apparatus, and the image forming apparatus.   
   
   
       7 . The image processing system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to determine whether the image processing apparatus is capable of converting the data format of at least one of the input data and the output data to be the data format interpretable by the image forming apparatus to generate a third service determination result when the second service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is not capable of interpreting the data format,   wherein the session manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to generate a data conversion instruction when the third service determination result indicates that the image processing apparatus is capable of converting the data format,   and wherein the image processing apparatus is further configured to apply data conversion according to the data conversion instruction being generated by the image processing management apparatus.   
   
   
       8 . The image processing system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the device information further includes post processing function information regarding a post processing function provided by the image forming apparatus,   wherein the first apparatus is further configured to generate a post processing request according to a user instruction for applying post processing to a sheet having the image of the output data thereon, the post processing request including post processing information regarding post processing to be applied to the sheet,   wherein, when the post processing request is received by the session manager of the image processing management apparatus, the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to determine whether the image forming apparatus is capable of applying post processing specified by the post processing information by referring to the post processing function information to generate a fourth service determination result and to generate a post processing instruction when the fourth service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is capable of applying the post processing,   and wherein the image forming apparatus is further configured to apply the post processing according to the post processing instruction.   
   
   
       9 . The image processing system of  claim 8 , wherein the session manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to send a notice via the network to the first apparatus when the fourth service determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is not capable of applying the post processing. 
   
   
       10 . The image processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the device information further includes device status information regarding a current status of the service providing apparatus,
 and wherein the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to determine whether the service providing apparatus is ready for applying the image processing or the image forming by referring to the device status information.   
   
   
       11 . The image processing system of  claim 4 , wherein the device information further includes supply information indicating whether the image forming apparatus has sufficient supply for image forming,
 and wherein the service manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to determine whether the image forming apparatus is ready for forming the image of the output data when the session manager receives the image forming request by referring to the supply information.   
   
   
       12 . The image processing system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the registrar of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to receive user authentication information from the first apparatus,   and wherein the image processing management apparatus further comprises:
 a storage configured to store user authentication information regarding a user of the image processing system; and 
 an authentication manager configured to determine whether the user authentication information being received by the registrar from the first apparatus matches the user authentication information being stored in the storage to generate an authentication determination result, 
   wherein the session manager of the image processing management apparatus is further configured to accept the image processing request from the first apparatus when the authentication determination result indicates that the user authentication information being received matches the user authentication information being stored.   
   
   
       13 . The image processing system of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the image processing management apparatus is further configured to send the user authentication information to the image forming apparatus via the network when the authentication determination result indicates that the user authentication information being received matches the user authentication information being stored,   and wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises:
 a storage configured to store the user authentication information being received from the image processing management apparatus, the user authentication information being used for communication with the first apparatus. 
   
   
   
       14 . The image processing system of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first apparatus is an information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus comprising:   a user interface configured to interact with the user;   a session manager configured to receive the image processing function information from the image processing management apparatus via the network;   an image processing information manager configured to manage the image processing function information received from the image processing management apparatus; and   a user interface manager configured to generate a screen including the image processing function information and to cause the user interface to display the screen,   wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a user instruction from the user for applying image processing to input data to generate output data, the image processing being selected from the image processing function information included in the screen.   
   
   
       15 . A method of managing an image processing system, the method comprising:
 receiving device information from a service providing apparatus provided on a network via the network, the device information including image processing function information regarding an image processing function provided by an image processing apparatus of the service providing apparatus;   receiving an image processing request from a first apparatus provided on the network via the network, the image processing request being generated by the first apparatus according to a user instruction for applying image processing to input data to generate output data, the image processing request including image processing information regarding the image processing to be applied to the input data to generate the output data;   determining whether the service providing apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information by referring to the image processing function information to generate a first service determination result; and   generating an image processing instruction when the first service determination result indicates that the service providing apparatus is capable of applying the image processing specified by the image processing information to cause the service providing apparatus to apply the image processing specified by the image processing information using the image processing function.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining an order of applying a plurality of image processing operations of the image processing to generate a processing order determination result when the service providing apparatus includes a plurality of image processing apparatuses each applying at least one of the plurality of image processing operations of the image processing to cause the service providing apparatus to apply the plurality of image processing operations according to the order specified by the processing order determination result.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving an image transfer request from the first apparatus via the network, the image transfer request being generated by the first apparatus according to a user instruction for transferring the output data to a second apparatus provided on the network; and   sending a session start instruction to at least one of the first apparatus, the second apparatus, and the service providing apparatus via the network to cause at least two of the first apparatus, the second apparatus, the service providing apparatus, and the image processing management apparatus to establish a session, the output data being transferred to the second apparatus after the session is established.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 providing an image forming apparatus to the service providing apparatus, the device information being received from the service providing apparatus further including data format information regarding a data format interpretable by the image forming apparatus;   receiving an image forming request from the first apparatus via the network, the image forming request being generated by the first apparatus according to a user instruction for forming an image of the output data generated from the input data, the image forming request including image data information indicating a data format of at least one of the input data and the output data;   determining whether the image forming apparatus is capable of interpreting the data format of at least one of the input data and the output data by referring to the data format information to generate a second determination result; and   generating an image forming instruction when the second determination result indicates that the image forming apparatus is capable of interpreting the data format of at least one of the input data and the output data to cause the image forming apparatus to form the image of the output data.   
   
   
       19 . An image processing apparatus, comprising:
 a user interface configured to interact with a user;   a session manager configured to receive image processing function information from an image processing management apparatus provided on a network via the network;   an image processing information manager configured to manage the image processing function information received from the image processing management apparatus: and   a user interface manager configured to generate a screen including the image processing function information and to cause the user interface to display the screen,   wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a user instruction from the user for applying image processing to input data to generate output data, the image processing being selected from the image processing function information included in the screen.   
   
   
       20 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a network interface provided with a first port for signaling communication and a second port for data communication, wherein, when a session is established with an outside apparatus according to a session start instruction received from the image processing management apparatus via the first port, the session manager is further configured to open the second port to receive the output data from the outside apparatus via the second port; and   an image forming device to form an image of the output data received from the outside apparatus.