Image processing apparatus and communicating method in image processing apparatus

Abstract

An image processing apparatus according to the invention prevents communication with computers connected via a network from being uniformly restricted, and restricts the communication with the computers in accordance with a kind of received data or a kind of data process.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, comprising: 
 address obtaining means for obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    port number obtaining means for obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer; and    discriminating means for collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining means, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not,    wherein if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the data process corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means is executed.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 deciding means for deciding whether the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means is a first port number corresponding to a printing process for processing print data or a second port number corresponding to a managing process for processing the apparatus in accordance with command data,    and wherein if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the printing process or the managing process is executed in accordance with whether the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means is the first port number or the second port number.    
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the port number is allocated in correspondence to a kind of job, and  
       when the communication with the computer is made, a process of a job corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means is executed.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 in said limitation information, the address, the port number, and permission information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not are made to correspond to each other, and    said discriminating means discriminates whether the communication with the computer is made or not on the basis of said permission information corresponding to the address obtained by said address obtaining means and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means.    
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein if the address obtained by said address obtaining means and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means do not correspond to said limitation information, said discriminating means discriminates whether the communication with the computer is made or not in accordance with a preset operation designation.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving a connecting request from the computer; and    connection control means for establishing the connection to the computer,    and wherein    said address obtaining means obtains the address of the transferring source of the connecting request on the basis of said connecting request,    said port number obtaining means obtains the port number of the transfer destination of the connecting request on the basis of said connecting request,    said discriminating means collates said limitation information, the address obtained by said address obtaining means, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means and discriminates whether the connection to the computer is established or not,    said connection control means establishes the connection to the computer if it is determined that the connection is established, and    the data process is executed after the connection to the computer was established by said connection control means.    
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer.  
     
     
         8 . An image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, comprising: 
 address obtaining means for obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    port number obtaining means for obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    discriminating means for collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining means, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining means and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not; and    port number notifying means for, if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, notifying said computer of the port number corresponding to a designated data process,    wherein the designated data process is executed in accordance with data in which the port number of the transfer destination is the port number notified by said port number notifying means.    
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 permission notifying means for, if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, notifying said computer of the fact that the communication is permitted; and    receiving means for receiving a port number request for requesting that the port number corresponding to the designated data process is notified,    and wherein said port number notifying means notifies the port number corresponding to the designated data process in accordance with said port number request.    
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer.  
     
     
         11 . A communicating method in an image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, comprising: 
 an address obtaining step of obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    a port number obtaining step of obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer; and    a discriminating step of collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not,    wherein if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the data process corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is executed.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a deciding step of deciding whether the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is a first port number corresponding to a printing process for processing print data or a second port number corresponding to a managing process for processing the apparatus in accordance with command data,    and wherein if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the printing process or the managing process is executed in accordance with whether the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is the first port number or the second port number.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the port number is allocated in correspondence to a kind of job, and  
       when the communication with the computer is made, a process of a job corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is executed.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein 
 in said limitation information, the address, the port number, and permission information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not are made to correspond to each other, and    in said discriminating step, whether the communication with the computer is made or not is discriminated on the basis of said permission information corresponding to the address obtained by said address obtaining step and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein in said discriminating step, if the address obtained by said address obtaining step and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step do not correspond to said limitation information, whether the communication with the computer is made or not is discriminated in accordance with a preset operation designation.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a receiving step of receiving a connecting request from the computer; and    a connection control step of establishing the connection to the computer,    and wherein    in said address obtaining step, the address of the transferring source of the connecting request is obtained on the basis of said connecting request,    in said port number obtaining step, the port number of the transfer destination of the connecting request is obtained on the basis of said connecting request,    in said discriminating step, said limitation information, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step are collated, and whether the connection to the computer is established or not is discriminated,    in said connection control step, the connection to the computer is established if it is determined that the connection is established, and    the data process is executed after the connection to the computer was established by said connection control step.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer.  
     
     
         18 . A communicating method in an image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, comprising: 
 an address obtaining step of obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    a port number obtaining step of obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    a discriminating step of collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not; and    a port number notifying step of, if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, notifying said computer of the port number corresponding to a designated data process,    wherein the designated data process is executed in accordance with data in which the port number of the transfer destination is the port number notified by said port number notifying step.    
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a permission notifying step of, if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, notifying said computer of the fact that the communication is permitted; and    a receiving step of receiving a port number request for requesting that the port number corresponding to the designated data process is notified,    and wherein in said port number notifying step, the port number corresponding to the designated data process is notified in accordance with said port number request.    
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein said image processing apparatus is a printer.  
     
     
         21 . A control program of an image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, wherein said control program allows a processor to execute: 
 an address obtaining step of obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    a port number obtaining step of obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer; and    a discriminating step of collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not,    and if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the data process corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is executed.    
     
     
         22 . A recording medium which stores a control program of an image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, wherein said control program allows a processor to execute: 
 an address obtaining step of obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer;    a port number obtaining step of obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer; and    a discriminating step of collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not,    and if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the data process corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is executed.    
     
     
         23 . An image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, comprising: 
 a memory for storing a control program; and    a processor for executing, in accordance with said control program stored in said memory, a step of obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer, a step of obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer, and a step of collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not,    wherein if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, the data process corresponding to the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step is executed.    
     
     
         24 . An image processing apparatus which can communicate with a computer via a network by using a port number allocated in correspondence to a kind of data process and executes an image process in accordance with data from the computer, comprising: 
 a memory for storing a control program; and    a processor for executing, in accordance with said control program stored in said memory, a step of obtaining an address of a transferring source of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer, a step of obtaining a port number of a transfer destination of the data on the basis of the data received from said computer, a step of collating limitation information showing whether the communication with the computer is permitted or not, the address obtained by said address obtaining step, and the port number obtained by said port number obtaining step and discriminating whether the communication with the computer is made or not, and a step of, if it is determined that the communication with the computer is made, notifying the computer of a port number corresponding to a designated data process,    wherein the designated data process is executed in accordance with data in which the port number of the transfer destination is the port number notified by said port number notifying step.