Image processing system and image processing apparatus and method

Abstract

A scanner that provides WSD standard scan service does not allow the notification and identification by a client PC of scan parameters, such as a resolution and a reading range, that are selected by a user in push scan on a panel, for example, attached to the scanner body. This prevents the push scan with the user-specified scan parameters. Accordingly, an event that temporarily limits the scanning functions is issued to inhibit the specification of parameters excluding user-specified scan parameters from a client PC. Thus, the client PC can instruct the scanning with the user-specified parameters, and the push scan requested by the user can be implemented. The limitation is valid only to the destination client of the push scan.

1 . An image processing system comprising:
 a plurality of information processing apparatus; and   an image processing apparatus;   the image processing apparatus having:   a first transmitting unit which generates first information describing an ability that the image processing apparatus has and transmits the first information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   a second transmitting unit which generates second information describing a parameter selected by a user as an ability of the image processing apparatus and transmits the second information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   a request-command transmitting unit which receives an instruction to start image processing from a user through the image processing apparatus and requests a start command for an event that instructs to start the image processing to the plurality of information processing apparatus; and   an image processing unit which performs image processing in accordance with the instruction to start the image processing received from the plurality of information processing apparatus; and   the plurality of information processing apparatus having:   a holding unit which holds the first information received from the image processing apparatus;   an updating unit which updates information saved in the holding unit in accordance with the second information received from the image processing apparatus; and   a start-command transmitting unit which uses the second information to instruct an event to start the image processing to the image processing apparatus in accordance with the request command received from the image processing apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second information contains a part of information representing an ability that the image processing apparatus has and described in the first information. 
     
     
         3 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the image processing apparatus transmits the second information and then transmits the first information to the plurality of information processing apparatus. 
     
     
         4 . The image processing system according to  claim 3 , the image processing apparatus further having a specifying unit which specifies one of the plurality of information processing apparatus, wherein the second information and the first information to be transmitted after the transmission of the second information are transmitted to the specified information processing apparatus. 
     
     
         5 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first or second information is generated in a format based on a WSD (Web Services For Devices) protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the image processing apparatus is a scanner. 
     
     
         7 . The image processing system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an output unit which outputs the image data having undergone the image processing by the image processing unit. 
     
     
         8 . An image processing apparatus connected to a plurality of information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a first transmitting unit which generates first information describing an ability that the image processing apparatus has and transmits the first information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   a second transmitting unit which generates second information by changing the ability that the image processing apparatus has with a parameter that is to be used for image processing and is specified by a user through the image processing apparatus and transmits the second information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   a request-command transmitting unit which receives an instruction to start image processing from a user through the image processing apparatus and requests a start command that instructs an event to start the image processing to the plurality of information processing apparatus; and   an image processing unit which performs image processing in accordance with the start-command that is received from the plurality of information processing apparatus and instructs the starting event for the image processing, wherein:   the first information is transmitted to the information processing apparatus after the second information.   
     
     
         9 . An image processing method for an image processing apparatus connected to a plurality of information processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 generating first information describing an ability that the image processing apparatus has and transmitting the first information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   generating second information by changing the ability that the image processing apparatus has with a parameter that is to be used for image processing and is specified by a user through the image processing apparatus and transmit the second information to the information processing apparatus;   receiving the instruction to start image processing from a user through the image processing apparatus and requesting a start command that instructs an event to start the image processing to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   performing image processing in accordance with the start-command that is received from the plurality of information processing apparatus and instructs the starting event for the image processing with content of the second information; and   transmitting the first information to the plurality of information processing apparatus after the second information.   
     
     
         10 . An image processing method for an image processing system having a plurality of information processing apparatus and an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 by the image processing apparatus,   generating first information describing an ability that the image processing apparatus has and transmitting the first information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   generating second information describing a parameter selected by a user as an ability of the image processing apparatus and transmitting the second information to the plurality of information processing apparatus;   receiving an instruction to start image processing from a user through the image processing apparatus and requesting a start command for an event that instructs to start the image processing to the plurality of information processing apparatus; and   performing image processing in accordance with the instruction to start the image processing received from the plurality of information processing apparatus; and   by the plurality of information processing apparatus,   holding the first information received from the image processing apparatus;   updating information saved in the holding unit in accordance with the second information received from the image processing apparatus; and   using the second information to instruct an event to start the image processing to the image processing apparatus in accordance with the request command received from the image processing apparatus.