Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Ryoichiro Sato

Naoshi Inoue

Nobuyuki Niwa

Makoto Tsuchiya

Takashi Hosoda

Toshiyuki Makida

Takeshi Ooya

Shinichi Nakamura

Hiroyuki Hara

Shuichi Kadowaki

In order to integrally manage computers and peripheral devices at a user site, when a device monitoring server () receives a trouble message from a device, it sends a message indicating this to a device center server () via a router (). If the received message is a trouble message, the device center server () controls an event adapter to convert the received message into a format that a center server can process, and transfers the converted message to the center server (). Upon receiving the message, the center server () displays occurrence of a trouble in an event list using an event monitor (). The user can simultaneously monitor the versatile computers and peripheral devices by observing the event monitor.

Remote site management system

A multi-functional apparatus of all-in-one type has a plurality of functions and comprises a plurality of devices having respective functions, a designation device for designating one of the functions, where each function utilizes at least one of the plurality of devices, and a controller for controlling at least one of the plurality of devices for execution of the designated one function. A management device manages information that specifies an external apparatus from which an extension program is to be acquired for execution of the designated one function, and an acquisition device acquires the extension program from the specified external apparatus based on the managed information for extension of the functions of the multi-functional apparatus.

Extending the functionality of a multi-functional apparatus

A multi-function peripheral is connected to a computer and has a plurality of devices with respective functions, the plurality of devices including a printing unit. A designation means of the peripheral designates one of the functions of the peripheral, and a sending means of the peripheral sends a request to download, from the computer to the peripheral, a program for controlling at least one of the devices. A memory means of the peripheral stores a plurality of programs downloaded from the computer, an instruction means selects and executes one of the stored programs, and a control means controls the functioning of a device of the peripheral by executing the selected program in the peripheral in response to an instruction received from the instruction means.

Downloading programs to control a device

There is disclosed a communicating apparatus such as a television telephone connected to the ISDN having a calling party number display service, including a receiving unit for receiving image data sent from a calling party communicating apparatus; a memory for storing the image data received by the receiving unit in correspondence to ID data indicative of the calling party communicating apparatus; and a display apparatus for receiving the ID data upon call reception from the calling party communicating apparatus and for reading out the image data corresponding to the received ID data from the memory and for displaying. Before a speech is started, the user can see the image information regarding the calling party and can immediately disconnect the communication if he does not want to speak to the calling party upon call reception therefrom.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Ryoichiro Sato