JP2003169076A - Communication apparatus, and its control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide communication apparatus which reduces the load on a network and shortens transmission time. <P>SOLUTION: A network scanner 10 receives an IP address corresponding to the host name of a specified PC from a DNS server 12 according to the host name, communicates with the PC having the IP address, and specifies a plurality of destinations to send (broadcast) the same data. The IP address of the PC which is received once is stored and used for subsequent transmission to the same PC, and after the one job ends, the stored IP address is erased. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method and a program therefor, and more specifically, an IP address corresponding to a host name is received from a DNS server from the host name of a designated communication destination terminal device. The present invention relates to a communication device that communicates with a communication destination terminal device having the IP address, a control method thereof, and a program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a terminal device such as a plurality of personal computers (hereinafter referred to as PCs), a server, a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and the like are arranged using an in-house LAN to provide one printer, a facsimile, A network system is built in which a scanner or the like is shared and used.

In this network system, a DNS (domain name system) server is generally provided, and a host name and an IP (internet proto) are provided for each PC.
col) Address management. Therefore, when communication is performed between the devices, it is necessary to send the host name of the other party to the DNS server to know the IP address corresponding to the host name.

For example, when the network scanner designates a plurality of destinations and transmits the same data (broadcast transmission), if the destination host name is designated, the DNS server is queried and the host name is an IP address. And the data is transmitted to the destination by using the IP address repeatedly.

[0005]

However, in the case where the network scanner broadcasts to a plurality of folders in the same PC, the DNS server is inquired for each transmission and the same IP address is received a plurality of times. It will be. The communication between the network scanner and the DNS server a plurality of times causes a load on the DNS server and further a load on the network, and it takes time to make an inquiry, resulting in a long transmission time.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a communication device that reduces the load on the network and shortens the transmission time. Another object is to provide a control method for controlling the communication device. Another object is to provide a program for controlling the communication device.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, in the control method according to the present invention, the communication device corresponds to the host name from the DNS server from the host name of the designated communication destination terminal device. In a control method of receiving an IP address and controlling to communicate with a communication destination terminal device having the IP address, the communication device includes the received IP address.
It is characterized in that an address is stored and the stored IP address is used when communicating with the destination terminal device thereafter.

By thus storing the received IP address once, it is not necessary to communicate with the DNS server to obtain the IP address of the same host name,
Since the amount of communication can be suppressed, the load on the network can be reduced and the transmission time can be shortened.

Also, in the control method according to the present invention, the communication device uses the host name of the designated communication destination terminal device to obtain the DNS.
In a control method of receiving an IP address corresponding to the host name from a server and controlling to communicate with a communication destination terminal device having the IP address, the communication device specifies a plurality of destinations and sets the same data. When sending a message, the once received IP address of the communication destination terminal device is stored, and thereafter, when sending to the same communication destination terminal device, control is performed so that the stored IP address is used. Is characterized by.

By storing the received IP address in this way, the IP address of the same host name can be used during broadcast transmission.
Since it is not necessary to communicate with the DNS server to obtain the address and the communication amount can be suppressed, the load on the network can be reduced and the transmission time can be shortened.

In the above control method, the stored IP address may be erased when one job is completed. In this way, by deleting the correspondence table when one job is completed, it is possible to deal with a problem even if the IP address assigned to the PC is changed.

A program according to the present invention realizes the above control method.

Further, the communication device according to the present invention comprises means for controlling by the above control method.

The communication device is a network scanner or an image forming device connectable to a network.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a network system using a network scanner of the present invention. This network system constructed by an in-house LAN or the like includes a network scanner 10 capable of reading image data and transmitting it to each terminal device, and a plurality of PCs 1.
1a to 11n and a DNS server 12 that manages the host names and IP addresses of the PCs 11a to 11n.

The PC 11a has two folders 13a and 13a 'for storing the image data received from the network scanner 10, and the PC 11b has a folder 13 therein.
b, the PC 11n has a folder 13n.

In this network system, the image data read by the network scanner 10 is stored in the PC.
By specifying the folders 11a to 11n and the folder, the data is transmitted to the folder of the PC desired by the user.

FIG. 2 shows the network scanner 1 of the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 0. The network scanner 10 converts an image of an original such as a picture, a character, or a photograph into an electric signal of a pixel unit using a line sensor, a CCD (solid-state image sensor), or the like, and a reading unit 20 that reads as image data and a reading unit. The bitmap memory 21 for temporarily storing the image data read in 20 and the image data stored in the bitmap memory 21 are subjected to MMR compression or J
A CODEC (coder-decoder) 22 for PEG compression,
The hard disk drive (HDD) 23 that acquires and stores the image data compressed by the CODEC 22 via the bitmap memory 21, and the image data from the HDD 23
CPU and 24 for IFF / PDF format, reading unit 20, bitmap memory 21, CODEC 2
2, a memory management unit 25 connected to the HDD 23 and the CPU 24, and a network interface card (NIC)
Network management unit 2 equipped with LAN and connected to a LAN line
6 and a touch panel 27 that is displayed on the screen and is capable of input operation.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the network scanner 10 when transmitting the image data read by the network scanner 10 to the folder of the desired PC. In step 30, when the user operates the touch panel 27 to select the host name and folder of the transmission destination PC, the process proceeds to step S31 and the network scanner 10 causes the transmission destination P selected in the HDD 23.
Destination list (not shown) of C's host name and folder number
Memorize as. The destination name displayed on the touch panel 27 in step S30 may be a different name as long as the network scanner 10 can determine the host name or folder number from the name.

From step S31 to step S32, it is determined whether or not a destination is added. When the destination is additionally selected in step S32, the process returns to step S31 to additionally store the destination added to the destination list. When all the desired destinations are selected, step S32
To step S33, the original set in the reading unit 20 is read, and the process proceeds to step S34 to transfer the image data to the HDD 2 via the bitmap 21 and the CODEC 22.
Store in 3.

Next, in step 35, the network scanner 10 reads the host name of the destination PC stored first in the destination list, communicates with the DNS server 12, and obtains the IP address corresponding to the host name. To do.
Then, from step S35 to step S36,
A correspondence table in which the acquired IP address and host name are associated with each other is created and stored in the HDD 23.

Next, in step S37, the HDD 2
The correspondence table between the host name and the IP address stored in No. 3 is searched to see if the host name selected as the destination is in the correspondence table. Steps S36 to S3
When you proceed to 7, the correspondence table shows the destination host name and IP.
Since the address is stored, the process proceeds from step S37 to step S38 to read the IP address corresponding to the destination host name from the correspondence table, and then proceeds to step S39 to send the image data to the PC having the read IP address. To do.

Then, from step S39 to step S4
It proceeds to 0 and determines whether or not the next destination is stored in the destination list. If there is a next destination in step S40, that is, if it is a broadcast transmission, the process proceeds to step S37, the correspondence table between the host name and the IP address stored in the HDD 23 is searched, and the next destination host is searched. Check whether the name is in the correspondence table.

If there is no destination host name in the correspondence table in step S37, that is, if it is the first host name to be transmitted in this broadcast transmission, the process proceeds to step S35 to communicate with the DNS server 12 and I corresponding to the host name
The P address is acquired, and the process proceeds to step S36 to additionally store the acquired IP address and host name in the correspondence table.

On the other hand, if there is a destination host name in the correspondence table in step S37, that is, if the destination PC is already transmitted in this broadcast transmission and only the destination folder is different, DNS Without communicating with the server 12, the process proceeds to step S38, the IP address corresponding to the destination host name is read from the correspondence table, and step S39
Then, the process proceeds to and the image data is transmitted to the PC having the read IP address. As another example of the case where the correspondence table has host names in step S37, the same P name is used although the destination names registered in the touch panel 27 are different.
When the folders of C are registered, those destination names are selected.

Then, if there is no next destination in step S40, it is determined that the transmission to all the selected destinations is completed, and the process proceeds to step S41 and the host name and IP address created this time are input. After erasing the correspondence table of, the operation ends. In this way, by deleting the correspondence table when one job is completed, it is possible to deal with a problem even if the IP address assigned to the PC is changed.

The process of step S41 may not be performed. As a result, the correspondence table between the host name and the IP address becomes a table created using the host name and the IP address used until the previous transmission. However, when the correspondence table created by this method is used, when the IP address assigned to the PC is changed, the image data is sent to a destination not intended by the user. Therefore, it is necessary to separately perform a process of erasing the IP address according to the time elapsed after registration in the correspondence table.

As described above, by using the correspondence table of the host name and the IP address, the DNS server 12 can obtain the IP address of the same host name at the time of the broadcast transmission.
Since it is not necessary to communicate with the device and the amount of communication can be suppressed, the load on the network can be reduced and the transmission time can be shortened.

For example, a case where the image data read by the network scanner 10 is broadcasted to the folder 13a of the PC 11a, the folder 13a ', and the folder 13b of the PC 11b will be described. First, the touch panel 27 is operated by the user and one-touch keys (not shown)
When the folders 13a, 13a ′, and 13b registered in are selected, the network scanner 10 creates the destination list 50 shown in FIG. The destination list 50 is a list in which the selected folder number and the host name are associated with each other.

The name displayed as the one-touch key may be an individual name or a section name if the network scanner 10 can distinguish the host name and the folder number from the name.

When all the desired destinations are selected, the network scanner 10 reads the original set in the reading unit 20, and the bit map 21 and CODEC are read.
And the image data is stored in the HDD 23.

Next, the PC 11a, which is the host name of the destination PC initially stored in the destination list 50, is read out and communicates with the DNS server 12 to obtain the IP address corresponding to the PC 11a. Then, the correspondence table 60 shown in FIG. 5 in which the acquired IP address and the host name (PC 11a) are associated with each other is created and stored in the HDD 23.

Next, the correspondence table 60 between the host name and the IP address stored in the HDD 23 is searched to see if the host name (PC 11a) selected as the destination is in the correspondence table 60. Since the destination host name (PC 11a) and the IP address are now stored in the correspondence table 60, the IP address corresponding to the destination host name (PC 11a) is read from the correspondence table 60 and has the read IP address. The image data is transmitted to the PC 11a. Here, the selected folder 13a is designated and transmitted.

Then, it is determined whether or not the next destination is stored in the destination list. Since the next transmission destination is the folder 13a ′ of the PC 11a, the correspondence table 50 stored in the HDD 23 is searched and the host name of the next transmission destination (PC1
It is checked whether 1a) is in the correspondence table 50.

Since the correspondence table 50 now has the next destination host name (PC 11a), the destination host name (PC1a) from the correspondence table 50 is not communicated with.
The IP address corresponding to 1a) is read, and the image data is transmitted to the PC having the read IP address. Here, the selected folder 13a 'is designated and transmitted.

Then, it is determined whether or not the next destination is stored in the destination list. Since the next transmission destination is the folder 13b of the PC 11b, the correspondence table 50 stored in the HDD 23 is searched and the host name of the next transmission destination (PC11
It is checked whether or not b) is in the correspondence table 50.

Since there is no next destination host name (PC 11b) in the correspondence table 50, the IP address corresponding to the host name (PC 11b) is acquired by communicating with the DNS server 12, and the acquired IP address and host Name and correspondence table 50
Further, the correspondence table 70 shown in FIG. 6 is created.

Next, the correspondence table 70 is searched to see if the host name (PC 11b) selected as the destination is in the correspondence table 70. Since the destination host name (PC 11b) and the IP address are now stored in the correspondence table 70, the IP address corresponding to the destination host name (PC 11b) is read from the correspondence table 70 and has the read IP address. The image data is transmitted to the PC 11b. Here, the selected folder 13b is designated and transmitted.

Subsequently, it is judged whether or not the next destination is stored in the destination list. However, since there is no next destination,
After determining that the transmission to all the selected destinations has been completed and deleting the correspondence table 70 created this time, the operation ends.

As described above, by using the correspondence tables 60 and 70, it is possible to reduce the number of times of communication with the DNS server 12 when transmitting to different folders with the same host name during broadcast transmission. As a result, the transmission amount can be suppressed, the load on the network can be reduced, and the transmission time can be shortened.

Next, the operation and operation of the PC when the function setting such as the registration of the transmission destination is set in the one-touch key (not shown) of the network scanner 10 using the Web browser on the PC will be described. Here, the PC is the communication device and the network scanner 10 is the communication destination terminal device.

For example, a Web browser is started up on the PC 11a, function settings relating to the network scanner 10 are selected (not shown), and destination registration is selected (not shown).
To do. Then, a selection screen 80 as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed, and a predetermined number of destinations can be registered.
Here, for example, when the destination 1 is selected, a registration screen 90 as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed, the registration name, host name, folder number, etc. for the one-touch key are input, and finally the registration button 91 is pressed. This completes the registration in the destination 1. As described above, when the Web browser is used, function setting can be performed without requiring special knowledge.

The data transmission operation between the PC 11a and the network scanner 10 when the transmission destination is registered by the above operation will be described. First, PC11a is DNS
IP of the network scanner 10 by communicating with the server 12
The address is acquired, and the PC 11 is based on the IP address.
a accesses the network scanner 10 and requests function setting data. In response to this, the network scanner 10 transmits the function setting data to the PC 11a. Then, every time the page is updated with the selection screen 80, the registration screen 90, the PC 11a accesses the network scanner 10 and acquires screen data.

Since the above-mentioned data transmission disconnects the communication for each page, the PC 11a is conventionally the network scanner 1.
The IP address of the network scanner 10 was acquired from the DNS server 12 every time the access to 0 was made. However, in the present invention, the PC 11a stores the once acquired IP address of the network scanner 10 and accesses using the stored IP address until the function setting is completed, so that the total communication time required for the function setting is reduced. It is about half that of the conventional model.

In this embodiment, a network scanner or a PC is used as a communication device, but the present invention can be applied to an image forming apparatus connectable to a network.

[0046]

According to the present invention, when the communication device stores the received IP address and thereafter communicates with the communication destination terminal device, the stored IP address is used to make the same. Since it is not necessary to communicate with the DNS server to acquire the IP address of the host name, and the amount of communication can be suppressed, the load on the network can be reduced and the transmission time can be shortened.

Further, according to the present invention, when the communication device designates a plurality of destinations and transmits the same data, the IP address of the communication destination terminal device once received is stored,
After that, when transmitting to the same communication destination terminal device, the stored IP address is used so that the IP address of the same host name can be acquired at the time of broadcast transmission.
Since it is not necessary to communicate with the S server and the amount of communication can be suppressed, the load on the network can be reduced and the transmission time can be shortened.

Further, according to the present invention, when one job is completed, the stored IP address is erased so that there is no problem even if the IP address assigned to the PC is changed. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a network system using a network scanner of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a network scanner of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the network scanner of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a destination list created by the network scanner of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a correspondence table created by the network scanner of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram additionally stored in the correspondence table of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a selection screen when registering a transmission destination using a Web browser.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a registration screen when registering a transmission destination using a Web browser.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 network scanner 11a-11n PC 12 DNS server

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A communication device receives an IP address corresponding to the host name from a DNS server from a host name of a designated communication destination terminal device, and communicates with a communication destination terminal device having the IP address. In the control method, the communication device stores the received IP address, and thereafter, when the communication device communicates with the communication destination terminal device, the communication device is controlled to use the stored IP address. A control method characterized by the above. 2. A communication device receives an IP address corresponding to the host name from a DNS server based on the host name of the specified communication destination terminal device, and communicates with the communication destination terminal device having the IP address. In the control method according to claim 1, when the communication device specifies a plurality of destinations and transmits the same data, the IP address of the communication destination terminal device that has been once received is stored, and thereafter, the same communication destination terminal is stored. When transmitting to the device, a control method is characterized in that the stored IP address is used for control. 3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed so that the stored IP address is erased when one job is completed. 4. A program that realizes the control method according to claim 1. 5. A communication device comprising means for controlling by the control method according to claim 1. 6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the communication apparatus is a network scanner or an image forming apparatus connectable to a network.