JP7110705B2 - Information processing device and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing program.

In Patent Document 1, in an IoT network that connects IoT device data using short-range wireless communication technology to the Internet via a mobile phone terminal or a wireless gateway and transmits information to a server, mobile phone terminals and wireless gateways An IoT information communication system is disclosed in which a data relay device relays all data received from an IoT device to a server on the Internet by a software gateway installed therein.

JP 2017-102627 A

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, communication devices that connect to a communication line and transmit various information are becoming popular. Such communication devices are called "IoT (Internet of Things) devices." By collecting information sent from communication devices on a server and analyzing the data, it has been possible to analyze, for example, people's behavior patterns. Analysis has also been conducted on the content that was difficult.

Servers are often installed in different locations, such as data centers, from where communication equipment is installed. In some cases, the information processing device connected to the communication device receives information transmitted from each communication device, and the information processing device transfers the information received from each communication device to the server.

However, for example, when a plurality of information processing apparatuses that have detected the same communication device receive information from the same communication device and transfer the information to the server, the server receives duplicate information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing program capable of preventing redundant collection of data from the same communication device by a plurality of information processing apparatuses.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of an information processing device according to claim 1 comprises: a transmission unit for transmitting identification information of a communication device that transmits data to another information processing device; a receiving unit that receives priority information that defines a priority regarding reception of data and a registration status of the communication device in registration information associated with the communication device and an information processing device that receives data from the communication device; When the communication device is registered in the registration information received by the unit, the priority information of the other information processing device and the priority information of the own device are referred to, and the priority order of the communication device of the own device is a setting unit that registers the communication device in the registration information of the own device and deletes the communication device from the registration information of the other information processing device if the priority order is higher than that of the other information processing device. .

In the invention according to claim 2, the degree of influence on the functions of the information processing device due to the reception of data from the communication device is defined as the priority.

In the invention according to claim 3, at least one of the priority of the information processing device and the priority according to the type of the communication device is defined in the priority information.

In the invention according to claim 4 , when the priority information defines both the priority of the information processing device and the priority according to the type of the communication device, the setting unit sets the priority according to the type of the communication device. The priority of the information processing device that is set higher is set higher, and when the priority based on the priority according to the type of the communication device is the same, the priority of the information processing device is set higher. If the priority of one information processing device is set higher, and the priority based on the type of communication device and the priority based on the priority of the information processing device are the same, each information processing If there are a plurality of information processing devices with the same priority as a result of setting the same priority of the devices, the setting unit receives data from the communication device among the information processing devices with the same priority. The registration information is set so as to associate the communication device with an information processing device that lessens the degree of influence on the function associated with the change.

In the invention according to claim 5, the degree of influence on the function is represented by an index indicating the processing amount of processing being executed by the information processing device, and the setting unit reduces the processing amount indicated by the index. The registration information is set so that the communication device is associated with the information processing device.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the degree of influence on the function is represented by an index indicating the remaining capacity of a storage device in the information processing device, and the setting unit performs the information processing with a larger remaining capacity indicated by the index. The registration information is set so that the device is associated with the communication device.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, the degree of influence on the function is represented by an index indicating a distance from the communication device, and the setting unit sends the communication device to the information processing device having a shorter distance indicated by the index. The registration information is set so that the devices are associated with each other.

In the eighth aspect of the invention, the indicator is the reception strength of data transmitted from the communication device.

In the ninth aspect of the invention, the index is the amount of data received per unit time transmitted from the communication device.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, the type is defined according to the movement status of the communication device.

In the invention according to claim 11, the degree of operation of the information processing apparatus is defined as the priority.

According to a twelfth aspect of the invention, the degree of operation is represented by an index indicating an operating time of an information processing device, and the setting unit determines whether the communication device is connected to an information processing device having a longer operating time indicated by the index. The registration information is set so as to be associated.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the invention, whether or not the information processing apparatus has a facsimile function is included as the index in the priority information.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the invention, the registration information includes predetermined fixed registration information in which the association between the communication device and the information processing device does not change, and the setting unit uses the fixed registration information to determine whether the communication device is associated with any information processing device, the registration information is not set using the priority information, and the communication device is associated with the information processing device associated with the fixed registration information. I do.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the transmitting unit transmits the static registration information to the other information processing device when the static registration information is updated and when the self device is activated, and the setting unit the fixed registration information of the own apparatus so that when the receiving unit receives the fixed registration information from the other information processing apparatus, the fixed registration information of the own apparatus is the same as the received fixed registration information; set.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the invention, the transmission unit transmits a confirmation telegram for confirming the operating state of the information processing device to the other information processing device, and the reception unit responds to the confirmation telegram transmitted from the transmission unit. If there is an information processing device that has not received the response message, the setting unit performs setting to delete the correspondence between the information processing device that has not received the response message and the communication device from the registration information.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the invention, the setting unit sends the response message when there is an information processing device that has not received the response message to the confirmation message sent from the transmission unit for a predetermined number of times. A setting is made to delete the correspondence between the information processing device and the communication device that has not been received from the registration information.

The information processing program according to claim 18 causes a computer to function as each part of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

According to the inventions of claims 1 and 18, there is an effect that data from the same communication device can be prevented from being redundantly collected by a plurality of information processing apparatuses.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that the communication device can be associated with the information processing device that affects the function less than other information processing devices.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to set the information processing device to be associated with the communication device based on at least one of the priority among the information processing devices and the type of the communication device.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to set an information processing device to be associated with a communication device even when there are information processing devices with the same priority.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that the communication device can be associated with the information processing apparatus that has a larger amount of processing to be executed than other information processing apparatuses.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that the communication device can be associated with the information processing device that requires less delay in the process being executed than other information processing devices.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, it is possible to identify the information processing device that transferred the data transmitted by the communication device to the server from the distance between the information processing device and the communication device.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the distance between the information processing apparatus and the communication device can be estimated using the reception strength of the data received from the communication device even when the position information of the communication device cannot be obtained. It has the effect of being able to

According to the ninth aspect of the invention, even if the position information of the communication device cannot be obtained, the amount of data received from the communication device per unit time is used to determine the distance between the information processing device and the communication device. has the effect of being able to estimate

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to set an information processing device associated with a communication device whose usage location moves to a specific information processing device.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to set the information processing device associated with the communication device using the operating degree of the information processing device.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, the number of times the association between the information processing device and the communication device is updated is reduced compared to the case where the communication device is associated with the information processing device regardless of the operating time of the information processing device. It has the effect of being able to

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to identify an information processing apparatus having a longer operating time than other information processing apparatuses without measuring the operating time of the information processing apparatus.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the invention, it is possible to fix the information processing device associated with the specific communication device.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that common fixed registration information can be set in each information processing apparatus.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the invention, even if the operation of the information processing device associated with the communication device is stopped, another information processing device can be used instead of the information processing device whose operation has been stopped. to the server.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the invention, compared with the case where it is determined that the operation of the information processing device is stopped when the response message to the confirmation message is not received even once, the operation of the information processing device is reduced. It has the effect of being able to accurately determine the stop situation.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an information processing system; FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration example related to a data relay function in an information processing apparatus; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a device list; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a priority list. It is a figure which shows the principal part structural example of the electric system in an information processing apparatus. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of registration processing when a connection request is received; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of registration processing when a device detection message is received; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of registration processing when a device detection message is transmitted; FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of a confirmation process. It is a figure which shows an example of the software structure in an information processing apparatus.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Components and processes having the same function are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant explanations are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an information processing system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 , an information processing system 100 includes multiple information processing apparatuses 10 , multiple communication devices 20 , and a server 30 . Each information processing device 10 and server 30 are connected by communication line 2 , and each information processing device 10 and each communication device 20 are connected by wireless line 8 .

The information processing apparatus 10 has two main functions. One is the original function of the information processing apparatus 10, which is the reason why the information processing apparatus 10 is installed. The other is a data relay function that receives data from the communication device 20 and transfers the received data to the server 30 .

The original functions provided in the information processing apparatus 10 may be of any kind, and are not limited to specific functions. Hereinafter, the original functions provided in the information processing apparatus 10 will be referred to as "main functions".

As an example, the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment has an image forming function of forming the contents of a specified file on a recording medium, a scanning function of optically reading the contents described in a document, and a scanning function of reading the contents of the read document. At least one of a plurality of functions such as a copy function for forming an image on a recording medium and a facsimile function for transmitting and receiving image data via a public line is provided as a main function.

In the present embodiment, when a plurality of information processing apparatuses 10 are to be distinguished and described, the information processing apparatuses 10 are denoted by adding alphabetical symbols. When the information processing apparatuses 10 are collectively described without distinguishing them, they are written without alphabetic characters such as "information processing apparatus 10". Although two information processing apparatuses 10A and 10B are shown in the example of FIG. 1, the number of information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 is not limited to two as long as the number of information processing apparatuses 10 is plural.

The communication device 20 is an electronic device that transmits data to the information processing device 10 via the wireless line 8, and is also called an “IoT (Internet of Things) device” or a “device”. For the wireless line 8, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like is used.

The communication device 20 can be any type of electronic device as long as it has a communication function of communicating with the information processing device 10 via the wireless line 8 and a storage function of storing data to be transmitted to the information processing device 10. It may be a device.

Specifically, the communication device 20 may be a computer such as a tablet terminal, a smart phone, or a wearable terminal, which is carried by the user and whose place of use changes with the user. Air conditioners, clocks, shredders, and other electronic devices that are fixed in place and that are conventionally not assumed to be connected to the wireless line 8 may also be used.

It should be noted that, like window locks and desk drawers, even if they are not electronic devices themselves, they can be connected to the wireless line 8 by connecting a communication unit having a communication function and a memory function afterwards. The communication device 20 in this embodiment also includes a structure, furniture, and the like.

The communication device 20 transmits data to the information processing device 10 by multi-address transmission (also called “broadcast transmission”). The information processing apparatus 10 that has received the data refers to the registration information set by the registration process described later, and the data received by any one of the information processing apparatuses 10 that have received the data. Transfer to server 30 .

In the present embodiment, when a plurality of communication devices 20 are to be distinguished and explained, the communication devices 20 are denoted by adding alphabetical symbols. When collectively describing each communication device 20 without distinguishing them, they are described without adding alphabetic characters, such as “communication device 20”.

Although the example of FIG. 1 shows a plurality of communication devices 20 represented by communication devices 20A to 20F, the number of communication devices 20 included in the information processing system 100 is not limited, and at least one good.

The server 30 receives data transmitted by the communication device 20 from the information processing device 10 and stores the received data. The communication line 2 connecting the information processing device 10 and the server 30 may be a wired line or a wireless line, and even if it is a dedicated line to which only specific devices are connected, it may be used by an unspecified number of devices. may be a public line to which is connected.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example related to a data relay function in the information processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 includes main functions in addition to the data relay function. A functional configuration example related to is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10 includes functional units of a receiving unit 12, a relay unit 14, a transmitting unit 16, and a setting unit 18, as well as a device list 4 and a priority list 6. FIG.

The receiving unit 12 detects the communication device 20, connects with the detected communication device 20, and receives data when data is transmitted from the communication device 20 after connection. The receiving unit 12 also receives a registration status message, a device detection message, and a response message, which will be described later, from the other information processing apparatuses 10 .

<Receiving data from a communication device>
When receiving data from the connected communication device 20, the receiving unit 12 refers to the device list 4 and acquires the information processing device 10 associated with the communication device 20 that has transmitted the data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the device list 4. As shown in FIG. The device list 4 includes registration information that associates which information processing device 10 transfers data of which communication device 20 to the server 30 . As an example, the notation “10A:20A” indicates that the information processing device 10A receives data from the communication device 20A and transfers the data to the server 30 .

Here, as identification information that uniquely identifies the information processing device 10 and the communication device 20, for the sake of convenience, a code assigned to each device will be used. , or a manufacturing number, which is unique to other devices.

Note that uniquely setting the information processing device 10 that transfers the data of the communication device 20 to the server 30 for the communication device 20 is referred to as “corresponding” between the information processing device 10 and the communication device 20 . Further, when the correspondence between the communication device 20 and the information processing apparatus 10 is described in the device list 4, it is said that "the communication device 20 is registered in the device list 4". In the device list 4 , the information processing device 10 is associated with a plurality of communication devices 20 , but the communication device 20 is associated with one information processing device 10 .

In the device list 4, a dynamic list 4X in which the correspondence between the communication device 20 and the information processing device 10 changes according to the registration process described later, and the correspondence between the communication device 20 and the information processing device 10 are predetermined by the user. and includes a static list 4Y in which the association between the communication device 20 and the information processing device 10 does not change in the registration process to be described later.

The device list 4 that associates the information processing apparatus 10 with the communication device 20 is an example of the registration information according to the present embodiment. List 4Y is an example of fixed registration information according to the present embodiment.

The receiving unit 12 notifies the relay unit 14 of the received data when the communication device 20 that is the transmission source of the data is associated with its own information processing device 10 .

Upon receiving data from the receiving unit 12 , the relay unit 14 generates a transmission message including the received data and notifies the transmitting unit 16 of the message.

The transmission unit 16 transmits the transmission message received from the relay unit 14 to the server 30 .

On the other hand, if the communication device 20 that is the source of the data is associated with an information processing device 10 different from its own information processing device 10, the reception unit 12 discards the received data.

<Send device detection message>
If the connected communication device 20 is not associated with any information processing device 10 , the receiving unit 12 notifies the setting unit 18 of identification information that uniquely identifies the connected communication device 20 .

Upon receiving the identification information of the communication device 20 , the setting unit 18 temporarily registers the received communication device 20 with the information processing apparatus 10 of itself in the device list 4 . Then, the setting unit 18 generates a device detection message for notifying the other information processing apparatus 10 that the communication device 20 has been newly detected, and notifies the transmission unit 16 of the generated device detection message. The device detection message includes the identification information of the newly detected communication device 20 .

Upon receiving the device detection message from the setting unit 18 , the transmission unit 16 transmits the device detection message to each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 .

<Reception of device detection message and transmission of registration status message>
When receiving a device detection message from another information processing apparatus 10, the reception unit 12 notifies the setting unit 18 of the received device detection message.

When the setting unit 18 receives the device detection message, the setting unit 18 sets the registration status indicating whether or not the communication device 20 represented by the identification information included in the device detection message is registered in the device list 4, and the priority that defines the priority regarding data reception. Generate a registration status message including list 6.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the priority list 6. As shown in FIG. The priority list 6 is preset for each information processing device 10 . The priority list 6 is used to select one of the information processing apparatuses 10 to transfer the received data to the server 30 when the plurality of information processing apparatuses 10 receive data from the same communication device 20. is an example of priority information used for When data is received from the same communication device 20 by a plurality of information processing apparatuses 10, information defined for selecting which information processing apparatus 10 should transmit data to the server 30 is referred to as "data reception "Priority regarding

4A shows an example of the priority list 6A of the information processing device 10A, and FIG. 4B shows an example of the priority list 6B of the information processing device 10B.

In FIG. 4 , “General” represents the priority of the information processing device 10 . The priority of the information processing device 10 is information representing the degree of suitability of the information processing device 10 for executing the process of transmitting data to the server 30 (hereinafter referred to as “relay processing”). and is represented, for example, by a numerical value. In this embodiment, as an example, the smaller the general value, the higher the priority of the information processing apparatus 10 . Therefore, in the example of FIG. 4, the information processing apparatus 10A has a higher priority than the information processing apparatus 10B.

Also, in FIG. 4, “Type” represents the priority according to the type of communication device 20 . The type of the communication device 20 is an identifier assigned to each category when the communication device 20 is classified from the viewpoint of at least one attribute related to the communication device 20 such as function, usage form, application, and transmission data amount. be. For example, "Type-A" is a communication device 20 whose place of use changes like a smartphone, and "Type-B" is like an air conditioner, for example. Once installed, it is used at that place until the next layout change. The communication device 20 is based on the premise of continuing to do so.

Therefore, the priority according to the type of the communication device 20 is information representing the degree of suitability of relay processing in the information processing apparatus 10 for each category of the communication device 20 . In the case of the priority list 6A in FIG. 4A, the information processing device 10A is more suitable for the relay processing of the Type-A communication device 20 than the Type-B communication device 20, and FIG. In the case of the priority list 6B of B), the information processing device 10B is more suitable for the relay processing of the communication device 20 of Type-B than Type-A.

That is, in the case of the priority lists 6A and 6B shown in FIG. 4, the priority regarding the reception of data in each of the information processing apparatuses 10A and 10B is defined by the priority of the information processing apparatus 10 and the priority according to the type of the communication device 20. It is

In the priority lists 6A and 6B, "Type" is the first key and "General" is the second key. The key number indicates the priority of the key, and the smaller the key number, the higher the priority of the key. That is, when the priorities of the second keys are the same, the communication device 20 is associated with the information processing apparatus 10 with the higher priority of the first key. Conversely, when the priority of the second key is higher than that of the other information processing device 10 but the priority of the first key is lower, the communication device 20 corresponds to the other information processing device 10 whose priority of the first key is higher. Attached.

The priority of the information processing device 10 and the priority according to the type of the communication device 20 are determined in advance from the degree of influence on the main functions of the information processing device 10 due to the reception of data from the communication device 20 . The priority of the information processing apparatus 10 is set higher for the information processing apparatus 10 having a lower degree of influence on the main function even if the data from the communication device 20 is transferred to the server 30 . Further, the information processing apparatus 10 having a lower degree of influence on the main function even if data from the communication device 20 classified into a specific category is transferred to the server 30, the type of the communication device 20 classified into the specific category. A higher priority is set by

Upon receiving the registration status message from the setting unit 18, the sending unit 16 sends the registration status message to the information processing apparatus 10, which is the source of the received device detection message.

<Receipt of registration status message>
When the reception unit 12 receives a registration status message from another information processing apparatus 10, the reception unit 12 notifies the setting unit 18 of the received registration status message.

When the setting unit 18 receives the registration status message, the priority list 6 of the other information processing devices 10 included in the registration status message and the information processing device 10 itself (sometimes referred to as "own device 10") are created by the registration process described later. ), and sets the device list 4 so that the communication device 20 is associated with the information processing apparatus 10 having the highest priority.

<Sending and receiving confirmation messages>
The transmission unit 16 confirms the operating state of the information processing apparatus 10 with each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100, for example, at predetermined intervals (hereinafter referred to as "standby time"). send a confirmation message.

On the other hand, when receiving a confirmation message from another information processing apparatus 10 , the reception unit 12 transfers the confirmation message to the transmission unit 16 via the relay unit 14 . The transmission unit 16 that has received the confirmation message transmits a response message to the information processing device 10 that has sent the confirmation message.

If the receiving unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 that has transmitted the confirmation message does not receive a response message from the other information processing apparatus 10 within a predetermined response time after sending the confirmation message, it receives the response message. The setting unit 18 is notified of the operation stop notification including the identification information of the information processing apparatus 10 that did not perform the operation.

When the setting unit 18 receives the operation stop notification from the receiving unit 12, the setting unit 18 deletes from the device list 4 the association between the information processing apparatus 10 and the communication device 20 that have not received the response message by the confirmation process described later.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a main part of an electric system in the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG. The information processing apparatus 10 is configured using a computer 40, for example.

The computer 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41 responsible for each part of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 43 used as a non-volatile memory 44 and an input/output interface (I/O) 45 are provided. A CPU 41 , ROM 42 , RAM 43 , nonvolatile memory 44 and I/O 45 are connected via a bus 46 .

The nonvolatile memory 44 is an example of a storage device that maintains stored information even when the power supplied to the nonvolatile memory 44 is interrupted. For example, a semiconductor memory is used, but a hard disk may be used.

The I/O 45 is connected to the communication unit 11, the operation unit 13, the image forming unit 15, the scanning unit 17, and the facsimile unit 19, for example.

The communication unit 11 is connected to the communication line 2 and has a communication protocol for communicating with the other information processing apparatus 10 and the server 30 , and is connected to the wireless line 8 and has a communication protocol for communicating with the communication device 20 .

The operation unit 13 is a unit that provides a user with an interface with the information processing apparatus 10, and includes an input unit 13A and a display unit 13B.

The input unit 13A is an input device that receives instructions from the user and notifies the CPU 41 of them, and uses buttons, a touch panel, and the like, for example. The CPU 41 executes functions instructed by the user.

The display unit 13B is a display device that displays information processed by the CPU 41 as an image, and uses, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 has an image forming function, a scanning function, a copying function, and a facsimile function as main functions. The main functions of are realized.

Specifically, the image forming unit 15 is a device that forms a received image on a recording medium such as paper according to instructions from the CPU 41 . Any image forming method may be used in the image forming unit 15, for example, an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method may be used. The image forming unit 15 is used along with the execution of the image forming function, copy function, and facsimile function.

The scanning unit 17 is a device that optically reads the content of a document placed on, for example, a platen glass (not shown) and converts the content of the document into image data according to instructions from the CPU 41 . Scan unit 17 is used in conjunction with the execution of the scan function.

A facsimile unit 19 is a device that transmits and receives image data to and from another device having a facsimile function via a facsimile line (not shown). The CPU 41 also uses the image forming unit 15 to form an image on a recording medium from the image data received from the facsimile line.

The copy function is realized by causing the CPU 41 to cause the image forming unit 15 to form image data obtained by the scanning unit 17 on a recording medium.

Units connected to the I/O 45 are not limited to the units illustrated in FIG. For example, a voice recognition unit or the like that recognizes the user's voice may be connected to the I/O 45 . In this case, the CPU 41 may receive the user's instruction by voice.

Next, operations of the information processing system 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of registration processing executed by the CPU 41 when a connection request is received from the communication device 20. As shown in FIG.

The connection request is a message sent by the communication device 20 to establish the wireless line 8 with the information processing device 10 prior to data transmission by the communication device 20 . The communication device 20 broadcasts a connection request including identification information of the communication device 20 . Therefore, each information processing device 10 included in the information processing system 100 detects the connection request of the communication device 20 .

The information processing device 10 broadcasts a detection signal for detecting the presence or absence of the communication device 20, and the communication device 20 that detects the detection signal transmits a connection request to the information processing device 10 in response to the detection signal. good too.

An information processing program that defines the registration process is stored in advance in the ROM 42 of the information processing apparatus 10, for example. The CPU 41 of the information processing device 10 reads the information processing program stored in the ROM 42 and executes registration processing.

First, in step S10, the CPU 41 determines whether the identification information included in the connection request is registered in the device list 4 or not. If the identification information is registered in the device list 4, the process proceeds to step S50.

In step S<b>50 , the CPU 41 determines whether or not the information processing device 10 associated with the communication device 20 represented by the identification information is the own device 10 . If the information processing apparatus 10 associated with the communication device 20 represented by the identification information is the own apparatus 10, the process proceeds to step S60. If the device 10 is associated with the communication device 20 that has received the connection request, the device 10 plays the role of transferring data from the communication device 20 to the server 30 .

Therefore, in step S60, when data is received from the communication device 20 associated with the device 10, the CPU 41 transmits the received data to the server 30 and ends the registration process shown in FIG.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S50 that the information processing device 10 associated with the communication device 20 represented by the identification information is another information processing device 10, the process proceeds to step S70. . In this case, since the other information processing device 10 plays a role of transferring data from the communication device 20 to the server 30, even if the CPU 41 receives data from the communication device 20 in step S70, the received data is discarded, and the registration process shown in FIG. 6 is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S10 that the identification information is not registered in the device list 4, the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S<b>20 , the CPU 41 temporarily associates the communication device 20 represented by the identification information with the self-device 10 and performs provisional registration of registering them in the device list 4 . Specifically, the CPU 41 describes the correspondence between the communication device 20 represented by the identification information and the own device 10 in the dynamic list 4X.

In step S30, the CPU 41 generates a device detection message containing the identification information of the communication device 20 included in the connection request.

In step S<b>40 , the CPU 41 transmits the device detection message generated in step S<b>30 to each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 . This notifies each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 that the information processing apparatus 10 has detected a new communication device 20 that is not registered in the device list 4 . Hereinafter, the communication device 20 for which the information processing apparatus 10 has received a connection request will be referred to as the "detected communication device 20".

In step S10, the CPU 41 refers to both the dynamic list 4X and the static list 4Y of the device list 4. FIG. If the same communication device 20 is registered in both the dynamic list 4X and the static list 4Y, the CPU 41 determines that the communication device 20 is associated with the static list 4Y in the determination process of step S50. It is determined whether or not the information processing apparatus 10 present is the own apparatus 10 .

That is, the CPU 41 first refers to the static list 4Y, and refers to the dynamic list 4X when the communication device 20 represented by the identification information is not registered in the static list 4Y. Thus, static list 4Y takes precedence over dynamic list 4X.

Therefore, in the example of the device list 4 in FIG. 3, the data of the communication device 20E is transferred from the information processing device 10A to the server 30 regardless of the contents of the dynamic list 4X.

Further, when the communication device 20 represented by the identification information is associated with "never" in the static list 4Y, the CPU 41 determines whether the communication device 20 represented by the identification information It is determined that the associated information processing device 10 is another information processing device 10 . In the static list 4Y, "never" is a symbol that prohibits data transfer. It is determined that the information processing apparatus 10 is in charge of data transfer. That is, the data of the communication device 20 associated with “never” in the static list 4Y is not transferred from any information processing device 10 to the server 30 .

Therefore, in the example of the device list 4 in FIG. 3, the data of the communication device 20F is not transferred to the server 30 regardless of the contents of the dynamic list 4X. Note that the dynamic list 4X does not use the symbol "never".

FIG. 7 shows an example of the flow of registration processing executed by the CPU 41 when receiving a device detection message sent by another information processing apparatus 10 that has accepted a connection request from the communication device 20 in step S40 of FIG. It is a flow chart.

In step S100, the CPU 41 checks the registration status indicating whether or not the communication device 20 represented by the identification information included in the device detection message is registered in the device list 4 of the device 10 and the priority list 6 of the device 10. Generate a registration status message containing

If the communication device 20 represented by the identification information is included in the device list 4, the registration status is "registered", and if not included, the registration status is "not registered".

In step S110, the CPU 41 transmits the registration status message generated in step S100 to the information processing apparatus 10, which is the source of the device detection message. As a result, the information processing apparatus 10 that has transmitted the device detection message receives the registration status messages sent by each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 .

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of registration processing executed by the CPU 41 of the information processing apparatus 10 that has transmitted the device detection message.

As described with reference to FIG. 7, the registration status message is sent from each of the other information processing devices 10 included in the information processing system 100 to the information processing apparatus 10 that has sent the device detection message. Therefore, in step S200, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the registration status message has been received. If the registration status telegram has not been received, the determination processing of step S200 is repeatedly executed to monitor reception of the registration status telegram. On the other hand, when the registration status message is received, the process proceeds to step S210.

In step S<b>210 , the CPU 41 determines whether registration status messages have been received from all other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 . If registration status messages have not yet been received from all of the information processing apparatuses 10, the process proceeds to step S200 to monitor registration status messages from the information processing apparatuses 10 that have not sent registration status messages. On the other hand, when registration status messages are received from all other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100, the process proceeds to step S220.

In step S220, the CPU 41 refers to the registration status included in the registration status message transmitted from each information processing device 10 to see if the detected communication device 20 has been registered in another information processing device 10. determine whether or not

If at least one of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 registers the detected communication device 20 in the device list 4, the process proceeds to step S230.

Since the CPU 41 temporarily registers the detected communication device 20 in the device list 4 in step S20 of FIG. The received data will be transferred to the server 30 . That is, a plurality of information processing apparatuses 10 redundantly collect data from the same communication device 20 .

Therefore, in step S230, CPU 41 compares priority list 6 included in each registration status telegram whose registration status is "registered" with priority list 6 of own device 10 to determine the priority of information processing device 10. determine the ranking.

For example, in the example of the information processing system 100 shown in FIG. 1, when the information processing device 10A detects the communication device 20A and transmits a device detection telegram to the information processing device 10B, the registration status from the information processing device 10B is " Suppose that a registration status telegram "registered" is received.

The communication device 20A is classified as "Type-A". The priority list 6 of the information processing device 10A is the priority list 6A shown in FIG. 4A, and the priority list 6 of the information processing device 10B is the priority list 6B shown in FIG. 4B.

In this case, it can be seen that the information processing apparatus 10A has higher priority than the information processing apparatus 10B in both "Type" and "General". Therefore, the priority of the information processing device 10A is the first, and the priority of the information processing device 10B is the second.

In step S240, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the priority of the device 10 is first, that is, whether or not the device 10 is a priority device, based on the priority of the information processing device 10 determined in step S230. . If the own device 10 is the priority device, the process proceeds to step S250.

In step S250, the CPU 41 confirms the provisional registration registered in the device list 4 in step S20 of FIG. 6 as formal registration. As a result, the communication device 20 that made the connection request is associated with the own device 10 , and thereafter the data of the communication device 20 is transferred to the server 30 by the own device 10 .

Note that if it is determined in the determination processing in step S220 that the detected communication device 20 is unregistered in any of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100, data from the same communication device 20 is duplicated. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 10 that collects the data does not exist.

Therefore, the process proceeds to step S250, and the CPU 41 confirms the provisional registration registered in the device list 4 in step S20 of FIG. 6 as formal registration.

On the other hand, when it is determined in the determination process of step S240 that the device 10 is not the priority device, the process proceeds to step S260.

The fact that the own device 10 is not a priority device means that there is another information processing device 10 more suitable for the relay processing of the data received from the detected communication device 20 than the own device 10 . Therefore, in step S260, the CPU 41 deletes the provisional registration registered in the device list 4 in step S20 of FIG.

Then, in step S270, the CPU 41 associates the detected communication device 20 with the other information processing apparatus 10 given the first priority in step S230, and registers them in the dynamic list 4X of the device list 4. FIG. As a result, even if data is received from the communication device 20, the data is discarded in step S70 of FIG. disappears.

Thus, the registration processing shown in FIG. 8 ends.

In the registration process shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the dynamic list 4X of the device list 4 is set. The static list 4Y of the device list 4 is used by the CPU 41 when the registered content is updated by the user via the operation unit 13 and when the information processing apparatus 10 is activated. It is sent to the device 10 . The information processing device 10 that has received the static list 4Y sets the static list 4Y of its own device 10 so that the static list 4Y of its own device 10 is the same as the received static list 4Y. That is, the information processing device 10 that receives the static list 4Y replaces the static list 4Y of its own device 10 with the received static list 4Y.

In some cases, it is conceivable that there are a plurality of information processing apparatuses 10 having the first priority in step S230 of FIG. Therefore, the information processing apparatus 10 that has received the device detection message may include in the registration status message, in addition to the priority list 6, an index indicating the degree of influence of the reception of data from the communication device 20 on the main functions.

Specifically, the load factor of the CPU 41 may be included in the registration status message. The load factor of the CPU 41 is an example of an index indicating the amount of processing being executed by the information processing device 10 . The lower the load factor of the CPU 41, the more room there is for executing processes other than the main function, such as the relay function. The detected communication device 20 may be associated with the processing device 10 .

Moreover, the remaining capacity of at least one of the RAM 43 and the nonvolatile memory 44 may be included in the registration status message. The remaining capacities of the RAM 43 and the non-volatile memory 44 are examples of indicators indicating the remaining capacities of the storage devices in the information processing device 10 . As the remaining capacity of the RAM 43 or the nonvolatile memory 44 increases, memory swapping is less likely to occur even if relay processing is performed, so the degree of influence on the execution of the main functions is suppressed. Therefore, it is sufficient to associate the detected communication device 20 with the information processing apparatus 10 having a larger remaining capacity of the storage device than the other information processing apparatuses 10 .

Also, an index indicating the distance to the detected communication device 20 may be included in the registration status message. Specifically, the shorter the distance between the information processing apparatus 10 and the communication device 20, the stronger the reception strength of the data in the wireless line 8. Therefore, the reception strength of the data may be included in the registration status message. Since the stronger the data reception strength, the lower the data reception error rate, the retransmission request for data is not executed, and the degree of influence on the execution of the main function is suppressed.

Also, the amount of data received per unit time transmitted from the communication device 20 may be included in the registration status message. Here, "the amount of data received per unit time transmitted from the communication device 20" means the amount of data correctly received from the communication device 20 per unit time. As described above, the shorter the distance between the information processing apparatus 10 and the communication device 20, the stronger the data reception strength and the lower the data reception error rate. Therefore, the detected communication device 20 may be associated with the information processing device 10 that receives more data per unit time from the detected communication device 20 than the other information processing devices 10 .

The reception error rate is also an example of an index indicating the distance to the communication device 20, and the reception error rate of the data transmitted from the communication device 20 may be included in the registration status message.

Furthermore, the information processing apparatus 10 that has received the device detection message may include, in addition to the priority list 6, an index indicating the degree of operation of the information processing apparatus 10 in the registration status message. The degree of operation of the information processing device 10 is represented, for example, by an average value of operating hours per day or an average operating rate of the information processing device 10 . Further, the information processing apparatus 10 is operating means that the information processing apparatus 10 is powered on and ready to execute the relay function for transferring data from the communication device 20 to the server 30 .

An information processing apparatus 10 whose operating degree is lower than that of other information processing apparatuses 10 is powered off longer than that of other information processing apparatuses 10 . When data is transmitted from the communication device 20 associated with the information processing device 10 whose power is off, the data transmitted from the communication device 20 is not transferred to the server 30 . Therefore, it is preferable to associate the communication device 20 with the information processing device 10 having a higher operating degree than the other information processing devices 10 .

For example, when the information processing apparatus 10 has a facsimile function, the information processing apparatus 10 prepares for facsimile reception. tend to be shorter. Therefore, it is only necessary to include an index indicating the presence or absence of the facsimile function in the registration status message, and associate the detected communication device 20 with the information processing apparatus 10 having the facsimile function. The information processing apparatus 10, which tends to have a shorter power-off period than other information processing apparatuses 10, has a server function that transmits a response to a request from an external device, for example. There are an information processing device 10, an information processing device 10 connected to an external server device having a server function, and an information processing device 10 connected to more server devices than other information processing devices 10. do. Therefore, the registration status message may include an index indicating whether or not the information processing apparatus 10 has such characteristics. Further, when a master-slave relationship exists between a plurality of information processing apparatuses 10, the information processing apparatus 10 that operates mainly has a shorter power-off period than the information processing apparatus 10 that operates as a slave. Therefore, the registration status message may include an index indicating the master-slave relationship of the information processing apparatus 10 .

In this way, the CPU 41 can detect at least one of the load factor of the CPU 41, the remaining capacity of at least one of the RAM 43 and the nonvolatile memory 44, the index indicating the distance from the communication device 20, and the index indicating the degree of operation of the information processing device 10. may be included in the registration status message. In the above description, an example of individually including the priority list 6 and these indicators in the registration status message was shown, but it goes without saying that the priority list 6 may also include these indicators.

As described above, when the communication device 20 associated with the information processing device 10 whose power is turned off transmits data, the data transmitted from the communication device 20 is not transferred to the server 30. Become. Therefore, in the information processing system 100, the information processing apparatus 10 whose data relay function is not operating is detected, and the communication device 20 is prevented from being associated with the information processing apparatus 10 whose data relay function is not operating. It has a mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of confirmation processing executed by the CPU 41 when the power of the information processing apparatus 10 is turned on. The confirmation process shown in FIG. 9 is executed by each information processing device 10 included in the information processing system 100 .

An information processing program that defines the confirmation process is stored in advance in the ROM 42 of the information processing device 10, for example. The CPU 41 of the information processing device 10 reads the information processing program stored in the ROM 42 and executes confirmation processing.

Note that the information processing apparatus 10 transmits a confirmation telegram, which will be described later, to each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100. However, the confirmation processing shown in FIG. It shows a process of transmitting a confirmation message to one information processing device 10 . That is, the confirmation process shown in FIG. 9 is executed for each of the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 .

In step S<b>300 , the CPU 41 transmits a confirmation message confirming the operating state of the information processing apparatus 10 to the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100 . The content of the confirmation message may be of any type, but it includes the identification information of the information processing device 10 that has sent the confirmation message.

The information processing apparatus 10 that has received the confirmation message transmits a response message to the confirmation message to the information processing apparatus 10 that has sent the confirmation message. The content of the response message may be of any type, but includes the identification information of the information processing device 10 that has sent the response message.

Therefore, in step S310, the CPU 41 determines whether or not a response message has been received from the information processing apparatus 10 that sent the confirmation message in step S300. If no response message has been received, the process proceeds to step S320.

In step S320, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the time from the transmission of the confirmation telegram to the reception of the response telegram in step S300 has passed the specified response time.

The "specified response time" is a threshold used to determine the operating state of the information processing device 10, and indicates that the information processing device 10 that does not send a response message even after the specified response time has passed is not operating. . The specified response time is obtained in advance by experiments using an actual machine of the information processing system 100, computer simulations based on the design specifications of the information processing system 100, or the like, and is stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 44, for example.

In the determination process of step S320, if the specified response time has not passed yet, the process proceeds to step S310 to monitor the reception status of the response message. On the other hand, when the specified response time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S330.

Since no response message has been received even after the specified response time has passed, it is assumed that the information processing apparatus 10 to which the confirmation message is sent is not in operation.

Therefore, in step S<b>330 , the CPU 41 deletes from the dynamic list 4</b>X of the device list 4 the correspondence between the information processing device 10 to which the confirmation message is sent and the communication device 20 . As a result, the association with the non-operating information processing device 10 is canceled. Note that, if the static list 4Y also includes the association between the information processing device 10 to which the confirmation message is sent and the communication device 20, the CPU 41 may also delete the association from the static list 4Y. displays the deletion from the sexual list 4Y on the display unit 13B to notify the user of the deletion from the static list 4Y. This allows the user to review the registered contents of the static list 4Y.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S310 that a response message has been received, or if the process of step S330 has been executed, the process proceeds to step S340.

In step S<b>340 , the CPU 41 determines whether or not an instruction to end the confirmation process has been received from the user by operating the operation unit 13 . If the end instruction has not been received, the process proceeds to step S350.

In step S350, the CPU 41 waits until the waiting time elapses. The “waiting time” is a time that defines the transmission interval of confirmation telegrams, and is pre-stored in the non-volatile memory 44, for example. There is no restriction on the set value of the standby time, but the shorter the value is set, the shorter the intervals at which the operating states of the other information processing apparatuses 10 are checked. In this embodiment, it is set, for example, to about several tens of seconds. Note that the specified response time and the waiting time have a magnitude relationship of "response specified time<waiting time".

After the waiting time has elapsed, the process moves to step S300, and the confirmation message is sent again to the other information processing apparatuses 10 included in the information processing system 100. FIG. That is, the operating states of the other information processing apparatuses 10 are checked at intervals defined by the standby time.

On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S340 that an instruction to end the confirmation process has been received from the user, the confirmation process shown in FIG. 9 ends.

As a result, the communication device 20 associated with the non-operating information processing device 10 is deleted from the device list 4 . Therefore, when the communication device 20 deleted from the device list 4 makes a connection request, each of the information processing apparatuses 10 that have detected the connection request executes the registration processing shown in FIGS. A new information processing apparatus 10 associated with the communication device 20 deleted from the device list 4 is set in the dynamic list 4X of the device list 4 according to the priority order of .

In the confirmation process shown in FIG. 9, if the response message is not received even once within the specified response time, the information processing apparatus 10 that did not send the response message is deleted from the device list 4. It is conceivable that there may be an information processing apparatus 10 that was actually operating but did not send a response message within the specified response time because it was executing a main function with a higher priority than the other. Therefore, when the number of consecutive times that a response message is not received within the specified response time reaches a predetermined number, the information processing device 10 that has not sent a response message may be deleted from the device list 4. .

As described above, according to the information processing system 100 according to the present embodiment, when a connection request is detected from a communication device 20 that is not registered in the device list 4, a registration status message is transmitted and received between the information processing devices 10. . Then, the information processing device 10 associates the detected communication device 20 with the information processing device 10 having the highest priority determined based on the priority list 6 included in the registration status message.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the software structure in the information processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the software of the information processing apparatus 10 includes an application layer and a session layer for executing main functions, and a device driver responsible for registration processing shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 and confirmation processing shown in FIG. It has a hierarchical structure including

Since the communication device 20 broadcasts data, each information processing device 10 receives the data. discarded. Therefore, the data of the communication device 20 that is not associated with the device 10 is not notified to the session layer and higher layers, so that the data of the communication device 20 that is not associated with the device 10 is transmitted in the application layer. Compared to the case of discarding, the degree of influence on the main function is suppressed.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be made to the embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention, and the forms with such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. For example, the order of processing may be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Further, in the present embodiment, as an example, a form in which the registration process and the confirmation process are realized by software has been described. may be implemented in and processed by hardware. In this case, compared with the case where the registration process and the confirmation process are implemented by software, the speed of processing can be increased.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a mode in which the information processing program is installed in the ROM 42 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing program according to the present invention can also be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable storage medium. For example, the information processing program according to the present invention may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disc such as CD (Compact Disc)-ROM or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM. Also, the information processing program according to the present invention may be provided in a form recorded in a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or a flash memory. Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may acquire the information processing program according to the present invention from an external device (not shown) connected to the communication line 2 .

2: communication line, 4: device list, 4X: dynamic list, 4Y: static list, 6 (6A, 6B): priority list, 8: wireless line, 10 (10A, 10B) Information processing apparatus 11 Communication unit 12 Reception unit 13 Operation unit 13A Input unit 13B Display unit 14 relay unit 15 image forming unit 16 transmission unit 17 scan unit 18 setting unit 19 facsimile unit 20 (20A to 20F) communication Equipment 30 Server 40 Computer 41 CPU 42 ROM 43 RAM 44 Nonvolatile memory 100 Information processing system

Claims (18)

a transmission unit that transmits identification information of a communication device that transmits data to another information processing device;
priority information defining the registration status of the communication device in the registration information associated with the communication device and the information processing device that receives the data of the communication device from the other information processing device and the priority regarding the reception of data; a receiving unit for receiving;
If the communication device is registered in the registration information received by the receiving unit, referring to the priority information of the other information processing device and the priority information of the device itself, and the priority order of the communication device of the device itself a setting unit for registering the communication device in the registration information of the own device and deleting the communication device from the registration information in the other information processing device when the priority order is higher than that of the other information processing device ;
Information processing device with 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degree of influence of reception of data from the communication device on functions of the information processing apparatus is defined as the priority. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the priority information defines at least one of the priority of the information processing apparatus and the priority according to the type of the communication device. When both the priority of the information processing device and the priority according to the type of the communication device are specified in the priority information, the setting unit sets the priority according to the type of the communication device to be higher. When the priority of the processing device is set high and the priority based on the priority according to the type of the communication device is the same, the priority of the information processing device for which the priority of the information processing device is set higher. If the priority is set high and the priority based on the type of communication device and the priority based on the priority of the information processing device are both the same, the priority of each information processing device is set to be the same. As a result of the setting, if there are a plurality of information processing apparatuses having the same priority, the setting unit determines, among the information processing apparatuses having the same priority, the degree of influence on the function due to the reception of data from the communication device. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the registration information is set so as to associate the communication devices with fewer information processing apparatuses. The degree of influence on the function is represented by an index indicating the amount of processing being executed by the information processing device,
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets the registration information such that the communication device is associated with an information processing apparatus having a smaller amount of processing indicated by the index. The degree of influence on the function is represented by an index indicating the remaining capacity of the storage device in the information processing device,
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets the registration information such that the communication device is associated with an information processing apparatus having a larger remaining capacity indicated by the index. The degree of influence on the function is represented by an index indicating the distance from the communication device,
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit sets the registration information such that the communication device is associated with the information processing apparatus having the shorter distance indicated by the index. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the indicator is reception strength of data transmitted from the communication device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the indicator is the amount of data received per unit time transmitted from the communication device. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said type is defined according to a moving state of said communication device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the degree of operation of the information processing apparatus is defined as the priority. The degree of operation is represented by an index indicating the operating time of the information processing device,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the setting unit sets the registration information such that the communication device is associated with the information processing apparatus having the longer operating time indicated by the index. 13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein presence/absence of a facsimile function in the information processing apparatus is included as the index in the priority information. The registration information includes predetermined fixed registration information in which the association between the communication device and the information processing device does not change,
The setting unit does not set the registration information using the priority information when the communication device is associated with any information processing device in the fixed registration information, and does not set the registration information using the priority information. 14. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the information processing apparatus associated with the information is set to be associated. The transmitting unit transmits the static registration information to the other information processing device when the static registration information is updated and when the own device is activated,
When the reception unit receives the fixed registration information from the other information processing device, the setting unit sets the fixed registration information of the device so that the fixed registration information of the device and the received fixed registration information are the same. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein fixed registration information is set. The transmission unit transmits a confirmation telegram confirming the operating state of the information processing device to the other information processing device,
If there is an information processing device that has not received a response message to the confirmation message sent from the transmission unit, the setting unit is configured to set the information processing device that has not received the response message and the communication device. 16. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein a setting is made to delete the association with from the registration information. When there is an information processing device that has not received a response message to the confirmation message transmitted from the transmission unit for a predetermined number of times in succession, the setting unit selects the information processing device that has not received the response message from the transmission unit. 17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a setting is made to delete the association with the communication device from the registration information. An information processing program for causing a computer to function as each unit of the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

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