Information communication device, information communication method, remote management system, and recording medium storing computer program for information communication

• US 20010028473A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 10/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tomoki, Yamasaki, Kimihito, Nakamura, Masakatsu
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3068 where the reporting involves data format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32614 related to a single-mode communication, e.g. at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32635 of reproducing apparatus or receiver, e.g. out of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32662 remotely, e.g. to the transmitter from the receiver

Abstract

A digital complex machine in accordance with the present invention is set so as to notify a manager of device information thereof by E-mail. It is also particularly set so as to convert device information into attached data and to transmit a device information mail containing the attached data to a server of the manager. In other words, since transmitting device information in the attached data format that is less possibly perceived by the third party, the digital complex machine is capable of suppressing leakage of device information.

Claims

1. An information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device comprising:

a transmission processing section that converts the device information into attached data, and transmits an electric mail containing the attached data to said managing device.

2. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to convert a part of the device information into mail data in an electric mail format, while to convert the other part of the device information into attached data, and to transmit an electric mail containing the attached data and the mail data to said managing device.

3. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 2

, further comprising:

an information selecting section for selecting information that should be attached data out of the device information, in response to an instruction from the external,

wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to convert the information selected by said information selecting section into attached data.

4. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 2

, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to convert use information indicative of a state of use of said management target device into attached data.

5. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to transmit device information about a plurality of management target devices located in a predetermined area by a same electric mail.

6. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to send the electric mail transmitted to the manager, also to another destination according to a request by a user.

7. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein said transmission processing section includes an encoding section for encoding attached data, and is set so as to have the encoded attached data in an electric mail.

8. A remote management system comprising:

an information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device including a transmission processing section that converts the device information into attached data, and transmits an electric mail containing the attached data to said managing device;

a management target device that causes said information communication device to transmit an electric mail containing device information; and

a managing device that performs remote management of said management target device, based on the device information contained in the electric mail transmitted from said information communication device.

9. An information communication method for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said method comprising the steps of:

converting the device information into attached data; and

transmitting an electric mail containing the attached data to said managing device.

10. A recording medium storing a computer program for information communication for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, wherein:

said information communication includes the steps of converting the device information into attached data and transmitting an electric mail containing the attached data to the managing device.

11. An information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device comprising:

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device;

an abnormality management table that lists abnormal states to be notified to said managing device; and

a transmission processing section that, in the case where an abnormal state detected by said abnormality detecting section is indicated in said abnormality management table, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

12. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 11

, wherein the list in said abnormality management table is set by a user of said management target device.

13. An information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device comprising:

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmission processing section that, in the case where an abnormal state of said management target device is detected by said abnormality detecting section, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device,

wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to, in the case where an abnormal state is again detected within predetermined time since latest transmission of an abnormality report mail, refrain from another transmission of the abnormality report mail.

16. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 13

, wherein said transmission processing section determines contents of the abnormal state detected by said abnormality detecting section, and sets a length of said predetermined time according to the determined contents.

14. An information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device comprising:

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmission processing section that, in the case where said management target device continuously remains in an abnormal state for not less than predetermined time, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

17. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 14

, wherein said transmission processing section determines contents of the abnormal state detected by said abnormality detecting section, and sets a length of said predetermined time according to the determined contents.

18. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 14

, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to make the abnormality report mail contain history information of an abnormal state that has occurred within the predetermined time.

15. An information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device comprising:

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmission processing section that counts the number of times of occurrence of an abnormal state within predetermined time, and when judging that a frequency of occurrence of an abnormal state is not less than a predetermined value, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

19. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 15

, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to make the abnormality report mail contain history information of an abnormal state that has occurred within the predetermined time.

20. The information communication device as set forth in

claim 15

, wherein said transmission processing section sets the predetermined value according to contents of the abnormal state detected by said abnormality detecting section.

21. A remote management system comprising:

an information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device including;

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device,

an abnormality management table that lists abnormal states to be notified to said managing device, and

a transmission processing section that, in the case where an abnormal state detected by said abnormality detecting section is indicated in said abnormality management table, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device;

a management target device that causes said information communication device to transmit an electric mail containing device information; and

a managing device that performs remote management of said management target device based on the device information contained in the electric mail transmitted from said information communication device.

22. A remote management system comprising:

an information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device including;

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device, and

a transmission processing section that, in the case where an abnormal state of said management target device is detected by said abnormality detecting section, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device,

wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to, in the case where an abnormal state is again detected within predetermined time since latest transmission of an abnormality report mail, refrain from another transmission of the abnormality report mail;

a management target device that causes said information communication device to transmit an electric mail containing device information; and

a managing device that performs remote management of said management target device based on the device information contained in the electric mail transmitted from said information communication device.

23. A remote management system comprising:

an information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device including;

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device, and

a transmission processing section that, in the case where said management target device continuously remains in an abnormal state for not less than predetermined time, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device;

a management target device that causes said information communication device to transmit an electric mail containing device information; and

a managing device that performs remote management of said management target device based on the device information contained in the electric mail transmitted from said information communication device.

24. A remote management system comprising:

an information communication device notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device including;

an abnormality detecting section for detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmission processing section that counts the number of times of occurrence of an abnormal state within predetermined time, and when judging a frequency of occurrence of an abnormal state is not less than a predetermined value, produces an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmits the abnormality report mail to said managing device;

a management target device that causes said information communication device to transmit an electric mail containing device information; and

a managing device that performs remote management of said management target device based on the device information contained in the electric mail transmitted from said information communication device.

25. An information communication method for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication method comprising:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of, in the case where an abnormal state detected in said abnormality detecting step is indicated in an abnormality management table that lists abnormal states to be notified to said managing device, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

26. An information communication method for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication method comprising:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of, in the case where an abnormal state of said management target device is detected in said abnormality detecting step, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device,

wherein said transmitting step is set so that, in the case where an abnormal state is again detected within predetermined time since latest transmission of an abnormality report mail, another transmission of the abnormality report mail should be refrained.

27. An information communication method for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication method comprising:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of, in the case where said management target device continuously remains in an abnormal state for not less than predetermined time, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

28. An information communication method for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, said information communication method comprising:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of counting the number of times of occurrence of an abnormal state within predetermined time, and in the case where a frequency of occurrence of an abnormal state is not less than a predetermined value, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

29. A recording medium storing a computer program for information communication for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, wherein said information communication includes:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of, in the case where an abnormal state detected in said abnormality detecting step is indicated in an abnormality management table that lists abnormal states to be notified to said managing device, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

30. A recording medium storing a computer program for information communication for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, wherein said information communication includes:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of, in the case where an abnormal state of said management target device is detected in said abnormality detecting step, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device,

wherein said transmitting step is set so that, in the case where an abnormal state is again detected within predetermined time since latest transmission of an abnormality report mail, another transmission of the abnormality report mail should be refrained.

31. A recording medium storing a computer program for information communication for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, wherein said information communication includes:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of, in the case where said management target device continuously remains in an abnormal state for not less than predetermined time, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device.

32. A recording medium storing a computer program for information communication for notifying a managing device of device information about a management target device by electric mail, wherein said information communication includes:

an abnormality detecting step of detecting an abnormal state of said management target device; and

a transmitting step of counting the number of times of occurrence of an abnormal state within predetermined time, and in the case where a frequency of occurrence of an abnormal state is not less than a predetermined value, producing an abnormality report mail containing contents of the abnormal state, and transmitting the abnormality report mail to said managing device.