Aggregating device collection data

• US 20020103791A1
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gathman, Donald J., Janz, Susan M., Poppenga, Burton H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,028,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Data is transferred from an input record to an index. The input record has a recorded unique device identification and recorded device data for a device, such as a printer. The recorded unique device identification is either a serial number of the device or another persistent identifying designation for the device. The recorded device data includes recorded usage data for the device. The index has at least one enduring record. Each enduring record has an enduring unique device identification and enduring device data. The recorded unique device identification and recorded device data for a device are read from the input record. The index is searched for a match to the recorded unique device identification. If a match to the recorded device information is not found in the index, an enduring record for the device is created in the index. An enduring usage data is read from the index. A difference in usage data is calculated from the enduring usage data and the recorded usage data. The index is updated with the recorded device data. The index is updated with the recorded device data by replacing enduring device data from the index with the recorded device data. The updates to the index are tracked.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data, the method comprising:

(a) reading, from an input record, a recorded unique device identification and recorded device data for a device;

(b) searching an index for an enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification; and

,

(c) updating the index with the recorded device data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recorded device data includes a recorded usage data.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

(a) reading an enduring usage data from an enduring record in the index having enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification; and

,

(b) calculating a difference in usage data from the enduring usage data and the recorded usage data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the index with the recorded device data includes replacing enduring device data from the index with the recorded device data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the index with the recorded device data includes updating enduring device data from an enduring record in the index having enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification.

6. The method of claim 1 further including, responsive to a failure to find a match to the recorded unique device identification in the index, creating in the index an enduring record for the device.

7. The method of claim 1 further including tracking updates to the index.

8. A system for transferring data, the system comprising:

(a) an input record for a device, the input record having a recorded unique device identification and recorded device data;

(b) a record reader configured to read, from the input record, the recorded unique device identification and the recorded device data for the device;

(c) an index having at least one enduring record, each enduring record having an enduring unique device identification;

(d) an inspector configured to search the index for one of the enduring unique device identifications matching the recorded unique device identification; and

,

(e) an updater configured to update the index with the recorded device data.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the recorded device data includes a recorded usage data.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one enduring record further includes enduring device data and the enduring device data includes an enduring usage data and further including:

(a) an index reader configured to read the enduring usage data from the enduring record having the enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification; and

,

(b) a calculator configured to calculate a difference in usage data from the enduring usage data and the recorded usage data.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the updater includes a recorder configured to replace enduring device data from the index with the recorded device data.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one enduring record further includes enduring device data and the updater is further configured to update the enduring device data from the enduring record having the enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification.

13. The system of claim 8 further including an inserter configured to respond to a failure to find a match to the recorded unique device identification in the index by creating, in the index, an enduring record for the device.

14. The system of claim 8 further including a transaction log configured to track updates to the index.

16. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein the recorded device data includes a recorded usage data and wherein the method steps further include:

(a) reading an enduring usage data from an enduring record in the index having enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification; and

,

(b) calculating a difference in usage data from the enduring usage data and the recorded usage data.

17. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein the method step of updating the index with the recorded device data includes replacing enduring device data from the index with the recorded device data.

18. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein the method step of updating the index with the recorded device data includes updating enduring device data from an enduring record in the index having enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification.

19. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein the method steps further include, responsive to a failure to find a match to the recorded unique device identification in the index, creating in the index an enduring record for the device.

20. The program storage device of claim 15 wherein the method steps further include tracking updates to the index.

15. A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program, applet, or instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for transferring data, the method steps comprising:

(a) reading, from an input record, a recorded unique device identification and recorded device data for a device;

(b) searching an index for an enduring unique device identification matching the recorded unique device identification; and

,

(c) updating the index with the recorded device data.