Device management system, device management terminal, network device, terminal program, device program, and device management method

• US 20040165206A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fukao, Akihiito, Aoki, Mikio
• Application Number:
  US10/732,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165206A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A device management system that allows one to change the functions of a network device without requiring technical knowledge and can reduce time and effort required to change functions, and is also suitable for shortening delivery times. Upon receiving device information, a device management server 100 determines functions available to a network device 200 based on the device information, reads out a function provision module corresponding to the function from a function provision module registration DB 42, and sends the module to the network device 200. The network device 200 sends device information in a storage device 62 to the device management server 100, and when it receives a function provision module, it executes the module.

Claims

1. A device management system comprising:

a section for connecting a network device so that it can communicate with the system, and wherein;

when device information regarding said network device is received, functions available to said network device are determined based on said device information, and, based on the determination, a function provision module that is applied to said network device to provide it with a function is sent to said network device.

2. A device management system which connects a network device with a device management terminal that manages said network device so that they can communicate with each other, comprising:

said device management terminal including a module storing section for storing a function provision module that is applied to said network device to provide it with functions, a device information receiving section for receiving device information regarding said network device, a function determining section for determining a function provision module that has a function available to said network device based on said device information received by said device information receiving section, a module reading section for reading said function provision module determined by said function determining section from said module storing section, and a module sending section for sending said function provision module read by said module reading section to said network device, and

said network device including a device information storing section for storing said device information, a device information sending section for sending said device information stored by said device information storing section to said device management terminal, a module receiving section for receiving said function provision module and a module executing section for executing the function provision module received by said module receiving section.

3. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of said network devices are connected so that they can communicate with the system, and

said function provision module is a module that realizes a function that is provided by at least two of said network devices working in combination.

4. The device management system according to claim 3, wherein

said network device includes a device information acquisition section for obtaining device information for another network device other than itself from that network device among said plurality of network devices, and

wherein said device information sending section sends device information stored in said device information storing section and device information obtained by said device information acquisition section to said device management terminal.

5. The device management system according to claim 4, wherein

said device management terminal includes a function selecting section that allows a user to select one or more of the functions corresponding to the function provision module determined by said function determining section, and

wherein said module reading section reads out a function provision module that corresponds to a function selected by the function selecting section from said module storing section.

6. The device management system according to claim 4, wherein

said network device includes a function selecting section that allows a user to select one or more of the functions corresponding to the function provision module determined by said function determining section, and

wherein said module reading section reads out a function provision module that corresponds to a function selected by said function selecting section from said module storing section.

7. The device management system according to claim 6, wherein

said function selecting section generates a GUI screen on which one can select one or more of the functions corresponding to the function provision module determined by said function determining section and presents the GUI screen to the user so that the user can select one or more of the functions.

8. The device management system according to claim 6, wherein

said device management terminal includes a selection interface generating section for generating a selection interface through which one can select one or more of the functions corresponding to function provision module determined by said function determining section, and

wherein said function selecting section presents the selection interface generated by said selection interface generating section to the user so that the user can select one or more of the functions.

9. The device management system according to claim 6, wherein

said network device includes a selection interface generating section for generating a selection interface through which one can select one or more of the functions corresponding to function provision module determined by said function determining section, and

wherein said function selecting section presents the selection interface generated by said selection interface generating section to the user so that the user can select one or more of the functions.

10. The device management system according to claim 9, wherein

said device information includes device type identification information that identifies the type of said network device, and

wherein said function determining section determines a function provision module that has a function available to said network device based on a function registration table that stores functions associated with said device type identification information.

11. The device management system according to claim 10, wherein

said device type identification information is a device type ID that uniquely identifies the type of said network device, and

said function determining section determines a function provision module that has a function available to said network device based on a function registration table that stores functions associated with said device type IDs.

12. The device management system according to claim 11, wherein:

said module storing section stores said function provision module as associated with user ID,

said device management terminal includes a user ID receiving section for receiving said user ID, a second module reading section for reading a function provision module corresponding to a user ID received by said user ID receiving section from said module storing section, and a second module sending section for sending said function provision module read by said second module reading section to said network device, and

said network device including a user ID storing section for storing a user ID, and a user ID sending section for sending the user ID stored in said user ID storing section to said device management terminal.

13. The device management system according to claim 12, wherein:

said device management terminal includes a provision limiting section for limiting provision of a function provision module, and

wherein said provision limiting section prevents a function provision module that has been once provided to said network device based on said user ID from being provided for a re-access based on the same user ID.

14. The device management system according to claim 12, wherein

said device management terminal includes a provision limiting section for limiting provision of a function provision module, and

wherein said provision limiting section defines the provision range of function provision module for each of said user ID, and prevents provision of a function provision module that has been provided to the network device based on said user ID beyond the provision range defined for the user ID.

15. A device management terminal connected to a network device so that it can communicate with the network device, comprising

a module storing section for storing function provision module that is applied to said network device to provide it with functions, a device information receiving section for receiving device information regarding said network device, a function determining section for determining a function provision module that has a function available to said network device based on said device information received by said device information receiving section, a module reading section for reading the function provision module determined by said function determining section from said module storing section, and a module sending section for sending said function provision module read by said module reading section to said network device.

16. A network device connected to a device management terminal so that they can communicate with each other, comprising

a device information storing section for storing the device information regarding a network device, a device information sending section for sending the device information stored by said device information storing section to said device management terminal, a module receiving section for receiving a function provision module that is applied to the network device to provide it with a function, and a module executing section for executing the function provision module received by said module receiving section.

17. A programmable computer that is connected to a network device so that they can communicate with each other, comprising:

said computer having a memory containing a terminal program for causing said computer to execute processing that is realized as a device information receiving section for receiving device information regarding said network device, a function determining section for determining a function provision module that has a function available to said network device based on said device information received by said device information receiving section, a module reading section for reading the function provision module determined by said function determining section from said module reading section, and a module sending section for sending said function provision module read by said module reading section to said network device.

18. A programmable computer that is connected to a network device so that they can communicate with each other, comprising:

said computer having a memory containing a terminal program causing said computer to execute processing that is realized as a device information sending section for sending device information stored by a device information storing section to a device management terminal, a module receiving section for receiving a function provision module that is applied to the computer to provide it with a function, and a module executing section for executing the function provision module received by said module receiving section.

19. A device management method for connecting a network device so that it can communicate and managing said network device, comprising:

when device information regarding said network device is received, functions available to said network device are determined based on the device information, and based on the determination, a function provision module that is applied to said network device to provide it with a function is sent to said network device.