Verification method of manufacturer and model for remote diagnostics, maintenance and control system over SNMP

• US 20050246425A1
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 7,580,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1232 Transmitting printer device capabilities, e.g. upon request or periodically
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

The present invention relates to querying an interfacing device to determine the manufacturer and model of the interfacing device. The querying is accomplished by first inputting signals with known communication means of particular manufacturers. By comparing the responses of the interfacing device to these signals and comparing them to anticipated responses, the manufacturer of the interfacing device can be determined. The anticipated response is the known response to the inputted signals of a particular manufacturer. In other words, the manufacturer of an interfacing device can be deducted according to its reaction to predetermined input signals. The interfacing device is then queried in a similar fashion to determine the model.

Claims

1. A method for a controlling device to query an interfacing device, comprising steps:

outputting from the controlling device to the interfacing device a first plurality of binary signals, wherein each signal of the first plurality of binary signals is compliant to a communication means of a different manufacturer of interface devices;

inputting to the controlling device from the interfacing device a second plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the first plurality binary signals; and

comparing each signal of the second plurality of binary signals to an anticipated manufacturer response of an interfacing device of a particular manufacturer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if none of the second plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated manufacturer response then the method comprises further step of determining that the interfacing device utilizes a communication means that is common to a plurality of manufacturers or models.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if a signal of the second plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated manufacturer response then the method comprises further steps of:

determining that the interfacing device utilizes a communication means of the particular manufacturer associated with the identical anticipated manufacturer response;

outputting from the controlling device to the interfacing device a third plurality of binary signals, wherein each signal of the third plurality of binary signals is compliant a communication means of a different model of interface device that is compliant with the determined communication means of the particular manufacturer;

inputting to the controlling device from the interfacing device a fourth plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the third plurality of binary signals; and

comparing each signal of the fourth plurality of binary signals to an anticipated model response of an interfacing device of a particular model.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if a signal of the fourth plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated model response then the method comprises the further step of determining that the interfacing device utilizes a communication means of the particular model associated with the identical anticipated model response.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein if none of the fourth plurality of binary signals are identical to the anticipated model response then the method comprises the further step of determining that the interfacing device utilizes a universal model communication means which is compliant with the determined communication means of the particular manufacturer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the universal model communication means is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the signals of the first plurality of binary signals, second plurality of binary signals, third plurality of binary signals, and fourth plurality of binary signals are independent from each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the signals of the first plurality of binary signals, second plurality of binary signals, third plurality of binary signals, and fourth plurality of binary signals are complemented with other binary signals.

9. An controlling device for querying an interfacing device, arranged to:

output to the interfacing device a first plurality of binary signals, wherein each signal of the first plurality of binary signals is compliant a communication means of a different manufacturer of interface devices;

input from the interfacing device a second plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the first plurality binary signals; and

compare each signal of the second plurality of binary signals to an anticipated manufacturer response of an interfacing device of a particular manufacturer.

10. The controlling device of claim 9 arranged to determine that the interfacing device utilizes a universal manufacturer communication means if none of the second plurality of binary signals are identical to an anticipated manufacturer response.

11. The controlling device of claim 9 arranged to:

determine that the interfacing device utilizes a communication means of the particular manufacturer associated with the identical anticipated manufacturer response if a signal of the second plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated manufacturer response;

output to the interfacing device a third plurality of binary signals if a signal of the second plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated manufacturer response, wherein each signal of the third plurality of binary signals is compliant a communication means of a different model of interface device that is compliant with the determined communication means of the particular manufacturer;

input to the controlling device a fourth plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the third plurality of binary signals if a signal of the second plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated manufacturer response; and

compare each signal of the fourth plurality of binary signals to an anticipated model response of an interfacing device of a particular model if a signal of the second plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated manufacturer response.

12. The controlling device of claim 11 arranged to determine that the interfacing device utilizes a communication means of the particular model associated with the identical anticipated model response if a signal of the fourth plurality of binary signals is identical to an anticipated model response.

13. The controlling device of claim 11 arranged to determine that the interfacing device utilizes a universal model communication means which is compliant with the determined communication means of the particular manufacturer if none of the fourth plurality of binary signals are identical to the anticipated model response.

14. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein the universal manufacturer communication means is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

15. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein each of the signals of the first plurality of binary signals, second plurality of binary signals, third plurality of binary signals, and fourth plurality of binary signals are independent from each other.

16. The controlling device of claim 9, wherein each of the signals of the first plurality of binary signals, second plurality of binary signals, third plurality of binary signals, and fourth plurality of binary signals are complemented with other binary signals.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for outputting from the controlling device to the interfacing device a first plurality of binary signals, wherein each signal of the first plurality of binary signals is compliant a communication means of a different manufacturer of interface devices;

means for inputting to the controlling device from the interfacing device a second plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the first plurality binary signals;

means for comparing each signal of the second plurality of binary signals to an anticipated manufacturer response of an interfacing device of a particular manufacturer; and

means for determining the communication means of the interfacing device.

18. A computer program product embodied on one or more storage media and comprising:

means for outputting from the controlling device to the interfacing device a first plurality of binary signals, wherein each signal of the first plurality of binary signals is compliant a communication means of a different manufacturer of interface devices;

means for inputting to the controlling device from the interfacing device a second plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the first plurality binary signals;

means for comparing each signal of the second plurality of binary signals to an anticipated manufacturer response of an interfacing device of a particular manufacturer; and

means for determining the communication means of the interfacing device.

19. A computer program signal embodied in a carrier wave, the signal containing program code comprising:

means for outputting from the controlling device to the interfacing device a first plurality of binary signals, wherein each signal of the first plurality of binary signals is compliant a communication means of a different manufacturer of interface devices;

means for inputting to the controlling device from the interfacing device a second plurality of binary signals each of which are generated by the interfacing device in response to each of the first plurality binary signals;

means for comparing each signal of the second plurality of binary signals to an anticipated manufacturer response of an interfacing device of a particular manufacturer; and

means for determining the communication means of the interfacing device.