System, device, method and computer program product for managing devices

• US 20060067360A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,788 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0873 Checking configuration conflicts between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A system for managing a communication device having a first function of using a first communication protocol and a second function of using a second communication protocol is provided. The communication device is connected to a network including a first device using the first communication protocol and a second device using the second communication protocol. The system is provided with an inputting system that accepts an input for changing an operation regarding the communication of the communication device from a user, and a judging system that judges whether a trouble would arise in communication, in which the communication device is involved, based on the input inputted by the user through use of the inputting system.

Claims

1. A system for managing a communication device having a first function of using a first communication protocol and a second function of using a second communication protocol, the communication device being connected to a network including a first device using the first communication protocol and a second device using the second communication protocol, the system comprising:

an inputting system that accepts an input for changing an operation regarding communication of the communication device from a user; and

a judging system that judges whether a trouble would arise in communication, in which the communication device is involved, based on the input inputted by the user through use of the inputting system.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting system that changes the operation of the communication device if the judging system judges that the trouble would not arise, and does not change the operation of the communication device if the judging system judges that the trouble would arise.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein:

the input inputted by the user through use of the inputting system includes setting data for changing the operation of the communication device; and

the setting system sets the setting data to the communication device if the judging system judges that the trouble would not arise, and does not set the setting data to the communication device if the judging system judges that the trouble would arise.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the judging system cancels the setting data inputted by the user if the judging system judges that the trouble would arise.

5. The system according to claim 2,

further comprising a management device connected to the network,

wherein the management device has the first function of using the first communication protocol and the second function of using the second communication protocol,

wherein the inputting system, the judging system and the setting system are implemented in the management device.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the judging system judges whether the trouble would arise in communication between the management device and the communication device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the input inputted by the user through use of the inputting system includes first setting data for switching each of the first function of using the first communication protocol and the second function of using the second communication protocol of the communication device to ON or OFF; and

the judging system judges whether the trouble would arise when the first setting data is inputted by the user through use of the inputting system.

8. The system according to claim 7,

further comprising a log recording system that records log information regarding a protocol of at least one device which communicated with the communication device using the protocol through the network in a past predetermined time period,

wherein the judging system judges whether the trouble would arise based on the log information recorded by the recording system.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein:

the judging system consults the log information to judge whether a device, which will become unable to communicate with the communication device, exists in the at least one device recorded in the log information if the first setting data is set to the communication device; and

the judging system judges that the trouble would arise if it is judged that the device, which will become unable to communicate with the communication device, exists in the at least one device recorded in the log information.

10. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the judging system judges that the trouble would arise if inconsistency occurs between the protocol of the at least one device recorded in the log information and ON/OFF states of the first function and the second function of the communication device determined by the first setting data.

11. The system according to claim 7,

further comprising a protocol judgment system that judges a protocol of a predetermined device connected to the network,

wherein the judging system judges that the trouble would arise if inconsistency occurs between the protocol of the predetermined device judged by the protocol judgment system and ON/OFF states of the first function and the second function of the communication device determined by the first setting data.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein:

the input inputted by the user includes second setting data regarding setting of a certain device connected to the network,

wherein the judging system judges that the trouble would arise if inconsistency occurs between the setting of the certain device determined by the second setting data and ON/OFF states of the first function and the second function of the communication device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second setting data includes a network address of the certain device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the judging system judges that the trouble would arise if the network address of the certain device inputted by the user corresponds to the first communication protocol and the first function of the communication device is in an OFF state, or if the network address of the certain device inputted by the user corresponds to the second communication protocol and the second function of the communication device is in an OFF state.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a warning message notifying system that notifies the user that the trouble would arise in the communication, in which the communication device is involved, if the judging system judges that the trouble would arise.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the warning message notifying system generates a warning message screen containing a warning message indicating that the trouble would arise in the communication in which the communication device is involved.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the warning message screen contains a solution for solving the trouble arising in communication in which the communication device is involved.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein:

the warning message screen includes a radio button for selecting the solution;

the inputting system is configured to allow the user to select the solution; and

the setting system changes the operation of the communication device so that the solution is applied to the communication device if the user selects the radio button through use of the inputting system.

19. A computer-readable medium having a computer program thereon, said computer program for use on a terminal device connected to a network including a first device using the first communication protocol and a second device using the second communication protocol, the computer program being executed to achieve a method of managing a communication device having a first function of using a first communication protocol and a second function of using a second communication protocol, the communication device being connected to the network, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting an input for changing an operation regarding communication of the communication device from a user; and

judging whether a trouble would arise in communication, in which the communication device is involved, based on the input inputted by the user in the step of the accepting.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, the method further comprising the step of changing the operation of the communication device if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble does not arise, and not changing the operation of the communication device if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble would arise.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein:

the input inputted by the user in the step of the accepting includes setting data for changing the operation of the communication device; and

in the step of the changing, the setting data is set to the communication device if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble does not arise, and the setting data is not set to the communication device if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble would arise.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the step of the judging comprises canceling the setting data inputted by the user if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble would arise.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein in the step of the judging it is judged whether the trouble would arise in communication between the terminal device and the communication device.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein:

the input inputted by the user in the step of the accepting includes first setting data for switching each of the first function of using the first communication protocol and the second function of using the second communication protocol of the communication device to ON or OFF; and

the step of the judging is executed when the first setting data is inputted by the user in the step of the accepting.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the method further comprising recording log information regarding a protocol of at least one device which communicated with the communication device using the protocol through the network in a past predetermined time period, and

wherein in the step of the judging it is judged whether the trouble would arise based on the recorded log information.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein:

the step of the judging comprises consulting the log information to judge whether a device, which will become unable to communicate with the communication device, exists in the at least one device recorded in the log information if the first setting data is set to the communication device; and

in the step of the judging it is judged that the trouble would arise if it is judged that the device, which will become unable to communicate with the communication device, exists in the at least one device recorded in the log information.

27. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25,

wherein in the step of the judging it is judged that the trouble would arise if inconsistency occurs between the protocol of the at least one device recorded in the log information and ON/OFF states of the first function and the second function of the communication device determined by the first setting data.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the method further comprising judging a protocol of a predetermined device connected to the network, and

wherein in the step of the judging it is judged that the trouble would arise if inconsistency occurs between the protocol of the predetermined device and ON/OFF states of the first function and the second function of the communication device determined by the first setting data.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein:

the input inputted by the user includes second setting data regarding setting of a certain device connected to the network,

wherein in the step of the judging it is judged that the trouble would arise if inconsistency occurs between the setting of the certain device determined by the second setting data and ON/OFF states of the first function and the second function of the communication device.

30. The computer-readable medium according to claim 29, wherein the second setting data includes a network address of the certain device.

31. The computer-readable medium according to claim 30, wherein in the step of the judging it is judged that the trouble would arise if the network address of the certain device inputted by the user corresponds to the first communication protocol and the first function of the communication device is in an OFF state, or if the network address of the certain device inputted by the user corresponds to the second communication protocol and the second function of the communication device is in an OFF state.

32. The computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the method further comprising notifying the user that the trouble would arise in the communication, in which the communication device is involved, if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble would arise.

33. The computer-readable medium according to claim 32, wherein the step of the notifying comprises generating a warning message screen containing a warning message indicating that the trouble would arise in the communication in which the communication device is involved.

34. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the warning message screen contains a solution for solving the trouble arising in communication in which the communication device is involved.

35. The computer-readable medium according to claim 34, wherein:

the warning message screen includes a radio button for selecting the solution;

the step of the accepting comprises allowing the user to select the solution; and

in the set of the changing, the operation of the communication device is changed so that the solution is applied to the communication device if the user selects the radio button.

36. A device for managing a communication device having a first function of using a first communication protocol and a second function of using a second communication protocol, the communication device being connected to a network including a first device using the first communication protocol and a second device using the second communication protocol, comprising:

an inputting system that accepts an input for changing an operation regarding communication of the communication device from a user; and

a judging system that judges whether a trouble would arise in communication, in which the communication device is involved, based on the input inputted by the user through use of the inputting system.

37. The device according to claim 36, further comprising a setting system that changes the operation of the communication device if the judging system judges that the trouble does not arise, and does not change the operation of the communication device if the judging system judges that the trouble would arise.

38. A method of remotely managing a communication device having a first function of using a first communication protocol and a second function of using a second communication protocol from a management device, the communication device and the management device being connected to a network including a first device using the first communication protocol and a second device using the second communication protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

accepting an input for changing an operation regarding communication of the communication device from a user;

judging whether a trouble would arise in communication, in which the communication device is involved, based on the input inputted by the user in the step of the accepting; and

changing the operation of the communication device if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble does not arise, and not changing the operation of the communication device if it is judged in the step of the judging that the trouble would arise.