Method and system of remote diagnostic, control and information collection using multiple formats and multiple protocols with delegating protocol processor

• US 20060164683A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avery Fong, Tetsuro Motoyama
• Original Assignee: Avery Fong, Tetsuro Motoyama
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, method and program product for diagnosing, controlling and collecting information from devices. Information regarding events of each one of a plurality of target applications executing in an application unit is collected and formatted into one of multiple data formats for transmission through one of multiple communication protocols at the request of each of the target applications, through an interface. The event information for a particular target application is formatted and transmitted according to a combination of a data format and communication protocol requested by the target application. The transmission of data representing the event information is handled in at least two levels of software classes, with at least one abstract software class having a declared virtual function and two or more software classes derived from the at least one abstract class and having definitions of the function for communicating the event information through specified communication protocols. The formatted data is transmitted through, e.g., e-mail or FTP to a predetermined destination or may be saved to local storage, e.g., a local disk. By sharing resources, code duplication is reduced or eliminated.

Claims

1. A method of collecting information of an image printing device, comprising:

monitoring events of the image printing device to obtain first monitored information; and

sending, by a protocol processor in the image printing device, the first monitored information of the image printing device to a first predetermined destination through a first communication protocol, wherein the protocol processor is configured to send data through a plurality of different communication protocols.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a first target application in the image printing device, by a monitoring device in the image printing device, a request to send the first monitored information to the first predetermined destination through the first communication protocol using a first data format,

wherein the monitoring of the image printing device is performed by the first target application to obtain the first monitored information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the first data format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format;

and

the first communication protocol includes one of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and local disk.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a second target application in the image printing device, by a monitoring device, a request to send second information regarding monitored events of the image printing device obtained by the second target application to a second predetermined destination through a second communication protocol using a second data format, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol; and

sending, by the protocol processor, the second information to the second predetermined destination through the second communication protocol.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first data format is different from the second data format.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending step further comprises:

creating a first software class having a declared virtual function;

creating a second software class derived from the first software class having a first definition of the declared virtual function; and

executing the first definition.

8. A system for collecting information of an image printing device, the system comprising:

a device configured to monitor events of the image printing device to obtain first monitored information; and

a protocol processor in the image printing device, the protocol processor configured to send the first monitored information of the image printing device to a first predetermined destination through a first communication protocol, wherein the protocol processor is configured to send data through a plurality of different communication protocols.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the device comprises:

a monitoring device configured to receive from a first target application in the image printing device a request to send the first monitored information to the first predetermined destination through the first communication protocol using a first data format; and

the first target application configured to obtain the first monitored information.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the first data format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and XML format;

and

the first communication protocol includes one of SMTP, FTP and local disk.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the device includes a monitoring device configured to receive from a second target application in the image printing device a request to send second information regarding monitored events of the image printing device obtained by the second target application to a second predetermined destination through a second communication protocol using a second data format, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol;

and

the protocol processor is configured to send the second information to the second predetermined destination through the second communication protocol.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first data format is different from the second data format.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the protocol processor is configured to create a first software class having a declared virtual function, to create a second software class derived from the first software class having a first definition of the declared virtual function, and to execute the first definition.

15. A computer program product for collecting information of an image printing device, the program product comprising a computer readable medium embodying program instructions for causing a system to perform the steps of:

monitoring events of the image printing device to obtain first monitored information; and

sending, by a protocol processor in the image printing device, the first monitored information of the image printing device to a first predetermined destination through a first communication protocol, wherein the protocol processor is configured to send data through a plurality of different communication protocols.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving from a first target application in the image printing device, by a monitoring device in the image printing device, a request to send the first monitored information to the first predetermined destination through the first communication protocol using a first data format,

wherein the monitoring of the image printing device is performed by the first target application to obtain the first monitored information.

17. The program product according to claim 15, wherein

the first data format includes one of text format, binary format, comma separated format and XML format;

and

the first communication protocol includes one of SMTP, FTP and local disk.

18. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the program instructions cause the system to further perform the steps of:

receiving from a second target application in the image printing device, by a monitoring device, a request to send second information regarding monitored events of the image printing device obtained by the second target application to a second predetermined destination through a second communication protocol using a second data format, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol; and

sending, by the protocol processor, the second information to the second predetermined destination through the second communication protocol.

19. The program product according to claim 18, wherein the first data format is different from the second data format.

20. The program product according to claim 18, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol.

21. The program product according to claim 15, wherein the sending step further comprises:

creating a first software class having a declared virtual function;

creating a second software class derived from the first software class having a first definition of the declared virtual function; and

executing the first definition.