CENTRALIZED MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20060277446A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakamoto, Hisashi, Ikeno, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0072 Detecting the status of a connected apparatus

Abstract

A centralized monitoring system for managing maintenance information of an image forming apparatus has a database for registering a device identifier to identify a device including an image forming apparatus or a local monitoring apparatus that goes between said image forming apparatus and a server system as master information. The centralized monitoring system obtains the device identifier notified from the device. In response to the obtainment of the device identifier, the centralized monitoring system responds to the notifying device to notify the maintenance information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus, even if the obtained device identifier is not registered in the database. Then, if it is determined that the obtained device identifier is not registered in the database, the centralized monitoring system determines whether the device identifier is registered in the database or not.

Claims

1. A centralized monitoring system for managing maintenance information of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a database unit adapted to register a device identifier, as master information, that identifies a device including an image forming apparatus or a local monitoring apparatus that goes between said image forming apparatus and a server system;

an obtaining unit adapted to obtain a device identifier informed from said device;

a responding unit adapted to, in response to obtainment of the device identifier by said obtaining unit, respond to a notification source device so that the notification source device communicates maintenance information indicating an operation status of the image forming apparatus even if the obtained device identifier is not registered in said database unit; and

a re-determination unit adapted to determine whether said device identifier is registered in said database unit again after it is determined that said obtained device identifier is not registered in said database unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said responding unit sends to said device schedule data for information notification from said device to said centralized monitoring system, in response to obtainment of said device identifier.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a timing determination unit adapted to determine a notification timing included in said schedule data by using a random function, or determine the notification timing so as not to be the same as previously generated notification timings.

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

a saving unit adapted to save a history of notification of said device identifier,

and wherein said re-determination means determines whether the device identifier included in the history saved in said saving unit is included in said master registration information or not.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning processing unit adapted to execute warning outputting processing if said obtaining unit has not obtained said device identifier for more than a predetermined time period after said master information is registered in said database unit.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning processing unit adapted to execute warning outputting processing if said re-determining unit has not confirmed registration of said device identifier in said database unit for more than a predetermined period.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein whether a history saved in said saving unit reaches an expiration date or not is determined, and if it is determined that the history reached the expiration date, said history is deleted.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein if said device outputs a request for said centralized monitoring system within a predetermined time period, transition to power save mode is restricted in said device.

9. A control method of a centralized monitoring system for managing maintenance information of an image forming apparatus by using a database unit for registering a device identifier, as master information, that identifies a device including an image forming apparatus or a local monitoring apparatus that goes between said image forming apparatus and a server system, comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining a device identifier informed from said device;

a responding step of, in response to obtainment of the device identifier in said obtaining step, responding to a notification source device so that the notification source device communicates maintenance information indicating an operation status of the image forming apparatus even if the obtained device identifier is not registered in said database unit; and

a re-determination step of determining whether said device identifier is registered in said database unit again after it is determined that said obtained said device identifier is not registered in said database unit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said responding step sends to said device schedule data for information notification from said device to said centralized monitoring system, in response to obtainment of said device identifier.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a timing determination step of determining a notification timing included in said schedule data by using a random function, or determining the notification timing so as not to be the same as previously generated notification timings.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a saving step of saving a history of notification of said device identifier,

and wherein said re-determination step determines whether the device identifier included in the history saved in said saving step is included in said master registration information or not.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a warning processing step of executing warning outputting processing if, in said obtaining step, said device identifier has not been obtained for more than a predetermined time period after said master information is registered in said database unit.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a warning processing step of executing warning outputting processing if, in said re-determining step, registration of said device identifier in said database unit has not been confirmed for more than a predetermined period.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein whether a history saved in said saving step reaches an expiration date or not is determined, and if it is determined that the history reached the expiration date, said history is deleted.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein if a request for said centralized monitoring system is output in a predetermined time period, transition to power save mode is restricted in said device.

17. A control program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 9.

18. A computer readable medium storing a control program according to claim 17.