Device managing apparatus, device management method, computer program product

• US 20070064270A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikegami, Munemitsu
• Application Number:
  US11/520,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064270A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A device managing apparatus that manages at least one device by communicating with the device. The device managing apparatus includes a processing unit that detects whether a pre-set setting for the device has been changed, and notifies that the pre-set setting has been changed to a predetermined device when detecting that the pre-set setting has been changed.

Claims

1. A device managing apparatus to manage at least one device by communicating with the device, comprising:

a processing unit to detect whether a pre-set setting for the device has been changed, and to notify that the pre-set setting has been changed to a predetermined device when detecting that the pre-set setting has been changed.

2. The device managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes

a device setting value storage unit to store therein a setting value indicative of the pre-set setting of the device;

a device current value collecting unit to collect a device current value indicative of a current setting status of the device from the device at predetermined intervals;

a mismatch determining unit to compare the device current value and the device setting value to determine whether there is a mismatch between two values;

a mismatch extracting unit to, when the mismatch determining unit determines that there is a mismatch, extract a difference between the two values; and

a notifying unit to notify the difference to the predetermined device.

3. The device managing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a device controller to control the device to correct the mismatch based on the difference.

4. The device managing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a device list information creating unit to create device list information for displaying a list of devices, and outputs the list to at least one of a predetermined device and a predetermined display unit, wherein

the device list information creating unit creates and outputs device list information that contains information indicating the device and a corresponding difference.

5. A device management method performed by a device managing apparatus that manages at least one device by communicating with the device, the device management method comprising:

detecting whether a pre-set setting for the device has been changed; and

notifying that the pre-set setting has been changed to any one or more of the device and another device when detecting that the pre-set setting has been changed.

6. The device management method according to claim 5, wherein the detecting includes

storing a setting value indicative of the pre-set setting of the device;

collecting a device current value indicative of a current setting status of the device from the device at predetermined intervals;

comparing the device current value and the device setting value to determine whether there is a mismatch between two values;

extracting, when it is determined at the determining that there is a mismatch, a difference between the two values; and

notifying the difference to the predetermined device.

7. The device management method according to claim 6, further comprising controlling the device to correct the mismatch based on the difference.

8. The device management method according to claim 6, further comprising creating device list information for displaying a list of the devices;

and

outputting the list to at least one of a predetermined device or a predetermined display unit, wherein

creating the device list information includes creating and outputting device list information that contains information indicating the device and a corresponding difference.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the medium that when executed causes a computer to execute a device management method on a device managing apparatus to manage at least one device by communicating with the device, the computer program causes the computer to:

detect whether a pre-set setting for the device has been changed; and

notify that the pre-set setting has been changed to any one or more of the device and another device when detecting that the pre-set setting has been changed.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein detecting whether the pre-set setting for the device has been changed includes

storing a setting value indicative of the pre-set setting of the device;

collecting a device current value indicative of a current setting status of the device from the device at predetermined intervals;

comparing the device current value and the device setting value to determine whether there is a mismatch between two values;

extracting, when it is determined at the determining that there is a mismatch, a difference between the two values; and

notifying the difference to the predetermined device.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, further causing the computer to control the device to correct the mismatch based on the difference.

12. The computer program product according to claim 10, further causing the computer to create device list information for displaying a list of the devices;

and

output the list to at least one of a predetermined device or a predetermined display unit, wherein

creating includes creating and outputting device list information that contains information indicating the device and a corresponding difference.