Database for multiple implementation of HTTP to obtain information from devices

• US 20070073863A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• 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 3/1231 Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00061 using a remote apparatus H04N1/00066 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for extracting status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network using an HTTP communication protocol. The method includes the steps of retrieving, from a first memory, vendor and model information of the monitored device; retrieving, based on the vendor and model information, at least one implementation identifier, each implementation identifier identifying a corresponding access function configured to access the monitored device using the HTTP protocol to obtain the status information, wherein the at least one implementation identifier identifies at least one of (1) a first access function configured to obtain the device information from between tags in a web page stored on the monitored device, and (2) a second access function configured to obtain the device information from within a script in the web page; and accessing the monitored device using the HTTP protocol, the parameter values, and the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier to attempt to obtain the status information.

Claims

1. A method of extracting status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network using an HTTP communication protocol, comprising:

retrieving, from a first memory, vendor and model information of the monitored device;

retrieving, based on the vendor and model information, at least one implementation identifier, each implementation identifier identifying a corresponding access function configured to access the monitored device using the HTTP protocol to obtain the status information, wherein the at least one implementation identifier identifies at least one of (1) a first access function configured to obtain the device information from between tags in a web page stored on the monitored device, and (2) a second access function configured to obtain the device information from within a script in the web page;

selecting an implementation identifier of the at least one implementation identifier;

retrieving, from the first memory based on the vendor and model information and the selected implementation identifier, parameter values used to obtain the status information from the web page using the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier;

accessing the monitored device using the HTTP protocol, the parameter values, and the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier to attempt to obtain the status information; and

storing, in a second memory, the status information obtained in the accessing step, in association with the vendor and model information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second access function is configured to obtain the device information within a JAVA script in an HTML file stored on the monitored device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first access function is configured to obtain the device information from an HTML file stored on the monitored device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a third memory, all implementation identifiers for the HTTP protocol in association with a corresponding boolean value, wherein the boolean value for each identifier is initialized to a value of false; and

for each implementation identifier in the retrieved at least one implementation identifier, setting the boolean value associated with the implementation identifier to a value of true.

5. A computer-implemented system for extracting status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network using an HTTP communication protocol, comprising:

means for retrieving, from a first memory, vendor and model information of the monitored device;

means for retrieving, based on the vendor and model information, at least one implementation identifier, each implementation identifier identifying a corresponding access function configured to access the monitored device using the HTTP protocol to obtain the status information, wherein the at least one implementation identifier identifies at least one of (1) a first access function configured to obtain the device information from between tags in a web page stored on the monitored device, and (2) a second access function configured to obtain the device information from within a script in the web page;

means for selecting an implementation identifier of the at least one implementation identifier;

means for retrieving, from the first memory based on the vendor and model information and the selected implementation identifier, parameter values used to obtain the status information from the web page using the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier;

means for accessing the monitored device using the HTTP protocol, the parameter values, and the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier to attempt to obtain the status information; and

means for storing, in a second memory, the status information obtained by the means for accessing, in association with the vendor and model information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second access function is configured to obtain the device information within a JAVA script in an HTML file stored on the monitored device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first access function is configured to obtain the device information from an HTML file stored on the monitored device.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

means for storing, in a third memory, all implementation identifiers for the HTTP protocol in association with a corresponding boolean value, wherein the boolean value for each identifier is initialized to a value of false; and

for each implementation identifier in the retrieved at least one implementation identifier, means for setting the boolean value associated with the implementation identifier to a value of true.

9. A computer program product storing instructions for execution on a computer system, which when executed by the computer system, causes the computer system to extract status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network using an HTTP communication protocol, comprising:

instructions for retrieving, from a first memory, vendor and model information of the monitored device;

instructions for retrieving, based on the vendor and model information, at least one implementation identifier, each implementation identifier identifying a corresponding access function configured to access the monitored device using the HTTP protocol to obtain the status information, wherein the at least one implementation identifier identifies at least one of (1) a first access function configured to obtain the device information from between tags in a web page stored on the monitored device, and (2) a second access function configured to obtain the device information from within a script in the web page;

instructions for selecting an implementation identifier of the at least one implementation identifier;

instructions for retrieving, from the first memory based on the vendor and model information and the selected implementation identifier, parameter values used to obtain the status information from the web page using the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier;

instructions for accessing the monitored device using the HTTP protocol, the parameter values, and the access function corresponding to the implementation identifier to attempt to obtain the status information; and

instructions for storing, in a second memory, the status information obtained by the instructions for accessing, in association with the vendor and model information.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the second access function is configured to obtain the device information within a JAVA script in an HTML file stored on the monitored device.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first access function is configured to obtain the device information from an HTML file stored on the monitored device.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

instructions for storing, in a third memory, all implementation identifiers for the HTTP protocol in association with a corresponding boolean value, wherein the boolean value for each identifier is initialized to a value of false; and

for each implementation identifier in the retrieved at least one implementation identifier, instructions for setting the boolean value associated with the implementation identifier to a value of true.