ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, ASSET MANAGEMENT METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSOR, MANAGEMENT DEVICE, AND PROGRAM

• US 20080024302A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: YOSHIDA, TOYOTARO
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2567 for reachability, e.g. inquiring the address of a correspondent behind a NAT server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2571 for identification, e.g. for authentication or billing charging arrangements H04L12/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2582 through control of the NAT server, e.g. using universal plug and play [UPnP]

Abstract

An asset management system includes one or more information processors having a communication function and a management device, the information processor includes a search unit which searches for a network address converter for converting between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and a position information transmitting unit which transmits positional information including at least one of the global IP address of the searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to the global IP address and identification information of the information processor to the management device, the management device includes a positional information registration unit which records the positional information received from the information processor in a position recording unit.

Claims

1. An asset management system, comprising:

one or more information processors having a communication function and a management device, wherein

said information processor comprises;

a search unit which searches for a network address converter for converting between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and

a position information transmitting unit which transmits positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor to said management device,

said management device comprises;

a positional information registration unit which records said positional information received from said information processor in a position recording unit.

2. The asset management system according to claim 1, wherein

said information processor comprises a positional information obtaining unit which creates said positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor.

3. The asset management system according to claim 2, wherein

when failing in said search, said positional information obtaining unit creates said positional information including at least one of an IP address assigned to the information processor and the domain name corresponding to the IP address and the identification information of the information processor.

4. The asset management system according to claim 1, wherein

said management device comprises an unknown asset recording unit which records identification information of a lost information processor, and

an unknown asset detecting unit which detects that said positional information including the same identification information as said identification information recorded in said unknown asset recording unit is recorded in said position recording unit.

5. An asset management method, comprising:

in an information processor,

a searching step of searching for a network address converter for converting between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network,

a transmitting step of transmitting positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor to said management device,

in said management device,

a registration step of recording said positional information received from said information processor in a position recording unit.

6. The asset management method according to claim 5, wherein

said information processor includes

a positional information obtaining step of creating said positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor.

7. The asset management method according to claim 6, wherein

when failing in said search, said positional information obtaining step creates said positional information including at least one of an IP address assigned to the information processor and the domain name corresponding to the IP address and the identification information of the information processor.

8. The asset management method according to claim 5, wherein

said management device includes a step of detecting that said positional information including the same identification information as said identification information recorded in said unknown asset recording unit which records identification information of a lost information processor is recorded in said position recording unit.

9. An information processor having a communication function, comprising:

a search unit which searches for a network address converter for converting between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and

a position information transmitting unit which transmits positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor to said management device.

10. The information processor according to claim 9, further comprising:

a positional information obtaining unit which creates said positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor.

11. The information processor according to claim 10, wherein

when failing in said search, said positional information obtaining unit creates said positional information including at least one of an IP address assigned to the information processor and the domain name corresponding to the IP address and the identification information of the information processor.

12. A management device for managing one or more information processors having a communication function, comprising:

unit which receives positional information including at least one of said global IP address of a network address converter, which converts between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and a domain name corresponding to the global IP address and identification information of said information processor from said information processor,

a position recording unit which records said positional information of said every information processor, and

a positional information registration unit which records said positional information received from said information processor in said position recording unit.

13. The management device according to claim 12, comprising:

an unknown asset recording unit which records identification information of a lost information processor, and

an unknown asset detecting unit which detects that said positional information including the same identification information as the identification information recorded in said unknown asset recording unit is recorded in said position recording unit.

14. A program performed by a computer forming an information processor having a communication function, comprising:

a searching function of searching for a network address converter which converts between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and

a position transmitting function of transmitting positional information including at least one of said global IP address of the searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to the global IP address and identification information of the information processor to a management device.

15. The program according to claim 14, further comprising:

a positional information obtaining function of creating said positional information including at least one of said global IP address of said searched network address converter and a domain name corresponding to said global IP address and identification information of the information processor.

16. A program performed by a computer forming a management device for managing one or more information processors having a communication function, comprising:

a function of receiving positional information including at least one of said global IP address of a network address converter, which converts between a local IP address and a global IP address in a network, and a domain name corresponding to the global IP address and identification information of said information processor from said information processor,

a position recording function of recording said positional information of said every information processor, and

a positional information registration function of recording said positional information received from said information processor in said position recording unit.

17. The program according to claim 16, further comprising:

an unknown asset recording function of recording identification information of a lost information processor and an unknown asset detecting unit which detects that the positional information including the same identification information as the identification information recorded in said unknown asset recording unit is recorded in said position recording unit.