NETWORK DEVICE

• US 20080046521A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Kudo, Yasuhiro, Yanagi, Satoru, Hibino, Masaaki, Tsujimoto, Shohei, Izaki, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,756,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

A network device is to be connected with a communication network. The network device is capable of executing a communication function by utilizing the communication network. The network device is provided with an input device, a storage, a communication device, and a communication test device. The input device inputs communication setting data for executing the communication function. The storage is capable of storing at least two patterns of the communication setting data. The communication device executes the communication function by utilizing one pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage. The communication test device tests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the other pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage while maintaining a state where it is possible for the communication device to execute the communication function by utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data.

Claims

1. A network device to be connected with a communication network, the network device capable of executing a communication function by utilizing the communication network, the network device comprising:

an input device that inputs communication setting data for executing the communication function;

a storage capable of storing at least two patterns of the communication setting data;

a communication device that executes the communication function by utilizing one pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage; and

a communication test device that tests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the other pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage while maintaining a state where it is possible for the communication device to execute the communication function by utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data.

2. The network device as in claim 1, wherein

the communication setting data includes a first code or a second code,

the storage comprises a first storage area and a second storage area,

in a case where communication setting data including the first code is input to the input device, the storage stores the communication setting data in the first storage area,

in a case where communication setting data including the second code is input to the input device, the storage stores the communication setting data in the second storage area,

the communication device executes the communication function by utilizing the communication setting data stored in the first storage area, and

the communication test device tests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the communication setting data stored in the second storage area while maintaining the communication setting data stored in the first storage area.

3. The network device as in claim 2, wherein

in a case where a test result is obtained confirming that it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the communication setting data stored in the second storage area, the communication test device updates the contents of the first storage area to the communication setting data stored in the second storage area.

4. The network device as in claim 1, wherein

the network device is to be connected with at least one terminal device in a communicable manner via a different communication network from the communication network, and

the input device inputs communication setting data output by the terminal device via the different communication network.

5. The network device as in claim 1, wherein

the network device is to be connected with at least one terminal device in a communicable manner via the communication network, and

the input device inputs communication setting data output by the terminal device via the communication network in a case where the communication device executes the communication function by utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data.

6. The network device as in claim 5, further comprising:

an electronic mail analyzing device,

wherein the communication network is an internet,

the communication setting data includes setting data for sending and/or receiving an electronic mail,

the input device inputs an electronic mail output by the terminal device in a case where the communication device executes the communication function by utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data,

the electronic mail analyzing device determines communication setting data included in the electronic mail input to the input device, and

the storage stores the communication setting data determined by the electronic mail analyzing device.

7. The network device as in claim 1, further comprising:

an output device that outputs a test result of the communication test device.

8. The network device as in claim 7, wherein

the network device is to be connected with at least one terminal device in a communicable manner,

the input device inputs communication setting data output by the terminal device,

the communication test device tests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the communication setting data output by the terminal device, and

the output device outputs the test result of the communication test device to the terminal device.

9. The network device as in claim 1, wherein

the communication network is an internet, and

the communication setting data includes data concerning a server for sending and/or receiving an electronic mail.

10. The network device as in claim 9, wherein

the communication test device tests by outputting a signal to the server determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data, and checking a response from the server.

11. The network device as in claim 9, wherein

the communication setting data includes a user identification and a password, and

the communication test device tests by determining whether the user identification and the password included in the other pattern of the communication setting data are registered by the server determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data.

12. The network device as in claim 9, wherein

the communication setting data includes data concerning a user authentication method, and

the communication test device tests by determining whether the user authentication method determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data is identical to a user authentication method that the server determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data is capable of executing.

13. The network device as in claim 9, wherein

the communication setting data includes data concerning a user authentication method, and

in a case where the user authentication method determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data is SMTP-AUTH, the communication test device obtains a list of SMTP-AUTH authentication mechanisms that can be executed by an electronic mail sending server determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data, and tests by making the electronic mail sending server execute a user authentication with priority the authentication mechanism having the highest security level out of the authentication mechanisms included in the list.

14. The network device as in claim 9, wherein

the other pattern of the communication setting data includes an electronic mail address, and

the communication test device tests by attempting to send an electronic mail to the electronic mail address included in the other pattern of the communication setting data by utilizing an electronic mail sending server determined from the other pattern of the communication setting data.

15. The network device as in claim 1, wherein

the storage is capable of continuously storing the other pattern of the communication setting data.

16. The network device as in claim 15, wherein

the storage is capable of continuously storing the other pattern of the communication setting data that has been tested by the communication test device.

17. The network device as in claim 16, wherein

the input device inputs a retest instruction, and

in a case where the retest instruction is input to the input device, the communication test device retests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the other pattern of the communication setting data.

18. The network device as in claim 17, further comprising:

an operation device,

wherein a user is capable of inputting the retest instruction by utilizing the operation device.

19. The network device as in claim 17, wherein

the network device is to be connected with at least one terminal device in a communicable manner, and

the input device inputs the retest instruction output by the terminal device.

20. The network device as in claim 16, wherein

the storage comprises a storage area for storing the other pattern of the communication setting data while the communication test device is testing, and

the storage area is same as a storage area for continuously storing the other pattern of the communication setting data that has been tested by the communication test device.

21. The network device as in claim 15, wherein

the storage is capable of cumulatively storing two or more patterns of the communication setting data that have been tested by the communication test device.

22. The network device as in claim 21, wherein

the input device inputs a retest instruction,

the retest instruction includes information designating at least one pattern of the communication setting data from the two or more patterns of the communication setting data that have been tested by the communication test device, and

in a case where the retest instruction is input to the input device, the communication test device retests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the designated pattern of the communication setting data included in the retest instruction.

23. The network device as in claim 21, wherein

the input device inputs a retest instruction, and

in a case where the retest instruction is input to the input device, the communication test device retests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing each pattern of the communication setting data that has been tested by the communication test device.

24. The network device as in claim 23, wherein

in a case where a retest result is obtained confirming that it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing only one pattern of the communication setting data, the communication device stops utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage, and utilizes the communication setting data obtained by the retest.

25. A system comprising:

a terminal device; and

a network device to be connected with the terminal device in a communicable manner, the network device to be connected with a communication network, the network device capable of executing a communication function by utilizing the communication network,

wherein the terminal device comprises;

an output device that outputs communication setting data for executing the communication function,

wherein the network device comprises;

an input device that inputs the communication setting data output by the terminal device;

a storage capable of storing at least two patterns of the communication setting data;

a communication device that executes the communication function by utilizing one pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage; and

a communication test device that tests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the other pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage while maintaining a state where it is possible for the communication device to execute the communication function by utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data.

26. A computer readable medium for a network device to be connected with a communication network, the computer readable medium including instructions for ordering a computer mounted on the network device to perform:

storing at least two patterns of communication setting data in a storage;

executing a communication function by utilizing the communication network and by utilizing one pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage; and

testing whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the other pattern of the communication setting data stored in the storage while maintaining a state where it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the one pattern of the communication setting data.

27. A device for executing a predetermined function, the device comprising:

an input device that inputs setting data for executing the predetermined function;

a storage capable of storing at least two patterns of the setting data;

a first device that executes the predetermined function by utilizing one pattern of the setting data stored in the storage; and

a second device that tests whether it is possible to execute the predetermined function by utilizing the other pattern of the setting data stored in the storage while maintaining a state where it is possible for the first device to execute the predetermined function by utilizing the one pattern of the setting data.

28. A system comprising:

a terminal device; and

a network device to be connected with the terminal device in a communicable manner, the network device to be connected with a communication network, the network device capable of executing a communication function by utilizing the communication network,

wherein the terminal device comprises;

a terminal side storage that continuously stores a first pattern of the communication setting data; and

a terminal side output device that outputs the first pattern of the communication setting data stored in the terminal side storage to the network device,

wherein the network device comprises;

a network side input device that inputs the first pattern of the communication setting data output by the terminal side output device;

a network side storage capable of storing the first pattern of the communication setting data and a second pattern of the communication setting data;

a communication device that executes the communication function by utilizing the second pattern of the communication setting data stored in the network side storage; and

a communication test device that tests whether it is possible to execute the communication function by utilizing the first pattern of the communication setting data stored in the network side storage while maintaining a state where it is possible for the communication device to execute the communication function by utilizing the second pattern of the communication setting data.