COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090040551A1
• Filed: 08/06/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: OHARA, Kiyotaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1218 Reducing or saving of used resources, e.g. avoiding waste of consumables or improving usage of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A communication system may be provided with a first communication device and a second communication device. The first communication device may send the identification information stored in a first storage device to the second communication device. The first communication device may output status information included in combination information sent from the first communication device, and update the stored contents of the first storage device such that identification information included in the combination information is stored in the first storage device. The second communication device may obtain status information concerning a status of the second communication device, and update the stored contents of a second storage device such that the latest combination data including the latest status information and new identification information is stored in the second storage device. The second communication device may send the latest combination information to the first communication device in a case where the received identification information is not identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information, and prohibit the sending of combination information to the first communication device in a case where the received identification information is identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first communication device; and

a second communication device to be connected with the first communication device in a communicable manner,

wherein the first communication device comprises;

a first storage device configured to store identification information;

a first sending device configured to send the identification information stored in the first storage device to the second communication device;

a first receiving device configured to receive combination information sent from the second communication device;

an information outputting device configured to output status information included in the combination information received by the first receiving device; and

a first updating device configured to update the stored contents of the first storage device such that identification information included in the combination information received by the first receiving device is stored in the first storage device,

wherein the second communication device comprises;

a status information obtaining device configured to obtain status information concerning a status of the second communication device;

a second storage device configured to store combination information including status information and identification information;

a second updating device configured to update the stored contents of the second storage device such that the latest combination data including the latest status information obtained by the status information obtaining device and new identification information is stored in the second storage device;

a second receiving device configured to receive the identification information sent from the first communication device;

a determination device configured to determine whether the identification information received by the second receiving device is identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information stored in the second storage device;

a second sending device configured to send the latest combination information to the first communication device in a case where the determination device determines that the received identification information is not identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information; and

a sending controlling device configured to prohibit the second sending device from sending combination information to the first communication device in a case where the determination device determines that the received identification information is identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information.

2. The communication system as in claim 1, wherein

in a case where a status of the second communication device changes, the status information obtaining device obtains status information following the change, and

the second updating device updates the stored contents of the second storage device in a case where the status information obtaining device obtains the status information following the change.

3. The communication system as in claim 2, wherein

the status information obtaining device obtains status information for each of a plurality of types of status,

the second storage device is configured to store all types combination information and difference combination information,

the all types combination information includes all types of status information and identification information,

the difference combination information includes one type of status information and identification information, and

in a case where the status information obtaining device obtains the status information following the change with respect to any one of the plurality of types of status, the second updating device stores difference combination information including the status information following the change and new identification information in the second storage device.

4. The communication system as in claim 3, wherein

the second storage device is configured to store one item of all types combination information and a plurality of items of difference combination information and

in a case where the status information obtaining device obtains the status information following the change with respect to any one of the plurality of types of status, the second updating device

(1) creates, based on the all types combination information and the oldest difference combination information stored in the second storage device, new all types combination information including all types of status information and identification information included in the oldest difference combination information,

(2) deletes the all types combination information and the oldest difference combination information stored in the second storage device,

(3) stores the new all types combination information in the second storage device, and

(4) stores new difference combination information including the status information following the change and new identification information.

5. The communication system as in claim 4, wherein

the determination device determines whether the received identification information is identical to identification information included in the latest difference combination information stored in the second storage device,

the second communication device further comprises a specifying device,

in a case where the determination device determines that the received identification information is not identical to the identification information included in the latest difference combination information, (1) the specifying device specifies status information following a change with respect to a type of status which has changed in a period from a time at which difference combination information including the received identification information was stored in the second storage device to a time at which the latest difference combination information was stored in the second storage device, and (2) the second sending device sends combination information including the status information specified by the specifying device and the identification information included in the latest difference combination information to the first communication device.

6. A communication system comprising.

a first communication device;

and

a second communication device to be connected with the first communication device in a communicable manner,

wherein the first communication device comprises;

a first storage device configured to store identification information;

a first sending device configured to send the identification information stored in the first storage device to the second communication device;

a first receiving device configured to receive combination information sent from the second communication device;

an information outputting device configured to output status information included in the combination information received by the first receiving device; and

a first updating device configured to update the stored contents of the first storage device such that identification information included in the combination information received by the first receiving device is stored in the first storage device,

wherein the second communication device comprises;

a status information obtaining device configured to obtain status information concerning a status of the second communication device;

a second storage device configured to store a plurality of items of combination information, each item of combination information including status information and identification information;

a second updating device configured to update the stored contents of the second storage device such that the latest combination data including the latest status information obtained by the status information obtaining device and new identification information is stored in the second storage device;

a second receiving device configured to receive the identification information sent from the first communication device;

a status determination device configured to determine whether status information combined with the identification information received by the second receiving device is identical to the status information included in the latest combination information stored in the second storage device;

a second sending device configured to send the latest combination information to the first communication device in a case where the status determination device determines that the status information combined with the received identification information is not identical to the status information included in the latest combination information; and

a sending controlling device configured to prohibit the second sending device from sending combination information to the first communication device in a case where the status determination device determines that the status information combined with the received identification information is identical to the status information included in the latest combination information.

7. The communication system as in claim 6, wherein

the second communication device further comprises an identification information determination device configured to determine whether the identification information received by the second receiving device is identical to identification information included in the latest combination information stored in the second storage device,

in a case where the identification information determination device determines that the received identification information is not identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information, and the status determination device determines that the status information combined with the received identification information is identical to the status information included in the latest combination information, the second sending device sends the identification information included in the latest combination information to the first communication device and does not send the status information included in the latest combination information to the first communication device,

the first receiving device receives the identification information sent from the second communication device, and

the first updating device updates the stored contents of the first storage device such that the identification information received by the first receiving device is stored in the first storage device.

8. A communication device to be connected with another communication device in a communicable manner, the communication device comprising:

a status information obtaining device configured to obtain status information concerning a status of the communication device itself;

a storage device configured to store combination information including status information and identification information;

an updating device configured to update the stored contents of the storage device such that the latest combination data including the latest status information obtained by the status information obtaining device and new identification information is stored in the storage device;

a receiving device configured to receive identification information sent from the other communication device;

a determination device configured to determine whether the identification information received by the receiving device is identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information stored in the storage device;

a sending device configured to send the latest combination information to the other communication device in a case where the determination device determines that the received identification information is not identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information; and

a sending controlling device configured to prohibit the sending device from sending combination information to the other communication device in a case where the determination device determines that the received identification information is identical to the identification information included in the latest combination information.

9. A communication device to be connected with another communication device in a communicable manner, the communication device comprising:

a status information obtaining device configured to obtain status information concerning a status of the communication device itself;

a storage device configured to store a plurality of items of combination information, each item of combination information including status information and identification information;

an updating device configured to update the stored contents of the storage device such that the latest combination data including the latest status information obtained by the status information obtaining device and new identification information is stored in the storage device;

a receiving device configured to receive identification information sent from the other communication device;

a status determination device configured to determine whether status information combined with the identification information received by the receiving device is identical to the status information included in the latest combination information stored in the storage device;

a sending device configured to send the latest combination information to the other communication device in a case where the status determination device determines that the status information combined with the received identification information is not identical to the status information included in the latest combination information; and

a sending controlling device configured to prohibit the sending device from sending combination information to the other communication device in a case where the status determination device determines that the status information combined with the received identification information is identical to the status information included in the latest combination information.

10. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for a communication device to be connected with another communication device in a communicable manner, the computer program including instructions for ordering a computer mounted on the communication device to perform:

sending identification information stored in a storage device of the communication device to the other communication device;

outputting status information included in combination information sent from the other communication device; and

updating the stored contents of the storage device such that identification information included in the combination information sent from the other communication device is stored in the storage device.