Technique for Communicating by Utilizing Communication Setting Information

• US 20090144401A1
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: KAWAI, Sunao
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A communication device is configured to connect with a network including a plurality of types of external devices. The communication device is provided with a spec storage device, a type obtaining device, and a communication attempt device. The spec storage device is configured to store an association of a type of external device and a spec of communication setting information which is capable of being set in the type of external device. The type obtaining device is configured to obtain type information of each external device. The communication attempt device is configured to attempt to communicate with each external device by utilizing communication setting information which complies with the spec associated with the obtained type information of external device by the type obtaining device.

Claims

1. A communication device configured to connect with a network including a plurality of types of external devices, the communication device comprising:

a spec storage device configured to store an association of a type of external device and a spec of communication setting information which is capable of being set in the type of external device;

a type obtaining device configured to obtain type of each external device; and

a communication attempt device configured to attempt to communicate with each external device by utilizing communication setting information which complies with the spec associated with the type of external device obtained by the type obtaining device.

2. The communication device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a first communication setting information storage device configured to store communication setting information for communicating with an external device,

wherein the communication attempt device is configured to;

(1) determine, for each external device, whether the communication setting information stored in the first communication setting information storage device complies with the spec associated with the type of external device;

(1-1) attempt to communicate with an external device for which a positive determination has made in the above (1) by utilizing the communication setting information stored in the first communication setting information storage device; and

(1-2) refrain from attempting to communicate with an external device for which a negative determination has made in the above (1) by utilizing the communication setting information stored in the first communication setting information storage device.

3. The communication device as in claim 2, wherein

the spec storage device is configured to store an association of a type of external device, a spec of communication setting information which is capable of being set in the type of external device, and default communication setting information, and

the communication attempt device is configured to attempt to communicate with the external device for which the negative determination has made in the above (1) by utilizing the default communication setting information associated with the type of external device.

4. The communication device as in claim 2, further comprising:

a second communication setting information storage device configured to store a plurality of communication setting information; and

a changing device configured to change the communication setting information from the information stored in the first communication setting information storage device to any of the plurality of communication setting information stored in the second communication setting information storage device in a case where the external device for which the negative determination has made in the above (1) exists,

wherein the communication attempt device configured to;

(2) determine whether communication setting information after the change complies with the spec associated with the type of external device for which the negative determination has made in the above (1);

(2-1) attempt to communicate with an external device for which a positive determination has made in the above (2) by utilizing the communication setting information after the change; and

(2-2) refrain from attempting to communicate with an external device for which a negative determination has made in the above (2) by utilizing the communication setting information after the change.

5. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the type of external device stored in the spec storage device is at least vendor information of the external device, and

the type obtaining device is configured to obtain at least the vendor information of each external device.

6. The communication device as in claim 5, wherein

the type of external device stored in the spec storage device is a combination of at least vendor information of the external device and product information of the external device, and

the type obtaining device is configured to obtain at least the vendor information and product information of each external device.

7. The communication device as in claim 1, wherein

the communication setting information is security communication setting information including at least one information of a user name, an authentication key, an encryption key, and a context.

8. The communication device as in claim 7, wherein

the type obtaining device is configured to obtain type of each external device by communicating without utilizing the security communication setting information.

9. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for a communication device configured to connect with a network including a plurality of types of external devices, the computer program including instructions for ordering a computer mounted on the communication device to perform:

storing an association of a type of external device and a spec of communication setting information which is capable of being set in the type of external device;

obtaining type of each external device; and

attempting to communicate with each external device by utilizing communication setting information which complies with the spec associated with the obtained type of external device.