DEVICE MANAGING APPARATUS, DEVICE MANAGING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM FOR THE DEVICE MANAGING METHOD

• US 20100057904A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: NAGAMORI, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,192 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]

Abstract

A device managing apparatus for monitoring and managing a device connected to a data transmission path includes an obtaining part configured to obtain power consumption status data from the device, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of a communication unit included in the device, a selecting part configured to select a communication method according to the power consumption status data obtained from the obtaining part, and a communicating part configured to perform data communications with the device by using the communication method selected by the selecting part.

Claims

1. A device managing apparatus for monitoring and managing a device connected to a data transmission path, the device managing apparatus comprising:

an obtaining part configured to obtain power consumption status data from the device, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of a communication unit included in the device;

a selecting part configured to select a communication method according to the power consumption status data obtained from the obtaining part; and

a communicating part configured to perform data communications with the device by using the communication method selected by the selecting part.

2. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selecting part is configured to determine whether the communication unit is in a low power consumption status,

wherein the selecting part is configured to select the communication method according to a result of the determination;

and

wherein the communication method is either a first communication method used for performing data communications with the device while allowing the communication unit to maintain the low power consumption status of the communication unit or a second communication method other than the first communication method.

3. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the selecting part is configured to select SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) as the first communication method in a case where the communication unit is in a low power consumption status.

4. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a determining part configured to determine whether one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable from the device according to the communication method selected by the selecting part.

5. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a device data obtaining part configured to obtain device data from the device according to the one or more data items determined to be obtainable by the determining part.

6. A device managing method used for a device managing apparatus that monitors and manages a device connected to a data transmission path, the device managing method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining power consumption status data from the device, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of a communication unit included in the device;

b) selecting a communication method according to the power consumption status data obtained in step a); and

c) performing data communications between the device managing apparatus and the device by using the communication method selected in step b).

7. The device managing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein step b) includes determining whether the communication unit is in a low power consumption status,

wherein the communication method is selected according to a result of the determination;

and

wherein the communication method is either a first communication method used for performing data communications with the device while allowing the communication unit to maintain the low power consumption status of the communication unit or a second communication method other than the first communication method.

8. The device managing method as claimed in claim 7, wherein step b) includes selecting SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) as the first communication method in a case where the communication unit is in a low power consumption status.

9. The device managing method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a step of:

d) determining whether one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable from the device according to the communication method selected in step b).

10. The device managing method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of:

e) obtaining device data from the device according to the one or more data items determined to be obtainable in step d).

11. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program is recorded for causing a data managing apparatus to execute a data managing method used for a device managing system including the device managing apparatus for monitoring and managing a device connected to a data transmission path, the data managing method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining power consumption status data from the device, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of a communication unit included in the device;

b) selecting a communication method according to the power consumption status data obtained in step a); and

c) performing data communications between the device managing apparatus and the device by using the communication method selected in step b).