APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF SETTING A DEVICE

• US 20100235642A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Akira, Okazato, Atsushi, OTA, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,499,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

A device setting apparatus performs setting operation with respect to a counterpart apparatus using secure communication even when the counterpart apparatus is not previously provided with information required for secure communication. The device setting apparatus detects an error when the error occurs during the setting operation, and executes a browser to request a user to correct the error during the setting operation.

Claims

1. A device setting apparatus configured to connect to a counterpart apparatus through a network, the device setting apparatus comprising:

a storage device configured to store information specifying a procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to perform a user request;

a communication device configured to send a request to the counterpart apparatus and to receive a response from the counterpart apparatus in response to the request;

a process determiner device configured to determine whether the counterpart apparatus is capable of performing secure communication based on the response received by the communication device to generate a determination result; and

a process manager device configured to execute operation of setting secure communication for the counterpart apparatus according to the determination result indicating that the counterpart apparatus is not capable of performing secure communication, and to cause the communication device to send a request for performing the user request to the counterpart apparatus using a secure communication interface protocol.

2. The device setting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the execution of operation of setting secure communication causes the communication device to send a request to the counterpart apparatus using an insecure communication interface protocol, the request being at least one of:

a certificate install request that causes the counterpart apparatus to create and install a certificate required for the counterpart apparatus to communicate with the device setting apparatus using the secure communication interface protocol; and

a secure communication setting request that causes the counterpart apparatus to set the communication setting to have a value that requires the secure communication interface protocol.

3. The device setting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the execution of operation of setting secure communication further causes the communication device to:

send a certificate signing request (CSR) creating request that causes the counterpart apparatus to create a CSR that requests a certificate authority to sign the certificate;

receive the CSR created by the counterpart apparatus to have the certificate authority sign the certificate; and

send a signed certificate install request that causes the counterpart apparatus to install the signed certificate onto the counterpart apparatus.

4. The device setting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the storage device further includes:

certificate creation procedure information specifying a procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to create and install the certificate; and

certificate information used for creating the certificate, and

the process manager device is configured to generate the certificate install request according to the certificate creation procedure information and the certificate information.

5. The device setting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the certificate information used for creating the certificate includes information regarding a private key of the counterpart apparatus, the private key being used by the counterpart apparatus for signing the certificate.

6. The device setting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the process determiner device is configured to further determine whether the procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to perform a user request requires secure communication to generate a determination result, and when the determination result indicates that the procedure does not require secure communication, the process manager device is configured to cause the communication device to:

send a communication setting change request to the counterpart apparatus that causes the counterpart apparatus to change the communication setting from the value that requires the secure communication interface protocol to a value that requires the insecure communication interface protocol; and

send the request for performing the user request to the counterpart apparatus using the insecure communication interface protocol.

7. The device setting apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a result obtainer device configured to determine whether a setting operation is successfully performed and to generate a determination result indicating that an error has occurred when the setting operation is not successfully performed, the setting operation including the operation of setting secure communication and the operation of performing the user request;

a state analyzer device configured to specify a state of the counterpart apparatus when a request that causes the error is received from the device setting apparatus as an error state of the counterpart apparatus; and

a browser executer device configured to execute a browser based on information regarding the error state of the counterpart apparatus so as to cause the device setting apparatus to display a screen corresponding to the error state of the counterpart apparatus.

8. The device setting apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the storage device further includes information regarding the processing result of performing the setting operation, and

the browser executer device is configured to obtain previously input information previously input by the device setting apparatus that causes the error from the storage device and cause the screen to include the previously input information for display.

9. The device setting apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the browser executer device is further configured to receive newly input information input by the device setting apparatus in place of the previously input information displayed through the screen, and notify the process manager device upon detection of closing of the browser, and

the process manager device is further configured to cause the result obtainer device to determine whether the setting operation is successfully performed using the newly input information to generate a new determination result, and to overwrite the determination result indicating that an error has occurred stored in the storage device with the new determination result.

10. A device setting method of setting a counterpart apparatus through a network using a device setting apparatus, the method comprising:

storing, in a storage device, information specifying a procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to perform a user request;

determining whether the counterpart apparatus is capable of performing secure communication to generate a determination result;

executing operation of setting secure communication for the counterpart apparatus according to the determination result indicating that the counterpart apparatus is not capable of performing secure communication; and

sending a request for performing the user request from the device setting apparatus to the counterpart apparatus using a secure communication interface protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the operation of setting secure communication includes at least one of:

sending a certificate install request, using an insecure communication interface protocol, that causes the counterpart apparatus to create and install a certificate required for the counterpart apparatus to communicate with the device setting apparatus using the secure communication interface protocol; and

sending a secure communication setting request, using an insecure communication interface protocol, that causes the counterpart apparatus to set the communication setting to have a value that requires the secure communication interface protocol.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operation of setting secure communication further includes:

causing the counterpart apparatus to create a certificate signing request (CSR) that requests a certificate authority to sign the certificate;

transmitting the CSR created by the counterpart apparatus to the certificate authority to have the certificate authority sign the certificate; and

installing the signed certificate onto the counterpart apparatus.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a determination result indicating that the procedure to be performed by the device setting apparatus to cause the counterpart apparatus to perform a user request does not require secure communication;

causing the counterpart apparatus to change the communication setting from the value that requires the secure communication interface protocol to a value that requires the insecure communication interface protocol; and

sending the request for performing the user request from the device setting apparatus to the counterpart apparatus using the insecure communication interface protocol.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a determination result indicating that an error has occurred when a setting operation is not successfully performed, the setting operation including the operation of setting secure communication and the operation of performing the user request;

specifying a state of the counterpart apparatus when a request that causes the error is received by the counterpart apparatus from the device setting apparatus as an error state of the counterpart apparatus; and

executing a browser based on information regarding the error state of the counterpart apparatus so as to cause the device setting apparatus to display a screen corresponding to the error state of the counterpart apparatus.

15. A device setting system including a device setting apparatus and a counterpart apparatus connected through a network, the system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device configured to store a plurality of instructions which cause the device setting apparatus to;

determine whether the counterpart apparatus is capable of performing secure communication to generate a determination result;

execute operation of setting secure communication for the counterpart apparatus according to the determination result indicating that the counterpart apparatus is not capable of performing secure communication; and

send a request for performing a user request to the counterpart apparatus using a secure communication interface protocol.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the device setting apparatus to:

generate a determination result indicating that an error has occurred when a setting operation is not successfully performed, the setting operation including the operation of setting secure communication and the operation of performing the user request;

specify a state of the counterpart apparatus when a request that causes the error is received by the counterpart apparatus from the device setting apparatus as an error state of the counterpart apparatus; and

execute a browser based on information regarding the error state of the counterpart apparatus so as to cause the device setting apparatus to display a screen corresponding to the error state of the counterpart apparatus.