MONITORING SYSTEM, MONITORING APPARATUS, MONITORING-TARGET APPARATUS, MONITORING METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING STORED THEREIN MONITORING PROGRAM

• US 20140289400A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited, Casio Electronics Manufacturing Company Limited (Casio Computer Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited, Casio Electronics Manufacturing Company Limited (Casio Computer Company Limited)
• Inventors: SAITO, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US14/222,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0072 Detecting the status of a connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A monitoring system includes a monitoring apparatus and a monitoring-target apparatus connected therewith via a network. The monitoring apparatus includes an inquirer that inquires as to whether or not the monitoring-target apparatus is capable of obtaining a status thereof. The monitoring-target apparatus includes a responder that transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which the status is obtainable, a response to the inquiry. The monitoring apparatus further includes a receiver that receives the response to the inquiry, and a requester that requests, when the receiver receives the response, the monitoring-target apparatus transmitted the received response to obtain the status of the monitoring-target apparatus. The monitoring-target apparatus further includes a communication controller that does not respond to the inquiry and the monitoring-target apparatus is in a second status in which the status is not obtainable, and that maintains the local monitoring-target apparatus in the second status.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring apparatus; and

a monitoring-target apparatus connected with the monitoring apparatus via a network,

wherein;

the monitoring apparatus comprises an inquirer that inquires whether or not the monitoring-target apparatus is capable of obtaining a status thereof;

the monitoring-target apparatus comprises a responder that transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which the status is obtainable, a response to the inquiry when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry;

the monitoring apparatus further comprises;

a receiver that receives the response to the inquiry transmitted from the monitoring-target apparatus; and

a requester that requests the monitoring-target apparatus having transmitted the received response to obtain a statement of the monitoring-target apparatus when the receiver receives the response; and

the monitoring-target apparatus further comprises a communication controller that does not respond to the inquiry when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry and the monitoring-target apparatus is in a second status in which the status is not obtainable, and that maintains the monitoring-target apparatus in the second status.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein when receiving a predetermined activation instruction when the monitoring-target apparatus is in the second status in which the status is not obtainable, the communication controller changes the monitoring-target apparatus from the second status to the first status.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring-target apparatus further comprises a notifier that notifies the monitoring apparatus of the status of the monitoring-target apparatus when the monitoring apparatus requests an obtainment of the status of the monitoring-target apparatus; and

the monitoring apparatus further comprises an information presenter that presents the status notified from the monitoring-target apparatus.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the inquirer performs the inquiring through a multicast transmission of a predetermined response request over the network to multiple apparatuses including the monitoring-target apparatus;

the responder transmits a response to the response request to the monitoring apparatus when the monitoring-target apparatus is in the first status and when receiving the response request transmitted from the monitoring apparatus; and

the requester requests the monitoring-target apparatus to obtain the status through a unicast transmission of a request for an obtainment of the status of the monitoring-target apparatus to the monitoring-target apparatus that is a transmission originator of the response received by the receiver.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring apparatus further comprises;

a memory that stores address information on the monitoring-target apparatus subjected to an obtainment of the status; and

a determiner that compares the address information on the monitoring-target apparatus which is a transmission originator of the response received by the receiver with the address information on the target of the obtainment of the status stored in the memory to determine whether or not the transmission originator of the received response is a target of the obtainment of the status; and

the requester requests the monitoring-target apparatus that is the transmission originator of the received response to obtain the status when the determiner determines that the monitoring-target apparatus which is the transmission originator of the received response is the monitoring-target apparatus subjected to the obtainment of the status.

6. A monitoring apparatus that is an external apparatus monitoring a monitoring-target apparatus comprising a responder and a communication controller,

wherein:

the responder transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which a status thereof is obtainable and the monitoring-target apparatus receives a predetermined inquiry, a response to the inquiry to the external apparatus;

the communication controller does not respond to the inquiry when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry and the monitoring-target apparatus is in a second status in which the status is not obtainable, and that maintains the local monitoring-target apparatus in the second status;

the monitoring apparatus comprises;

an inquirer that performs the inquiry as to whether or not the monitoring-target apparatus is obtainable the status thereof;

a receiver that receives the response to the inquiry transmitted from the monitoring-target apparatus when the monitoring-target apparatus is in the first status; and

a requester that requests, when the receiver receives the response, the monitoring-target apparatus having transmitted the received request to obtain the status of the monitoring-target apparatus.

7. A monitoring-target apparatus connected with a monitoring apparatus via a network, the monitoring apparatus comprising:

an inquirer that performs an inquiry as to whether or not the monitoring-target apparatus is obtainable a status thereof;

a receiver that receives a response to the inquiry transmitted from the monitoring-target apparatus when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which the status is obtainable; and

a requester that requests, when the receiver receives the response, the monitoring-target apparatus having transmitted the received request to obtain the status of the monitoring-target apparatus,

the monitoring-target apparatus comprising;

a responder that transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry and the monitoring-target apparatus is in the first status, the response to the inquiry; and

a communication controller that does not respond to the inquiry when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry from the monitoring apparatus and the monitoring-target apparatus is in a second status in which the status is not obtainable, and that maintains the local monitoring-target apparatus in the second status.

8. A monitoring method for monitoring a monitoring-target apparatus comprising a responder and a communication controller,

wherein:

the responder transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which a status thereof is obtainable and the monitoring-target apparatus receives a predetermined inquiry, a response to the inquiry to a monitoring apparatus connected with the monitoring-target apparatus via a network; and

the communication controller does not respond to the inquiry when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry and the monitoring-target apparatus is in a second status in which the status is not obtainable, and that maintains the local monitoring-target apparatus in the second status;

the monitoring method comprises;

an inquiring step for performing the inquiry as to whether or not the status of the monitoring-target apparatus is obtainable;

a receiving step for receiving the response to the inquiry transmitted from the monitoring-target apparatus when the monitoring-target apparatus is in the first status; and

a requesting step for requesting, when the response is received through the receiving step, the monitoring-target apparatus having transmitted the received request to obtain the status of the monitoring-target apparatus.

9. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a monitoring program that causes a computer to execute a monitoring method for monitoring a monitoring-target apparatus comprising a responder and a communication controller,

wherein:

the responder transmits, when the monitoring-target apparatus is in a first status in which a status thereof is obtainable and the monitoring-target apparatus receives a predetermined inquiry, a response to the inquiry to a monitoring apparatus connected with the monitoring-target apparatus via a network; and

the communication controller does not respond to the inquiry when the monitoring-target apparatus receives the inquiry and the monitoring-target apparatus is in a second status in which the status is not obtainable, and that maintains the local monitoring-target apparatus in the second status;

the monitoring program causes the computer to execute;

performing the inquiry as to whether or not the status of the monitoring-target apparatus is obtainable;

receiving the response to the inquiry transmitted from the monitoring-target apparatus when the monitoring-target apparatus is in the first status; and

requesting, when the response is received, the monitoring-target apparatus having transmitted the received request to obtain the status of the monitoring-target apparatus.