Method for managing a status request transmitted from a managing device to an interface device through a network

• US 6,477,567 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1998
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/129,537
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 709/208, 709/224, 709/250, 709/203, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0293 for accessing web services by means of a binding identification of the management service or element

Abstract

A network system includes: a managing device for managing a terminal device through a network; the terminal device connected to the network through an interface device; and the interface device. The managing device is provided with an information transmitting device for transmitting transmission information to the network. The interface device is provided with: a judging device for judging whether the received transmission information is to be processed by the interface device or the terminal device; a first information processing device for processing the received transmission information and returning a first process information to the managing device through the network, if the received transmission information is to be processed by the interface device; a transferring device for transferring the received transmission information to the terminal device if the received transmission information is to be processed by the terminal device; and a returning device for returning second process information to the managing device through the network when the second process information is transmitted thereto from the terminal device. The terminal device is provided with a second information processing device for processing the received transmission information and transmitting the second process information to the returning device when receiving the transmission information transferred thereto from the transferring device.

Claims

1. A method for managing status request information transmitted from a managing device to an interface device through a network, the interface device being installed in a terminal device, the method comprising the steps of:

requesting, by the interface device to the terminal device, a lead information of the terminal device;

transmitting, by the terminal device, the lead information to the interface device;

storing the lead information in a memory of the interface device;

transmitting, by the managing device, the status request information to the interface device;

receiving, by the interface device, the status request information including a node information transmitted from the managing device;

comparing the node information with the lead information stored in the memory so as to judge whether the status request information is to be processed in the interface device or in the terminal device;

processing the status request information at the interface device if the status request information is judged to be processed in the interface device;

transmitting a first processing information, which is a process result by the processing step at the interface device, to the managing device through the network;

transferring the status request information to the terminal device if the status request information is judged to be processed in the terminal device;

processing the status request information at the terminal device if the status request information is judged to be processed in the terminal device; and

transmitting a second processing information, which is a process result by the processing step at the terminal device, to the managing device through the interface device and the network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the lead information and the node information indicate a hierarchy structure.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the managing device manages the terminal device on the basis of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol);

and

the lead information and the node information comprise route information in MIB (Management Information Base) information corresponding to SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).