System and method for monitoring the state of a plurality of machines connected via a computer network

• US 6,604,212 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sekizawa, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US10/154,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 714/47, 714/39, 709/217, 709/224, 709/223, 709/249, 709/238, 710/1, 710/105, 710/15, 710/62, 399/18, 700/169, 700/175, 700/108, 700/110, 340/286.02, 370/908, 347/17, 347/101, 358/1.14, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 714/47.2
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00113 Plurality of apparatus configured in groups each with its own host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3068 where the reporting involves data format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0686 Additional information in the notification, e.g. enhancement of specific meta-data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 Wide area network

Abstract

Each agent unit gets status information indicating the state of each of network printers connected by a LAN from the network printers every first time period. Whenever each agent unit gets the status information from the network printer, it overwrites a status log data file with the gotten status information. Each agent unit converts all status information stored in the status log data file into status mail of electronic mail and transmits the status mail to a mail server every second time period longer than the first time period. On the other hand, a console unit accesses the mail server and reads the status mail in a proper time period to the console unit.

Claims

1. A local monitor unit for transmitting status information formed of a plurality of pieces of information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, said local monitor unit comprising:

a local information getting unit for getting the status information from the machine through a first-type computer network;

a local information retention unit for retaining the status information gotten by said local information getting unit; and

a local information transmission unit for transmitting at least a part of the plurality of pieces of the status information retained in said local information retention unit to the integrated monitor unit through a second-type computer network connecting the first-type computer network to the integrated monitor unit.

2. A local monitor unit for transmitting status information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, said local monitor unit comprising:

a local information getting unit for getting the status information from the machine;

an electronic mail preparation unit for converting the status information gotten by said local information getting unit into a format of electronic mail to which an address of the integrated monitor unit is added; and

a local information transmission unit for sending electronic mail prepared by said electronic mail preparation unit to a mail server of the computer network.

3. An integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating an operation state of each of a plurality of machines to be monitored, connected to a first-type computer network through a second-type computer network connected to the first-type computer network, said integrated monitor unit comprising:

a global information getting unit for getting the status information from the plurality of machines;

a database for storing information concerning the plurality of machines;

a database management unit for updating said database based on the status information gotten by said global information getting unit; and

a display unit for displaying the information stored on said database.

4. An integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating an operation state of each of a plurality of machines to be monitored through a computer network, said integrated monitor unit comprising:

an electronic mail reception unit for receiving electronic mail containing the status information from a mail server of the computer network;

an extraction unit for extracting the status information from the electronic mail received by said electronic mail reception unit;

a database for storing information concerning the plurality of machines;

a database management unit for updating said database based on the status information extracted by said extraction unit; and

a display unit for displaying the information stored on said database.

5. An integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating an operation state of each of a plurality of machines to be monitored through a computer network, said integrated monitor unit comprising:

a global information getting unit for getting the status information from the plurality of machines; and

a display unit for displaying, in installation area units of the plurality of machines, the status information gotten by said global information getting unit.

6. An integrated monitor unit for receiving status information containing remaining amount information of a consumable article of each of a plurality of machines to be monitored through a computer network, said integrated monitor unit comprising:

a global information getting unit for periodically getting the status information from the plurality of machines;

a database for storing information concerning the plurality of machines;

a database management unit for storing the status information gotten by said global information getting unit on said database;

a statistical processing unit for predicting statistics of the remaining amount of the consumable article based on a plurality of pieces of the status information of each machine stored on said database; and

an output unit for outputting the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article predicted by said statistical processing unit.

7. A local monitoring method which transmits status information having a plurality of pieces of information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining the status information from the machine through a first-type computer network;

retaining the status information; and

transmitting at least some of pieces of the retained status information to the integrated monitor unit though a second-type computer network,

wherein the second-type computer network connects the first-type computer network to the integrated monitor unit.

8. A global monitoring method, comprising the steps of:

obtaining status information indicating an operation state of each of a plurality of machines to be monitored from a computer connected to the plurality of machines to be monitored through a global computer network;

updating a machine database storing monitor information for the plurality of machines based on the status information; and

displaying, on a display, the information stored in the machine database.

9. A local monitor unit for obtaining and transmitting status information having a plurality of pieces of information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, said local monitor unit comprising:

a setting means for setting the machine as a subject to be monitored; and

a generating means for generating a machine registration information to register the set machine to the integrated monitor unit; and

a transmitting means for transmitting the machine registration information to the integrated monitor unit through a wide area computer network.

10. A local monitor unit according to claim 9, further comprising

a creating means for creating a registration log file for the machine to be monitored.

11. An integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating an operation state of a local machine from a local monitor unit connected to the local machine, said integrated monitor unit comprising:

a receiving means for receiving a machine registration information, to register the machine as a subject to be monitored, from the local monitor unit through a wide area computer network; and

an updating means for updating a machine database based on the received machine registration information.

12. A local monitor unit for transmitting status information formed of a plurality of pieces of status information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, said local monitor unit comprising:

a local information getting means for getting the status information from the machine through a first-type computer network;

a local information retaining means for retaining the status information obtained by the local information getting means;

a local information transmitting means for transmitting at least a part of the plurality of pieces of the status information retained in the local information getting means to the integrated monitor unit through a second-type computer network connecting the first-type computer network to the integrated monitor unit; and

a machine information transmitting means for transmitting a machine information to register the machine into the integrated monitor unit through the second-type computer network to the integrated monitor unit;

wherein the integrated monitor unit manages the status information of the machine monitored by the lopal monitor unit in accordance with the machine information received through the second-type computer network.

13. A local monitor unit for transmitting status information formed of a plurality of pieces of status information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, said local monitor unit comprising:

a local information getting means for getting the status information of the machine connected to a first-type local computer network by identifying an address of the machine;

a local information retaining means for retaining the status information obtained by the local information getting means and individual information of the machine;

a local information transmitting means for transmitting at least a part of the plurality of pieces of the status information retained in the local information getting means to the integrated monitor unit thorough a second-type wide area computer network; and

a machine information transmitting means for transmitting a machine information to the integrated monitor unit through the second-type wide-area computer network, the machine information being employed for registering the machine to be monitored and the first-type local computer network connected to the machine prepared based on the individual information retained by the local information retaining means into the integrated monitor unit;

wherein the integrated monitor unit identifies the status information is for which machine to be monitored and connected to which first-type local computer network, based on the machine information registered in the integrated monitor unit, to thereby make a predetermined display display the status information, the status information being transmitted by each of a plurality of local monitor units at a unique timing set by each of the plurality of local monitor units uniquely.