Method and system of remote diagnostic, control and information collection using a dynamic linked library of multiple formats and multiple protocols with intelligent protocol processor

• US 7,120,674 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brancolini, John R
• Application Number:
  US09/453,935
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104, 707/205, 707/2, 707/10, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/200, 709/202, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for (1) collecting information from a remote application unit and/or (2) diagnosing or controlling the remote application unit. By supporting dynamic generation of multiple data formats and/or multiple communication protocols, a computer code device increases the likelihood that a supported format and/or protocol will be either receivable or understandable by a receiver without having to pre-generate the protocol or format processor. By utilizing a shareable computer code device (e.g., a dynamic linked library), a new application can utilize tested, proven code without having to reproduce existing functionality.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to control a protocol used for data communication between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to provide plural communications protocols capable of providing data transfer;

a second computer code device configured to select a first protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a third computer code device configured to select a second protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a fourth computer code device configured to collect events at the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a fifth computer code device configured to dynamically generate first and second protocol processors for implementing the first and second protocols;

a sixth computer code device configured to attempt to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first protocol processor;

a seventh computer code device configured to attempt to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the second protocol processor after attempting to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first protocol processor;

wherein the fifth computer code device comprises an eighth computer code device configured to implement a container class including an entry for each of the plural protocols, wherein each entry includes a key and a value,

wherein the value of the eighth computer code device comprises a pointer to a function configured to dynamically generate a corresponding protocol processor of the first and second protocol processors as specified by the corresponding key,

wherein the value further comprises an attribute for identifying whether the fifth computer code device previously dynamically generated the corresponding protocol processor, and

wherein the attribute stores (1) a zero value if the fifth computer code device has not previously dynamically generated the corresponding protocol processor and (2) stores a pointer to the corresponding protocol processor if the fifth computer code device previously dynamically generated the corresponding protocol processor.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first computer code device comprises a library of code shared between first and second applications.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 2, wherein the library comprises a dynamically linked library.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the eighth computer code device comprises a map.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the function configured to dynamically generate the corresponding protocol processor returns a protocol processing abstract class.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plural communications protocols comprise at least one of (1) a store and forward protocol and (2) a direct connection protocol.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plural communications protocols comprise (1) a simple mail transfer protocol and (2) at least one of (a) a file transfer protocol and (b) a hypertext transfer protocol.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seventh computer device comprises a ninth computer code device configured to check for a transmission failure before transferring the collected events using the second protocol.

9. A computer-implemented method for causing a computer to control a protocol used for data communication to a remote receiver, comprising:

providing plural communications protocols capable of transferring data;

selecting a first protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

selecting a second protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

collecting events at the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

dynamically generating first and second protocol processors for implementing the first and second protocols by implementing a container class including an entry for each of the plural protocols wherein each entry includes a key and a value;

performing a first attempt to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first protocol processor;

performing a second attempt to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the second protocol processor after the first attempt;

wherein the value of the eighth computer code device comprises a pointer to a function configured to dynamically generate a corresponding protocol processor of the first and second protocol processors as specified by the corresponding key,

wherein the value further comprises an attribute for identifying whether the fifth computer code device previously dynamically generated the corresponding protocol processor, and

wherein the attribute stores (1) a zero value if the fifth computer code device has not previously dynamically generated the corresponding protocol processor and (2) stores a pointer to the corresponding protocol processor if the fifth computer code device previously dynamically generated the corresponding protocol processor.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, herein the step of providing comprises providing a library of code shared between first and second applications.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of providing comprises providing a dynamically linked library.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plural communications protocols comprise at least one of (1) a store and forward protocol and (2) a direct connection protocol.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plural communications protocols comprise (1) a simple mail transfer protocol and (2) at least one of (a) a file transfer protocol and (b) a hypertext transfer protocol.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of performing a second attempt comprises checking for a transmission failure before transferring the collected events using the second protocol.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to control a protocol used for data communication between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to provide plural communications protocols capable of providing data transfer;

a second computer code device configured to select a first protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a third computer code device configured to select a second protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a fourth computer code device configured to collect events at the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a fifth computer code device configured to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first protocol;

a sixth computer code device configured to transfer the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the second protocol after transferring the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first protocol, thereby increasing redundancy.

16. A computer-implemented method for causing a computer to control a protocol used for data communication to a remote receiver, comprising:

providing plural communications protocols capable of transferring data;

selecting a first protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

selecting a second protocol of the plural communications protocols to transfer data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

collecting events at the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

transferring the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first protocol;

transferring the collected events between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the second protocol after the first transfer, thereby increasing redundancy.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of providing comprises providing a library of code shared between first and second applications.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of providing comprises providing a dynamically linked library.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plural communications protocols comprise at least one of (1) a store and forward protocol and (2) a direct connection protocol.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the plural communications protocols comprise (1) a simple mail transfer protocol and (2) at least one of (a) a file transfer protocol and (b) a hypertext transfer protocol.