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

• US 7,287,085 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US09/453,937
• Time in Patent Office: 2,715 Days
• Field of Search: 709231-232, 709/216, 709201-203, 709/222, 709/223, 709/224, 235/357, 707/102, 358/434, 710/105, 399/12, 399/9, 370/464, 370/465
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

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 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. Moreover, by supporting 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.

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 format 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 formats capable of providing data transfer;

a second computer code device configured to select a first format of the plural communications formats 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 format of the plural communications formats 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 format processors for implementing the first and second formats;

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 format 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 format 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 format processor, wherein the seventh computer code device is configured to check for a transmission failure before transferring the collected events using the second format.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, 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 formats, wherein each entry includes a key and a value.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 2, wherein the value of the eighth computer code device comprises a pointer to a function configured to dynamically generate a corresponding format processor of the first and second format processors as specified by the corresponding key.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 3, wherein the value further comprises an attribute for identifying whether the fifth computer code device previously dynamically generated the corresponding format processor.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 4, wherein the attribute stores (1) a zero value if the fifth computer code device has not previously dynamically generated the corresponding format processor and (2) stores a pointer to the corresponding format processor if the fifth computer code device previously dynamically generated the corresponding format processor.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 3, wherein the function configured to dynamically generate the corresponding format processor returns a format processing abstract class.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 2, wherein the eighth computer code device comprises a map.

8. 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.

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

10. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seventh computer device comprises an eighth computer code device configured to transfer the collected events using the second format in order to increase redundancy.

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plural communications formats includes binary.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plural communications formats includes text.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plural communications formats includes hypertext markup language (HTMI.).

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plural communications formats includes extended markup language (XML).

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plural communications formats includes SGML.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the plural communications formats includes a csv format.

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

providing plural communications formats capable of providing data transfer;

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

selecting a second format of the plural communications formats 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 format processors for implementing the first and second formats;

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 format processor;

checking for a transmission failure in the first attempt; and

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 format processor after the first attempt if there was a transmission failure in the first attempt.

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

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of providing comprises providing a dynamically linked library.