Method and apparatus utilizing communication means hierarchy to configure or monitor an interface device

• US 7,337,242 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOSSAIN, TANIM M
• Application Number:
  US10/068,861
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/203, 710/8, 713/1, 707/3
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a communication means for an interfacing device that utilizes a communication means hierarchy to decipher a communication means to be used by other hardware devices so that they may operative cooperatively. Particularly, a controlling device queries an interfacing device for the manufacturer of the interfacing device. If the manufacturer is determinable, then the controlling device queries the interfacing device for the model of the interfacing device. This querying for the model utilizes the identity of the manufacturer by using communication means that are particular to the manufacturer to query the interfacing device. Based on the information queried from the interfacing device, the controlling device is able to decipher the best known communication means for the interfacing device.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a printing device connected to a network by a monitoring device, comprising:

storing an initial manufacturer and initial model of the printing device;

realizing a location of the printing device within the network;

updating in a first database the location of the printing device;

querying the printing device for an identity of a manufacturer of the printing device;

updating in the first database the manufacturer of the printing device, if the querying for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is successful, the updating includes replacing the initial manufacturer with the manufacturer supplied by the printing device;

querying the printing device, utilizing the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device, for the identity of a model of the printing device, if the querying of the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is successful;

updating in the first database the identity of the model of the printing device, if the query for the identity of the model of the printing device is successful, the updating includes replacing the initial model with the model supplied by the printing device;

establishing a communication means for the printing device according to information stored in the first database after updating the manufacturer and model of the printing device; and

sending the updated information to a second monitoring device via internet electronic mail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the querying of the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is successful and the querying of the printing device for the identity of the model of the printing device is unsuccessful, then the step of establishing a communication means comprises establishing a printing communication means that is common to all devices manufactured by the manufacturer of the printing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the querying of the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is unsuccessful and the querying of the printing device for the identity of the model of the printing device is unsuccessful, then the step of establishing a communication means comprises establishing a printing communication means that is common to all devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the querying of the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is unsuccessful and the querying of the printing device for the identity of the model of the printing device is unsuccessful, then the step of establishing a communication means comprises establishing a printing communication means that is common to at least one manufacturer of printing devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the querying of the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is successful and the querying of the printing device for the identity of the model of the printing device is unsuccessful, then the step of establishing a communication means comprises establishing a printing communication means that is common to at least one known model of the identified manufacturer of the printing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of querying the printing device for the identity of the model of the printing device utilizes the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device to query the printing device with model identification codes that are particular to the manufacturer of the printing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying the printing device for the unique identification of the printing device prior to the step of querying the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique identification of the printing device is a unique sequence of data designated to the printing device by the manufacturer of the printing device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of updating in the first database the location of the printing device includes updating the unique identification of the printing device in the first database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing device is queried using Simple Network Management Protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of realizing the location of the printing device comprises automatically detecting that the printing device is electrically coupled to the controlling device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of realizing the location of the printing device comprises obtaining the location by an input by a user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device and the printing device are networked computer devices coupled to one another by a network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of realizing the location of the printing device comprises detecting, by the monitoring device, that the network location of the printing device has changed.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the location of the printing device is a network location of the printing device on the network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the network location of the printing device is an internet address.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database can be accessed by an interface that is independent of the database file format.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first database complies with the ODBC standard.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first database is duplicated on a second database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second database is updated with at least a portion of the first database by utilizing transfer of data through email.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the transfer of data through email utilizes a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) means.

22. A monitoring device for monitoring a printing device connected to a network, the monitoring device configured to:

realize a location of the printing device within the network;

query the printing device for an identity of the manufacturer of the printing device;

update in a database the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device, if the monitoring device is able to obtain the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device, the updating includes replacing an initial manufacturer stored in the database with the manufacturer supplied by the printing device;

query the printing device, utilizing the identity of the manufacturer, for an identity of a model of the printing device if the monitoring device is able to obtain the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device;

update in the database the identity of the model of the printing device, if the controlling device is able to obtain the identity of the model of the printing device, the updating includes replacing an initial model stored in the database with model supplied by the printing device;

establish a communication means for the printing device according to information stored in the database after updating the manufacturer and model of the printing device; and

sending the updated information to a second monitoring device via internet electronic mail.

23. A monitoring device for monitoring a printing device connected to a network, the monitoring device comprising:

means for storing an initial manufacturer and model of the printing device;

means for realizing the location of the printing device within the network;

means for querying the printing device for the identity of a manufacturer of the printing device;

means for updating in the database the manufacturer of the printing device, if the querying for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is successful, the updating includes replacing the initial manufacturer with the manufacturer supplied by the printing device;

means for querying the printing device, utilizing the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device, for the identity of a model of the printing device, if the querying of the printing device for the identity of the manufacturer of the printing device is successful;

means for updating in the database the identity of the model of the printing device, if the query for the identity of the model of the printing device is successful, the updating includes replacing the initial model with the model supplied by the printing device;

means for establishing a communication means for the printing device according to information stored in the database after updating the manufacturer and model of the printing device; and

means for sending the updated information to a second monitoring device via internet electronic mail.