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

• US 7,356,579 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• 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): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Julian
• Application Number:
  US09/453,934
• Time in Patent Office: 2,883 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 709310-340, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/224, 709/229, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• 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 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 at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit to control a protocol used for data communication to a remote receiver from the 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 application-layer communications protocols for providing data transfer;

a second computer code device configured to select a first protocol among the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from 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 among the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from 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 attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the first selected protocol; and

a sixth computer code device configured to attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the second selected protocol regardless of whether the attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the first selected protocol was successful, automatically without human intervention.

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 1,

wherein the first computer code device comprises a dynamically linked library of code shared between first and second applications.

4. 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.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the plural application-type 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.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the sixth computer code device comprises a seventh computer code device configured to transfer the collected events using the second protocol in order to increase redundancy.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit to control a data format used for data communication to a remote receiver from the 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 application-layer communications formats for providing data transfer;

a second computer code device configured to select a first format among the plural application-layer communications formats to transfer data to the remote receiver from 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 among the plural application-layer communications formats to transfer data to the remote receiver from 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 attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the first selected format; and

a sixth computer code device configured to attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the second selected format regardless of whether the attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit using the first format was successful, automatically without human intervention.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7,

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 7,

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 7,

wherein the plural communications application-layer formats comprise at least two formats selected from the group consisting of:

binary, text, hypertext markup language (HTML), and extended markup language (XML).

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7,

wherein at least one of the plural communications formats comprises a compressed format.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the sixth computer code device comprises a seventh computer code device configured to transfer the collected events using the second format in order to increase redundancy.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a seventh computer code device configured to provide plural application-layer communications protocols for providing data transfer; and

an eighth computer code device configured to select a first protocol of the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit,

wherein the fifth computer code device is further configured to transfer the collected events with the first protocol using the first format.

14. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a seventh computer code device configured to provide plural application-layer communications protocols for providing data transfer; and

an eighth computer code device configured to select a first protocol of the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit,

wherein the sixth computer code device is further configured to transfer the collected events with the first protocol using the second format, automatically without human intervention.

15. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a seventh computer code device configured to provide plural communications application-layer protocols for providing data transfer; and

an eighth computer code device configured to select a first protocol of the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit,

wherein the fifth computer code device is further configured to transfer the collected events with the first protocol using the first format;

a ninth computer code device configured to select a second protocol of the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit,

wherein the sixth computer code device is further configured to transfer the collected events with the second protocol using the second format, automatically without human intervention.

16. A computer-implemented method for causing at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit to control a protocol used for data communication to a remote receiver, the method comprising:

providing plural application-layer communications protocols for transferring data;

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

selecting a second protocol among the plural application-layer communications protocols to transfer data to the remote receiver from 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;

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

performing a second attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the second selected protocol regardless of whether the first attempt was successful, automatically without human intervention.

17. A computer-implemented method for causing at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit to control a format used for data communication to a remote receiver, the method comprising:

providing plural application-layer communications formats for providing data transfer;

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

selecting a second format among the plural application-layer communications formats to transfer data to the remote receiver from 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;

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

performing a second attempt to transfer the collected events to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using the second selected format regardless of whether the first attempt was successful, automatically without human intervention.

18. The computer-implemented method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the step of performing a first attempt to transfer the collected events comprises performing an attempt using a first application-layer protocol.