Method and system for using data structures to store database information for multiple vendors and model support for remotely monitored devices
First Claim
1. In a communication system having one or more monitored image output devices communicatively coupled to a monitoring system, a database having information related to the one or more monitored image output devices, a method of obtaining and maintaining, in the monitoring system, information related to the monitored image output devices comprising:
- a) accessing the one or more monitored image output devices and obtaining therefrom a first model name and a first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices by using a first IP address;
b) storing configuration information corresponding to each of the one or more monitored image output devices, said configuration information including a second vendor name, a second model name and a second IP address of the one or more monitored image output devices;
c) updating the configuration information to include the first model name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first model name is different than the second model name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address;
d) updating the configuration information to include the first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first vendor name is different than the second vendor name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address;
e) enabling the monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve information related to the monitored image output devices;
f) populating a first data structure with information retrieved from the database;
g) determining if a monitored image output device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database;
h) establishing communication with the monitored image output device in order to obtain status information of the monitored image output device if the monitored image output device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system;
i) accessing a web page in an HTML format from a web server stored in the respective monitored image output devices so as to obtain a line from the web page; and
j) parsing, without human interaction, the line from the web page to obtain the status information in accordance with information included in the first data structure, said parsing includes searching the line from the web page for a key included in the first data structure, and the information included in the first data structure includes a location of the status information within the web page with respect to a location of the key in the web page,wherein step h) is performed using an HTTP protocol.
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Abstract
In a communication system having one or more monitored devices communicatively coupled to a monitoring system, a database having information related to the one or more monitored devices, a method of obtaining and maintaining, in the monitoring system, information related to the monitored devices is described. The method includes enabling the monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve information related to the monitored devices, populating a first data structure with information retrieved from the database, determining if a monitored device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database, and establishing communication with the monitored device in order to obtain status information of the monitored device if the monitored device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. In a communication system having one or more monitored image output devices communicatively coupled to a monitoring system, a database having information related to the one or more monitored image output devices, a method of obtaining and maintaining, in the monitoring system, information related to the monitored image output devices comprising:
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a) accessing the one or more monitored image output devices and obtaining therefrom a first model name and a first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices by using a first IP address; b) storing configuration information corresponding to each of the one or more monitored image output devices, said configuration information including a second vendor name, a second model name and a second IP address of the one or more monitored image output devices; c) updating the configuration information to include the first model name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first model name is different than the second model name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; d) updating the configuration information to include the first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first vendor name is different than the second vendor name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; e) enabling the monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve information related to the monitored image output devices; f) populating a first data structure with information retrieved from the database; g) determining if a monitored image output device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database; h) establishing communication with the monitored image output device in order to obtain status information of the monitored image output device if the monitored image output device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system; i) accessing a web page in an HTML format from a web server stored in the respective monitored image output devices so as to obtain a line from the web page; and j) parsing, without human interaction, the line from the web page to obtain the status information in accordance with information included in the first data structure, said parsing includes searching the line from the web page for a key included in the first data structure, and the information included in the first data structure includes a location of the status information within the web page with respect to a location of the key in the web page, wherein step h) is performed using an HTTP protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of obtaining and maintaining information about one or more monitored image output devices in a monitoring system, comprising:
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a) accessing the one or more monitored image output devices and obtaining therefrom a first model name and a first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices by using a first IP address; b) storing configuration information corresponding to each of the one or more monitored image output devices, said configuration information including a second vendor name, a second model name and a second IP address of the one or more monitored image output devices; c) updating the configuration information to include the first model name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first model name is different than the second model name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; d) updating the configuration information to include the first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first vendor name is different than the second vendor name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; e) storing updated vendor name and undated model name of the monitored image output devices in a database; f) enabling a monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve the stored vendor name and model name; g) populating a first data structure with the vendor name retrieved from said database; h) populating a second data structure with the model name if no further vendor information remains to be populated in the first data structure; i) determining if a monitored image output device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database; j) establishing communication with the monitored image output device to obtain status information of the monitored image output device if the monitored image output device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system; k) accessing a web page in an HTML format from a web server stored in the respective monitored image output devices so as to obtain a line from the web page; and l) parsing, without human interaction, the line from the web page to obtain the status information in accordance with information included in the first data structure, said parsing includes searching the line from the web page for a key included in the first data structure, and the information included in the first data structure includes a location of the status information within the web page with respect to a location of the key in the web page, wherein step h) is performed using an HTTP protocol. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a communication system having one or more monitored image output devices communicatively coupled to a monitoring system, a database having information related to the one or more monitored image output devices, an apparatus for obtaining and maintaining in a monitoring system information related to the monitored image output devices comprising:
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means for accessing the one or more monitored image output devices and obtaining therefrom a first model name and a first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices by using a first IP address; means for storing configuration information corresponding to each of the one or more monitored image output devices, said configuration information including a second vendor name, a second model name and a second IP address of the one or more monitored image output devices; means for updating the configuration information to include the first model name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first model name is different than the second model name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address, and updating the configuration information to include the first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first vendor name is different than the second vendor name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; means for enabling the monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve information related to the monitored image output devices; means for populating a first data structure with information retrieved from the database; means for determining if a monitored image output device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database; means for establishing communication with the monitored image output device using an HTTP protocol in order to obtain status information of the monitored image output device if the monitored image output device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system; means for accessing a web page in an HTML format from a web server stored in the respective monitored image output devices so as to obtain a line from the web page; and means for parsing, without human interaction, the line of the web page to obtain the status information in accordance with information included in the first data structure, said means for parsing searches the line from the web page for a key included in the first data structure, and the information included in the first data structure includes a location of the status information within the web page with respect to a location of the key in the web page, wherein said means for establishing uses an HTTP protocol. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for obtaining and maintaining information about one or more monitored image output devices in a monitoring system, comprising:
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means for accessing the one or more monitored image output devices and obtaining therefrom a first model name and a first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices by using a first IP address; means for storing configuration information corresponding to each of the one or more monitored image output devices, said configuration information including a second vendor name, a second model name and a second IP address of the one or more monitored image output devices; means for updating the configuration information to include the first model name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first model name is different than the second model name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; means for updating the configuration information to include the first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first vendor name is different than the second vendor name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; means for storing updated vendor name and updated model name related to the monitored image output devices in a database; means for enabling a monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve the stored vendor name and vendor model name; means for populating a first data structure with the vendor name retrieved from said database; means for populating a second data structure with the model name if no further vendor information remains to be populated in the first data structure; means for determining if a monitored image output device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database; means for establishing communication with the monitored image output device to obtain status information of a monitored image output device if the monitored image output device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system; means for accessing a web page in an HTML format from a web server stored in the respective monitored image output devices so as to obtain a line from the web page; and means for parsing, without human interaction, the line of the web page to obtain the status information in accordance with information included in the first data structure, said means for parsing searches the line from the web page for a key included in the first data structure, and the information included in the first data structure includes a location of the status information within the web page with respect to a location of the key in the web page, wherein said means for establishing uses an HTTP protocol. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification