Computer network system and portable computer

• US 7,519,697 B2
• Filed: 02/02/1998
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsukura, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/017,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,089 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 370/270, 370/313, 342/125, 342/126, 342/357.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 455/11.1, 455/12.1, 455/426, 455/427, 455/456, 455/457
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer network system in which an IP address is assigned not only automatically at a destination of a notebook size PC (portable personal computer) 4, but also information relating to shared resources on the network is obtained at the site from a server 1 through a LAN circuit 2, so that the notebook size PC 4 can be used by connecting to the network even in the absence of the administrator. Henceforth, when the user moves within the same building as his own office, it seems that the occasion of using the portable personal computer by connecting to the network such as the Internet and intranet increases. In such a case, connection and disconnection of the network may be repeated frequently, and setting for such operation is facilitated.

Claims

1. A computer network system including:

a network circuit;

a first computer fixedly connected to said network circuit; and

plural connecting means provided in said network circuit and capable of connecting and disconnecting a second computer, wherein

said first computer comprises resource information managing means for managing information relating to hardware or software, including a place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software, which are usable through said network circuit, and resource information processing means for taking out the hardware information or software information from said resource information managing means in response to a request for information relating to usable hardware or software from another computer, and transmitting to said network circuit,

said second computer comprises resource information holding means for holding the hardware information or software information relating to the hardware or software that can be managed directly, and comparing means for comparing the hardware information or software information of said resource information holding means and the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means of said first computer, and detecting a replaceable hardware or software, and

when said second computer is connected to said network circuit through any one of said plural connecting means as being disconnected from the hardware or software that can be managed directly, said comparing means compares the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means transmitted from said resource information processing means and the hardware information or software information of said resource information holding means, and resource setting means directly sets a replaceable hardware or software.

2. A computer network system including:

a network circuit;

a first computer fixedly connected to said network circuit; and

plural connecting means provided in said network circuit and capable of connecting and disconnecting a second computer, wherein

said first computer comprises resource information managing means for managing plural sets of information relating to hardware or software, including a place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software, which are usable through said network circuit corresponding to plural positions,

said second computer comprises resource information managing means for managing plural sets of information relating to the hardware or software, including a place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software, which are usable through said network circuit corresponding to said connecting means, position selecting means for selecting one of the information relating to plural sets of hardware or software managed by said resource information managing means, resource setting means for setting the hardware or software according to the information relating to the hardware or software corresponding to the position selected by said position selecting means, and comparing means for comparing an updated time of the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means of said second computer and an updated time of the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means of said first computer, and

when said second computer is connected to said network circuit through any one of said plural connecting means, said resource setting means obtains the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means of said first computer, and registers in said resource information managing means in the case where the comparing result by said comparing means shows that the updated time of the resource information managing means of the second computer is before the updated time of said resource information managing means of said first computer, and directly sets the hardware or software.

3. A computer network system in which plural connecting means capable of connecting and disconnecting a computer is provided in a network circuit to which a computer is connected to one of said connecting means, wherein

said computer comprises resource information managing means for managing plural sets of information relating to hardware or software, including a place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software, which are usable through said network circuit corresponding to said connecting means, position selecting means for selecting one of the information relating to plural sets of hardware or software managed by said resource information managing means, resource setting means for directly setting the hardware or software according to the information relating to the hardware or software corresponding to the position selected by said position selecting means, updated resource information transmitting means for transmitting updated hardware information or software information to all computers connected to said network circuit when the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means is updated, and resource information updating means for updating the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means when receiving the updated hardware information or software information, and

when said computer is connected to said network circuit through any one of said plural connecting means, said resource information updating means updates the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means in the case where said resource information updating means receives the updated hardware information or software information from said updated resource information transmitting means of other computer.

4. A computer network system in which plural connecting means capable of connecting and disconnecting a computer is provided in a network circuit to which a computer is connected to one of said connecting means, wherein

said connecting means comprises resource information managing means for managing the information relating to hardware or software, including a place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software, which are usable through said network circuit near each installation position, resource information noticing means for noticing the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means when the computer system is connected, and updated resource information registering means for updating and registering the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means by receiving updated hardware information or software information from said computer,

said computer comprises resource information receiving means for receiving the hardware information or software information managed by said resource information managing means noticed by said resource information noticing means, resource setting means for setting the hardware or software according to the hardware information or software information received by said resource information receiving means, and updated resource information noticing means for noticing the updated hardware information or software information to said connecting means in order to update the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means of said connecting means, and

when said computer is connected to said network circuit through any one of said plural connecting means, said resource information receiving means receives the hardware information or software information managed by said resource information managing means noticed from said resource information noticing means, and said resource setting means directly sets the hardware or software according to the hardware information or software information received by said resource information receiving means.

5. The computer network system as set forth in claim 4, wherein

said connecting means further comprises updated resource information transmitting means for sending out updated hardware information or software information to said network circuit when the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means is updated, and updated resource information receiving means for updating the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means when receiving the updated hardware information or software information from said network circuit,

when updated hardware information or software information is noticed from said updated resource information noticing means to said connecting means, said updated resource information transmitting means sends out the updated hardware information or software information to said network circuit, and

said updated resource information receiving means, when receiving the updated hardware information or software information from said network circuit, updates the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means according to the received updated hardware information or software information.

6. A computer network system in which plural connecting means connecting and disconnecting a computer is provided in a network circuit to which said computer is connected to one of said connecting means, wherein

said connecting means comprises resource information managing means for managing the information relating to the hardware or software, including a place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software, which are usable through said network circuit near each installation position, resource information noticing means for noticing the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means when the computer system is connected, and updated resource information registering means for updating and registering the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means by receiving updated hardware information or software information from said computer,

said computer comprises resource information receiving means for receiving the hardware information or software information managed by said resource information managing means noticed by said resource information noticing means, resource setting means for setting the hardware or software according to the hardware information or software information received by said resource information receiving means, and updated resource information noticing means for noticing the updated hardware information or software information to said connecting means in order to update the hardware information or software information of said resource information managing means of said connecting means, and

when said computer is connected to said network circuit through any one of said plural connecting means, said resource information receiving means receives the hardware information or software information managed by said resource information managing means noticed from said resource information noticing means, and said resource setting means sets the hardware or software according to the hardware information or software information received by said resource information receiving means.

7. The computer network system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the place of installation in the real world for each of the hardware or software is different.