Device identification information managing system and method for communicably connecting between a network device and a device managing terminal unit that manages the network device

• US 7,574,498 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Toru, Fukao, Akihito, Kitada, Naruhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry D
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NICHOLAS R
• Application Number:
  US11/010,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A device identification information managing system is provided. A network printer generates an extension device identifier depending upon dynamic information and a subject-of-registration-device identifier including a basic device identifier of the storage device and a generated extension device identifier, to send the generated subject-of-registration-device identifier to a printer managing server and notify the user. The printer managing server, when receiving a subject-of-registration-device identifier, tentatively registers the received subject-of-registration device identifier to the storage device. When a collating device identifier is received, the received collating device identifier is collated with the subject-of-registration-device identifier of the storage device. Depending upon the collation result, the subject-of-registration-device identifier is registered to the storage device.

Claims

1. A device identification information managing system for communicably connecting between a network device and a device managing terminal unit that manages the network device, and managing device identification information to identify any network device, the device identification information managing system comprising:

the network device which includes;

a basic device identification information storage unit storing basic device identification information to identify the network device;

an extension device identification information generator generating extension device identification information to identify the network device based on dynamic information, the dynamic information including a startup lapse time from a startup of the network device to a present time and an output amount corresponding to an amount of output from a predetermined reference time to the present time;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information transmitter sending subject-of-registration-device identification information including the basic device identification information of the basic device identification information storage unit and the extension device identification information generated by the extension device identification information generator to the device managing terminal unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information notifying unit notifying a user of the subject-of-registration-device identification information by printing the subject-of-registration-device identification information on a paper sheet; and

the device managing terminal unit which includes;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information receiver receiving the subject-of-registration-device identification information from the subject-of-registration-device identification information transmitter;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information first-register storing the subject-of-registration-device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification information receiver to a first-registering storage unit;

a collating device identification information receiver that receives collating device identification information that is inputted by the user at a PC through a browser and communicated to the collating device identification information receiver, the user having acquired the collating device identification information, prior to inputting, from the paper sheet printed by the subject-of-registration-device identification notifying unit;

a device identification information collator collating between the collating device identification information received by the collating device identification information receiver and the subject-of-registration-device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification receiver and stored in the first-registering storage unit to determine whether the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storage unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information second-register registering the subject-of-registration-device identification information by storing the subject-of-registration-device identification information in a subject-of-registration-device identification information storage unit when a collation result by the device identification information collator indicates that the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storage unit;

the device managing terminal unit managing the network device when the subject-of-registration-device identification information for the network device is registered by the subject-of-registration-device identification information second-register.

2. A device identification information managing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the network device further has a subject-of-registration-device identification information encryptor encrypting the subject-of-registration-device identification information;

the subject-of-registration-device identification information transmitter sending device identification information encrypted by the subject-of-registration-device identification information encryptor to the device managing terminal unit;

the device managing terminal unit further comprising a subject-of-registration-device identification information decryptor decrypting encrypted device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification information receiver; and

the subject-of-registration-device identification information first-register registers subject-of-registration-device identification information decrypted by the subject-of-registration-device identification information decryptor to the first-registering storage unit.

3. A device identification information managing system according to claim 1, wherein:

the device managing terminal unit further comprises a collating device identification information decryptor decrypting collating device identification information received by the collating device identification information receiver; and

the device identification information collator collates between collating device identification information decrypted by the collating device identification information decryptor and subject-of-registration-device identification information of the first-registering storage unit.

4. A network device for communicable connection to a device managing terminal unit, the network device comprising:

a basic device identification information storage unit storing basic device identification information to identify the network device;

an extension device identification information generator generating extension device identification information to identify the network device depending upon dynamic information, the dynamic information including a startup lapse time from a startup of the network device to a present time and an output amount corresponding to an amount of output from a predetermined reference time to the present time;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information transmitter sending subject-of-registration-device identification information including basic device identification information of the basic device identification information storage unit and extension device identification information generated by the extension device identification information generator to the device managing terminal unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information notifier notifying a user of the subject-of-registration-device identification information by printing the subject-of-registration-device identification information on a paper sheet.

5. A device managing terminal unit for communicable connection to a network device and managing the network device, the terminal unit comprising:

a subject-of-registration-device identification information receiver receiving subject-of-registration-device identification information;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information first-register registering the subject-of-registration-device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification information receiver to a first-registering storage unit;

a collating device identification information receiver that receives collating device identification information that is inputted by a user at a PC through a browser and communicated to the collating device identification information receiver, the user having acquired the collating device identification information, prior to inputting, from a paper sheet printed by the network device;

a device identification information collator collating between the collating device identification information received by the collating device identification information receiver and subject-of-registration-device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification information receiver and stored in the first-registering storage unit to determine whether the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storage unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information second-register registering the subject-of-registration-device identification information by storing the subject-registration-device identification information in a subject-of-registration-device identification information storage unit when a collation result by the device identification information collator indicates that the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storage unit.

6. A device program, stored in a computer readable medium, for a computer communicably connected to a device managing terminal unit to execute, the program being for executing a process to be realized as:

an extension device identification information generating step of generating extension device identification information to identify the computer depending upon dynamic information, the dynamic information including a startup lapse time from a startup of the computer to a present time and an output amount corresponding to an amount of output from a predetermined reference time to the present time;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information transmitting step of sending subject-of-registration-device identification information including basic device identification information of a basic device identification information storing step storing basic device identification information to identify the computer and extension device identification information generated by the extension device identification information generating step to the device managing terminal unit; and

subject-of-registration-device identification information notifying step of notifying a user of the subject-of-registration-device identification information by printing the subject-of-registration-device identification information on a paper sheet.

7. A terminal unit program, stored in a computer readable medium, for a computer communicably connected to a network device and for managing the network device to execute, the program being for executing a process to be realized as:

a subject-of-registration-device identification information receiving step of receiving subject-of-registration-device identification information;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information first-registering step of registering the subject-of-registration-device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification information receiving step to a first-registering storage unit;

a collating device identification information receiving step of receiving collating device identification information that is inputted by a user at a PC through a browser and communicated to a collating device identification receiver, the user having acquired the collating device identification information, prior to inputting, from a paper sheet printed by a subject-of-registration-device identification notifying unit;

a device identification information collating step of collating between the collating device identification information received by the collating device identification information receiving step and subject-of-registration-device identification information of the subject-of-registration-device identification information first-registering storing step to determine whether the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storage unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information second-registering step of registering the subject-of-registration-device identification information to a subject-of-registration-device identification information storage unit when a collation result by the device identification information collating step indicates that the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storage unit.

8. A device identification information managing method for communicably connecting between a network device and a device managing terminal unit that manages the network device, and managing device identification information to identify any network device and an attribute of the network device, the method comprising:

for the network device;

an extension device identification information generating step of generating extension device identification information to identify the network device depending upon dynamic information the dynamic information including a startup lapse time from a startup of the network device to a present time and an output amount corresponding to an amount of output from a predetermined reference time to the present time;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information transmitting step of sending subject-of-registration-device identification information including basic device identification information of a basic device identification information storage unit storing the basic device identification information to identify the network device and extension device identification information generated by the extension device identification information generating step to the device managing terminal unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information notifying step of notifying a user of the subject-of-registration-device identification information by printing the subject-of-registration-device identification information on a rarer sheet; and

for the device managing terminal unit;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information receiving step of receiving the subject-of-registration-device identification information;

a subject-of-registration-device identification information first-registering step of storing the subject-of-registration-device identification information received by the subject-of-registration-device identification information receiving step to a first-registering storing unit;

a collating device identification information receiving step of receiving collating device identification information that is inputted by the user at a PC through a browser, the user having acquired the collating device identification information, prior to inputting, from the paper sheet printed by the subject-of-registration-device identification information notifying step;

a device identification information collating step of collating between the collating device identification information receiving by the collating device identification information receiving step and subject-of-registration-device identification information of the first-registering storing unit to determine whether the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storing unit; and

a subject-of-registration-device identification information second-registering step of registering the subject-of-registration-device identification information to a subject-of-registration-device identification information storage unit when a collation result by the device identification information collating step indicates that the collating device identification information is found in the first-registering storing unit.