Information communication device, information communication method, remote management system, and recording medium storing computer program for information communication

• US 7,774,454 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Kimihito, Tanaka, Tomoki, Nakamura, Masakatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swearingen; Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US09/804,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20010028473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,437 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-253, 709/246, 714/57
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3068 where the reporting involves data format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32614 related to a single-mode communication, e.g. at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32635 of reproducing apparatus or receiver, e.g. out of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32662 remotely, e.g. to the transmitter from the receiver

Abstract

A digital complex machine in accordance with the present invention is set so as to notify a manager of device information thereof by E-mail. It is also particularly set so as to convert device information into attached data and to transmit a device information mail containing the attached data to a server of the manager. In other words, since transmitting device information in the attached data format that is less possibly perceived by the third party, the digital complex machine is capable of suppressing leakage of device information.

Claims

1. An information communication device notifying a managing device of device information collected regarding a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device comprising:

an information selecting section for selecting local to the target device which of the collected device information is to be converted into mail data and which of the collected device information is to be converted into attached data; and

a transmission processing section that converts the collected device information into all of (i) a header indicative of a destination and a title, (ii) attached data that is confidential information indicative of a state of the target device and (iii) mail data that is non-confidential information indicative of a state of the target device in an electric mail format, in accordance with the selection performed by the information selecting section, and, upon arrangement of the device information into the header, attached data and mail data, transmits a single electric mail containing all of the header, the attached data and the mail data to said managing device in a state in which attached confidential information cannot be accessed without a dedicated program used by said managing device easily;

on-going selection of information being performed by the information selecting portion provided in the device and the selected information being sent.

2. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to convert use information indicating the state of use of said management target device into attached data.

3. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to transmit device information regarding a plurality of management target devices located in a predetermined area by a same electric mail.

4. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmission processing section is set so as to send the electric mail transmitted to the manager, also to another destination according to a request by a user.

5. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transmission processing section includes an encoding section for encoding attached data, and is set so as to have the encoded attached data in an electric mail.

6. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said attached data is produced by a dedicated program, whereby said attached data is readable only by said dedicated program.

7. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mail data being compressed at a first rate, and attached data is compressed at a second compression rate greater than said first compression rate.

8. The information communication device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the information selecting section selects, from out of the collected device information, device information that is of a confidential nature to be converted into attached data.

9. The information communicating device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said information election section selecting is at the target device.

10. A remote management system comprising:

an information communication device notifying a managing device of device information collected regarding a management target device by electric mail, said information communication device including an information selecting section for selecting local to the target device which of the collected device information is to be converted into mail data and which of the collected device information is to be converted into attached data; and

a transmission processing section that converts the device information into all of (i) a header indicative of a destination and a title, (ii) attached data that is confidential information indicative of a state of the target device and (iii) mail data that is non-confidential information indicative of a state of the target device in an electric mail format, in accordance with the selection performed by the information selecting section, and, upon arrangement of the device information into the header, attached data and man data, transmits a single electric mail containing hall of the header, the attached data and the mail data to said managing device in a state in which attached confidential information cannot be accessed without a dedicated program used by said managing device;

on-going selection of information being performed by the information selecting portion provided in the device and the selected information being sent;

a management target device that causes said information communication device to transmit an electric mail containing device information; and

a managing device that performs remote management of said management target device, based on the device information contained in the electric mail transmitted from said information communication device.

11. The remote management system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said information selection section selecting is at the target device.

12. An information communication method for notifying a managing device of device information collected regarding a management target device by electric mail, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting local to the target device which of the collected device information is to be converted into mail data and which of the collected data is to be converted into attached data;

converting the collected device information into all of (i) a header indicative of a destination and a title, (ii) attached data that is confidential information indicative of a state of the tarqet device and (iii) mail data that is non-confidential information indicative of a state of the target device in an electric mail format, in accordance with said selecting; and

upon arrangement of the device information into the header, attached data and mail data, transmitting a single electric mail containing all of the header, the attached data and the mail data to said managing device in a state in which attached confidential information cannot be accessed without a dedicated program used by said managing device;

on-going selection of information being performed by the information selecting portion provided in the device and the selected information being sent.

13. The information communication method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said selecting is at the target device.

14. A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer program for information communication for notifying a managing device of device information collected regarding a management target device by electric mail, wherein:

said information communication includes the steps of selecting local to the target device which of the collected device information is to be converted into mail data and which of the collected information is to be converted into attached data, and converting the collected device information into all of (i) a header indicative of a destination and a title, (ii) attached data that is confidential information indicative of a state of the target device and (iii) mail data that is non-confidential information indicative of a state of the target device in an electric mail format, in accordance with said selecting and, upon arrangement of the device information into the header, attached data and mail data, transmitting a single electric mail containing all of the header, the attached data and the mail data to the managing device in a state in which attached confidential information cannot be accessed without a dedicated program used by said managing device;

on-going selection of information being performed by the information selecting portion provided in the device and the selected information being sent.

15. The recording medium storing a computer program as set forth in claim 14, wherein said selecting step is at the target device.