Remote monitoring system, remote monitoring method for electronic apparatus, low order monitoring apparatus, notification method of apparatus monitoring information, high order monitoring apparatus, communication method of maintenance data, program and recording medium

• US 7,801,981 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Setogawa, Toshiaki, Sato, Yozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Khanh Q
• Application Number:
  US10/983,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221, 709/224, 709/228, 709/251, 709/223, 709/203, 455/115.1, 700/55
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2825 Reporting to a device located outside the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with telemetering systems H04M11/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

A technique is disclosed which makes it possible to remotely monitor electronic apparatus which do not exist on a wide area network. Electronic apparatus which are used in a non-connected state to a wide area network are remotely monitored using a plurality of low order monitoring apparatus and a high order monitoring apparatus. Each of the low order monitoring apparatus issues, when a particular one of the electronic apparatus which makes an object of monitoring is connected thereto or a recording medium removed from the particular electronic apparatus is connected thereto, a notification of apparatus management information acquired from the particular electronic apparatus to the high order monitoring apparatus. The high order monitoring apparatus unitarily monitors the apparatus management information acquired through the low order monitoring apparatus.

Claims

1. A remote monitoring system, comprising:

an electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus having a removable storage medium, a self-diagnosis unit configured to test hardware elements of the electronic apparatus, and a local network interface, the removable storage medium including apparatus management information including an operation log and dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus;

a low order monitoring apparatus including an information variation detection section and having the local network interface, configured to connect to a wide area network, and to connect to the electronic apparatus by the local network interface, to receive and store apparatus management information including the operation log and the dynamic setting information from the electronic apparatus; and

a high order monitoring apparatus configured to receive and monitor the operation log and the dynamic setting information of the apparatus management information acquired from said low order monitoring apparatus by the wide area network,

wherein the low order monitoring apparatus is configured to acquire the apparatus management information of the electronic apparatus upon connection of the low order monitoring apparatus with the electronic apparatus by the local network interface, is configured to store the apparatus management information in a buffer, when the low order monitoring apparatus and the high order monitoring apparatus are not connected with each other by the wide area network, and is configured to send a notification including the apparatus management information through said wide area network to the high order monitoring apparatus, when the high order monitoring apparatus and the low order monitoring apparatus are connected with each other by the wide area network,

wherein the electronic apparatus cannot connect to the wide area network,

wherein the low order monitoring apparatus is further configured to send a request for a self-diagnosis to the self-diagnosis unit of the electronic apparatus, and to acquire a result of the self-diagnosis that is included in the apparatus management information, and

wherein the information variation detection section is configured to analyze the results of the self diagnosis of the electronic apparatus included in the apparatus management information, and to verify whether a hardware element of the electronic apparatus has been used longer than a prescribed period of time.

2. The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the low order monitoring apparatuses further comprises:

a coordination table defining a link between a device identification of the electronic apparatus, and a device identification of the low order monitoring apparatus, for identification and location of the electronic apparatus at the high order monitoring apparatus.

3. The remote monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the high order monitoring apparatus is configured to instruct the low order monitoring apparatus to update the coordination table, upon receipt of the notification from the low order monitoring apparatus.

4. The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the high monitoring apparatus periodically sends requests to the low order monitoring apparatus to request all the apparatus management information from a plurality of electronic apparatuses that are managed by the low order monitoring apparatus.

5. A remote monitoring method performed on a system including an electronic apparatus having a removable non-transitory storage medium and a local network interface, the removable storage medium including apparatus management information with an operation log and dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus, a low order monitoring apparatus having the local network interface, connecting to a wide area network and connecting to the electronic apparatus by the local network interface, to receive and store apparatus management information from the electronic apparatus, and a high order monitoring apparatus receiving and monitoring the apparatus management information acquired from said low order monitoring apparatus by the wide area network, the electronic apparatus cannot connect to the wide area network, said method comprising the steps of:

sending the apparatus management information, including the operation log and the dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus, from the electronic apparatus to the low order monitoring apparatus, upon connection of the low order monitoring apparatus with the electronic apparatus by the local network interface;

storing the apparatus management information in a buffer at the low order monitoring apparatus, when the low order monitoring apparatus and the high order monitoring apparatus are not connected with each other by the wide area network;

sending a notification including the apparatus management information from said low order monitoring apparatus to the high order monitoring apparatus through said wide area network, when the high order monitoring apparatus and the low order monitoring apparatus are connected with each other by the wide area network;

sending a request for a self-diagnosis from the low order monitoring apparatus to a self-diagnosis unit of the electronic apparatus;

performing a self-diagnosis by the self-diagnosis unit to test hardware elements of the electronic apparatus;

acquiring a result of the self-diagnosis that is included in the apparatus management information by the low-monitoring apparatus;

analyzing the results of the self diagnosis of the electronic apparatus by an information variation detection section of the low order monitoring apparatus; and

verifying whether a hardware element of the electronic apparatus has been used longer than a prescribed period of time.

6. The remote monitoring method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

managing a coordination table at the low order monitoring apparatus, the coordination table defining a link between a device identification of the electronic apparatus, and a device identification of the low order monitoring apparatus, for identification and location of the electronic apparatus at the high order monitoring apparatus.

7. The remote monitoring method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of:

instructing the low order monitoring apparatus by the high order monitoring apparatus to update the coordination table, upon receipt of the notification from the low order monitoring apparatus.

8. The remote monitoring method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of:

sending periodical requests from the high monitoring apparatus to the low order monitoring apparatus to request all the apparatus management information from a plurality of electronic apparatuses that are managed by the low order monitoring apparatus.

9. A low order monitoring apparatus, configured to connect to an electronic apparatus by a local network interface, and configured to connect to a high order monitoring apparatus by a wide area network, the electronic apparatus including a self-diagnosis unit configured to test hardware elements of the electronic apparatus and a removable non-transitory storage medium having apparatus management information including the operation log and the dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus cannot connect to the wide area network, the low order monitoring apparatus comprising:

a reception unit configured to acquire the apparatus management information including the operation log and the dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus upon connection of the low order monitoring apparatus with the electronic apparatus by the local network interface,

a buffer for storing the apparatus management information, when the low order monitoring apparatus and the high order monitoring apparatus are not connected with each other by the wide area network,

a transmission unit configured to send a notification including the apparatus management information through said wide area network to the high order monitoring apparatus, when the high order monitoring apparatus and the low order monitoring apparatus are connected with each other by the wide area network,

a control unit configured to send a request for a self-diagnosis to the self-diagnosis unit of the electronic apparatus, and to acquire a result of the self-diagnosis that is included in the apparatus management information, and

an information variation detection section configured to analyze the results of the self diagnosis of the electronic apparatus included in the apparatus management information, and to verify whether a hardware element of the electronic apparatus has been used longer than a prescribed period of time.

10. The low order monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a coordination table defining a link between a device identification of the electronic apparatus, and a device identification of the low order monitoring apparatus, for identification and location of the electronic apparatus at the high order monitoring apparatus.

11. The low order monitoring apparatus according to claim 10, the reception unit further configured to receive an instruction from the high order monitoring apparatus to update the coordination table, after the low order monitoring apparatus sends the notification to the high order monitoring apparatus.

12. The low order monitoring apparatus according to claim 9, the reception unit further configured to receive periodical requests from the high order monitoring apparatus to request all the apparatus management information from a plurality of electronic apparatuses that are managed by the low order monitoring apparatus, and

the transmission unit is further configured to send all the apparatus management information to the high order monitoring apparatus, after receiving a periodical request.

13. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium having computer instructions recorded thereon, the computer instructions configured to perform a method on a low order monitoring apparatus when executed by at least one processor on the low order monitoring apparatus, the low order monitoring apparatus configured to connect to an electronic apparatus by a local network interface, and configured to connect to a high order monitoring apparatus by a wide area network, the electronic apparatus including a removable storage medium having apparatus management information including the operation log and the dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus, the electronic apparatus cannot connect to the wide area network, the method performing the steps of:

acquiring the apparatus management information including the operation log and the dynamic setting information of the electronic apparatus upon connection of the low order monitoring apparatus with the electronic apparatus by the local network interface,

storing the apparatus management information in a buffer, when the low order monitoring apparatus and the high order monitoring apparatus are not connected with each other by the wide area network, and

sending a notification including the apparatus management information through said wide area network to the high order monitoring apparatus, when the high order monitoring apparatus and the low order monitoring apparatus are connected with each other by the wide area network,

sending a request for a self-diagnosis to the self-diagnosis unit of the electronic apparatus,

acquiring a result of the self-diagnosis that is included in the apparatus management information,

analyzing the results by an information variation detection section of the self diagnosis of the electronic apparatus included in the apparatus management information, and

verifying whether a hardware element of the electronic apparatus has been used longer than a prescribed period of time.

14. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13, said method further comprising:

linking a device identification of the electronic apparatus, and a device identification of the low order monitoring apparatus, and storing the link in a coordination table at the low order monitoring apparatus, for identification and location of the electronic apparatus at the high order monitoring apparatus.

15. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 14, said method further comprising:

receiving an instruction from the high order monitoring apparatus to update the coordination table, after the low order monitoring apparatus sends the notification to the high order monitoring apparatus.

16. The computer readable non-transitory storage medium according to claim 13 said method further comprising:

receiving periodical requests from the high order monitoring apparatus to request all the apparatus management information from a plurality of electronic apparatuses that are managed by the low order monitoring apparatus, and to thereafter send all the apparatus management information to the high order monitoring apparatus.