Management system, management method and management program

• US 8,099,507 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kazuyoshi, Yasunaga, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US12/177,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/227, 709/228, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B

Abstract

A management system including a management apparatus and a managed apparatus connected with each other by a communications network, the system having a registration controller, wherein in an initial registration phase where the managed apparatus sends a registration request notice to the management apparatus, and the management apparatus returns a registration permission notice to the managed apparatus; in cases where a first communications method is utilized that enables immediate mutual communication, the registration controller determines that a final registration has completed when the managed apparatus has received the registration permission notice; and in cases where a second communications method via a server is utilized, the registration controller determines that a temporary registration has completed when connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established, and when the managed apparatus has acquired the registration permission notice, the registration controller determines that the final registration has completed.

Claims

1. A management system comprising a management apparatus and a managed apparatus which being managed by the management apparatus, connected with each other by a communications network, wherein in an initial registration phase where the managed apparatus sends a registration request notice to the management apparatus, and the management apparatus returns a registration permission notice to the managed apparatus in response to the registration request notice;

the management system comprising a registration controller which is configured;

to determine, in cases where one of first communications methods including a method via a telephone line is utilized that enables immediate mutual communication between the management apparatus and the managed apparatus, that a final registration has completed at a phase when the managed apparatus has received the registration permission notice from the management apparatus, and to enable the managed apparatus to use all functions, which include a function requiring a registration from a viewpoint of security, of the managed apparatus; and

in cases where one of second communications methods via a server including a mail server or a HTTP server is utilized between the management apparatus and managed apparatus, to determine that a temporary registration has completed at a phase when connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established, and to enable the managed apparatus to use only preset functions, which do not require any registration from the viewpoint of security and include a copying function of an original document set on the managed apparatus, among the all functions of the managed apparatus, and at a phase when the managed apparatus has acquired the registration permission notice from the management apparatus after the temporary registration having completed, to determine that the final registration has completed, and to enable the managed apparatus to use the all functions of the managed apparatus.

2. The management system of claim 1, further comprising a display section which discriminatively displays the completion of the temporary registration and the completion of the final registration.

3. The management system of claim 1, wherein in said one of the first communications methods the management apparatus and the managed apparatus are connected via a telephone line, and in said one of the second communications methods the management apparatus and the managed apparatus are connected via a mail server or an HTTP server.

4. The management system of claim 3, wherein the phase when the connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established is one of a phase when the managed apparatus has sent a mail of the registration request notice to the mail server, and a phase when the managed apparatus has created a directory to store the registration request notice into the HTTP server.

5. The management system of claim 1, wherein the registration controller is configured to make selection as to whether or not to make the decision of completion of the temporary registration in the case of the second communications method.

6. A management method for a management system comprising a management apparatus and a managed apparatus which being managed by the management apparatus, connected with each other by a communications network, wherein in an initial registration phase where the managed apparatus sends a registration request notice to the management apparatus and the management apparatus returns a registration permission notice to the managed apparatus in response to the registration request notice, the management method comprising:

determining that a final registration has completed at a phase when the managed apparatus has received the registration permission notice from the management apparatus in cases where one of first communications methods including a method via a telephone line is utilized that permits immediate mutual communication between the management apparatus and the managed apparatus, and enabling the managed apparatus to use all functions, which include a function requiring a registration from a viewpoint of security, of the managed apparatus;

in cases where one of second communications methods via a server including a mail server or a HTTP server is utilized between the management apparatus and managed apparatus determining that a temporary registration has completed at a phase when connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established, and enabling the managed apparatus to use only preset functions, which do not require any registration from the viewpoint of security and include a copying function of an original document set on the managed apparatus, among the all functions of the managed apparatus, and

determining that the final registration has completed at a phase when the managed apparatus has acquired the registration permission notice from the management apparatus after the temporary registration having completed, and enabling the managed apparatus to use the all function of the managed apparatus when the final registration is completed.

7. The management method of claim 6, further comprising a step of discriminatively displaying the completion of the temporary registration and the completion of the final registration.

8. The management method of claim 6, wherein in said one of the first communications methods the management apparatus and the managed apparatus are connected via a telephone line, and in said one of the second communications methods the management apparatus and the managed apparatus are connected via a mail server or an HTTP server.

9. The management method of claim 8, wherein the phase when the connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established is one of a phase when the managed apparatus has sent a mail of the registration request notice to the mail server, and a phase when the managed apparatus has created a directory to store the registration request notice into the HTTP server.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stored therein a management program which is executable by a processor of a managed apparatus connected with a management apparatus via communications network, the management program, which when executed by the processor in an initial registration phase where the managed apparatus sends a registration request notice to the management apparatus, and the management apparatus returns a registration permission notice to the managed apparatus in response to the registration request notice, performing:

determining that a final registration has completed at a phase when the managed apparatus has received the registration permission notice form the management apparatus in cases where one of a first communications methods including a method via a telephone line is utilized that permits immediate mutual communication between the management apparatus and the managed apparatus, and enabling the managed apparatus to use all functions, which include a function requiring a registration from a viewpoint of security, of the managed apparatus; and

in cases where one of second communications methods via a server including a mail server or a HTTP server is utilized between the management apparatus and managed apparatus, determining that a temporary registration has completed at a phase when connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established, and enabling the managed apparatus to use only preset functions, which do not require any registration from the viewpoint of security and include a copying function of an original document set on the managed apparatus, among the all functions of the managed apparatus, and

determining that the final registration has completed at a phase when the managed apparatus has acquired the registration permission notice from the management apparatus after the temporary registration having completed, and enabling the managed apparatus to use the all functions of the managed apparatus when the final registration is completed.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein in said one of the first communications methods the management apparatus and the managed apparatus are connected via a telephone line, and in said one of the second communications methods the management apparatus and the managed apparatus are connected via a mail server or an HTTP server.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the phase when the connection between the managed apparatus and the server has been established is one of a phase when the managed apparatus has sent a mail of the registration request notice to the mail server, and a phase when the managed apparatus has created a directory to store the registration request notice into the HTTP server.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the registration controller is configured to make selection as to whether or not to make the decision of completion of the temporary registration in the case of the second communications method.