Information transmission system

• US 8,161,124 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2008
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yoshida, Shigetaka, Kojima, Atsushi, Matsumoto, Hideto, Ohara, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US12/155,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/226, 709/228, 709/220, 358/1.15, 714/47, 713/176
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1259 Print job monitoring, e.g. job status
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

In a printer connected to a network, email appended with link information is prepared for enabling an administrator to access information about the printer network terminal. The email is transmitted to the administrator terminal at a predetermined timing. Then, the administrator terminal accesses the information based on the link information appended to the email. As such, when a problem occurs in the printer, operations for resolving the problem can be quickly undertaken by the administrator.

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

a print unit that is configured to perform a printing operation;

a detection unit that is configured to detect a problem occurring in the print unit during the printing operation;

a generation unit that is configured to generate a control page including information related to the problem;

a storage unit that is configured to store data of the control page;

an email preparation unit that is configured to prepare email including link information when the detection unit detects the problem, the email preparation unit being configured to append the link information to a body of the email, the link information enabling access to the control page including information related to the problem and how to solve the problem;

a transmission unit that is configured to transmit the email prepared by the email preparation unit to a user terminal having a predetermined address;

a reception unit that is configured to receive a request from the user terminal, the request being transmitted from the user terminal as a response to the email which has transmitted from the transmission unit, and the request requesting transmission of data of the control page to the user terminal; and

a provision unit that is configured to transmit the data of the control page to the user terminal when the reception unit receives the request.

2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising an address storage unit that is configured to store an email address, wherein

the transmission unit is configured to transmit the link information to a user terminal having the email address stored in the address storage unit.

3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the address storage unit is configured to store a plurality of email addresses, and the transmission unit is configured to transmit the link information to each of the plurality of email addresses.

4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the email preparation unit is configured to append the information about the problem and the link information to the body of the email.

5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the email preparation unit is configured to append an ID identifying the printer, and the link information to the body of the email.

6. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising:

an address storage unit that is configured to store an email address; and

a determination unit that is configured to determine whether a domain name of the predetermined address matches a domain name of the email address stored in the address storage unit, wherein the transmission unit transmits the email when the determination unit determines that the domain name of the predetermined address matches the domain name of the email address stored in the address storage unit.

7. A printer comprising:

a print unit that is configured to perform a printing operation;

a detection unit that is configured to detect a problem occurring in the print unit;

a generation unit that is configured to generate a control page including information related to the problem;

a storage unit that is configured to store data of the control page;

an email preparation unit that is configured to prepare email including link information when the detection unit detects the problem, the email preparation unit is configured to append the link information to a body of the email, the link information enabling access to the control page including information related to the problem and how to solve the problem;

a transmission unit that is configured to transmit the email prepared by the email preparation unit to a user terminal having a predetermined address;

a reception unit that is configured to receive a request from the user terminal, the request being transmitted from the user terminal as a response to the email which has transmitted from the transmission unit, and the request requesting transmission of data of the control page to the user terminal; and

a provision unit that is configured to transmit the data of the control page to the user terminal when the reception unit receives the request.

8. The printer according to claim 7, further comprising an address storage unit that is configured to store an email address, wherein

the transmission unit is configured to transmit the link information to a user terminal having the email address stored in the address storage unit.

9. The printer according to claim 8, wherein the address storage unit is configured to store a plurality of email addresses, and the transmission unit is configured to transmit the link information to each of the plurality of email addresses.

10. The printer according to claim 7, wherein the email preparation unit is configured to append the information about the problem and the link information to the body of the email.

11. The printer according to claim 7, wherein the email preparation unit is configured to append an ID identifying the printer, and the link information to the body of the email.

12. The printer according to claim 7, further comprising:

an address storage unit that is configured to store an email address; and

a determination unit that is configured to determine whether a domain name of the predetermined address matches a domain name of the email address stored in the address storage unit, wherein the transmission unit transmits the email when the determination unit determines that the domain name of the predetermined address matches the domain name of the email address stored in the address storage unit.