Parameter setting system, device and parameter setting program

• US 8,326,952 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Matsuda, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US11/239,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A parameter setting system includes a setting device and setting target devices. The setting device includes a protocol inquiry mechanism that inquires the setting target device about a communication protocol acceptable to the setting target device; and a setting command mechanism that commands the setting target device to set the function parameter necessary to perform a communication function according to a communication protocol notified in response to an inquiry by the protocol inquiry mechanism. The setting target device includes a protocol response mechanism that notifies the protocol inquiry mechanism of information with respect to a protocol acceptable to the setting target device in response to the inquiry received from the protocol inquiry mechanism; and a commanded setting execution mechanism that sets the function parameter commanded to be set by the setting command mechanism.

Claims

1. A setting device comprising:

a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of setting target devices, each of the setting target devices configured to operate in an IPv4 mode and an IPv6 mode, but not both simultaneously;

a storage;

a processor; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the setting device to perform;

a setting parameter storage control step of storing, in the storage, a setting parameter including an IP address parameter indicating an IP address of a particular network device as a communication destination of the plurality of setting target devices; and

a setting parameter transmission control step of controlling the network interface to transmit the IP address parameter stored in the storage to the plurality of setting target devices,

wherein the setting parameter storage control step includes;

a base device recognition step of recognizing a base device from among the plurality of setting target devices;

an IPv4 parameter storage control step; and

an IPv6 parameter storage control step,

wherein the IPv4 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv4 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv4 mode, is received from the base device via the network interface; and

storing, in the storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv4 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv4 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the IPv6 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv6 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv6 mode, is received from the base device via the network interface; and

storing, in the storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv6 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv6 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step includes a selective transmission control step of;

controlling the network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv4 mode, but not the IPv6 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices; and

controlling the network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv6 mode, but not the IPv4 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices.

2. The setting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit; and

an input reception unit,

wherein the base device recognition step includes a base device selection object display control step of displaying, on the display unit, base device selection objects which are objects corresponding respectively to the plurality of setting target devices, based on setting target device identification information for identifying each of the plurality of setting target devices, the setting target device identification information being received by the network interface from each of the plurality of setting target devices,

wherein the base device recognition step includes recognizing, as the base device, one of the plurality of setting target devices selected in response to a user'"'"'s input via the input reception unit after displaying the base device selection objects in the base device selection object display control step,

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step includes a destination device recognition step of recognizing a plurality of destination devices as destinations of setting parameters from among the plurality of setting target devices, the destination device recognition step including;

displaying, on the display unit, destination device selection objects which are objects corresponding respectively to the plurality of setting target devices except the base device, based on the setting target device identification information received by the network interface from the each of the plurality of setting target devices except the base device; and

recognizing, as the destination devices, in a case where the input reception unit receives a user'"'"'s input for a plurality of objects among the destination device selection objects after displaying the destination device selection objects, setting target devices corresponding to the plurality of objects among the destination device selection objects for which the user'"'"'s input has been made, and

wherein the selective transmission control step is executed on the plurality of destination devices recognized in the destination device recognition step.

3. The setting device according to claim 2, wherein the base device recognition step includes:

recognizing, as the base device, in a case where the input reception unit receives a click input for one of the base device selection objects after displaying the base device selection objects, a setting target device corresponding to the base device selection object for which the click input has been made, and

recognizing, as the destination devices, in a case where the input reception unit receives a click input for a plurality of objects among the destination device selection objects after displaying the destination device selection objects, setting target devices corresponding to the plurality of objects among the destination device selection objects for which the click input has been made.

4. The setting device according to claim 2,

wherein the selective transmission control step includes an individual destination selective transmission control step of:

selecting one destination device from the plurality of destination devices recognized in the destination device recognition step;

controlling the network interface, in a case where the selected one destination device is a transmitter of the IPv4 operation mode information received by the network interface, to transmit the IP address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information among the IP address parameters stored in the storage without transmitting the IP address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information among the IP address parameters stored in the storage, to the selected one destination device; and

controlling the network interface, in a case where the selected one destination device is a transmitter of the IPv6 operation mode information received by the network interface, to transmit the IP address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information among the IP address parameters stored in the storage and without transmitting the IP address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information among the IP address parameters stored in the storage, to the selected one destination device, and

wherein the selective transmission control step executes the individual destination selective transmission control step on each of the plurality of destination devices recognized in the destination device recognition step.

5. The setting device according to claim 1,

wherein the IPv4 parameter storage control step includes storing, in the storage, a setting file, including the IP address parameter and the operation mode information corresponding to the IP address parameter, as an IPv4 setting file, and

wherein the IPv6 parameter storage control step includes storing, in the storage, a setting file, including the IP address parameter and the operation mode information corresponding to the IP address parameter, as an IPv6 setting file which is different from the IPv4 setting file,

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step includes:

a setting file selection object display control step of causing the display unit to display setting file selection objects which are objects to select one setting file from a plurality of the setting files stored in the storage; and

a file to use recognition step of recognizing, in a case where the setting file is selected using the setting file selection objects after displaying the setting file selection objects in the setting file selection object display control step, the selected setting file as a file to use, and

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step executes the selective transmission control step, in a case where the plurality of destination devices are recognized in the destination device recognition step and the file to use is recognized in the file to use recognition step, on the plurality of destination devices recognized in the destination device recognition step using the IP address parameter included in the file to use recognized in the file to use recognition step.

6. The setting device according to claim 1,

wherein the base device is a dual mode device configured to communicate according to IPv4 and IPv6, and

wherein the setting parameter storage control step includes an IP address determination step of determining whether the IP address parameter is in an IP address format according to IPv4 or in an IP address format according to IPv6.

7. The setting device according to claim 1,

wherein one or more of the plurality of setting target devices are dual mode setting target devices configured to communicate according to IPv4 and IPv6, and

wherein the selective transmission control step controls the network interface to transmit an IPv4 address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information in the setting parameter storage control step and transmit an IPv6 address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information in the setting parameter storage control step, to the one or more of the plurality setting target devices which are dual mode setting target devices.

8. The setting device according to claim 1,

wherein the setting parameter storage control step causes the storage to store, in association with the IP address parameter, a non-address parameter which is a parameter received with the IP address parameter by the network interface and is different from the IP address of the device,

wherein the selective transmission control step, based on the operation mode information which is received by the network interface from each of the plurality of setting target devices except the base device and which indicates whether the each of the plurality of setting target devices operates in the IPv4 mode or in the IPv6 mode,

controls the network interface to transmit 1) the IP address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, 2) an IPv4 non-address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IP address parameter, and 3) an IPv6 non-address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, without transmitting the IPv6 address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv4 mode, but not the IPv6 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices, and

controls the network interface to transmit 1) the IP address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, 2) an IPv6 non-address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IP address parameter, and 3) an IPv4 non-address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, without transmitting the IPv4 address parameter stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv6 mode, but not the IPv4 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices.

9. A setting target device, comprising:

a network interface;

a storage; and

a processor,

memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the setting target device to perform;

an IP mode control step of

     1) controlling the network interface, in a case where the storage stores an IPv4 mode setting information and an IPv4 address parameter indicating an IP address in IPv4 format of a particular network device, to communicate according to IPv4 with the particular network device, and

     2) controlling the network interface, in a case where the storage stores an IPv6 mode setting information and an IPv6 address parameter indicating an IP address in IPv6 format of the particular network device, to communicate according to IPv6 with the particular network device;

an operation mode information transmission control step of

     1) controlling the network interface, in a case where the IPv4 mode setting information is stored in the storage, to transmit the IPv4 operation mode information to a setting device, and

     2) controlling the network interface, in a case where the IPv6 mode setting information is stored in the storage, to transmit the IPv6 operation mode information to the setting device; and

an IP address parameter storage control step of

     1) storing, in the storage, in a case where the storage stores the IPv4 mode setting information and the network interface receives the IP address parameter transmitted from the setting device after transmitting the IPv4 operation mode information to the setting device, the IP address parameter received by the network interface as the IPv4 address parameter, and

     2) storing, in the storage, in a case where the storage stores the IPv6 mode setting information and the network interface receives the IP address parameter transmitted from the setting device after transmitting the IPv6 operation mode information to the setting device, the IP address parameter received by the network interface as the IPv6 address parameter.

10. A parameter setting system, comprising:

a setting device including a first network interface, a first storage, a first processor, and a first memory; and

a plurality of setting target devices, each of the setting target devices including a second network interface, a second storage, a second processor, and a second memory,

wherein each second memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the corresponding second processor, cause each of the setting target devices to execute an IP mode control step of

     1) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the second storage stores an IPv4 mode setting information and an IPv4 address parameter indicating an IP address in IPv4 format of a particular network device, to communicate according to IPv4 with the particular network device, and

     2) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the second storage stores an IPv6 mode setting information and an IPv6 address parameter indicating an IP address in IPv6 format of the particular network device, to communicate according to IPv6 with the particular network device, and

wherein the first memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the setting device to execute;

a setting parameter storage control step of storing, in the first storage, a setting parameter including an IP address parameter indicating an IP address of the particular network device; and

a setting parameter transmission control step of controlling the first network interface to transmit the IP address parameter stored in the first storage to the plurality of setting target devices,

wherein the setting parameter storage control step includes;

a base device recognition step of recognizing a base device from among the plurality of setting target devices;

an IPv4 parameter storage control step; and

an IPv6 parameter storage control step,

wherein the IPv4 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv4 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv4 mode, is received from the base device via the first network interface; and

storing, in the first storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv4 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv4 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the IPv6 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv6 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv6 mode, is received from the base device via the first network interface; and

storing, in the first storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv6 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv6 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step includes a selective transmission control step of;

controlling the first network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the first storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv4 mode, but not the IPv6 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices; and

controlling the first network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the first storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv6 mode, but not the IPv4 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices,

wherein each second memory stores additional computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the corresponding second processor, cause each of the setting target devices to execute;

an operation mode information transmission control step of

     1) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the IPv4 mode setting information is stored in the second storage, to transmit the IPv4 operation mode information to the setting device, and

     2) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the IPv6 mode setting information is stored in the second storage, to transmit the IPv6 operation mode information to the setting device; and

an IP address parameter storage control step of

     1) storing, in the second storage, in a case where the second storage stores the IPv4 mode setting information and the second network interface receives the IP address parameter transmitted from the setting device after transmitting the IPv4 operation mode information to the setting device, the IP address parameter received by the second network interface as the IPv4 address parameter, and

     2) storing, in the second storage, in a case where the second storage stores the IPv6 mode setting information and the second network interface receives the IP address parameter transmitted from the setting device after transmitting the IPv6 operation mode information to the setting device, the IP address parameter received by the second network interface as the IPv6 address parameter.

11. A parameter setting method for use in a parameter setting system comprising a setting device including a first network interface and a first storage and a plurality of setting target devices, each of the plurality of setting target devices including a second network interface and a second storage, the parameter setting method comprising:

an IP mode control step of

     1) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the second storage stores an IPv4 mode setting information and an IPv4 address parameter indicating an IP address in IPv4 format of a particular network device, to communicate according to IPv4 with the particular network device, and

     2) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the second storage stores an IPv6 mode setting information and an IPv6 address parameter indicating an IP address in IPv6 format of the particular network device, to communicate according to IPv6 with the particular network device;

a setting parameter storage control step of storing, in the first storage, a setting parameter including an IP address parameter indicating an IP address of the particular network device; and

a setting parameter transmission control step of controlling the first network interface so as to transmit the IP address parameter stored in the first storage in the setting parameter storage control step to the plurality of setting target devices,

wherein the setting parameter storage control step includes;

a base device recognition step of recognizing a base device from among the plurality of setting target devices;

an IPv4 parameter storage control step; and

an IPv6 parameter storage control step,

wherein the IPv4 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv4 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv4 mode, is received from the base device via the first network interface; and

storing, in the first storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv4 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv4 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the IPv6 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv6 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv6 mode, is received from the base device via the first network interface; and

storing, in the first storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv6 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv6 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step includes a selective transmission control step of;

controlling the first network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the first storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv4 mode, but not the IPv6 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices; and

controlling the first network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the first storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv6 mode, but not the IPv4 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices,

the parameter setting method further comprising;

an operation mode information transmission control step of

     1) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the IPv4 mode setting information is stored in the second storage, to transmit the IPv4 operation mode information to the setting device, and

     2) controlling the second network interface, in a case where the IPv6 mode setting information is stored in the second storage, to transmit the IPv6 operation mode information to the setting device; and

an IP address parameter storage control step of

     1) storing, in the second storage, in a case wherein the second storage stores the IPv4 mode setting information and the second network interface receives the IP address parameter transmitted from the setting device after transmitting the IPv4 operation mode information to the setting device, the IP address parameter received by the second network interface as the IPv4 address parameter, and

     2) storing, in the second storage, in a case wherein the second storage stores the IPv6 mode setting information and the second network interface receives the IP address parameter transmitted from the setting device after transmitting the IPv6 operation mode information to the setting device, the IP address parameter received by the second network interface as the IPv6 address parameter.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a setting device to perform:

a setting parameter storage control step of storing, in a storage, a setting parameter including an IP address parameter indicating an IP address of a particular network device as a communication destination of a plurality of setting target devices; and

a setting parameter transmission control step of controlling a network interface of the setting device to transmit the IP address parameter stored in the storage to the plurality of setting target devices,

wherein the setting parameter storage control step includes;

a base device recognition step of recognizing a base device from among the plurality of setting target devices;

an IPv4 parameter storage control step; and

an IPv6 parameter storage control step,

wherein the IPv4 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv4 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv4 mode, is received from the base device via the network interface; and

storing, in the storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv4 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv4 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the IPv6 parameter storage control step includes;

determining whether an IPv6 operation mode information, which indicates that the base device operates in an IPv6 mode, is received from the base device via the network interface; and

storing, in the storage, the IP address parameter received from the base device in association with the IPv6 operation mode information when it is determined that the IPv6 operation mode information is received from the base device, and

wherein the setting parameter transmission control step includes a selective transmission control step of;

controlling the network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the storage in association with the IPv4 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv4 mode, but not the IPv6 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices; and

controlling the network interface to selectively transmit the IP address parameter, stored in the storage in association with the IPv6 operation mode information, to the setting target devices that operate in the IPv6 mode, but not the IPv4 mode, from among the plurality of setting target devices.