Device managing apparatus, device managing method, and computer-readable recording medium for the device managing method

• US 8,943,192 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagamori, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRABIK, SARAH E
• Application Number:
  US12/549,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 710 15- 19, 710/46, 710/109, 713/300, 713/320, 713/324
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0273 using web services for network management, e.g. simple object access protocol [SOAP]

Abstract

A device managing apparatus for monitoring and managing a device connected to a data transmission path includes an obtaining part configured to obtain power consumption status data from the device, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of a communication unit included in the device, a selecting part configured to select a communication method according to the power consumption status data obtained from the obtaining part, and a communicating part configured to perform data communications with the device by using the communication method selected by the selecting part.

Claims

1. A device managing apparatus including a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a memory for managing a device connected to a network, the device managing apparatus comprising:

an obtaining part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, configured to obtain power consumption status data from the device via the network, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of the device;

a selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, configured to select a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols according to the power consumption status data obtained from the obtaining part; and

a communicating part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, configured to communicate with the device via the network by using the communication protocol selected by the selecting part; and

a determining part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, including determination data indicating whether one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable with respect to each of the plurality of communication protocols and configured to determine whether the one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable from the device according to the determination data;

wherein the one or more data items regarding the device include data pertaining to an image processing of a monochrome or color image.

2. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is Conf1igured to select a first communication protocol or a second communication protocol from the plurality of communication protocols,

wherein the first communication protocol can be used by the device even in a case where the device is in a low power consumption status.

3. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is configured to determine whether the device is in the low power consumption status.

4. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is configured to select Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) as the first communication protocol when the selecting part determines that the device is in the low power consumption status.

5. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is configured to select Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) as the second communication protocol when the selecting part determines that the device is in the low power consumption status.

6. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is configured to switch the communication protocol used by the communicating part according to the power consumption status data obtained from the obtaining part,

wherein in a case where the communicating part is communicating with the device by using the second communication protocol, the selecting part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is configured to switch the communication protocol used by the communicating part from the second communication protocol to the first communication protocol when the selecting part determines that the device is in the low power consumption status.

7. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the obtaining part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, is configured to obtain the power consumption status data from the device via the network by using the communication protocol selected by the selecting part.

8. The device managing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a device data obtaining part, responsive to the CPU and the memory, configured to obtain device data from the device according to the one or more data items determined to be obtainable by the determining part.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a program is recorded for causing a device managing apparatus to execute a method used for a device managing system including the device managing apparatus for managing a device connected to a network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining power consumption status data from the device via the network, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of the device;

b) selecting a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols according to the power consumption status data obtained in the step a); and

c) communicating with the device via the network by using the communication protocol selected in the step b);

d) storing determination data indicating whether one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable with respect to each of the plurality of communication protocols; and

e) determining whether the one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable from the device according to the determination data;

wherein the one or more data items regarding the device include data pertaining to an image processing of a monochrome or color image.

10. A device managing method used for a device managing apparatus that manages a device connected to a network, the device managing method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining power consumption status data from the device via the network, the power consumption status data indicating a power consumption status of the device;

b) selecting a communication protocol from a plurality of communication protocols according to the power consumption status data obtained in the step a);

c) communicating with the device via the network by using the communication protocol selected in the step b);

d) storing determination data indicating whether one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable with respect to each of the plurality of communication protocols; and

e) determining whether the one or more data items regarding the device are obtainable from the device according to the determination data;

wherein the one or more data items regarding the device include data pertaining to an image processing of a monochrome or color image.