Device management apparatus, device management system, information management method, information management program and recording medium storing the program therein

• US 8,949,482 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishihara, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): OBERLY, ERIC T
• Application Number:
  US13/462,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 710/16
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A device management apparatus connected to one or more devices via a data transmission channel includes an input information holding unit for holding an input information group including one or more pieces of input information, each of which is to be connected to device information of a device; a device search unit for detecting the devices by a search; a device information acquiring unit for acquiring the device information from the devices; a cross-checking unit for cross-checking information items of the input information with those of the device information; and a registering and updating unit for performing data registration/update by, when the cross-checking unit determines that there is a common information item between the input information and the device information, connecting a piece of input information to the device information based on item entries of the common information item, and storing the connected information as registry management information.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first connecting unit configured to connect to at least one of a plurality of devices via a network;

a storing unit configured to store information;

a first storing process unit configured to store a input information group in the storing unit, the input information group including each item value of a plurality of input information items corresponding to at least one of the plural devices;

a receiving unit configured to receive a device identification information and a second information, the second information includes at least an item value of a plurality of device information items, at least one device information item of the second information is different than the plural input information items of the input information group;

a first checking unit configured to check the input information group based on the device identification information and determine a portion of the input information group to be registered in association with the second information as a result of the check of the input information group;

a first registering unit configured to register the second information in association with the portion of the input information group when the first checking unit determines the portion of the input information group contains a common information item with the second information, the first registering unit further configured to give notice when the first checking unit determines the portion of the input information group does not contain a common information item with the second information.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second storing process unit configured to store the plural input information items of the input information group and the plural device information items of the second information for registering the item values in correspondence with each of the plural devices.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a second connecting unit configured to an external apparatus via a transmission path, the external apparatus storing a third information including an item value of a plurality of information items;

an obtaining unit configured to obtain the third information from the external apparatus in a case where the first checking unit determines that the device identification information does not include a common information item that is common with one of the plural information items of the input information group;

a second checking unit configured to check the third information obtained by the obtaining unit based on the device identification information;

a third checking unit configured to check between the input information group and the third information checked by the second checking unit; and

a second registering unit configured to register the second information received by the receiving unit in association with the input information group checked by the third checking unit in the storing unit.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the third checking unit is configured to check the input information group and one of the third information that includes an item value checked between the device identification information.

5. A system comprising:

a plurality of devices, each device configured to transmit a device identification information and a second information; and

a device management apparatus including,

a first connecting unit configured to connect to at least one of the plural devices via a network,

a storing unit configured to store information,

a first storing process unit configured to store a input information group in the storing unit, the input information group including each item value of a plurality of input information items corresponding to the plural devices,

a receiving unit configured to receive the device identification information and the second information, the second information includes at least an item value of a plurality of device information items, at least one device information item of the second information is different than the plural input information items of the input information group;

a first checking unit configured to check the input information group based on the device identification information and determine a portion of the input information group to be registered in association with the second information as a result of the check of the input information group;

a first registering unit configured to register the second information in association with the portion of the input information group when the first checking unit determines the portion of the input information group contains a common information item with the second information, the first registering unit further configured to give notice when the first checking unit determines the portion of the input information group does not contain a common information item with the second information.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the device management apparatus further includes:

a second storing process unit configured to store the plural input information items of the input information group and the plural device information items of the second information for registering the item values in correspondence with each of the plural devices.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the device management apparatus further includes

a second connecting unit configured to connect to an external apparatus via a transmission path, the external apparatus storing a third information including an item value of a plurality of information items,

an obtaining unit configured to obtain the third information from the external apparatus in a case where the first checking unit determines that the device identification information does not include a common information item that is common with one of the plural information items of the input information group,

a second checking unit configured to check the third information obtained by the obtaining unit based on the device identification information,

a third checking unit configured to check between the input information group and the third information checked by the second checking unit, and

a second registering unit configured to register the second information received by the receiving unit in association with the input information group checked by the third checking unit in the storing unit.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the third checking unit is configured to check the input information group and one of the third information that includes an item value checked between the device identification information.

9. A method for managing a plurality of devices, the method comprising the steps of:

connecting to at least one of the plural devices via a network;

storing a input information group in a storing unit, the input information group including each item value of a plurality of input information items corresponding to the plural devices;

receiving a device identification information and a second information from the plural devices, the second information includes at least an item value of a plurality of device information items, at least one device information item of the second information is different than the plural input information items of the input information group;

checking the input information group based on the device identification information and determine a portion of the input information group to be registered in association with the second information as a result of the check of the input information group; and

registering the second information in association with the determined portion of the input information group when the first checking unit determines the portion of the input information group contains a common information item with the second information, the registering including giving notice when the first checking unit determines the portion of the input information group does not contain a common information item with the second information.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further including a step of:

storing the plural input information items of the input information group and the plural device information items of the second information for registering the item values in correspondence with each of the plural devices.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further including the steps of:

connecting to an external apparatus via a transmission path, the external apparatus storing a third information including an item value of a plurality of information items,

obtaining the third information from the external apparatus in a case where the device identification information is determined to not include a common information item that is common with one of the plural information items of the input information group,

checking the third information obtained in the obtaining step based on the device identification information,

checking between the input information group and the third information, and

registering the second information received in the receiving step in association with the checked input information group in the storing unit.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further including a step of checking the input information group and one of the third information that includes an item value checked between the device identification information.