Data transfer process apparatus, device, status notifying method, storage medium storing program for status notification, and program for status notification

• US 20020116480A1
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Muto, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,428,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

Transmission data is generated depending on the status change of a device according to a message indicating the status information about the device and the destination information about the message and is transmitted by electronic mail, and the user who manages the device can be notified of the status of the device at an appropriate timing by a data transfer process apparatus, a device, a network system, a data transfer method, and a storage medium.

Claims

1. A data transfer process apparatus which controls a data transfer in a device, comprising:

status obtaining means for obtaining status information about a status of said device;

message obtaining means for obtaining a message according to the status information obtained by said status obtaining means;

transmission data generation means for generating transmission data according to the message and destination information indicating a message destination;

electronic mail transmission means for transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated by said transmission data generation means;

data generation means for generating data that indicates a setting screen displayed on an external apparatus, for setting said destination information; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data generated by said data generation means to the external apparatus.

2. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

destination information storage means for storing information indicating a destination of electronic mail and information to be added to the electronic mail as said destination information.

3. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic mail transmission means transmits the electronic mail to a client apparatus through a mail server apparatus connected to a communications medium.

4. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said data transfer process apparatus is a network board connected to a printer; and

said message obtaining means obtains the message from the printer.

5. A data transfer process apparatus which controls a data transfer in a device, comprising:

information holding means for holding setting information set for transmission of an electronic mail containing a message in a natural language depending on status information about the device;

data generation means for generating data indicating a setting screen of said setting information displayed on an external apparatus; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data generated by said data generation means to the external apparatus.

6. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

setting information obtaining means for obtaining setting information transmitted from said external apparatus; and

setting information holding means for holding the setting information obtained by said setting information obtaining means.

7. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said setting information includes information indicating a condition of transmitting said electronic mail.

8. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said setting information includes information indicating a reply destination of said electronic mail.

9. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said setting screen sets a pair of a reply address of said electronic mail and a condition of transmitting said electronic mail.

10. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said message relates to a supplement of expendables used in the device, an exchange of expendables used in the device, or a process status of the device.

11. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said data transfer process apparatus is a network board connected to a printer.

13. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

data generation means for generating data that indicates a setting screen displayed on an external apparatus, for setting the destination information and the reply destination information; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data generated by said data generation means to the external apparatus.

14. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said storage means stores a reply address of electronic mail.

15. The data transfer process apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said data transfer process apparatus is a network board connected to a printer.

17. The device according to claim 16, further comprising

destination information storage means for storing information indicating a destination of electronic mail and information to be added to the electronic mail as the destination information.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein

said electronic mail transmission means transmits the electronic mail to a client apparatus through a mail server apparatus connected to said communications medium.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein

said device is a printer.

12. A data transfer process apparatus which controls a data transfer in a device, comprising:

status obtaining means for obtaining status information about a status of said device;

message obtaining means for obtaining a message according to the status information obtained by said status obtaining means;

storage means for storing destination information indicating a destination of an electronic mail;

transmission data generation means for generating transmission data according to the message and the destination information, and adding reply destination information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail to the generated transmission data; and

electronic mail transmission means for transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated by said transmission data generation means.

16. A device capable of communicating with an external apparatus, comprising:

status obtaining means for obtaining status information about a status of said device;

message obtaining means for obtaining a message according to the status information obtained by said status obtaining means;

transmission data generation means for generating transmission data according to destination information indicating a message and a message destination;

electronic mail transmission means for transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated by said transmission data generation means;

data generation means for generating data which is displayed on the external apparatus and indicates a setting screen for setting the destination information; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data generated by said data generation means to the external apparatus.

20. A data transfer process apparatus in a device, which controls a data transfer in the device, comprising:

information holding means for holding setting information set for transmission of an electronic mail containing a message in a natural language depending on status information about the device;

data generation means for generating data indicating a setting screen of the setting information displayed on an external apparatus; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data generated by said data generation means to the external apparatus.

21. The device according to claim 20, further comprising:

setting information obtaining means for obtaining setting information transmitted from the external apparatus; and

setting information holding means for holding the setting information obtained by said setting information obtaining means.

22. The device according to claim 20, wherein

said setting information includes information indicating a condition of transmitting the electronic mail.

23. The device according to claim 20, wherein

said setting information includes information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail.

24. The device according to claim 20, wherein

said setting screen sets a pair of a reply address of the electronic mail and a condition of transmitting the electronic mail.

25. The device according to claim 20, wherein

said message relates to a supplement of expendables used in said device, an exchange of expendables used in said device, or a process status of said device.

26. The device according to claim 20, wherein

said device is a printer.

28. The device according to claim 27, further comprising:

data generation means for generating data that indicates a setting screen displayed on the external apparatus, for setting the destination information and the reply destination information; and

data transmission means for transmitting the data generated by said data generation means to the external apparatus.

29. The device according to claim 27, wherein

said storage means stores a reply address of electronic mail.

30. The device according to claim 27, wherein

said device is a printer.

27. A device capable of communicating with an external apparatus, comprising:

status obtaining means for obtaining status information about a status of said device;

message obtaining means for obtaining a message according to the status information obtained by said status obtaining means;

storage means for storing destination information indicating a destination of an electronic mail;

transmission data generation means for generating transmission data according to the message and the destination information, and adding reply destination information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail to the generated transmission data; and

electronic mail transmission means for transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated by said transmission data generation means.

31. A status notifying method for notification of status information about a device by electronic mail, comprising:

an information holding steps of holding setting information set for transmission of an electronic mail containing a message in a natural language depending on status information about the device;

a data generating step of generating data indicating a setting screen of the setting information displayed on an external apparatus; and

a transmitting step of transmitting the data generated by said data generating step to the external apparatus.

32. The status notifying method according to claim 31, further comprising:

a setting information obtaining step of obtaining setting information transmitted from the external apparatus; and

a setting information holding step of holding the setting information obtained in said setting information obtaining step.

33. The status notifying method according to claim 31, wherein

said setting information includes information indicating a condition of transmitting the electronic mail.

34. The status notifying method according to claim 31, wherein

said setting information includes information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail.

35. The status notifying method according to claim 31, wherein

said setting screen sets a pair of a reply address of the electronic mail and a condition of transmitting the electronic mail.

36. The status notifying method according to claim 31, wherein

said message relates to a supplement of expendables used in the device, an exchange of expendables used in the device, or a process status of the device.

37. The status notifying method according to claim 31, wherein

said device is a printer.

39. The status notifying method according to claim 38, further comprising:

a data generating step of generating data which is a setting screen displayed on an external apparatus, and indicates a setting screen for setting the destination information and the reply destination information; and

a data transmitting step of transmitting the data generated in said data generating step to the external apparatus.

40. The status notifying method according to claim 38 wherein,

a reply address of electronic mail is stored in said storing step.

41. The status notifying method, according to claim 38 wherein

said device is a printer.

38. A status notifying method for notification of status information about a device by electronic mail, comprising:

a state obtaining step of obtaining status information about a status of the device;

a message obtaining step of obtaining a message according to the status information obtained in said state obtaining step;

a storing step of storing destination information indicating a destination of electronic mail;

a transmission data generating step of generating transmission data according to the message and the destination information, and adding reply destination information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail to the generated transmission data; and

an electronic mail transmitting step of transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated in said transmission data generating step.

42. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program used for notification of status information of a device by electronic mail, said program directing a computer to perform:

an information holding step of holding setting information set for transmission of electronic mail containing a message in a natural language depending on status information about the device;

a data generating step of generating data indicating a setting screen of the setting information displayed on an external apparatus; and

a data transmitting step of transmitting the data generated in said data generating step to the external apparatus.

43. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program used for notification of status information of a device by electronic mail, said program directing a computer to perform:

a state information obtaining step of obtaining status information about a status of the device;

a message obtaining step of obtaining a message according to the status information obtained in said state obtaining step;

a storing step of storing destination information indicating a destination of an electronic mail;

a transmission data generating step of generating transmission data according to the message and the destination information, and adding reply destination information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail to the generated transmission data; and

an electronic mail transmitting step of transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated in said transmission data generating step.

44. A program for notification of a status information of a device by electronic mail used to direct a computer to perform:

an information holding step of holding setting information set for transmission of an electronic mail containing a message in a natural language depending on status information about the device;

a data generating step of generating data indicating a setting screen of the setting information displayed on an external apparatus; and

a data transmitting step of transmitting the data generated in said data generating step to the external apparatus.

45. A program for notification of a status information of a device by electronic mail used to direct a computer to perform:

a state obtaining step of obtaining status information about a status of the device;

a message obtaining step of obtaining a message according to the status information obtained in said state obtaining step;

a storing step of storing destination information indicating a destination of electronic mail;

a transmission generating step of generating transmission data according to the message and the destination information, and adding reply destination information indicating a reply destination of the electronic mail to the generated transmission data; and

an electronic mail transmitting step of transmitting as electronic mail the transmission data generated in said transmission data generating step.