Method for scrambling information about network devices that is placed in email message

• US 20050278429A1
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Granted Patent: US 7,194,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

The present invention relates to sending control or monitoring information between two hardware devices utilizing email. Control information relating to either a first hardware device or a second hardware device is determined. This information is incorporated into an email message. Directing information for directing the control information is incorporated into the email message. Two hardware devices can then operate cooperatively over different remote networks. These networks only need to be compatible in the ability to exchange email for communication to persist between the two hardware devices. The control information and/or the directing information can encrypt. The control information and/or the directing information can be encoded. In embodiments of the present invention the encoding map is encrypted.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a monitored device by a monitoring device over a network using an Internet electronic mail protocol, the method comprising:

determining first information relating to the monitored device;

encrypting the first information;

encoding the encrypted first information using base64 encoding;

determining second information by combining at least two fields of an email message;

encrypting the second information;

encoding the encrypted second information using base64 encoding;

incorporating the encoded second information in a comment field of the email message and the encoded first information as an attachment to the email message; and

sending the email message using the Internet electronic mail protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises at least one of an identification of a vendor and a model of the monitored device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information and the second information are encoded at least once.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a map describing the encoding is encrypted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded second information is incorporated in the header of the email message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first information is obtained using SNMP.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises information related to the configuration of the monitored device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises information related to a status of the monitored device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored device is one of a printer, a digital copier, and an appliance.

10. A monitoring device for monitoring a monitored device over a network using an Internet electronic mail protocol, the monitoring device configured to:

determine first information relating to the monitored device;

encrypt the first information;

encode the encrypted first information using base64 encoding;

determine second information for by combining at least two fields of an email message;

encrypt the second information;

encode the encrypted second information using base64 encoding;

incorporate the encoded second information in a comment field of the email message and the encoded first information as an attachment to the email message; and

send the email message using the Internet electronic mail protocol.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises at least one of an identification of a vendor and a model of the monitored device.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the first information and the second information are encoded at least once.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein a map describing the encoding is encrypted.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the encoded second information is incorporated in the header of the email message.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first information is obtained using SNMP.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises information related to the configuration of the monitored device.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises information related to a status of the monitored device.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the monitored device is one of a printer, a digital copier, and an appliance.

19. A monitoring device for monitoring a monitored device over a network using an Internet electronic mail protocol, the monitoring device comprising:

means for determining first information relating to the monitored device;

means for encrypting the first information;

means for encoding the encrypted first information using base64 encoding;

means for determining second information by combining at least two fields of an email message;

means for encrypting the second information;

means for encoding the encrypted second information using base64 encoding;

means for incorporating the encoded second information in a comment field of the email message and the encoded first information as an attachment to the email message; and

means for sending the email message using the Internet electronic mail protocol.

20. A computer program product embodied on one or more storage media, the computer program product causing a computer to perform the steps of:

determining first information relating to the monitored device;

encrypting the first information;

encoding the encrypted first information using base64 encoding;

determining second information by combining at least two fields of an email message;

encrypting the second information;

encoding the encrypted second information using base64 encoding;

incorporating the encoded second information in a comment field of the email message and the encoded first information as an attachment to the email message; and

sending the email message using the Internet electronic mail protocol.

21. (canceled)