Control of network plug-and-play compliant device

• US 20060117084A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Oshima, Yasuhiro, Sakuda, Kenji, Morozumi, Hideki, Motegi, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header

Abstract

When the network protocol controller 302 of the network device 200 receives a message sent from a client, it interprets the message header in accordance with network plug-and-play protocol without interpreting the content of the message body; and sends the message body to the device controller 402 in accordance with another communication protocol. The device controller 402 interprets the content of the message body and causes the service devices 404, 406 to execute service.

Claims

1. A network plug-and-play compliant network device, comprising:

one or more service devices for executing a service in response to a request from a client on a network;

a device controller configured to control the service device; and

a network protocol controller configured to receive from a client on the network a message having a message header and a message body, and to transfer content of the message body to the device controller,

wherein the network protocol controller interprets the message header according to a network plug-and-play protocol without interpreting the content of the message body received from the client, and transmits the message body to the device controller according to a communications protocol different from the network plug-and-play protocol, and

the device controller interprets the content of the message body received from the network protocol controller, and causes the service device to execute a service according to a result of the interpretation.

2. A network device according to claim 1, wherein

the network protocol controller is capable of designating a message received from the device controller as the message body, appending a message header to the message body to thereby produce a second message, and transmitting the second message to the client on the network;

the device controller transmits to the network protocol controller a message intended for transmission to the client according to the communications protocol different from the network plug-and-play protocol; and

the network protocol controller appends the message header according to the network plug-and-play protocol without interpreting content of the message body received from the device controller to thereby produce the second message composed of the message header and the message body, and transmits the second message to the client.

3. A network device according to claim 1, wherein

the network device operates as a single network device assigned a single IP address;

and

individual service devices are identified by means of the IP address of the network device and device identifiers assigned to respective service devices.

4. A network device according to claim 3, wherein

the network device has a device configuration in accordance with the network plug-and-play architecture, wherein the device configuration is a nested configuration having the service devices included within a single basic device representing the network device.

5. A network device according to claim 4, wherein

the basic device is configured as a device that has no unique services executed by the basic device per se, apart from the services executed by the service devices.

6. A network device according to claim 1, wherein

communication between the network protocol controller and the device controller is executed by means of packet communication using a plurality of bidirectional logical channels assigned to each different application.

7. A network device according to claim 6, wherein

each logical channel is capable of realizing a first operating mode wherein the network protocol controller is on a requesting end, and a second operating mode wherein the device controller is on a requesting end, depending on a particular purpose;

and

a request message body and a response message body for each logical channel are provided with a specific field for storing a particular type of information for notification by a sender to a recipient.

8. A network device according to claim 7, wherein

a URI for notification by the sender to the recipient is appended to a front end of a message body for each logical channel, the front end of the message body being a part of the message body from which the specific field is excluded.

9. A network device according to claim 6, wherein

the network protocol controller and the device controller have:

(i) a global information transmission mode for sending and receiving between the network protocol controller and the device controller global information to be exchanged between the device controller and the client on the network, and

(ii) a local information transmission mode for sending and receiving between local information to be exchanged between the network protocol controller and the device controller irrespective of the client on the network,

and wherein the global information transmission mode and the local information transmission mode are distinguished by means of a header of each message.

10. A network device according to claim 3, wherein

the network device is capable of operating as a first device compliant with the network plug-and-play protocol, and operating as a second device compliant with a network protocol other than the network plug-and-play protocol,

the network device is accessed by means of a predetermined first port number when operating as the first device, and accessed by means of a second port number different from the first port number when operating as the second device.

11. A network device according to claim 10, wherein

the service device includes a printing mechanism,

the first device is a first printer compliant with the network plug-and-play protocol, and

the second device is a second printer compliant with a network protocol other than the network plug-and-play protocol,

and wherein the device controller:

(i) when the network device is operating as the first printer, receives from the client on the network a message body that includes text markup language, interprets the text markup language to create print data representing dot forming states, and presents the created print data to the printing mechanism; and

(ii) when the network device is operating as the second printer, receives from the client on the network print data including a control command unique to the second printer, and presents the print data to the printing mechanism.

12. A network device according to claim 11 wherein

communication between the network protocol controller and the device controller is executed by means of packet communication using a logical channel group of a first type when the network device is operating as the first printer, and using another logical channel group of a second type when the network device is operating as the second printer.

13. A method of controlling a network plug-and-play compliant network device, the network device comprising one or more service devices for executing a service in response to a request from a client on a network, and a device controller configured to control the service device, the method comprising the step of:

(A) receiving from a client on the network a message having a message header and a message body, and transferring content of the message body to the device controller,

wherein the step (A) includes;

interpreting the message header according to a network plug-and-play protocol without interpreting the content of the message body received from the client, and transmitting the message body to the device controller according to a communications protocol different from the network plug-and-play protocol; and

under control of the device controller, interpreting the content of the message body received from the network protocol controller, and causing the service device to execute a service according to a result of the interpretation.

14. A network protocol controller for use in a network plug-and-play compliant network device, the network device comprising one or more service devices for executing a service in response to a request from a client on a network, and a device controller configured to control the service device, wherein

the network protocol controller is configured to receives from a client on the network a message having a message header and a message body, and to transfer content of the message body to the device controller,

and wherein the network protocol controller interprets the message header according to a network plug-and-play protocol without interpreting the content of the message body received from the client, and transmits the message body to the device controller according to a communications protocol different from the network plug-and-play protocol.