Method and system of remote diagnostic, control and information collection using a dynamic linked library of multiple formats and multiple protocols with restriction on protocol

• US 6,988,141 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2000
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Fong, Avery
• Primary Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/453,936
• Time in Patent Office: 2,071 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 709/230, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for (1) collecting information from a remote application unit and/or (2) diagnosing or controlling the remote application unit. By utilizing a shareable computer code device (e.g., a dynamic linked library), a new application can utilize tested, proven code without having to reproduce existing functionality. Moreover, by supporting multiple data formats and/or multiple communication protocols, a computer code device increases the likelihood that a supported format and/or protocol will be either receivable or understandable by a receiver.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for controlling a combination of a communication protocol and a format used to communicate event data between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to select the communication protocol to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

a second computer code device configured to select a first format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a third computer code device configured to determine, subsequent to the selection of the communication protocol and the first format, if the communication protocol selected by the first computer code device is compatible with the first format selected by the second computer code device;

a fourth computer code device configured to select a second format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit after selecting the first format; and

a fifth computer code device configured to transmit data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit only using the second format if the communication protocol supports only one format at a time.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third computer code device is further configured to determine if the communication protocol selected by the first computer code device is compatible with the second format selected by the fourth computer code device.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first computer code device comprises a sixth computer code device configured to store a first indicator, corresponding to the communication protocol selected, in a map entry of a map; and

the second computer code device comprises a seventh code device configured to store a second indicator, corresponding to the first format, in the map entry.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the third computer code device comprises an eighth computer code device configured to compare the first and second indicators stored in the map against values in a data structure corresponding to at least one compatible format for a specified communication protocol.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the third computer code device comprises an eighth computer code device configured to compare the first and second indicators stored in the map against values in a data structure corresponding to at least one compatible communication protocol for a specified format.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the third computer code device comprises an eighth computer code device configured to iterate over values in a data structure corresponding to at least one compatible communication protocol for a specified format.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the third computer code device comprises an eighth computer code device configured to iterate over values in a data structure corresponding to at least one compatible format for a specified communication protocol.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first through third computer code devices comprise a library of code shared between first and second applications.

9. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first through third computer code devices comprise a dynamically linked library of code shared between first and second applications.

10. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the event data is generated by an internal operation of the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit.

11. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a sixth computer code device configured to transfer the event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using e-mail.

12. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for controlling a combination of a communication protocol and a format used to communicate event data between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to select the communication protocol to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

a second computer code device configured to select a first format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a third computer code device configured to determine, subsequent to the selection of the communication protocol and the first format, if the communication protocol selected by the first computer code device is compatible with the first format selected by the second computer code device;

a fourth computer code device configured to select a second format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit after selecting the first format; and

a fifth computer code device configured to transmit data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit sequentially using the first and second formats if the communication protocol supports plural formats at a time.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for controlling a combination of a communication protocol and a format used to communicate event data between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to select the communication protocol to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

a second computer code device configured to select a first format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit;

a third computer code device configured to determine, subsequent to the selection of the communication protocol and the first format, if the communication protocol selected by the first computer code device is compatible with the first format selected by the second computer code device;

a fourth computer code device configured to select a second format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit after selecting the first format; and

a fifth computer code device configured to transmit data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit in parallel using the first and second formats if the communication protocol supports plural formats at a time.

14. A computer-implemented method for controlling a combination of a communication protocol and a format used to communicate event data between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit, comprising:

selecting the communication protocol to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

selecting a first format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

determining if the communication protocol selected is compatible with the first format selected, wherein the determining step is performed after the steps of selecting the communication protocol and selecting the first format;

selecting a second format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit after selecting the first format; and

transmitting data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit only using the second format if the communication protocol supports only one format at a time.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

determining if the selected communication protocol is compatible with the second format selected.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

storing a first indicator, corresponding to the communication protocol selected, in a map entry of a map; and

storing a second indicator, corresponding to the first format, in the map entry.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the event data is generated by an internal operation of the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

transferring the event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit using e-mail.

19. A computer-implemented method for controlling a combination of a communication protocol and a format used to communicate event data between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit, comprising:

selecting the communication protocol to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

selecting a first format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

determining if the communication protocol selected is compatible with the first format selected, wherein the determining step is performed after the steps of selecting the communication protocol and selecting the first format;

selecting a second format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit after selecting the first format; and

transmitting data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit sequentially using the first and second formats if the communication protocol supports plural formats at a time.

20. A computer-implemented method for controlling a combination of a communication protocol and a format used to communicate event data between a remote receiver and at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit, comprising;

selecting the communication protocol to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

selecting a first format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application, and an application unit;

determining if the communication protocol selected is compatible with the first format selected, wherein the determining step is performed after the steps of selecting the communication protocol and selecting the first format;

selecting a second format to transfer event data between the remote receiver and the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit after selecting the first format; and

transmitting data to the remote receiver from the at least one of a device, an appliance, an application and an application unit in parallel using the first and second formats if the communication protocol supports plural formats at a time.