초록 ▼

A method and system for monitoring, controlling and diagnosing operation of a machine such as a business office machine including a facsimile machine, a copier, and a printer. When the speed of communication between the remote device and machine is not urgent, a connectionless mode of communication

A method and system for monitoring, controlling and diagnosing operation of a machine such as a business office machine including a facsimile machine, a copier, and a printer. When the speed of communication between the remote device and machine is not urgent, a connectionless mode of communication may be used. The form of connectionless communication is an electronic mail message transmitted over the Internet. However, when a condition needs urgent action, a direct connection is used for communication such as communication via a telephone or ISDN line. The information obtained from the machine is stored in one or more data bases within a company and information of the machine is shared between a service department, engineering and design department, manufacturing department, and marketing department. As communication over the Internet via electronic mail is not secure, the connectionless-mode messages transmitted using Internet electronic mail are encrypted.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of managing device information, comprising: creating a first digital repository including first device information of an image-forming device; transmitting, over the Internet, second device information from an image-forming device, the second device information

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of managing device information, comprising: creating a first digital repository including first device information of an image-forming device; transmitting, over the Internet, second device information from an image-forming device, the second device information including at least a serial number of the image-forming device; receiving the transmitted device information; storing the received device information in a second digital repository; and linking the first device information in the first digital repository and the second device information in the second digital repository using the serial number of the image-forming device. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step comprises: storing the received device information in the second digital repository in association with the serial number of the image-forming device. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the image-forming device is one of a printer, a digital copier, and a facsimile machine. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital repository is one of a device history digital repository and an attachment digital repository. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting, receiving, and storing steps are performed periodically. 6. A system for managing device information, comprising: means for creating a first digital repository including first device information of an image-forming device; means for transmitting, over the Internet, second device information from an image-forming device, the second device information including at least a serial number of the image-forming device; means for receiving the transmitted device information; means for storing the received device information in a second digital repository; and means for linking the first device information in the first digital repository and the second device information in the second digital repository using the serial number of the image-forming device. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for storing comprises: means for storing the received device information in the second digital repository in association with the serial number of the image-forming device. 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the image-forming device is one of a printer, a digital copier, and a facsimile machine. 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first digital repository is one of a device history digital repository and an attachment digital repository. 10. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for repeating the means for transmitting, receiving, and storing periodically. 11. A computer-readable medium incorporating a computer program product for managing device information, the computer program product comprising: instructions for creating a first digital repository including first device information of an image-forming device; instructions for transmitting, over the Internet, second device information from an image-forming device, the second device information including at least a serial number of the image-forming device; instructions for receiving the transmitted device information; instructions for storing the received device information in a second digital repository; and instructions for linking the first device information in the first digital repository and the second device information in the second digital repository using the serial number of the image-forming device. 12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions for storing comprise: instructions for storing the received device information in the second digital repository in association with the serial number of the image-forming device. 13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the image-forming device is one of a printer, a digital copier, and a facsimile machine. 14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first digital repository is one of a device history digital repository and an attachment database digital repository. 15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for repeating the instructions for transmitting, receiving, and storing periodically. 16. A method of managing device information, comprising: transmitting, over a network using an Internet protocol, first device information from an image-forming device automatically without receiving a request for the first device information, the first device information including at least a unique identification of the image-forming device; receiving, via a firewall, the transmitted device information by a remote computer that is marketing the image-forming device; storing the received device information in a first digital repository; transmitting, over a network using the Internet protocol, second device information from the image-forming device, the second device information including status information of the image-forming device; receiving the transmitted second device information; storing the received second device information in a second digital repository including service history information; and linking the first device information of the image-forming device in the first digital repository and the second device information of the image-forming device in the second digital repository.