Device management system, image forming apparatus, device management method and program

Abstract

For example, by accessing a common connection point, the system allows users to register their data in the management system at any time they choose, aiming to reduce user management costs, implementation costs, and initial service setup costs. [Solution] A device management system comprising one or more first devices and a second device for managing the one or more first devices, wherein the first devices transmit device information identifying the first devices to the second device via a common connection destination, and the second device connects to the first device when it has stored the device information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device management system and the like.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, device information including device identification information for identifying the device itself transmitted from a device via a predetermined data transmission path is received, and registered devices held by the apparatus are collated based on the received device information. A device management apparatus is disclosed that refers to device collation information including device identification items for determining whether the device that transmitted the device information is a registered device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to realize a system capable of performing the registration timing of a management system at an arbitrary timing by accessing a common connection destination, and to reduce the management cost, introduction cost of a user, and initial installation cost of a service.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The device management system of the present disclosure is a device management system including one or more first devices and a second device that manages the one or more first devices. The first device transmits device information for identifying the first device to the second device via a common connection destination, and the second device connects to the first device when storing the device information.

[0006] The image forming apparatus disclosed herein includes a communication unit that transmits apparatus information to a management device as a common connection destination, an acquisition unit that acquires setting information and management policy information based on customer information from the management device, and an initial setup execution unit that performs initial setup based on the setting information and management policy information.

[0007] The device management method of the present disclosure is a device management method for a system having one or more first devices and a second device for managing the one or more first devices, wherein the first device transmits device information identifying the first device to the second device via a common connection destination, and the second device connects to the first device if it has stored the device information.

[0008] The program of this disclosure is a program for a system having one or more first devices and a second device that manages the one or more first devices, wherein the first devices have a transmission function that transmits device information identifying the first devices to the second device via a common connection destination, and the second device has a connection function that connects to the first devices when it has stored the device information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, for example, by accessing a common connection point, it becomes possible to realize a system that allows users to register their devices at any time, thereby providing a device management system that can reduce user management costs, implementation costs, and initial service setup costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the system overview in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram illustrates the hardware configuration of the system in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the hardware configuration of the system in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the software configuration of the system in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the software configuration of the system in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates (a) an example of management information and (b) an example of sales information in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the processing flow in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the processing flow in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the processing flow in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the processing flow in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates an example of operation in the first embodiment, showing (a) an example of the display screen in the initial settings and (b) an example of the display screen showing unregistered device information. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Generally, in systems that manage multiple devices on a network, connection information issued individually by users or service technicians at the time of installation was entered to connect the devices. Furthermore, connection information had an expiration date for security reasons, and even if it was set on the device side in advance, there was a problem in that it could not be registered in the device management system if the device was installed after the expiration date due to the user's circumstances.

[0012] Furthermore, typically, the system only recognizes the connected device; initial settings and management policies for each user (tenant) had to be configured after confirming which device to use after connection. Thus, when a device communicates directly with the cloud (system), it is necessary to specify information such as which user and which tenant to connect to during installation, which requires work by users and service personnel during installation, resulting in management and implementation costs.

[0013] Regarding a device management system that solves such problems, the following embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples for explaining the invention described in the claims, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the descriptions of the following embodiments.

[0014] [1. First Embodiment] [1.1 About the System] [1.1.1 System Overview] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overview of system 1. System 1 has a management device (second device) 10 and is connected to networks (NW1, NW2, NW3). The management device 10 registers, for example, one or more devices connected on the networks (NW1, NW2, NW3) as management target devices (first devices). Here, the management target device is a device to be managed, and for example, it refers to a device that manages settings necessary for the operation of the device by the management device 10.

[0015] In addition, system 1 may include an administrator device (third device) 20. The administrator device 20 is connected to the network NW3, for example. The administrator device 20 can, for example, connect to the management device 10 and specify the management target devices managed by the management device 10.

[0016] Furthermore, system 1 may have an image forming device 30. The image forming device 30 is, for example, a device called a multifunction printer or an MFP. For example, when the image forming device 30 executes a job (print job), it can form an image on paper, which is a recording medium. The image forming device 30 can execute jobs for a plurality of processes such as copy processing, FAX processing, scan processing, and print processing as the jobs to be executed.

[0017] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 30 is the managed device. The image forming apparatus 30 may, for example, be connected to the management device 10 via a network (NW1, NW3) as the managed device. In addition to the image forming apparatus, the managed device may be an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet. It may also be a home appliance equipped with IoT functionality (e.g., an air conditioner, refrigerator, television, etc.), or a portable device or an in-vehicle device (e.g., a car navigation system, etc.).

[0018] Furthermore, System 1 may include a terminal device 40, which is connected to a network (NW1, NW3), for example. The terminal device 40 mediates communication between the managed devices and the management device 10, for example, by acquiring device information from the image forming apparatus 30 and transmitting the device information to the management device 10. The terminal device 40 can also mediate communication between multiple managed devices and the management device 10, for example.

[0019] The management device 10 may be, for example, an information processing device such as a server device. The administrator device 20 may be, for example, an information processing device such as a terminal device.

[0020] Furthermore, System 1 has a tenant T1. Tenant T1 consists of devices connected to the network (NW1, NW2), for example, and includes groups G1 and G2. Tenants and groups will be described later.

[0021] [1.1.2 Terminology] Hereafter, terms used in this specification will be used in a manner that can be understood by those skilled in the art, for example as follows:

[0022] A "tenant" is a unit for managing devices in this system. Managed devices are registered in System 1 in association with (linked to) tenants. Tenants may be set up on a per-user basis, for example, for each individual, company, or organization. In this system, for example, initial settings and management policies applied to devices can be set in association with each tenant, and initial settings and management policies can be applied collectively to devices linked to a tenant.

[0023] A "group" is a unit for managing devices in this system, and refers to a subdivided management unit of a tenant. For example, a tenant may consist of multiple groups, and a group may also consist of multiple subgroups. Groups can be freely configured as units for each network (NW1, NW2), each type of service, each department, etc. In a tenant where groups are configured, for example, initial settings and management policies applied to devices for each group can be configured in accordance with the tenant unit and applied to the devices associated with each group, just like tenants.

[0024] A "management policy" is a set of management rules applied to a device, which may include rules that manage access rights and service usage rights, for example. Management policies may include, for example, patch policies, access control policies, and service control policies.

[0025] "Device information" refers to information used to identify a device, such as the serial number and model name. Device information may also include additional information beyond device identification. For example, it may include information such as the tenant of the sales destination, the group of installation locations, and the management policies applied to the device.

[0026] The "common connection destination" refers to the connection destination for the management device 10, and may be, for example, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for connecting to the management device 10. The common connection destination is one that does not need to be configured for each tenant, does not require the issuance of a unique URL each time, and does not have a set time limit for access.

[0027] A "user administrator" is an administrator who operates and installs the managed device (in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 30) and terminal device 40, and manages the managed device. The user administrator may be, for example, an individual user, an employee belonging to a tenant, or a service technician who performs management at the request of a tenant.

[0028] The "system administrator" is the administrator who manages System 1 and operates the administrator device 20. The system administrator may be, for example, an employee belonging to a sales office or a service technician, and in cases where management is performed at the request of a tenant, the system administrator may be the same as the user administrator.

[0029] [1.2 Hardware Configuration] [1.2.1 Common Configuration] Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the hardware configuration of each device in this embodiment. The management device 10, the administrator device 20, the image forming apparatus 30, and the terminal device 40 each include at least a control unit, a storage unit (ROM: Read Only Memory, RAM: Random Access Memory), and a communication unit. In addition, each device has general functions as needed.

[0030] Here, the control unit, storage, ROM, RAM, display unit, operation unit, and communication unit of each device will be described below.

[0031] The control units (for example, control unit 100, control unit 200, control unit 300, control unit 400) are functional units for controlling the entire system. The control units implement various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in storage or ROM. The control units may be implemented by one or more control devices / arithmetic units (CPU (Central Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip)). Alternatively, the control units may consist of one or more control circuits.

[0032] Storage (for example, storage 110, storage 210, storage 310, storage 410) is a non-volatile storage device capable of storing programs and data. For example, it may consist of storage devices such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) or SSDs (Solid State Drives). Alternatively, storage may be configured as an externally connectable USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory device. Furthermore, storage may be, for example, a storage area located in the cloud.

[0033] ROM (for example, ROM120, ROM220, ROM320, ROM420) is a non-volatile memory that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. ROM may store, for example, the firmware or initial applications of each device.

[0034] RAM (for example, RAM130, RAM230, RAM330, RAM430) is the main memory primarily used by the control unit of each device during execution. RAM is a rewritable memory that temporarily holds data including programs read from the storage or ROM of each device, as well as execution results.

[0035] The display units (for example, display units 240, 340, and 440) are display devices capable of displaying various information and various screens such as execution screens. The display units may be, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic electroluminescent (EL) displays, electrophoretic displays, and other display devices. The display units also include interfaces to which display devices can be connected. For example, they may consist of external display devices connected via HDMI® (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or DisplayPort.

[0036] The operation units (for example, operation unit 250, operation unit 350, operation unit 450) are operating devices capable of receiving operation input from a user administrator or system administrator. For example, these may be software keys displayed on a touch panel integrated with the display unit, or hardware keys such as operation buttons. Alternatively, the operation units may be operating devices such as a keyboard or mouse. Furthermore, the operation units may include an interface (for example, USB) to which operating devices can be connected. For example, each device may connect to different operating devices (keyboards, mice, etc.) via the interface.

[0037] The communication units (for example, communication units 170, 270, 370, and 470) are communication interfaces that communicate with other devices. For example, a communication unit may be a network interface that can connect to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or a network interface that can connect to Ethernet (registered trademark) via a wired connection. Alternatively, a communication unit may be a communication device that can connect to a mobile communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) / 4G / 5G / 6G.

[0038] [1.2.2 Image forming apparatus] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 30 will be described.

[0039] The image forming unit 360 forms an image, for example, on recording paper. The image forming unit 360 includes, for example, an image carrier, forms a toner image on the image carrier, and forms an image by transferring the toner image on the image carrier onto the recording paper. The image forming unit 360 may be configured as an image forming device such as a printer. Alternatively, the image forming unit 360 may form an image electronically as an image file.

[0040] The image reading unit 365 reads the original document (image) and outputs it as image data. The image reading unit 365 may be, for example, a scanner, or a reading device utilizing a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), CIS (Contact Image Sensor), or CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) image sensor.

[0041] [1.3 Software Configuration] The main software configurations for each device included in System 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4(a) shows the software configuration of the management device 10, and Figure 4(b) describes the main software configuration of the administrator device 20. Figure 5(a) shows the software configuration of the image forming apparatus 30, and Figure 5(b) describes the main software configuration of the terminal device 40. Note that the software configurations shown in Figures 4 and 5 mainly describe the configurations necessary for this embodiment, and other configurations are omitted.

[0042] [1.3.1 Management device] First, let's describe the main software configuration of the management device 10. For example, the control unit 100 can realize the managed object setting unit 1010 by reading and executing programs stored in the storage unit (storage 110, ROM 120).

[0043] The managed device configuration unit 1010 sends and configures the managed devices, for example, initial configuration information and management policies necessary for the initial setup of the managed devices managed by the management device. The managed device configuration unit 1010 may also send initial configuration information and management policies obtained from the management information DB 1120 to the managed devices based on customer information (tenant, group, etc.) included in the management information stored in the management information storage area 1110.

[0044] Furthermore, the storage 110 reserves an area for the management information storage area 1110, which stores management information. Management information (second management information) is information for managing managed devices, which is stored in association with device information for identifying managed devices and customer information such as tenants and groups. In addition, the management information may also store setting information and operation information, such as initial setting information and management policy information that are applied in accordance with customer information. Here, an example of management information stored in the management information storage area 1110 will be explained with reference to Figure 6(a). The management information stores the tenant information of the management device 10 (e.g., "Company A"), group information (e.g., "Group 1"), the serial number of the registered managed device (e.g., "98765432"), the model name (e.g., "AB-123456CD"), the applied policy (e.g., "Policy A"), and the applied initial setting (e.g., "Initial Setting A").

[0045] Furthermore, storage 110 reserves space for an initial configuration information storage area 1122 and a management information DB 1120 that stores management policy storage areas 1124. The initial configuration information storage area 1122 stores the settings to be applied to the managed device as initial configuration information. The management policy storage area 1124 stores the management policies to be applied to the managed device.

[0046] In this embodiment, the initial setup information is the information necessary for the initial setup of the managed device, but it can be used not only for initial setup but also, for example, for changing settings after the initial setup.

[0047] Furthermore, the storage 110 reserves an area for a sales information storage area 1130 that stores sales information. Sales information (first management information) is information for managing managed devices by storing device information to identify the managed device that has been sold, and associating it with the tenant of the sales destination and the group to which the device belongs within the tenant of the sales destination. Note that the sales information may also store setting information and operation information that are applied in accordance with customer information, and may also include other additional information. Here, an example of management information stored in the sales information storage area 1130 will be explained with reference to Figure 6(b). The sales information stores the serial number of the managed device that has been sold (e.g., "98765432"), the model name (e.g., "AB-123456CD"), the tenant information of the sales destination (e.g., "Company A"), the group to which the device belongs (e.g., "Group 1"), the applied policy (e.g., "Policy A"), and the registration status (e.g., "Registered"). Here, the registration status is additional information that stores whether or not the device information of the managed device is registered in the management information, and it stores either "registered" or "not registered".

[0048] [1.3.2 Administrator device] Next, we will describe the main software configuration of the administrator device 20.

[0049] The storage 210 of the administrator device 20 reserves an area for the sales update information storage area 2110, which stores sales update information. Sales update information is information stored about the tenant to which the sold managed device is sold, and the groups to which it belongs within that tenant. The information may be the same in structure as the sales information stored in the management device 10, or it may be just the minimum information necessary to identify the sold managed device and the tenant to which it is sold. For example, the sales update information may also store the differences in the sales information.

[0050] [1.3.3 Image forming apparatus] Next, the main software configuration of the image forming apparatus 30, which is the managed device, will be described. For example, the control unit 300 can realize the initial setting execution unit 3010 and the initial setting information acquisition unit 3020 by reading and executing programs stored in the storage unit (storage 310, ROM 320).

[0051] The initial setup execution unit 3010 performs initial setup by applying the initial setup information and management policy acquired by the initial setup information acquisition unit 3020 from the management device 10 to the image forming apparatus 30. In this embodiment, the initial setup execution unit 3010 is described as performing initial setup, but for example, it can also perform changes to the setting information after the initial setup.

[0052] The initial setup information acquisition unit 3020 acquires initial setup information from the management device 10, for example. Furthermore, if the terminal device 40 is on the network (NW1), the initial setup information acquisition unit 3020 can acquire initial setup information and management policies from the management device 10 via the terminal device 40.

[0053] Furthermore, the storage 310 reserves an area for a configuration information storage area 3110 that stores configuration information. Configuration information is information that stores information necessary for the operation of the image forming apparatus 30 and information on management policies. In addition, the configuration information stores, for example, device information that identifies the managed device, such as the serial number and model name, and a URL for connecting to the management device 10 as a common connection destination.

[0054] Furthermore, the storage 310 has an area reserved for storing the initial setup information acquisition application 3120, which is necessary for realizing the initial setup information acquisition unit 3020.

[0055] [1.3.4 Terminal Devices] Furthermore, the main software configuration of the terminal device 40 will be described. For example, the control unit 400 can realize the device information acquisition unit 4010 and the initial setting information acquisition unit 4020 by reading and executing programs stored in the storage unit (storage 410, ROM 420).

[0056] The device information acquisition unit 4010 acquires device information of, for example, managed devices (e.g., image forming apparatus 30) that can be connected to the network (NW1). The device information acquisition unit 4010 may, for example, display the acquired device information on the display unit 440 and output the selected device information to the initial setting information acquisition unit 4020 if selected by the user administrator.

[0057] The initial setup information acquisition unit 4020, for example, transmits the device information of the managed device acquired by the device information acquisition unit 4010 to the management device 10 and acquires the initial setup information from the management device 10. The initial setup information acquisition unit 4020 can, for example, transmit the acquired initial setup information to the initial setup information acquisition unit 3020 of the corresponding managed device.

[0058] Furthermore, the storage 410 has an area reserved for storing the device information acquisition application 4110 and the initial setup information acquisition application 4120, which are necessary for realizing the device information acquisition unit 4010 and the initial setup information acquisition unit 4020.

[0059] [1.4 Processing Flow] The following describes the processing flow in this embodiment. Figure 7 shows the sales information display processing flow of the administrator device 20, and Figure 8 shows the sales information registration processing flow of the management device 10. Figure 9 shows the initial setup processing flow of the image forming apparatus 30, and Figure 10 shows the management information registration processing flow of the management device 10.

[0060] The following processing will be explained assuming that the control units (control unit 100, control unit 200, control unit 300) of each device (management device 10, administrator device 20, image forming apparatus 30) are executed. However, each configuration described in Figure 4 or Figure 5 may also execute the processing for each step.

[0061] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 30 is connected to the management device 10 without going through the terminal device 40. However, there may be a process in which the terminal device 40 connects to the management device 10 instead of the image forming apparatus 30.

[0062] [1.4.1 Flow of Sales Information Display Processing] First, the control unit 200 transmits the sales update information stored in the sales update information storage area 2110 to the management device 10 (S102). Then, the control unit 200 determines whether it has obtained device information that is not registered in the management information of the management device 10, which was transmitted from the management device 10 by process S130. If it has obtained unregistered device information from the management device 10, it displays the unregistered device information on the display unit 240 (S104; Yes → S106). On the other hand, if the control unit 200 has not obtained unregistered device information from the management device 10, it terminates the process (S104; No).

[0063] [1.4.2 Flow of Sales Information Registration Process] First, the control unit 100 determines whether it has received the sales update information transmitted from the administrator device 20 by process S102 until it receives the sales update information from the administrator device 20 (S122; No). If the control unit 100 has received the sales update information from the administrator device 20, it determines whether there has been any change between the sales information and the sales update information (S122; Yes → S124). At this time, the control unit 100 may, for example, determine whether there has been any change between device information that can identify the managed device (e.g., serial number, model name, etc.) and customer information of the sales destination (tenant information, group information, etc.), and may ignore additional information such as registration status.

[0064] If there are any changes between the sales information and the sales update information, the control unit 100 reflects the changes in the sales information, for example, the device information that identifies the managed device obtained from the sales update information, and the customer information of the sales destination (S124; Yes → S126). Here, if the device information of the managed device is not stored in the sales information before the reflection, the control unit 100 adds the device information to the sales information as new device information and reflects it.

[0065] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether or not there is unregistered device information in the sales information (S128). In this embodiment, the method for determining whether or not the device information to be stored in the sales information is unregistered is that the control unit 100 determines that device information stored in the sales information is unregistered if its registration status is unregistered. On the other hand, even if there is no registration status item in the sales information, the control unit 100 may determine that, for example, device information stored in the sales information that is not stored in the management information is unregistered device information.

[0066] If the control unit 100 determines that there is unregistered device information, it sends the device information determined to be unregistered to the administrator device 20 (S128; Yes → S130). On the other hand, if the control unit 100 determines that there is no unregistered device information, it terminates the process (S128; No).

[0067] [1.4.3 Initial Setup Process Flow] First, the control unit 300 connects to the management device 10 via a common connection destination stored in the configuration information and transmits the device information stored in the configuration information of the image forming apparatus 30 (S142). Next, the control unit 300 determines whether or not there is a notification from the management device 10 that the device information transmitted by process S172 is not registered. If there is no such notification (S144; No) and the control unit 300 receives initial setting information transmitted by process S170 from the management device 10 (S146; Yes), the control unit 300 executes the initial setting process based on the initial setting information and management policy (S148). At this point, the control unit 300 may, for example, display information related to the initial settings after the completion of the initial setting process.

[0068] On the other hand, the control unit 300 terminates processing if it receives a notification from the management device 10 that the device is not registered (S144; Yes) or if it does not receive initial setup information from the management device 10 (S146; No).

[0069] [1.4.4 Flow of Management Information Registration Process] First, the control unit 100 determines whether or not it has acquired device information from the managed device (for example, the image forming apparatus 30) until it has acquired the device information transmitted from the managed device by process S142 (S162; No). If the control unit 100 has acquired device information from the managed device, it determines whether or not the acquired device information is in the sales information (S162; Yes → S164).

[0070] Next, if the acquired device information is in the sales information, the control unit 100 determines whether the device information is already registered in the management information (S164; Yes → S166). Subsequently, if the device information is not already registered in the management information, the control unit 100 registers the management information based on the acquired device information (S166; No → S168). Here, the control unit 100 may, for example, register the sales information stored in the sales information storage area 1130 in correspondence with the management information stored in the management information storage area 1110.

[0071] Next, the control unit 100 transmits the initial setup information and management policy from the management information DB 1120 to the image forming apparatus 30 as a managed device based on the management information (S170). The control unit 100 performs the same process even if the device information is already registered in the management information (S166; Yes). On the other hand, if the acquired device information is not in the sales information, the control unit 100 notifies the image forming apparatus 30, which is the managed device, that the device information is not registered (S164; No → S172).

[0072] [1.5 Example of Operation] First, the operation of the administrator device 20 will be explained. The administrator device 20 stores a new sold list in the storage 210 as sales update information, which associates the sold image forming apparatus 30, initial settings, and management policies. Here, the sales update information (new sold list) may be generated by obtaining tenant information, etc., from a core system or business system, such as an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. The system administrator operates the administrator device 20 to connect to the management device 10 via the network (NW3). The system administrator then sends the sales update information from the administrator device 20 to the management device 10, and the management device 10 stores the changes from the sales update information in its sales information.

[0073] Figure 11(a) shows an example of the operation of the administrator device 20 in this embodiment. Figure 11(a) shows the operation in which the administrator device 20 connects to the management device 10, updates the sales information of the management device 10 using sales update information, and displays a list of managed devices not yet registered in the management device 10 as a display screen on the display unit 240 of the administrator device 20.

[0074] In Figure 11(a), area R200 of display screen W200 displays a list of device information that is not yet registered in the management information of the management device 10, including newly registered device information. In addition, a close button B200 for closing display screen W200 is displayed.

[0075] In this way, the management device 10 can store device information of the managed device (in this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 30) that has been sold. Furthermore, by loading the sold list into the cloud (system), it is possible to detect, for example, managed devices that are not yet connected to the network and are not operational. In addition, the display unit 240 of the management device 20 can display the managed devices that have been sold in advance in a device list on a display screen such as a management screen, and if the status is such as "not connected to the network", it is possible to alert the user administrator that the network settings of the managed device have not been configured.

[0076] Furthermore, the system administrator can, for example, register the device information of a sold image forming apparatus 30 in the sold list (sales information) of the management device 10, and at the same time, store and set a URL for accessing the management device 10 as a common connection destination in the configuration information of the image forming apparatus 30. Alternatively, the system administrator may hardcode this at the time of factory shipment. In this way, by setting a common connection destination in advance, it becomes possible to install the managed devices at any time.

[0077] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 30 will be described. First, when the image forming apparatus 30 is connected to the network (NW1, NW3) by the user administrator, the image forming apparatus 30 accesses (connects to) the management device 10 (for example, a cloud system) as a common connection destination based on predetermined connection information (common connection destination information) that has been set. The management device 10 compares the information of the image forming apparatus 30 (for example, device information) with the registered sold list. If the information of the image forming apparatus 30 is not present in the sold list, the management device 10 does not register the image forming apparatus 30 as a managed device in the management information.

[0078] On the other hand, if the image forming apparatus 30 is listed in the sold list, but the image forming apparatus 30 is not registered (unregistered) in the management information, the management device 10 automatically registers the image forming apparatus 30 with the corresponding tenant based on the information in the sold list. The management device 10 connects to the image forming apparatus 30 and applies the corresponding initial settings and management policies to the image forming apparatus 30, for example.

[0079] Figure 11(b) shows a display screen on the display unit 340 of the image forming apparatus 30, showing the results of the initial setup process, which was completed by obtaining initial setup information from the management device 10 as a result of the above operation. The display screen W300 in Figure 11(b) shows an area R300 where the device information for which the initial setup of the image forming apparatus 30 has been completed is displayed, a Detail button B300 for displaying the details thereof, and a close button B302 for closing the display screen W300. When the user administrator selects the Detail button B300, the control unit 300 displays, for example, the details of the initial setup applied to the image forming apparatus 30.

[0080] Furthermore, if the image forming apparatus 30 is listed in the sold items list, and the image forming apparatus 30 is registered in the management information and initial setup is complete, for example, a screen for accepting setting changes will be displayed to the image forming apparatus 30. If the image forming apparatus 30 is not listed in the sold items list, the image forming apparatus 30 may display a warning screen to the user administrator on the display unit 340.

[0081] Thus, when the image forming apparatus 30 is connected to a common connection point, the management device 10 checks it against the sold list (sales information), and if it is listed in the sold list, it registers it. By pre-registering the device information in the system, a sold list is generated, and when a connection is made from a common connection point, it is checked against the sold list, and if the image forming apparatus 30 is registered in the sold list, the connected image forming apparatus 30 can be registered to the target tenant based on the pre-registered information. Because the sold list is linked to tenants, the tenant to be registered is determined when the sold list is created, and the user and installer, as well as the installation location, etc., are determined in advance. Therefore, simply connecting the device to the network (NW1, NW2) eliminates the need to perform any work to connect to the management system during installation, thus shortening and eliminating installation work and installation time.

[0082] Furthermore, user-specific settings for the image forming apparatus 30, such as the registered tenant, initial settings, and management policies, can be configured, for example, for each tenant or group, when the sold list (sales information) is registered (loaded) into the management device 10. By setting the registered tenant, initial settings, and management policies in the sold list, users can unify the settings of the image forming apparatus 30 or set different settings for each installation location, enabling more detailed management of the image forming apparatus 30.

[0083] Furthermore, when creating a sold list, individual settings such as the registration destination, initial settings, and management policies can be specified and registered for each device, for example, when registering the sold list (sales information) to the management device 10. This allows for the automation of even more complex installation tasks and procedures. Complex settings and procedures require the skills and expertise of the worker (user administrator) performing the work, incurring costs for installation and maintenance. If these can be configured and verified in advance, it becomes unnecessary for an expert to accompany the installation, and installation can be performed even without special knowledge, leading to further cost reductions.

[0084] Furthermore, users can, for example, automatically change settings after the image forming apparatus 30 is connected to the management device 10. In this way, the ability to change the settings of the managed device later means that even if the managed device was initially configured to connect directly to the cloud (management system), it is also possible to change settings via the terminal device 40 after connection. This makes it easier to change the connection configuration to better suit the user's environment and requirements.

[0085] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 30 may connect to a common connection destination if no individual connection destination is entered when individual connection destinations can be entered. For example, even if the user does not set a common connection destination, the image forming apparatus 30 can connect to a common connection destination that it has stored in advance, thus eliminating the need for the user to set a common connection destination.

[0086] [1.6 Effects, etc.] In this way, by accessing a common connection point instead of pre-registering individual connection destinations, it becomes possible to register the system at any desired time. As a result, there is no need for user administrators to perform any work during installation, making it easy to register the devices to be managed and enabling proper management.

[0087] Furthermore, by allowing individual initial settings and management policies to be applied when registering management information, it becomes possible to reduce user management costs, implementation costs, and initial service setup costs.

[0088] [2. Variant] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. In other words, embodiments obtained by combining technical means that are appropriately modified within the scope of this disclosure are also included in the technical scope.

[0089] Furthermore, although the embodiments described above are explained separately for the sake of explanation, they can be combined and implemented to the extent possible. In addition, we intend to obtain rights to any of the technologies described in this specification through amendments or divisional applications.

[0090] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the program that operates in each device is a program that controls the CPU and other components (a program that makes the computer function) in order to realize the functions of the embodiments described above. The information handled by these devices is temporarily stored in a temporary storage device (for example, RAM) during processing, and then stored in various ROMs or HDDs, and read, modified, and written by the CPU as needed.

[0091] Here, the recording medium for storing the program may be any of the following: semiconductor media (e.g., ROM or non-volatile memory card), optical recording medium or magneto-optical recording medium (e.g., DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), CD (Compact Disc), BD (Blu-ray® Disc)), magnetic recording medium (e.g., magnetic tape, flexible disk), etc.

[0092] Furthermore, when distributing the program to the market, it can be stored on a portable recording medium and distributed, or transferred to a server computer connected via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the storage device of the server device is, of course, also included in this disclosure.

[0093] Furthermore, the data mentioned above may not be stored within the device itself, but rather stored on an external device and retrieved as needed. For example, the data may be stored on a NAS (Network Attached Storage) or on the cloud.

[0094] Furthermore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the configurations explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the technologies disclosed herein. While the configurations for which patent protection is sought are described in the attached claims, there is no intention to exclude them from the technical scope simply because they are not described in the claims.

[0095] Furthermore, the phrases "in the case of..." and "when..." in the above-mentioned specification are explained as examples only, and do not represent a configuration limited to those described. Even for configurations other than those described, we disclose information that would be obvious to a person skilled in the art, and we intend to acquire rights to such information.

[0096] Furthermore, the descriptions of the processes and data flows described in the specification are not limited to the order in which they are described. For example, configurations in which parts of the process are deleted or the order is rearranged are also disclosed, and the company intends to acquire rights to them.

[0097] Furthermore, although the functions described in the embodiments are explained as being performed by each device, they may also be implemented by a single device or by utilizing an external server.

[0098] Furthermore, each functional block or feature of the apparatus used in the embodiments described above may be implemented or executed by an electrical circuit, such as an integrated circuit or a plurality of integrated circuits. An electrical circuit designed to perform the functions described herein may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gates or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The aforementioned electrical circuit may consist of digital circuits or analog circuits. Also, if advances in semiconductor technology lead to the emergence of integrated circuit technologies that replace current integrated circuits, one or more aspects of this disclosure may use new integrated circuits based on such technologies. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 1 System 10 Management device 20 Administrator device 30 Image forming apparatus 40 Terminal devices 100, 200, 300, 400 Control Unit 110, 210, 310, 410 storage 120, 220, 320, 420 ROM 130, 230, 330, 430 RAM 240, 340, 440 display section 250, 350, 450 operation section 360 Image forming unit 365 Image Reading Unit 170, 270, 370, 470 Communications Department

Claims

1. One or more first devices, A second device for managing the one or more first devices, A device management system having, The first device transmits device information that identifies the first device to the second device via a common connection destination. When the second device stores the device information, it connects to the first device. Device management system.

2. It further comprises a third device, The second apparatus described above is The first management information is obtained from the third device, It stores second management information, including customer information, for connecting to the first device. When the first management information includes the device information of the first device, it is determined whether the device information is not registered in the second management information. If it is determined that the device information is not registered in the second management information, it is registered in the second management information. The setting information based on the customer information included in the second management information is transmitted to the first device. The first device displays the setting information. The device management system according to claim 1.

3. The second apparatus described above is The device information included in the first management information is compared with the device information included in the second management information. If there is differential device information, transmit the device information to the third device. The third device displays the device information. The device management system according to claim 2.

4. When the second device registers the device information in the second management information, it transmits management policy information to the first device that transmitted the device information. The first device applies the information of the management policy. The device management system according to claim 2.

5. The first management information is the information of the device that has been sold, and the second management information includes the setting information and operation information of the first device. The device management system according to claim 2.

6. The device management system according to claim 1, wherein when the second device stores device information that identifies the first device, the common connection destination is set in the first device.

7. The device management system according to claim 2, wherein the first device transmits the device information to the common connection destination when no connection destination has been set for transmitting the device information that identifies the first device.

8. A communication unit that transmits device information to a management device as a common connection destination, An acquisition unit that acquires setting information and management policy information based on customer information from the aforementioned management device, An initial setup execution unit that performs initial setup based on the aforementioned configuration information and the information of the management policy, An image forming apparatus equipped with [a specific feature].

9. One or more first devices, A second device for managing the one or more first devices, A device management method for a system having, The first device transmits device information that identifies the first device to the second device via a common connection destination in a transmission step, The second device, when it has stored the device information, performs a connection step of connecting to the first device. A device management method including the following.

10. One or more first devices, A second device for managing the one or more first devices, A program for a system having, The first device has a transmission function that transmits device information identifying the first device to the second device via a common connection destination, The second device, when it has stored the device information, has a connection function to connect to the first device. A program that achieves this.

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