Server equipment, management method, device and control method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of properly managing a device connected to a network.SOLUTION: A management method for managing an image formation device comprises the steps of: specifying an image formation device in which an agent in a network can acquire information about the image formation device; installing the image formation device that acquires information for the agent according to a selected condition; and acquiring information about the image formation device acquired by the agent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a server device and the like.

Background Art

[0002] There is a known technique in which a management device monitors another device (for example, a printing device) to manage its status and the like. Such a technique is described in, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of appropriately managing, for example, a device connected to a network.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The server device of the present disclosure is a server device having a communication unit capable of communicating with a device and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls to display a device from which an agent running on the device can acquire information, controls to identify and display a device from which the agent acquires information according to a selected condition, and controls to acquire and display device information acquired by the agent.

[0006] The management method of this disclosure is a management method for managing devices, and may include the steps of: an agent in a network identifying devices from which device information can be obtained; setting the devices from which information can be obtained for the agent according to selected conditions; and obtaining the device information obtained by the agent.

[0007] The apparatus of the present disclosure may be configured to include a communication unit and a control unit, wherein the control unit identifies an apparatus capable of acquiring information via an agent, transmits information about the apparatus capable of acquiring information and the type of agent to a server device via the communication unit, receives information from the server device via the communication unit to select an apparatus from which to acquire information, and transmits information about the selected apparatus to the server device via the communication unit.

[0008] The control method of the present disclosure is a control method for a server device equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with a device, comprising the steps of: performing control to display a device from which an agent running on the device can acquire information; performing control to identify and display to the agent a device from which to acquire information according to selected conditions; and performing control to acquire and display information about the device acquired by the agent.

[0009] The control method of the present disclosure is a control method for a device equipped with a communication unit, comprising the steps of: displaying a device capable of acquiring device information via an agent; transmitting information of a device capable of acquiring information and the type of agent to a server device via the communication unit; receiving information from the server device via the communication unit for selecting a device from which to acquire information; and transmitting information of the selected device to the server device via the communication unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, for example, it becomes possible to properly manage devices connected to a network. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the system overview in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the server device in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] (a) A diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus, which is an example of the apparatus in the first embodiment. (b) A diagram illustrating the storage configuration in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the processing unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the software configuration in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of the agent table in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates an example of the configuration of the setting table in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates an example of processing in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates an example of the search process in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This figure illustrates an example of processing in the apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This figure illustrates an example of processing by a server device in the first embodiment. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates an example of the process for setting up an agent in the first embodiment. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates an example of real-time alert priority operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 14] This figure illustrates an example of real-time alert priority operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] This figure illustrates an example of data acquisition priority operation in the first embodiment. [Figure 16]It is a diagram for explaining an operation example with data acquisition priority in the first embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a diagram for explaining an operation example of reducing device load in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a diagram for explaining an operation example of reducing device load in the first embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a process for setting an agent in the second embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a diagram for explaining the operation in the third embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a diagram for explaining the operation in the third embodiment. [Figure 22] It is a diagram for explaining the outline of the system in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 23] It is a diagram showing an example of a display screen as an application example of the embodiment. [Figure 24] It is a diagram showing an example of a display screen as an application example of the embodiment. [Figure 25] It is a diagram showing an example of a display screen as an application example of the embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments shown below are one of the embodiments for providing the present invention, and the content of the present invention of the present application is not limitedly interpreted based on the following description.

[0013] Generally, for example, there is a method of managing network devices (for example, image forming apparatuses, NASs, switches, etc.) installed in a network in a customer's office via a network. A method of managing network devices is, for example, installing an application called an agent on a computer connected in the network. Then, the computer on which the agent is installed acquires information on network devices to be managed. Then, the information acquired from the computer is transmitted to a management server.

[0014] In this case, a computer for managing network devices had to be installed within the network. Furthermore, because the computer retrieved information about the network devices from outside the network via the network, it wasn't always possible to obtain detailed information.

[0015] Furthermore, because information from network devices was acquired by another computer, it was difficult to obtain the information in real time.

[0016] Furthermore, a technology is known in which an agent's terminal device monitors the status of multiple printing devices. In this case, if a printing device receives a status response request from a terminal device of a different agent, it may stop responses from terminal devices of agents other than the designated agent's terminal device. However, such technology does not take into account the administrator's requirements, the processing capacity of the devices being managed, or the functions of the agents, and therefore could not always provide proper management.

[0017] The following embodiments describe an example of an optimal method for managing devices within a network.

[0018] [1. First Embodiment] [1.1 Entire System] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the overview of System 1. In System 1, a server device 10 is connected to the network NW1.

[0019] The server device 10 is, for example, a device installed on the cloud. For the sake of explanation, the server device 10 will be described as a single device, but it may consist of multiple devices. For example, the data stored by the server device 10 may be stored in storage areas on other clouds, or in a distributed database.

[0020] Network NW1 is, for example, a network capable of connecting to a wide area, such as the Internet.

[0021] Network NW1 may be connected to a different network NW3. Here, network NW3 may be, for example, a customer's internal network, or it may be a LAN. Network NW1 connects to network NW3 via network equipment such as a router.

[0022] Network NW3 is connected to one or more image forming apparatuses 20 as network devices. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatuses 20 are described as devices to be managed within the network. In Figure 1, network NW3 is connected to image forming apparatuses 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D as image forming apparatuses 20.

[0023] Here, image forming apparatuses are generally referred to as printers, multifunction printers (MFPs), copiers, or facsimile machines. While their configurations may differ depending on specifications, performance, and manufacturers, their basic functions and configurations are the same. In Figure 1, image forming apparatuses 20A, 20B, and 20C are multifunction printers from the same manufacturer, while image forming apparatus 20D is a printer from a different manufacturer. Hereafter, when distinguishing between the image forming apparatuses 20, they will be referred to with letters, such as "image forming apparatus 20A," "image forming apparatus 20B," etc.

[0024] The processing unit 30 is a computer that can be installed as needed and on which agents described later can be installed. The terminal device 40 is a computer that can be installed as needed and, for example, can display the status of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0025] The processing unit 30 and the terminal device 40 may be implemented using a single computer. Furthermore, the terminal device 40 only needs to be able to acquire and display the status of the image forming apparatus 20 from the server device 10. For example, it may be a device connected to the network NW1 (such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone).

[0026] Furthermore, the IP addresses listed in Network NW3 in Figure 1 represent the IP addresses of each device. Specifically, the following IP addresses are assigned in Figure 1.

[0027] Image forming device 20A aaa.bbb.ccc.21 Image forming device 20B aaa.bbb.ccc.22 Image forming device 20C aaa.bbb.ccc.23 Image forming device 20D aaa.bbb.ccc.24 Processing unit 30 aaa.bbb.ccc.30 Terminal device 40 aaa.bbb.ccc.40

[0028] Furthermore, the devices subject to management may include items other than image forming apparatus. For example, they may include home appliances, AV equipment, IoT devices, etc. Also, the devices may include information devices such as tablets, smartphones, and computers.

[0029] [1.2 Hardware Configuration] The hardware configuration of each device will be explained below with reference to the figures. Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 10, Figure 3(a) shows an example of the image forming apparatus 20, and Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the processing apparatus 30.

[0030] [1.2.1 Server Equipment] As shown in Figure 2, the server device 10 includes a control unit 100, a storage device 110, a ROM 120, and a RAM 130, a display unit 140, an operation unit 150, and a communication unit 170.

[0031] The control unit 100 is a functional unit for controlling the entire server device 10. The control unit 100 realizes various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage 110 and ROM 120, and may be realized by one or more control devices / arithmetic units (CPU (Central Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip)).

[0032] Storage 110 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 110 may be an optical disc such as a DVD or Blu-ray disc, or a USB memory stick. Furthermore, storage 110 may be, for example, a storage area located in the cloud.

[0033] ROM120 is a non-volatile memory that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off.

[0034] RAM130 is the main memory primarily used by the control unit 100 during processing. RAM130 is a rewritable memory that temporarily holds data including programs read from storage 110 and ROM 120, as well as execution results.

[0035] The display unit 140 is a display device capable of displaying various information and execution screens. The display unit 140 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescent (OLED) display, or an electrophoretic display. The display unit 140 also includes an interface to which a display device can be connected. For example, it may consist of an external display device connected via HDMI® (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or DisplayPort.

[0036] The operation unit 150 is an operating device that allows user input. For example, it may be a touch panel integrated with the display unit 140, or an operating device such as operation buttons. The operation unit 150 also includes an interface to which an operating device can be connected. For example, it may consist of an operating device such as a keyboard or mouse connected via USB (Universal Serial Bus) or wirelessly.

[0037] The communication unit 170 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices. For example, it may be a network interface capable of providing wired or wireless connections. In this embodiment, it is possible to communicate with each device installed on network NW3 via network NW1.

[0038] [1.2.2 Image forming apparatus] [1.2.2.1 Configuration] As shown in Figure 3(a), the image forming apparatus 20 includes a control unit 200, storage 210, ROM 220, RAM 230, display unit 240, operation unit 250, and communication unit 270. These components are basically the same as those in the server device 10 described above.

[0039] The image forming unit 260 forms an image on, for example, recording paper. The image forming unit 260 includes, for example, an image carrier, and forms a toner image on the image carrier, and then transfers the image on the image carrier onto the recording paper to form an image.

[0040] The image reading unit 262 reads the image and outputs it as image data. The image reading unit 262 may be, for example, a scanner, or it may be a reading means that utilizes a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CIS (Contact Image Sensor).

[0041] The communication unit 270 is an interface for communicating with other devices. For example, the communication unit 270 communicates with other devices via a wired LAN or wireless LAN to the network NW3, or communicates with the server device 10. Alternatively, the communication unit 270 may connect directly to NW1, for example, by using a mobile communication network, and communicate with the server device 10.

[0042] In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 20 may have agents installed and run. That is, system 1 has several agents installed on devices within the network. The agents perform functions such as acquiring information about the devices to be managed and transmitting it to the server device 10.

[0043] [1.2.2.2 Storage] Here, an example of storage 210 in the image forming apparatus 20 is shown in Figure 3(b). Storage 210 can store agent 2000 and apparatus information 2400.

[0044] [1.2.2.3 Agent Functions] In the image forming apparatus 20, when the agent's functions are implemented, agent 2000 is stored in the storage. In other words, agent 2000 is installed in the image forming apparatus 20. Agent 2000 is a function that is executed in the image forming apparatus 20 and the processing unit 30, which will be described later.

[0045] Agent 2000 may be pre-stored not only in storage 210 but also in ROM 220. The agent function is realized when the control unit 200 executes Agent 2000. Agent 2000 may also be implemented as hardware. For example, an external device may be connected to the image forming apparatus 20, and this device may implement the functions of Agent 2000.

[0046] Agent 2000 has the functions of a search unit 2020 that searches for devices from which information can be acquired, and an acquisition unit 2030 that acquires information about devices to be managed.

[0047] Agent 2000 stores configuration information 2010 necessary for the operation of Agent 2000. Configuration information 2010 may store information about devices from which device information can be obtained, information indicating whether or not device information should actually be obtained, and the destination of the server device to which information about the devices to be managed should be sent. The configuration information may also store information about the devices to be managed. The configuration information may also store a configuration table. The configuration table only needs to store at least the devices detected by the agent and whether or not it is necessary to obtain device information for those devices.

[0048] The search unit 2020 searches for devices within the network from which the agent can obtain device information. The search unit 2020 may use, for example, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), a standard method for managing network devices, or MIB (Management Information Base). The search unit 2020 can send the search results to the server device 10. The server device 10 to which the agent sends the search results may be configured in the configuration information 2010 by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), etc.

[0049] Furthermore, the search unit 2020 may also transmit information about the agent itself. For example, the search unit 2020 may also transmit the address of the device on which the agent is running and the type of agent. In addition, the search unit 2020 may also transmit device information about the devices it has searched for. The device information that the search unit 2020 may transmit may include, for example, the manufacturer name of the image forming apparatus, the number of images processed (e.g., number of output images, number of printed images, number of read images, etc.), and the types of device information that can be obtained.

[0050] Furthermore, the search unit 2020 may search for devices in response to a request from the server device 10, or it may search at predetermined intervals, or it may perform a search when a new device is added to the network.

[0051] The acquisition unit 2030 acquires device information from the image forming apparatus 20 and transmits the acquired device information to the server device 10. The acquisition unit 2130 may use SNMP or MIB, which are standard methods for managing network devices, to acquire device information.

[0052] The acquisition unit 2030 may acquire device information at a timing set by, for example, the configuration information 2110 and transmit the device information to the server device 10. The timing at which the acquisition unit 2130 acquires device information may be predetermined time intervals, such as every 5 minutes, every 10 minutes, or every hour.

[0053] Furthermore, when the acquisition unit 2030 acquires device information of its own device, it may acquire and transmit the device information based on a trigger from its own device. The trigger may be, for example, the timing when the device being managed is powered on, shut down, or enters sleep mode. The trigger may also be the completion of a job executed in the image forming apparatus 20, the submission of a job, or the timing when a job error occurs. The trigger may also be, for example, when the toner level falls below a predetermined threshold, or when it is time to replace consumables.

[0054] Furthermore, the timing at which the acquisition unit 2030 acquires device information and the timing at which it transmits it to the server device 10 may be different. Also, the acquisition unit 2030 may acquire device information in response to a request from the server device 10.

[0055] [1.2.2.4 Agent Functions] In this embodiment, there are three types of agents.

[0056] (1) First agent (Native agent) The first agent is an agent that can operate on the device being managed, such as the image forming apparatus 20. The first agent can acquire only information about its own device. Because the first agent acquires information about its own device, it can acquire information about its own device with priority given to immediacy. Also, the first agent acquires data frequently. Furthermore, because the first agent acquires information about its own device, it can acquire detailed information. Because the first agent can acquire information about its own device, it can realize many functions based on that information, making it highly functional. In addition, when the first agent notifies an alert, it can provide real-time notification.

[0057] (2) Second agent (NativeFleet agent) The second agent is an agent that can operate within the device being managed, such as the image forming apparatus 20. The second agent can acquire information about its own device and information about other devices. That is, the second agent can acquire not only information about its own device, but also information about its own and other companies' devices that can communicate with it over the network.

[0058] The second agent can acquire information about its own device, prioritizing real-time information acquisition. It can also acquire information about other devices, allowing it to obtain information about managed devices within the network without requiring a separate device to run the agent. Since the second agent can acquire information about both its own and other devices, its data acquisition frequency may be lower compared to the first and third agents. Reducing the frequency of data acquisition by the second agent allows for data acquisition without interfering with the image forming apparatus's normal operations (e.g., copying or scanning). Furthermore, when the second agent issues an alert, it may notify its own device in real time, while other devices may be notified at regular intervals (e.g., polling intervals).

[0059] When the second agent obtains device information from another company's device, it may obtain general MIB information other than Private MIB information, for example.

[0060] (3) Third Agent (Fleet Agent) The third agent is an agent that can operate on devices other than the managed device, such as the processing unit 30. The third agent can only acquire information from other devices. Because the third agent operates on devices other than the managed device, it can acquire information about the device without consuming the resources of the managed device. Since the third agent does not place a load on the managed device, such as the image forming apparatus 20, the data acquisition frequency may be increased. Also, when the third agent notifies an alert, it may notify at a fixed interval (for example, the polling interval). Furthermore, when the third agent acquires device information from another company's device, it may acquire MIB information (Private MIB information, etc.).

[0061] [1.2.2.5 Device information] The device information 2400 stores information about the image forming apparatus 20. The device information 2400 may include one or more of the following: first information (performance information) regarding the performance of the image forming apparatus 20, second information (setting information) set in the image forming apparatus 20, third information (consumable information) regarding consumables for the image forming apparatus 20, and fourth information (status information) regarding the operation and status of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0062] The first information (performance information) is information regarding the performance of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, the first information may include information such as the model name, manufacturer name, model name, firmware version, operating system information, processing performance (e.g., number of pages that can be processed, number of pages that can be printed, number of pages that can be read), and whether or not options are available (e.g., stapling function, color printing, saddle-stitch printing unit, type of paper feed cassette).

[0063] The second piece of information (configuration information) is information configured in the image forming apparatus 20. For example, the second piece of information may include information that can be configured by the user or administrator, such as the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20, machine name, information about the authenticated user, facsimile destination information, reading resolution, copy density, and original settings.

[0064] The third type of information (consumables information) is information regarding the remaining amount of consumables in the image forming apparatus 20 and when they should be replaced. For example, the third type of information may include information regarding replaceable consumables such as the remaining toner in the image forming apparatus 20, the remaining amount in the paper tray, the status of the drum unit, the status of the waste toner bottle, and the remaining amount in the staple unit.

[0065] The fourth type of information (status information) is information indicating the status of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, the fourth type of information may include information regarding the operational status of the jobs in the image forming apparatus 20 (e.g., job running, job paused), information regarding any problems that have occurred (e.g., paper jam, out of paper, paper size error, communication error, etc.), information regarding counters, information regarding the power supply status (e.g., power saving state), and information regarding the communication status.

[0066] The device information described above is merely an example; other information may be included as long as it is obtainable by the image forming apparatus 20. Furthermore, the device information may be stored as device information in the storage 210, or it may refer to other information. For example, counter information and job information may be stored as separate information in the storage 210 or RAM 230.

[0067] [1.2.3 Processing Unit] The processing unit 30 includes a control unit 300, storage 310, ROM 320, RAM 330, display unit 340, operation unit 350, and communication unit 370. These components are basically the same as those in the server device 10 described above. The communication unit 370 is the same as the communication unit 270 described above and may be connected to NW3 to communicate with other devices, or connected to NW1 to communicate with the server device 10.

[0068] Furthermore, since the configurations of the processing unit 30 and the terminal device 40 are almost identical, a detailed explanation will be omitted in this embodiment.

[0069] Furthermore, as described above, agent 2000 is executed in the processing unit 30. In the processing unit 30, the third agent of agent 2000 is executed. The functions of the agents were explained in the configuration of the image forming apparatus, so they will be omitted here.

[0070] [1.2.4 Other Configurations] The configuration of the server device 10, image forming apparatus 20, and processing apparatus 30 described in the figure is a typical example and is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure. Other configurations may be used as needed, as long as they are obvious to those skilled in the art, and the configuration shown in the figure may not be used. For example, the communication unit 170 (communication unit 270, communication unit 370) may have multiple communication units. For example, in addition to the communication interface for connecting to a LAN, a communication interface for connecting to a mobile communication network (for example, a communication module capable of communicating with a mobile communication network such as 4G / 5G) may also be provided.

[0071] [1.3 Software Configuration] Next, the software configuration in System 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0072] [1.3.1 Server equipment, terminal equipment] The server device 10 can perform its respective functions by executing programs stored in the storage 110 or ROM 120.

[0073] The agent configuration unit 1100 obtains information about devices from which device information can be obtained, which is transmitted from the agent. The agent configuration unit 1100 determines which device information the agent should obtain. The agent configuration unit 1100 outputs the result of the agent determination to the agent table 1500.

[0074] The agent table 1500 is stored in the storage 110 of the server device 10. An example of the agent table 1500 is shown in Figure 6. The agent table 1500 may store information about the customer site (e.g., "cs1"), information about the device on which the agent is running to identify the agent (e.g., "aaa.bbb.ccc.21" as the Agents IP address), the type of agent being run (e.g., "First Agent (Native)"), the device from which the device information detected by the agent can be obtained (e.g., "20A" as the detection device), and information on whether the agent will obtain the device information (e.g., "Undecided" as whether it is selected).

[0075] The information used to identify the agent is described as the identification information of the device on which the agent is running, but it may also be, for example, the identification information of the agent itself. For example, it may also be the identification information of the agent program.

[0076] The devices from which the agent can obtain device information only need to provide information that identifies the device. For example, the devices from which the agent can obtain device information may include the device name, device ID, IP address, MAC address, or any other type of information.

[0077] The information regarding whether an agent will acquire device information is indicated as Agent Selection. Agent Selection can store three states: "Undecided" (not yet determined whether to acquire device information), "Yes" (indicating that device information will be acquired), and "No" (indicating that device information will not be acquired).

[0078] Furthermore, the agent configuration unit 1100 transmits a message to the agents indicating whether or not they want to acquire device information. This allows each agent to identify the device from which to acquire device information.

[0079] The information acquisition unit 1200 acquires device information from the agent. The information acquisition unit 1200 stores the acquired device information in the management database (DB) 1600.

[0080] The management DB 1600 is stored in the storage 110 of the server device 10. The management DB 1600 stores device information sent from the agent for each device. Various types of device information can be managed as long as it is related to the device. For example, if the device is an image forming apparatus, device-specific information such as the model name, device performance, installed options, and installed application information may be stored.

[0081] Furthermore, information on the device's performance may include, for example, the number of pages that can be processed as processing capacity. The number of pages that can be processed may store, for example, the image reading speed (e.g., the number of pages that can be scanned per unit time) and the image output speed (e.g., the number of pages that can be printed per unit time). Information on the device's performance may also include the paper sizes that can be output, whether or not color printing is possible, and whether or not double-sided printing is possible. Information on installed options may include the presence or absence of a saddle-stitch unit and a stapler unit. Information on installed applications may include, for example, the presence or absence of OCR and special printing applications.

[0082] Furthermore, the management DB1600 may store information about the device, such as the status of the image forming apparatus. For example, it may store information about toner levels, paper levels, job information, and error information.

[0083] The device management unit 1300 provides functions for managing devices by referring to the management database 1600. For example, the device management unit 1300 can provide a list of devices and their status via a web interface. The device management unit 1300 may also notify users of the device status, for example, by sending the device status to the terminal device of an administrator or other user using email.

[0084] For example, the terminal device 40 may implement the functions of the information display unit 4100. The information display unit 4100 may be implemented by the control unit of the terminal device 40 executing a program stored in the storage of the terminal device 40. Alternatively, the information display unit 4100 may be implemented on a browser by the terminal device 40 accessing the server device 10 using a web browser.

[0085] The information display unit 4100 displays information about the managed devices connected to the network NW3.

[0086] The terminal device 40 can be connected to the server device 10. The information display unit 4100 of the terminal device 40 communicates with the device management unit 1300 to display information about the image forming apparatus 20 connected to the network NW3. The administrator can view the status of the image forming apparatus via the terminal device 40 and easily understand the status of the image forming apparatus.

[0087] Furthermore, the terminal device 40 may display information and status of the image forming apparatus 20 via the information display unit 4100 upon notification from the device management unit 1300. For example, the information display unit 4100 can provide pop-up notifications, interrupt notifications, or alarm sounds. The administrator can learn from the display and notifications on the terminal device 40 whether, for example, an abnormality has occurred in the image forming apparatus 20, or whether the remaining amount of consumables or their lifespan is approaching.

[0088] [1.3.2 Image forming apparatus, processing apparatus] The image forming apparatus 20 will now be described. Figure 5 shows image forming apparatuses 20A, 20B, and 20C from the same manufacturer, and image forming apparatus 20D from a different manufacturer. For example, the agent can obtain more device information from image forming apparatus 20C, which is from the manufacturer targeted by the agent, compared to a general-purpose apparatus. However, image forming apparatus 20C does not have the functionality to run the agent. Image forming apparatus 20D is not from the manufacturer targeted by the agent. Therefore, the agent may not be able to obtain detailed information, but it can obtain general information.

[0089] The agent that acquires device information for the devices to be managed is running on one of the devices. In Figure 5, the first agent 2100 (Native agent) is running on the image forming apparatus 20A, the second agent 2200 (NativeFleet agent) is running on the image forming apparatus 20B, and the third agent 2300 (Fleet agent) is running on the processing unit 30.

[0090] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 20 stores apparatus information (apparatus information 2400A, apparatus information 2400B, apparatus information 2400C, apparatus information 2400D). The apparatus information is stored in the image forming apparatus 20 in a state that can be acquired by the agent.

[0091] Furthermore, each agent stores configuration information (configuration information 2110, configuration information 2210, configuration information 2310) and implements the functions of the search unit (search unit 2120, search unit 2220, search unit 2320) and the acquisition unit (acquisition unit 2130, acquisition unit 2230, acquisition unit 2330).

[0092] The first agent 2100 detects that the search unit 2120 can acquire the device information of the image forming apparatus 20A itself. The acquisition unit 2130 can also acquire the device information by referring to the device information 2400A. Alternatively, the devices from which the search unit 2120 can acquire device information through its search, and information on whether or not to acquire the device information of those devices, may be stored as a setting table in the setting information 2110.

[0093] The second agent 2200 detects that the search unit 2220 is able to acquire device information for the image forming apparatus 20B itself. At the same time, the search unit 2220 detects that image forming apparatuses 20A, 20C, and 20D are devices from which device information can be acquired.

[0094] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 2230 can acquire device information for each image forming apparatus by referring to device information 2400A, device information 2400B, device information 2400C, and device information 2400D. In addition, the search unit 2220 may store information on apparatuses for which device information can be acquired through its search, and whether or not to acquire the device information for those apparatuses, as a setting table in the setting information 2210.

[0095] The third agent 2300 detects the image forming apparatus 20A, image forming apparatus 20B, image forming apparatus 20C, and image forming apparatus 20D as devices from which device information can be obtained by the search unit 2320.

[0096] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 2330 can acquire device information for each image forming apparatus by referring to device information 2400A, device information 2400B, device information 2400C, and device information 2400D. In addition, the search unit 2320 may store information on apparatuses for which device information can be acquired through its search, and whether or not to acquire the device information for those apparatuses, as a setting table in the setting information 2310.

[0097] Figure 7 shows an example of a setting table. The setting table in Figure 7 is, for example, an example of a setting table stored in setting information 2210, and stores information about the devices detected by the search unit 2220 (in this case, image forming apparatuses 20A to 20D) and information indicating whether or not to acquire device information for each device. For example, the information indicating whether or not to acquire the device information stores "Yes" to acquire device information, "No" to not acquire device information, and "Undecided" to indicate that it is unknown.

[0098] Furthermore, the configuration table may contain other information. For example, the configuration table in Figure 7 may store information about the server device 10 (customer site) and the type of agent.

[0099] [1.4 Processing Flow] [1.4.1 Image forming apparatus] Figure 8 shows an example of processing in the image forming apparatus 20. First, the control unit 200 of the image forming apparatus 20 performs initial setup (step S102). For example, if the image forming apparatus 20 is capable of running agent 2000, it runs the installed agent 2000. The control unit 200 may also set information about the server device 10 to which agent 2000 will connect (for example, the address to which it will connect).

[0100] Next, the control unit 200 determines whether or not agent 2000 can be executed in the apparatus (step S104). If the image forming apparatus 20 is not capable of executing agent 2000, the control unit 200 terminates this process and executes only the processes that a typical image forming apparatus 20 would perform (step S104; No).

[0101] The control unit 200 determines whether the agent 2000 is configured or not if the image forming apparatus 20 is capable of executing agent 2000 (step S106). "Agent 2000 is configured" means that the necessary information for agent 2000 configuration information 2010 is stored.

[0102] If agent 2000 is not configured (step S106; No), the control unit 200 (search unit 2020) performs a search process (step S108). For example, if it is an image forming apparatus 20B, the search unit 2220 performs a process to search for devices in the network that can acquire device information. The control unit 200 then sends the search results to the server device 10. The control unit 200 may also send the type of agent being executed along with the search results.

[0103] The control unit 200 obtains information about the device whose device information should be acquired from the server device 10 and sets it in the agent configuration information 2010 (step S110).

[0104] The control unit 200 determines whether it is necessary for the agent 2000 to acquire device information (step S112). If it is necessary to acquire device information, the control unit 200 allows the agent 2000 to acquire the device information (step S114). Specifically, the acquisition unit 2030 acquires the device information of the device for which acquisition is necessary (step S116). Then, the control unit 200 (acquisition unit 2030) transmits the device information to the server device 10.

[0105] (Search process) The search process performed by agent 2000 will be explained with reference to Figure 9. First, the search unit 2020 sets the communication destination (step S202). In step S202, the server device 10 information set in the initial settings in Figure 8 may be set again as the communication destination. Alternatively, the communication destination may be set to, for example, a device from which device information is acquired, or a range of devices to be managed. For example, the control unit 200 may set a range of IP addresses that include the devices to be managed.

[0106] Next, the exploration unit 2020 performs a network exploration (step S204). The exploration unit 2020 may, for example, use SNMP or MIB used for managing network devices to explore for devices, or it may use any other means to explore for devices from which device information can be obtained.

[0107] The search unit 2020 may display the search status as needed (step S206). The search unit 2020 may, for example, display the search results on the display unit 240 and allow the image forming apparatus 20 to pre-select the apparatus for acquiring apparatus information.

[0108] Once the search unit 2020 has completed the search (step S208; Yes), it sends the search results to the server device 10 (step S210). This allows the server device 10 to recognize the devices from which the agent can acquire device information.

[0109] [1.4.2 Processing Unit] Figure 10 shows the processing when the processing unit 30 executes the third agent 2300. Note that if the third agent 2300 of the processing unit 30 is not configured (the necessary information is not set in the configuration information 2310), the configuration process for the third agent 2300 may be performed. The configuration process for the third agent 2300 can be performed by executing the necessary processes from steps S106, S108, and S110 in Figure 8, for example.

[0110] For example, the search unit 2320 transmits information about devices from which device information can be obtained within the network to the server device 10. The search unit 2320 may also transmit to the server device 10 the type of agent currently running (that the third agent 2300 is running).

[0111] Furthermore, the control unit 300 of the processing unit 30 sets the necessary information in the setting information 2310 based on the information received from the server device 10. For example, the search unit 2320 searches and sets the devices from which to acquire device information from among the devices identified as being able to acquire device information.

[0112] The control unit 300 (acquisition unit 2330) refers to the setting information 2310 and acquires the necessary device information (step S222). Then, the control unit 300 transmits the acquired device information to the server device 10 (step S224).

[0113] [1.4.3 Server Device Processing] Figure 11 shows the processing performed in the server device 10. The control unit 100 determines whether it is necessary to update the agent table 1500 (step S282). The timing at which it is necessary to update the agent table 1500 may be determined to be, for example, when a new agent is detected or when configuration information is sent again from an agent.

[0114] The agent configuration unit 1100 obtains configuration information from the agent (step S282; Yes → step S284) and updates the agent table 1500 (step S286). Here, the agent configuration unit 1100 may generate the agent table if it has not yet been configured. The agent configuration unit 1100 may also generate or update the agent table when some agents are added and / or deleted, or when the number of devices to be managed increases or decreases.

[0115] Here, the agent setting unit 1100 determines whether there are any devices to be managed that are listed in the agent table but for which no agent has been selected (step S288). If there are any devices to be managed for which no agent has been selected (step S288; Yes), the agent setting process is executed (step S292). The agent setting process sets the devices from which to acquire device information for the agents running on each device.

[0116] Furthermore, it is preferable that the information acquisition unit 1200 of the server device 10 periodically or in response to a trigger receives device information of any device from any agent. When the information acquisition unit 1200 receives device information (step S294; Yes), the information acquisition unit 1200 updates the management DB 1600 (step S296).

[0117] The management database update process updates the database by storing the received device information in the management database 1600. The management database 1600 may store device information for each device in chronological order. Alternatively, the management database 1600 may store the latest device information and the current device information for each device.

[0118] The server device 10 controls the display of the management screen based on the device information (step S298). For example, the terminal device 40 accesses the server device 10 via the web and displays the management screen on the terminal device 40. That is, the server device 10 controls the display of the management screen on the display unit of the terminal device 40 in response to a request from the terminal device 40. The server device 10 repeats the above process.

[0119] [1.4.4 Agent Configuration Process] The process by which the server device 10 configures agent 2000 will be explained in detail. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the basic process of configuring the agent.

[0120] First, when the selection criteria are not automatic, the priority of the agents is determined by the administrator. In other words, the administrator may manually set the device information for any device for the agent (step S302; No → step S312). That is, based on the administrator's selection, the agent setting unit 1100 determines which device the agent should use to acquire device information.

[0121] Here, when the selection criteria are automatic (step 302; Yes), the selection criteria are determined by the user (step S304). Here, the selection criteria may be determined manually by the administrator. Alternatively, the selection criteria may be determined automatically by the agent setting unit 1100 according to the number of devices in the network.

[0122] Here, for example, when the user selects "Real-time alert priority" as the selection condition for the agent to acquire device information, the agent setting unit 1100 assigns the agent the devices to acquire information from in the following order of priority (step S304; Real-time alert priority → step S306).

[0123] First agent (Native agent) > Second agent (own device) (NativeFleet agent) > Third agent (Fleet agent) (Step S306)

[0124] Furthermore, when the user selects "Data Priority" as the selection criterion for the agent to acquire device information, the agent setting unit 1100 assigns the agent the devices to acquire information from in the following order of priority (Step S04; Data Priority → Step S308).

[0125] Agent 1 (Native Agent) > Agent 2 (Own Device) (NativeFleet Agent) > Agent 2 (Other Device) (NativeFleet Agent) > Agent 3 (Fleet Agent)

[0126] Furthermore, when the user selects "prioritize reducing device load" as the selection criterion for the agent to acquire device information, the agent setting unit 1010 assigns the agent the devices to acquire information from in the following order of priority (step S304; priority to reduce device load → step S310).

[0127] Third agent (Fleet agent) > Second agent (NativeFleet agent) > First agent (Native agent)

[0128] The agent configuration unit 1100 then transmits information about the device from which to acquire device information, determined according to the priority order, to the agents 2000 running on each device. When an agent 2000 receives information about which device to acquire device information, it stores it in the configuration information 2010. This allows the agent 2000 to identify which device to obtain device information from.

[0129] Here, we have explained that the selection criteria for agents are determined by the administrator, but other methods may also be used. For example, the selection criteria may be changed depending on the processing capacity of the device to be managed, the functions of the agent, and the load status of System 1.

[0130] For example, if the processing capacity of the device on which the agent is executed and the processing capacity of the device being managed are high, the agent configuration unit 1100 may select real-time alert priority because executing the agent will have little impact on the device.

[0131] Furthermore, if the processing capacity of the device on which the agent is executed, or the processing capacity of the device being managed, is low, the execution of the agent on the device with low processing capacity may affect the operation of the device. In this case, the agent setting unit 1100 may select priority for reducing device load.

[0132] Furthermore, if the agent setting unit 1100 selects real-time alert priority and the load on the server device 10 increases or the network becomes congested, causing a decrease in the processing of system 1, it may switch to device load reduction priority.

[0133] Furthermore, the agent setting unit 1100 may also set conditions for selecting agents, such as high frequency of information acquisition and low impact on the device. For example, after an agent has started operating, the type of agent that acquires device information, or the agent itself, may be changed depending on the overall processing speed of the system 1, the processing speed of the device, etc.

[0134] [1.5 Example of Operation] Next, we will explain specific examples of operation. Below, we will describe the operation when the administrator selects different conditions for selecting an agent.

[0135] [1.5.1 Prioritize Real-Time Alerts] This section describes the behavior when "Real-time alert priority" is selected by the administrator. The processing when "Real-time alert priority" is selected is explained with reference to Figure 13. Figure 14 shows an example of agent table 1500 when "Real-time alert priority" is selected.

[0136] The agent setting unit 1100 configures the first agent (Native agent) or the second agent (NativeFleet agent) that is capable of acquiring the device information of the device to acquire the device information of the device (step S322).

[0137] For example, first, the first agent 2100 is set to acquire the device information 2400A of the image forming apparatus 20A (for example, T102 in Figure 14), and the second agent 2200 is set to acquire the device information 2400B of the image forming apparatus 20B (for example, T104 in Figure 14).

[0138] Next, if there are unconfigured image forming machines (step S324; Yes), an agent capable of acquiring machine information for the machine to be managed (image forming machine) is selected from among the second agent (NativeFleet agent) or the third agent (Fleet agent).

[0139] Here, if a processing unit is located within the network where the management device is installed, the third agent is configured to acquire device information. By configuring the third agent to acquire device information, the processing load on the image forming apparatus running the second agent can be reduced.

[0140] Alternatively, the second agent may be configured to acquire device information. In this case, it is not necessary to install another processing unit within the network where the device to be managed is located.

[0141] For example, in System 1 of Figure 1, the processing unit 30 is installed on network NW3. Therefore, in step S326, the third agent 2300 running in the processing unit 30 is configured to acquire the device information 2400C of the image forming apparatus 20C and the device information 2400D of the image forming apparatus 20D (for example, T106 in Figure 14).

[0142] [1.5.2 Prioritize data acquisition] This section explains the behavior when "Data Acquisition Priority" is selected by the administrator. The processing when Data Acquisition Priority is selected is explained with reference to Figure 15. Figure 16 shows an example of Agent Table 1500 when Data Acquisition Priority is selected.

[0143] The agent setting unit 1100 configures the first agent (Native agent) or the second agent (NativeFleet agent) that is capable of acquiring the device information of the device to acquire the device information of the device (step S342).

[0144] For example, first, the first agent 2100 is set to acquire the device information 2400A of the image forming apparatus 20A (for example, T202 in Figure 16), and the second agent 2200 is set to acquire the device information 2400B of the image forming apparatus 20B (for example, T204 in Figure 16).

[0145] Next, if there are image forming machines that have not been configured (step S344; Yes), the second agent (NativeFleet agent) is configured to be an agent capable of acquiring device information of the devices to be managed (image forming machines).

[0146] In step S346, the second agent 2200 running in the image forming apparatus 20B is configured to acquire the apparatus information 2400C of the image forming apparatus 20C and the apparatus information 2400D of the image forming apparatus 20D (for example, T206 in Figure 16).

[0147] [1.5.3 Prioritize reducing device load] This section describes the behavior when "Prioritize Device Load Reduction" is selected by the administrator. The processing when "Prioritize Device Load Reduction" is selected is explained with reference to Figure 17. Figure 18 shows an example of agent table 1500 when "Prioritize Device Load" is selected.

[0148] The agent setting unit 1100 sets the devices from which device information can be obtained by the third agent (Fleet agent) (step S362). If there are devices from which device information cannot be obtained by the third agent (Fleet agent) (step S364; Yes), the first agent (Native agent) or the second agent (NativeFleet agent) sets the devices from which device information can be obtained from among the devices not set in step S362.

[0149] For example, the third agent 2300 can first acquire device information for all devices. Therefore, the third agent 2300 is configured to acquire device information 2400A for image forming apparatus 20A, device information 2400B for image forming apparatus 20B, device information 2400C for image forming apparatus 20C, and device information 2400D for image forming apparatus 20D (for example, T302 in Figure 18).

[0150] [1.6 Effects] Thus, according to this embodiment, by incorporating an agent function into the managed device, it is possible to manage devices connected to the network without installing a separate processing unit on the network managing the devices (for example, at a customer's site).

[0151] Furthermore, by providing a processing unit as needed, it becomes possible to distribute the function of acquiring device information.

[0152] Furthermore, when multiple agents exist within the network, it is possible to configure a device for each agent that more effectively acquires device information. By configuring a device for acquiring device information for each agent, the load on the device for acquiring device information can be reduced.

[0153] Furthermore, by using multiple agents within the network, it is possible to appropriately configure agents depending on the priority of acquiring device information, such as prioritizing real-time acquisition of device information or prioritizing reducing the load on the device.

[0154] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the selection criteria comprehensively consider the administrator's requirements, the processing capacity of the devices to be managed, the agent's capabilities, the load status of the devices to be managed, and the load status of devices with agent capabilities, enabling optimal device monitoring and management.

[0155] [2. Second Embodiment] The second embodiment is one in which the server device 10 selects an agent from which to obtain device information when there are multiple devices from which it can obtain device information from an agent. This embodiment will mainly describe the differences from the configuration described in the first embodiment, and refer to the description of the first embodiment for other details.

[0156] Figure 19 illustrates the operation of the agent setting unit 1100. First, the agent setting unit 1100 refers to the information received from agent 2000 and the information stored in agent table 1500 to identify an agent capable of acquiring device information for each device (step S402).

[0157] If there is only one agent capable of obtaining the device information of the device, it is set as the agent that obtains the device information of the device (Step S404; Yes → Step S408).

[0158] Here, if there are multiple agents capable of acquiring device information for the device, the agent setting unit 1100 sets the agents according to the selection criteria (priority) selected by the administrator (step S406). Here, the method for setting the agents according to the selection criteria may be determined, for example, based on the agent setting process shown in Figure 12.

[0159] For example, there are multiple agents capable of acquiring device information for the image forming apparatus 20A, namely the first agent 2100, the second agent 2200, and the third agent 2300. When "Real-time alert priority" is selected by the administrator, the first agent 2100 takes priority (step S306 in Figure 12). Therefore, the device information for the image forming apparatus 20A is acquired by the first agent 2100 (for example, T102 in Figure 14).

[0160] Furthermore, if the administrator has selected priority for reducing device load, the third agent 2300 takes precedence (step S310 in Figure 12). Therefore, the device information of the image forming apparatus 20A is acquired by the third agent 2300 (for example, T302 in Figure 18).

[0161] Thus, according to this embodiment, when device information for the same device can be obtained from multiple agents, it becomes possible to determine which agent will manage the device from among the multiple agents based on agent selection criteria.

[0162] [3. Third Embodiment] The third embodiment is an embodiment in which load balancing is performed according to the performance of the device when determining the agent to acquire device information. Note that this embodiment will mainly be described in terms of the differences from the configuration described in the first embodiment, and other details will be based on the description of the first embodiment.

[0163] In the third embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, it will be explained that the second agent is also executed in the image forming apparatus 20A.

[0164] Figure 20 shows an example of the agent table 1500 in this embodiment. Compared to the agent table 1500 of the first embodiment, the agent table in this embodiment stores the printing speed as an example of the processing capacity of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0165] The agent setting unit 1100 may perform load balancing of agents that acquire device information according to the processing capacity of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0166] For example, in Figure 20, the processing capabilities of image forming apparatuses 20A and 20B are uniform (printing speed of 30 ppm). The agent setting unit 1100 has configured the agent of image forming apparatus 20A to acquire device information for image forming apparatuses 20A and 20C. The agent setting unit 1100 has also configured the agent of image forming apparatus 20B to acquire device information for image forming apparatuses 20B and 20D. In this way, if there is no difference in the processing capabilities of the image forming apparatuses 20, the devices that acquire device information may be configured to be distributed among them.

[0167] Figure 21 shows that the processing capacity of image forming apparatus 20A is 30 ppm at a printing speed, while the processing capacity of image forming apparatus 20B is 80 ppm at a printing speed. Generally speaking, in image forming apparatuses, the higher the printing speed (high-speed machine), the higher the processing capacity.

[0168] Therefore, the agent setting unit 1100 sets the agent of the image forming apparatus 20A to acquire the device information of the image forming apparatus 20A. The agent setting unit 1100 also sets the agent of the image forming apparatus 20B to acquire the device information of the image forming apparatus 20B, the image forming apparatus 20C, and the image forming apparatus 20D.

[0169] As a result, if there is no difference in the processing capacity of the image forming apparatus 20C, the image forming apparatus 20A acquires the apparatus information as shown in T400 in Figure 20. However, if the processing capacity of the image forming apparatus 20B is higher than that of the image forming apparatus 20A, the image forming apparatus 20B acquires the apparatus information of the image forming apparatus 20C as shown in T402 in Figure 21.

[0170] Thus, according to this embodiment, the agent setting unit 1100 can set agents that acquire device information of the image forming apparatus according to the processing capacity of the image forming apparatus.

[0171] Furthermore, as explained in the first embodiment, the selection may be made considering the selection criteria (priority) selected by the administrator. For example, if the administrator selects real-time alert priority, the agent for acquiring device information for the device itself will be set first. Then, for agents that acquire device information for devices for which no agent has been set, an agent may be set considering load balancing.

[0172] In this case, load balancing will be activated when the agent retrieves device information from other devices, resulting in a more efficient agent configuration.

[0173] Furthermore, when performing agent load balancing, the processing capabilities of the image forming apparatus 20 and the processing unit 30 may be taken into consideration. Also, when performing agent load balancing, the network speed may be taken into consideration.

[0174] Furthermore, the agent setting unit 1100 may perform the load balancing described above when devices of the same category are detected. For example, if multiple image forming devices are detected within the network, load balancing may be performed among the image forming devices.

[0175] Thus, in this embodiment, for example, if there are multiple second agents (NativeFleet agents) and their processing capabilities are equivalent, the devices to be managed can be configured to be equally distributed. Furthermore, if the devices to be managed are not equally distributed, the number of devices to be managed may vary by about one compared to other devices.

[0176] Furthermore, when the workload is to be distributed equally among agents, it may be distributed equally among all devices except the device itself. In this case, the devices with IP addresses closest to the agents may be configured first.

[0177] [4. Fourth Embodiment] The first to third embodiments described an image forming apparatus as an example of an apparatus from which the agent acquires device information (an apparatus to be managed). The fourth embodiment is an embodiment in which the apparatus from which the agent acquires device information includes apparatuses other than an image forming apparatus. Note that the explanation will focus on the differences from the configuration described in the first embodiment, and other details will refer to the explanation of the first embodiment.

[0178] Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating system 3 in this embodiment. Figure 22 includes device 50 as the device to be managed.

[0179] The apparatus 50 includes an image forming apparatus 20A, an image forming apparatus 20B, a display device 52, and a terminal device 54. The display device 52 is, for example, a large display device and may be configured as an integral part of the management device. For example, the display device 52 can be used as an electronic whiteboard or digital signage. The terminal device 54 may be, for example, a tablet terminal device or a portable terminal device such as a smartphone. The terminal device 54 may also be a terminal device that provides information to the user.

[0180] In addition to the image forming apparatus 20A and the image forming apparatus 20B, the agent can acquire device information for the display device 52 and the terminal device 54 as devices to be managed. Here, the display device 52 and the terminal device 54 may be run by the second agent 2200 (NativeFleet agent) or by the first agent 2100 (Native agent).

[0181] Furthermore, in the embodiment where load balancing is performed according to the performance of the device described in the third embodiment, the agent may also be appropriately determined when various devices are combined.

[0182] Here, the following methods can be considered for assigning agents based on the processing capacity of the device. (1) Determine the selection criteria (priority) for each type of device. For example, if a terminal device is considered to have higher processing power than an image forming apparatus, the terminal device may be given a higher priority. Alternatively, when comparing a display device and an image forming apparatus, the processing power of the control device connected to (or integrated with) the display device and the image forming apparatus may be judged and the priority determined accordingly. In other words, for each type of device to be managed, the agent setting unit 1100 may set an agent to acquire device information. (2) Determine the selection criteria (priority) according to the processing capacity of the device. For example, each device may calculate its processing power by executing a predetermined program (e.g., benchmark software). Based on this, the agent setting unit 1100 may prioritize devices with higher processing power and set agents to acquire device information accordingly. Each device may execute a predetermined program locally, or it may calculate its processing power by accessing a predetermined site via a browser.

[0183] Thus, according to this embodiment, the device to be managed is not limited to an image forming apparatus, but can be any device such as a display device or a terminal device, and the agent can appropriately acquire device information.

[0184] [5. Examples of application] The above-described embodiments will now be explained with reference to example screens. The example display screens described below are examples of display screens controlled by the server device 10. For example, a terminal device 40 may connect to the server device 10 and display the screen via web access. Alternatively, the display screen of the server device 10 may be displayed on a device such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0185] Figure 23 shows an example of the display screen W100 when the search process (for example, Figure 9) is executed. The display screen W100 may be displayed on the device on which the agent is running.

[0186] For example, display screen W100 is a display screen shown in the image forming apparatus 20B. Area R100 displays the type of agent running in the image forming apparatus 20B. Area R102 displays information about the destination to which the agent receives device information (e.g., the name and IP address of the server device 10). The user may change the destination to which the agent receives the information by selecting area R102 (for example, step S202 in Figure 9).

[0187] When the user selects the "Execute Search" button B100, the agent searches for devices from which information can be obtained and displays them in area R104. For example, area R104 displays the IP address, device name, and type of information that can be obtained from the devices from which information can be obtained. Area R104 may also be displayed by the search unit 2020 executing steps S204 and S206 in Figure 9.

[0188] The search unit 2020 may display information about available devices in a list or as icons. For example, the search unit 2020 can indicate that it can obtain information about paper (paper) or that it can obtain information about job execution (job).

[0189] Then, when the user selects the send button B102, the search unit 2020 sends the search result information to the destination (step S210 in Figure 9).

[0190] Figure 24(a) shows an example of the display screen W200 that the server device 10 controls when assigning agents. By operating the display screen W200, the user can assign the device from which the agent will acquire information.

[0191] Area R200 displays a pull-down menu that allows users to switch between "Real-time alert priority," "Data acquisition priority," and "Device load reduction priority." Once the user selects one assignment method and the assignment button B200 is selected, the agent setting unit 1100 appropriately assigns the agent.

[0192] Here, area R202 displays the device on which the agent is running. For example, area R202 includes information that identifies the device on which the agent is running (e.g., IP address), the type of agent running on that device, and the devices detected by that device (an identification display of devices from which information can be obtained).

[0193] Here, an example of the display screen when the assignment button is selected by the user is the display screen W210 in Figure 24(b). As shown in the display screen W210, the device from which information is to be acquired is identified and displayed (inverted in Figure 24(b)) on the device on which each agent is running. This is displayed when the agent setting unit 1100 executes step S304; Real-time alert priority → step S306 in Figure 12. Furthermore, the agent setting unit 1100 assigns an agent to the device from which information is to be acquired by executing the process in Figure 13.

[0194] Here, when the user selects the reflect button B210, the agent setting unit 110 sets the device that acquires information as the agent. Note that in Figure 24(b), the user may assign any device. For example, if the user selects display B212, the agent setting unit 1100 may assign that the agent running on the device at aaa.bbb.ccc.22 acquires the information of the image forming apparatus 20C. Furthermore, it is preferable that the devices that the user assigns to an agent be controlled exclusively. For example, when display B212 is selected, the selection display of display B214 is cleared. That is, in Figure 24(b), the user has assigned that the agent running on the device at aaa.bbb.ccc.30 acquires the information of the image forming apparatus 20C. However, if the user assigns that the agent running on the device at aaa.bbb.ccc.22 acquires the information of the image forming apparatus 20C, the currently selected state of acquisition by the device at aaa.bbb.ccc.30 will be canceled. Thus, it is preferable that the detection device be configured in such a way that it can be selectively selected.

[0195] Figure 25 shows an example of the display screen W300, which also displays the performance of the device on which the agent is running. For example, area R302 shows that the image forming apparatus for aaa.bbb.ccc.21 has a performance of 30 ppm. This allows the user to allocate the device on which to acquire information by allocating the load on the device on which the agent is running.

[0196] Furthermore, the agent setting unit 1100 may assign agents according to the performance of the devices. For example, area R300 displays an option to specify whether or not to prioritize the assignment of high-speed devices. For example, if "ON" is selected, the agent setting unit 1100 may assign devices that acquire information from high-speed devices. Also, the option specification display may be of different types. For example, Figure 25 describes the assignment of high-speed devices preferentially, but the assignment may also be based on the performance of the image forming apparatus (e.g., processing power (processing power measured by benchmarks, etc.), CPU power, memory capacity, etc.). In this case, multiple requirements may be selected. Also, area R302 may display the performance of the selected image processing device.

[0197] [6. Variant] The present invention 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 without departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0198] 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.

[0199] 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.

[0200] Here, the recording medium used to store 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, etc.), magnetic recording medium (e.g., magnetic tape, flexible disk, etc.).

[0201] 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 the present invention.

[0202] 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.

[0203] 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 combination 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 gate 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.

[0204] 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.

[0205] 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.

[0206] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0207] 1 System 10 Server devices 100 Control Unit 110 storage 120 ROM 130 RAM 140 Display section 150 Operation section 170 Communications Department 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D image forming device 200 Control Unit 210 storage 220 ROM 230 RAM 240 Display section 250 Operation section 260 Image forming unit 262 Image reading unit 270 Communications Department 30 Processing Unit 300 Control Unit 310 storage 320 ROM 330 RAM 340 Display section 350 Control unit 370 Communications Department 40 Terminal devices

Claims

1. A server device having a communication unit capable of communicating with other devices and a control unit, The control unit, The device controls the display of devices from which information can be acquired by an agent, which is either a first agent capable of acquiring information about its own device or a second agent capable of acquiring information about its own device and other devices. When the selection criteria for acquiring information from the aforementioned device are selected, the control system determines and identifies the device from which to acquire information based on the priority set according to the type of agent, and displays it accordingly. The agent performs control to acquire and display information about the device it has obtained. Server device.

2. The control unit also performs control to display information about the device on which the agent is running. The server device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit includes the processing capacity of the device on which the agent is running as information about that device. The server device according to claim 2.

4. The server device according to claim 1, wherein the selection condition is selected from one of the following: real-time alert priority, data acquisition priority, or device load reduction priority.

5. A management method for a server device, wherein the server device manages the device, The steps include: an agent, which is either a first agent capable of obtaining information about its own device within the network, or a second agent capable of obtaining information about its own device and other devices, identifying a device from which information about the device can be obtained; The server device, when a selection condition for acquiring information about the device is selected, sets the device for which to acquire information for the agent based on the priority set according to the type of agent, The steps include obtaining information about the device acquired by the agent, Management methods including those mentioned.

6. The server device is configured such that when the selection condition is the first condition, the agent that acquires information about the device is the first agent, which takes priority over the second agent. The management method described in claim 5.

7. When the selection condition is the second condition, the server device The information from the aforementioned device is configured to be preferentially acquired by the second agent. For devices from which the first agent can acquire information about itself, the first agent is configured to prioritize acquiring that information. The management method according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The server device acquires the processing capacity of the device on which the second agent is executed. When there are multiple devices on which the second agent is running, configure the system to obtain information from more other devices from the second agent running on the device with the highest processing power. The management method according to claim 5 or 6.

9. The management method according to claim 8, characterized in that the processing capacity is the number of sheets processed by the device.

10. The agent acquires information about devices within the network and further includes a third agent that operates outside of the devices. When the selection condition is the third condition, the information of the device is set to be preferentially acquired by the third agent. The management method according to claim 5 or 6.

11. When the selection condition is the first condition, the server device is configured to have the first agent or the second agent preferentially acquire information about itself, and to have the third agent acquire information about other devices. The management method according to claim 10.

12. When there is a specific device among the devices in the network that can acquire information from multiple agents, the server device is configured such that the load of agents acquiring information from that device is distributed according to the selection conditions. The management method described in claim 5.

13. A control method for a server device equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with a device, The steps include: performing control to display devices from which information can be acquired by an agent, which is either a first agent capable of acquiring information about the device itself or a second agent capable of acquiring information about the device itself and other devices, while the device is running; When a selection condition for acquiring information from the aforementioned device is selected, the control is performed to determine and identify the device from which to acquire information based on the priority set according to the type of agent, and to display the information. The steps include: performing control to acquire and display device information acquired by the agent; A control method having

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