JP2006099300A - Device setting management of device to be connected to network - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify setting change operations of a plurality of devices connected to a network. <P>SOLUTION: In this device setting management system for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network by a management server connected to the network, each of the plurality of devices is provided with a device monitoring part for acquiring the device setting information of itself, and for transmitting it to the management server and the management server is provided with a device setting management part for receiving the device setting information transmitted from one of the plurality of devices, and for grasping whether the device setting of the device has been changed, and for preparing update setting information based on the received device setting information when the setting of the device has been changed, and for sending and reflecting the prepared update setting information on the other predetermined device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for managing device settings of a device such as a printer connected to a network.

  In recent years, printers connected to a network have become widespread. For example, a plurality of printers are connected to a certain LAN (Local Area Network), and a certain terminal connected to the LAN connects to one or more of the plurality of printers connected to the LAN. By transmitting the print job, the user can execute printing.

  In addition, a management system in which a plurality of printers connected to a network and a management server that manages the plurality of printers are connected via the network is becoming widespread. In this management system, the management server notifies various information from the printer via the network, for example, notification of device setting information indicating settings relating to the operation conditions of the printer, and the reduction of consumables in the number of printed sheets and toner. Receive and manage notifications. Thereafter, the managed information is used as information for billing, for example.

  In such a management system, a plurality of printers of the same model connected to a certain LAN can be made into one group, and the device settings of the printers in the group can be set to a common setting except for the individual setting items. Many. For this reason, when changing the device settings of one printer in the group, it is also necessary to change the device settings of other printers in the group.

  Conventionally, in order to change the device setting of a printer, the change operator operates the operation panel of the printer, or operates a terminal connected via a network, and changes each device. For this reason, when the number of printers whose device settings are to be changed increases, the setting change work by the change operator becomes difficult accordingly.

  In addition, by operating the terminal connected via the network, input the change data, specify all the addresses of the printer to be changed, and send the change data to all the specified printers, change It is also possible to change all the target printers at once. However, even in this case, it is necessary to input change data, specify the address of the printer to be changed, etc. for each printer to be changed, which is insufficient in terms of reducing the load on the change operator. In addition, the following patent documents 1-3 are mentioned as prior art literature regarding the system which distributes data with respect to a network device, for example.

JP 2002-176424 A JP 2000-209239 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-331270

  In the above-described management system, a printer is described as an example of a device connected to the network (hereinafter simply referred to as a device). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same problem may occur in other devices.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of easily changing the settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network.

In order to achieve at least part of the above object, the device setting management system of the present invention provides:
A device setting management system for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
Each of the plurality of devices is
A device monitoring unit for acquiring own device setting information and transmitting it to the management server,
The management server
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, it is determined whether or not the device setting of the device is changed, and the setting of the device is changed Includes a device setting management unit that creates update setting information based on the received device setting information, and transmits and reflects the created update setting information to another predetermined device.

  According to the above configuration, when the device setting is changed in any one device, when the device setting information is transmitted to the management server, the change in the device setting is reflected in the device setting of the other device. Is done. As a result, it is possible to easily change the setting of a plurality of devices connected to the network.

In the device setting management system,
The device setting management unit
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, information already held as device setting information of the device is compared with the received device setting information Thus, it can be configured to grasp whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed.

In addition, the device setting management unit
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, information already held as device device setting information common to the device and a predetermined other device, and the reception By comparing with the device setting information that has been made, it may be configured to grasp whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed.

  According to the above configuration, it is possible to easily grasp whether or not the device setting of the device that transmitted the device setting information has been changed.

Another device setting management system of the present invention is
A device setting management system for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
Each of the plurality of devices is
A device monitoring unit for acquiring own device setting information and transmitting it to the management server,
The management server
When device setting information transmitted from a specific device among the plurality of devices is received, it is grasped whether the device setting of the device is changed, and when the setting of the device is changed, A device setting management unit that creates update setting information based on the received device setting information of the specific device, and transmits and reflects the created update setting information to a predetermined other device,
It is characterized by that.

  In the device setting management system with this configuration, when the device setting is changed on a specific device, when the device setting information is transmitted to the management server, the change in the device setting is reflected in the device setting of other devices. Is done. As a result, it is possible to easily change the setting of a plurality of devices connected to the network. In addition, according to this configuration, for example, when another device setting is different from the device setting of a specific device, the specific device setting can be reflected in the other device setting. The possible devices can be limited.

  The present invention can be realized not only in the above-described device setting management system but also in the management server. Further, the present invention is not limited to the aspect of the apparatus invention, and can be realized as an aspect of the method invention. Further, aspects as a computer program for constructing those methods and apparatuses, aspects as a recording medium recording such a computer program, data signals embodied in a carrier wave including the computer program, etc. It can also be realized in various ways.

  Further, when the present invention is configured as a computer program or a recording medium that records the program, the entire program for controlling the operation of the apparatus may be configured, or only the portion that performs the functions of the present invention. It may be configured.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order based on examples.
A. Example:
A1. System overview:
A2. Printer and DM server configuration:
A3. Device setting management processing:
A4. Effects of the embodiment:
B. Variations:

A. Example:
A1. System overview:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a device management system as an embodiment of the present invention. In the device management system 1000 according to the present embodiment, a device management server (hereinafter abbreviated as DM server) SV, a plurality of client PCs (hereinafter abbreviated as clients), and devices connected to the network are used. The plurality of printers PRT are connected via a network. Specifically, a plurality of printers PRT and a plurality of clients CL are connected via a local area network LAN1 provided in this system. The local area network LAN1 is connected to the Internet INT via a firewall FW. The DM server SV is connected to a local area network LAN2, and the local area network LAN2 is connected to the Internet INT. The plurality of printers PRT are grouped for each same model, and FIG. 1 shows three printers PRT1 to PRT3 belonging to group A. Further, FIG. 1 shows one client CL among a plurality of clients CL. Hereinafter, the predetermined printer connected to the LAN 1 is also simply referred to as a printer PRT.

  Communication between devices connected to these networks is based on the TCP / IP protocol, and an IP address is assigned to each device. The communication data transmitted from the transmission source device includes the IP address of the transmission source device (transmission source IP address) and the IP address of the transmission destination device (transmission destination IP address). This communication data is transmitted to the device having the IP address according to the destination IP address. Strictly speaking, these IP addresses are not set in the client CL, the printer PRT, and the DM server SV itself, but are nodes when viewed from the TCP / IP network (that is, specifically, For example, a network interface connected to a network for TCP / IP communication).

  Each printer PRT transmits information (hereinafter, also referred to as “device setting”) indicating communication data including a print job and operation conditions of the printer PRT (hereinafter also referred to as “device setting information”) transmitted from the client CL to the printer PRT. Communication data including the abbreviation). Each printer PRT also has various information such as printer operation status and operation results (hereinafter abbreviated as “device operation information”) and control information related to access to the DM server (hereinafter abbreviated as “access control information”). The communication data including the device setting information and the like is transmitted to and received from the DM server SV. In the following, device setting information, device operation information, and access control information may be simply referred to as “device information”.

  The DM server SV stores device information included in communication data transmitted from each printer PRT in the database DB. The DM server SV performs various processes based on the device information stored in the database DB. For example, billing management is performed according to the amount of use of the printer based on information related to the amount of use of the printer included in the device operation information, such as the amount of toner used and the number of sheets used. Also, based on the device setting information, the device setting of each printer is managed as will be described later. At this time, in the DM server SV, a plurality of printers PRT connected to the same LAN are grouped together for each same model, and device setting management is performed so that the device settings of the printers in the group become a common setting. Do. In the example of FIG. 1, device setting management is performed so that the device settings of the printers PRT1 to PRT3 are common settings.

  Note that the local area network LAN1 to which the printer PRT is connected is connected to the Internet INT via the firewall FW as described above. For this reason, the DM server SV cannot connect to the printer PRT through the firewall FW and acquire device information of the printer PRT. Therefore, in this embodiment, the printer PRT side is connected to the DM server SV using the hyper text transfer protocol (HTTP), and device information is transmitted (uploaded). Note that encrypted communication is performed between the printer PRT and the DM server SV using the HTTPS protocol, which is a kind of HTTP, from the viewpoint of security. For example, in each printer PRT, identification information for the DM server SV to uniquely identify each printer PRT and a password for connection authentication to the DM server SV are set in advance. When uploading various types of information to the DM server SV, each printer PRT first logs in to the DM server SV using the identification information and the password, and uploads the information according to a response instruction from the DM server SV.

  In the management system 1000, when the device setting of any printer PRT in the group A is changed by the device setting management function of the DM server SV described later, as described below, the change is automatically changed to another. Is reflected in the device setting of the printer PRT.

  As a premise of the description, for example, it is assumed that a certain user operates the client CL and changes the device setting of the first printer PRT1. Alternatively, it is assumed that the device setting of the first printer PRT1 is changed by operating the operation panel of the printer PRT1. In each printer PRT, it is assumed that device information is uploaded by accessing the DM server SV at a predetermined timing, for example, at a predetermined periodic interval.

  First, in the first printer PRT1, when an access request to the DM server SV is generated at a predetermined timing and access to the DM server SV is executed, the first printer PRT1 is changed. The device information including the device setting information is uploaded to the DM server SV (FIG. 1 (1)).

  Next, in the second printer PRT2, when an access request to the DM server SV is generated at a predetermined timing determined for this printer and the access to the DM server SV is executed (FIG. 1 (2-1)). ) The DM server SV transmits (downloads) the device setting information uploaded from the first printer PRT1 to the second printer PRT2 (FIG. 1 (2-2)).

  Further, in the third printer PRT3, when an access request to the DM server SV is generated at a predetermined timing determined for this printer and the access to the DM server SV is executed (FIG. 1 (3-1)). The DM server SV downloads the device setting information uploaded from the first printer PRT1 to the third printer PRT3 (FIG. 1 (3-2)).

  As described above, by changing the device settings for the first printer PRT1 in the group A, the DM server SV downloads the device setting information of the first printer PRT1 to the other printers PRT2 and PRT3. The As a result, the device settings of all printers PRT in group A can be made common. In the above description, the case of processing in the order of the second printer PRT2 and the third printer PRT3 has been described as an example. However, the order of processing may be reversed, and the process to the DM server SV is performed first. When an access request is generated, the process of the printer that executed the access process is executed first.

A2. Printer and DM server configuration:
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the printers PRT1 to PRT3 and the DM server SV in FIG. This internal configuration mainly shows a configuration for explaining the characteristics of the present invention, and an internal configuration that is not particularly required is omitted.

  The first printer PRT1 includes a printer controller 20A, a network interface (network I / F) 30A, a DM access control unit 40A, a device monitoring unit 50A, and a memory 60A.

  The printer controller 20A controls the operation of a printer engine (not shown) that actually executes printing. The printer controller 20A stores various pieces of information related to the printer in a format called MIB (Management Information Base). In the MIB, information preliminarily defined by the standard regarding the printer and information uniquely defined by the manufacturer are stored in an object format. The object information includes, for example, printer setting information (device setting information), information on the type and number of sheets of paper used for printing, information on the amount of toner or ink used for printing, and paper jams. Device information such as printer operation information (device operation information). Further, this object is managed in a tree structure by information elements, and an object ID (hereinafter referred to as OID) is assigned to each object so that they can be identified.

  The network I / F 30A is a communication interface for actually performing network communication.

  The DM access control unit 40A makes an access request to the DM server SV at a predetermined timing, and transmits (uploads) the device information stored in the device information storage unit 62A of the memory 60A. Receive (download) information transmitted as a response from the server SV. Of the received information, the access control information is stored in the control information storage unit 64A of the memory 60A, and the device setting information is transferred to the device monitoring unit 50A.

  The information regarding the predetermined timing is stored in advance in the control information storage unit 64A as access control information. The DM access control unit 40A monitors time with a timer (not shown), and executes access to the DM server SV at a predetermined timing.

  The device monitoring unit 50A periodically acquires device information accumulated in the MIB and stores it in the device information storage unit 62A. Further, the device information stored in the MIB is monitored, and when a change occurs, the information is acquired and stored in the device information storage unit 62A. Then, the device monitoring unit 50A requests the DM access control unit 40A to transmit (upload) the device information stored in the device information storage unit 62A to the DM server SV. Information regarding the timing for periodically acquiring device information is stored in advance in the control information storage unit 64A as access control information.

  In addition, the device monitoring unit 50A transfers the device setting information transferred from the DM access control unit 40A to the printer controller 20A and reflects it in the MIB.

  Although the DM access control unit 40A and the device monitoring unit 50A are described as functional blocks constructed in hardware, a CPU (not shown) reads a predetermined application program from a memory (not shown) You may make it build as a functional block implement | achieved by performing.

  The first printer PRT1 is configured as described above. Note that the second printer PRT2 and the third printer PRT3 are the same model as the first printer PRT1 and have the same configuration, and thus the description of each configuration is omitted. However, in each code of the second printer PRT2, [1] at the end of each code in the first printer PRT1 is replaced with [2], and [A] is replaced with [B]. In addition, each code of the third printer PRT3 is obtained by replacing [1] at the end of each code in the first printer PRT1 with [3] and [A] with [C].

  In FIG. 2, the DM server SV is a computer system including a DM server unit 70, a memory 80, a network I / F 90, and a database DB.

  The DM server unit 70 receives device information transmitted (uploaded) from each printer and accumulates it in the database DB. However, among the received device information, the device setting information is temporarily stored in the reception information storage unit 82 of the memory 80.

  The device setting management unit 72 included in the DM server unit 70 stores the device setting information stored in the reception information storage unit 82 and the device setting information of each printer PRT stored in the history information storage unit 86 of the database DB. In comparison, it is determined whether there is a change in the device setting. When there is a change in the device setting information transmitted from any printer PRT, the transmitted device setting information is used as update setting information for updating the device settings of each of the other printers PRT. Stored in the update information storage unit 84. The device setting management unit 72 then transmits (downloads) the corresponding update setting information when the printer PRT to which the update setting information stored in the update information storage unit 84 is to access the DM server SV. To do. As described above, in the printer PRT in which the update setting information is downloaded, the device setting information indicated by the received update setting information is reflected in the MIB.

  The network I / F 90 is a communication interface for performing network communication.

  The DM server unit 70 is described as a functional block constructed in hardware, but is realized by a CPU (not shown) reading and executing a predetermined application program from a memory (not shown). It may be constructed as a functional block. In addition, the DM server SV includes various general configurations included in the computer, but is omitted for convenience of description.

A3. Device setting management processing:
In the following, when the device setting management unit 72 of the DM server SV manages the device setting information transmitted from each printer PRT, and the device setting of any printer PRT in the same group is changed, A process will be described in which the changed device setting information is downloaded to another printer PRT, and the device setting changed in one printer PRT is reflected in another printer PRT in the same group.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of device setting management processing in the present embodiment. This device setting management process is always executed by the device setting management unit 72.

  When the device setting management process is started, the process first waits until an access is made from any printer PRT managed by the DM server SV (step S10). When there is an access from any of the printers PRT (step S10: Y), the device setting information transmitted (uploaded) from the printer PRT is stored in the reception information storage unit 82 (step S20).

  Next, it is determined whether update setting information to be transmitted (downloaded) to the access target printer PRT is stored in the update information storage unit 84 (FIG. 2) (step S30). If there is no update setting information to be downloaded (step S30: N), the determination process of step S40 is further executed. If there is update setting information to be downloaded (step S30: Y), a further step is performed. 60 determination processes are executed.

  In step S40, the device setting information (also referred to as “reception setting information” in the following description) stored in the reception information storage unit 82 (FIG. 2) and the history information storage unit 86 (FIG. 2) are already stored. The device setting information of the access target printer PRT (also referred to as “current setting information” in the following description) is compared, and it is determined whether or not the device setting has been changed. If there is no change in the device setting (step S40: N), the process returns to the first process (step S10) and waits until there is an access from any printer PRT again. On the other hand, if there is a change in the device setting (step S40: Y), the update information creation process of step S50 is executed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of update information creation processing. In this update information processing, first, among the device setting information stored in the history information storage unit 86, the device setting information (current setting information) of the printer PRT to be accessed is stored in the reception information storage unit 82. Update based on the device setting information (reception setting information) (step S52). Based on the reception setting information, update setting information to be downloaded to another printer PRT is created and stored in the update information storage unit 84 for each printer PRT (step S54). Then, the update information creation process is terminated, and the process returns to the device setting management process of FIG.

  When the update information creation process in step S50 is completed, the process returns to the top process (step S10), and waits until there is an access from any printer PRT again.

  In step S60, it is further determined whether or not the update setting information corresponding to the printer PRT to be accessed is transmitted information. If the update setting information corresponding to the printer PRT to be accessed has not been transmitted (step S60: N), the device setting update process of step S70 is executed. On the other hand, if the update setting information corresponding to the access target printer PRT has been transmitted (step S60: Y), the update confirmation processing in step S80 is executed.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of device setting update processing. In this device setting update process, first, update setting information corresponding to the access target printer PRT is downloaded to the printer PRT (step S72). Then, information indicating that transmission has been completed (transmitted information) is added to the downloaded update setting information (step S74). Then, the device setting update process is terminated, and the process returns to the device setting management process of FIG.

  When the device setting update process in step S70 is completed, the process returns to the first process (step S10), and waits until there is an access from any printer PRT again.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the update confirmation process. In the update confirmation processing in step S80, first, device setting information (reception setting information) uploaded from the access target printer PRT and stored in the reception information storage unit 82 is stored in the update information storage unit 84. It is determined whether or not it is the same as the transmitted update setting information (step S82). If the received setting information is not the same as the transmitted update setting information (step S82: N), it can be determined that the device setting has not been updated normally in the printer PRT, and therefore the transmitted update setting has been transmitted. By deleting the transmitted information added to the information, it is restored to the unsent update setting information (step S84). Then, the update confirmation process is terminated, and the process returns to the device setting management process of FIG. On the other hand, if the received setting information is the same as the transmitted update setting information (step S82: N), it can be determined that the device setting has been updated normally in the printer PRT to be accessed. Of the device setting information stored in the unit 86, the device setting information of the printer PRT is updated based on the reception setting information stored in the reception information storage unit 82 (step S86). Next, the transmitted update setting information is deleted from the update information storage unit 84. (Step S88). Then, the update confirmation process is terminated, and the process returns to the device setting management process of FIG.

  When the update confirmation process in step S80 is completed, the process returns to the first process (step S10) and waits until there is an access from any printer PRT again.

  In this way, each time there is an access from any printer PRT, depending on whether there is update setting information to be sent to the accessed printer PRT and whether there is a change in device settings, standby processing, update information creation processing, device setting update Device setting management is performed by executing either the process or the update confirmation process.

  In the following, the device settings of the first printer PRT1 and the third printer PRT3 included in the group A of FIG. A case where the changed device setting of the printer PRT1 is reflected will be described. For ease of explanation, as shown in FIG. 7, three items of power saving time, toner save, and resolution are device setting items, and information on these device setting items is transmitted as device setting information. That is, the device settings of the first printer PRT1 (FIG. 1) included in the group A are changed from the state of FIG. 7A to the state shown in FIG. 7B, and transmitted to the DM server SV. Assuming

  When the first printer PRT1 accesses the DM server SV, the device setting information (see FIG. 7B) uploaded from the first printer PRT1 is stored in the reception information storage unit 82 as reception setting information (FIG. 3). Step S20). Note that the history information storage unit 86 stores the device setting information of FIG. 7A as the current setting information.

  According to the above premise, when the first printer PRT1 accesses the DM server SV, the update information storage unit 84 does not store the update setting information of the first printer PRT1, so it is determined that there is no update setting information. (Step S30 in FIG. 3: N). Further, when the reception setting information (see FIG. 7B) of the first printer PRT1 is compared with the current setting information (see FIG. 7A), the power saving time is changed from 10 minutes to 5 minutes. It is determined that there is a change in the device setting (step S40 in FIG. 3: Y). Thus, when the first printer PRT1 accesses the DM server SV, update information creation processing (step S50 in FIG. 3) is first executed.

  When the update information creation process is executed, the device setting information (current setting information) of the first printer PRT1 stored in the history information storage unit 86 becomes the device setting information (current setting information) stored in the reception information storage unit 82 ( It is updated based on (reception setting information) (step S52 in FIG. 4). Based on the reception setting information, update setting information of the second printer PRT2 and update setting information of the third printer PRT3 are created and stored in the update information storage unit 84 (step S54 in FIG. 4).

  Next, when the second printer PRT2 accesses the DM server SV, device setting information (see FIG. 7A) uploaded from the second printer PRT2 is stored in the reception information storage unit 82 as reception setting information. (Step S20 in FIG. 3). In the history information storage unit 86, the device setting information shown in FIG. 7A is also stored as the current setting information.

  Since the unsent update setting information of the second printer PRT2 is stored in the update information storage unit 84, it is determined that there is update setting information (step S30: Y in FIG. 3). Further, it is determined that the update setting information has not been transmitted (step S60: N in FIG. 3). Thus, when the second printer PRT2 accesses, device setting update processing (step S70 in FIG. 3) is executed.

  When the device setting update process is executed, the update setting information of the second printer PRT2 stored in the update information storage unit 84 is downloaded to the second printer PRT2 (step S72 in FIG. 5). Then, the transmitted information is added to the downloaded update setting information (step S74 in FIG. 5). In the second printer PRT2 to which the update setting information is transmitted, this update setting information is reflected in the MIB, and the device settings of the second printer PRT2 are the same as the device settings of the first printer PRT1 (FIG. 7B ))).

  Then, after the update setting information is downloaded to the second printer PRT2, when the second printer PRT2 accesses the DM server SV again, similarly, the device setting information uploaded from the second printer PRT2 (FIG. 7 ( B) is stored in the reception information storage unit 82 as reception setting information (step S20 in FIG. 3). Note that the history information storage unit 86 stores the device setting information of FIG. 7A as the current setting information.

  Since the update setting information transmitted from the second printer PRT2 is stored in the update information storage unit 84, it is determined that there is update setting information (step S30: Y in FIG. 3). Further, it is determined that the update setting information has been transmitted (step S60: Y in FIG. 3). As a result, when the second printer PRT2 accesses again, an update confirmation process (step S80 in FIG. 3) is executed.

  When the update confirmation process is executed, it is determined whether or not the reception setting information stored in the reception information storage unit 82 is the same as the transmitted update setting information stored in the update information storage unit 84. (Step S82 in FIG. 6). When the update setting information downloaded when accessed first is normally reflected in the MIB, the reception setting information and the transmitted update setting information are the same (step S82: Y). The device setting information of the second printer PRT2 stored in the history information storage unit 86 is stored in the reception information storage unit 82 because it is determined that the device setting has been normally updated in the second printer PRT2. It is updated based on the reception setting information (step S86 in FIG. 6). Then, the transmitted update setting information is deleted from the update information storage unit 84 (step S88 in FIG. 6). Thus, the device setting update of the second printer PRT2 is completed.

  Also in the third printer PRT3, as in the case of the second printer PRT2, when the third printer PRT3 accesses the DM server SV, the update setting information of the third printer PRT3 is downloaded, and the third printer PRT3 is downloaded. The device settings of the printer PRT3 are updated.

  As described above, the device settings of the second printer PRT2 and the third printer PRT3 are changed to the device settings of the first printer PRT1 included in the group A of FIG. The changed device settings of the first printer PRT1 are reflected.

A4. Effects of the embodiment:
As described above, in the device management system 1000 according to the present embodiment, the device setting management unit 72 of the DM server SV performs the device setting for any one printer PRT in the group A configured with the same type of printer PRT. If changed, the printer PRT is updated based on the device setting information (reception setting information) uploaded from the printer PRT to the DM server SV and the device setting information (current setting information) stored as history information. It is possible to detect that the device setting of the device has been changed.

  Further, in order to update the device setting of another printer PRT in the group A, update setting information to be downloaded to another printer can be created based on the uploaded reception setting information. When another printer PRT accesses the DM server SV, the created update setting information can be downloaded to the printer PRT.

  As a result, the printer PRT that has downloaded the update setting information can change the device setting. Accordingly, by changing the device setting of any one printer PRT in the group A, the setting of the other printer PRT is changed to the setting common to the device setting of the one printer PRT that has changed the device setting. It becomes possible to control so that it becomes. Thus, it is not necessary to change a plurality of printers connected to the network for each printer, and it is possible to easily change the printer settings.

B. Variations:
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention.

B1. Modification 1:
In the above embodiment, for ease of explanation, the case where the three items of power saving time, toner save, and resolution are the device setting items of the printer, and the information of these device setting items is transmitted as the device setting information is an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. There are actually various setting items, and information on these various setting items may be transmitted as device setting information. Also, it is not necessary to set all the printer device setting items in common for each printer in the group. An item to be commonly set for each printer may be determined in advance, and only that item may be commonly set for each printer in the group. Then, only the information of the common setting item may be uploaded as the device setting information. As items to be commonly set, various device setting items other than items to be individually set for each printer, for example, color adjustment settings, calibration adjustment cycles, and the like can be considered.

B2. Modification 2:
In the above embodiment, information on all items of the device setting is uploaded to the DM server SV as device setting information (reception setting information) from the printer PRT whose device setting has been changed, and is stored as history information in the DM server SV. A case has been described as an example in which it is determined whether or not a device setting has been changed as compared with existing device setting information (current setting information). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the changed setting item may be uploaded as device setting information to the DM server SV from the printer PRT whose device setting has been changed. In this case, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for transmitting only the changed item information to the printer PRT whose device settings have been changed, but the DM server SV need not have a mechanism for determining whether or not the device settings have been changed. .

B3. Modification 3:
In the above embodiment, a case has been described as an example in which information on all items of device settings is downloaded as update setting information from the DM server SV to the printer PRT to be accessed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only items to be commonly set may be downloaded as update setting information. Alternatively, only changed items may be downloaded as update setting information.

B4. Modification 4:
In the above embodiment, the case where the device setting management process is executed so that the device settings of the printers included in the group are the same has been described as an example. It is also possible to make common settings for printers in different groups. It is also possible to define a group to be commonly set for each device setting item, and to make common settings between printers of different groups for each item.

B5. Modification 5:
In the above embodiment, the device setting change is determined by comparing the reception setting information uploaded from each printer PRT and the current setting information as history information held for each printer PRT. However, setting information common to each printer (default setting information) may be stored as history information, and the change of the device setting may be determined by comparing the default setting information with the reception setting information. .

B6. Modification 6:
In the above-described embodiment, a case will be described as an example in which, when the device setting of any one printer PRT in the group A is changed, the device settings of other printers PRT are controlled so as to have a common setting. However, when the device settings of a specific printer PRT determined in advance are changed, the device settings of other printers PRT may be controlled to be a common setting. The specific printer PRT may be a single printer PRT, or may be any one of a plurality of predetermined printers PRT. In this way, it is possible to restrict printers that can change device settings. Even if the device setting is changed and used by a printer PRT other than the specific printer PRT, there is no need to restore the change, and the management server SV is based on the device setting information of the specific printer PRT. The update setting information is created, and the created update setting information is changed and transmitted to the printer PRT that has been used and reflected, thereby automatically returning to the setting state common to the device setting of the specific printer PRT. it can.

B7. Modification 7:
In the above embodiment, the printer PRT has been described as an example of a device connected to the network, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even if the present invention is applied to various other devices such as a PC peripheral device, a copier, and a projector connected to a network, the effects of the present invention can be obtained.

B8. Modification 8:
In the above-described embodiment, each part of the printer PRT and the server SV may be configured as hardware instead of being configured as software, or may be configured as software based on what is configured as hardware. You may make it comprise.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the device management system as one Example of this invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an internal configuration of printers PRT1 to PRT3 and a DM server SV in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the device setting management process in a present Example. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of update information creation processing. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a device setting update process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of an update confirmation process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of a change of a device setting.

Explanation of symbols

1000 ... Device management system 20A to 20C ... Printer controller 30A to 30C ... Network interface (network I / F)
40A to 40C ... DM access control unit 50A to 50C ... Device monitoring unit 60A to 60C ... Memory 62A to 62C ... Device information storage unit 64A to 64C ... Control information storage unit 70 .. .DM server unit 72 ... device setting management unit 80 ... memory 82 ... reception information storage unit 84 ... update information storage unit 86 ... history information storage unit 90 ... network I / F
CL ... Client PC
DB ... Database FW ... Firewall INT ... Internet LAN1, LAN2 ... Local Area Network PRT ... Printer PRT1-PRT3 ... Printer SV ... Device Management (DM) Server

Claims (11)

A device setting management system for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
Each of the plurality of devices is
A device monitoring unit for acquiring own device setting information and transmitting it to the management server,
The management server
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, it is determined whether or not the device setting of the device is changed, and the setting of the device is changed Includes a device setting management unit that creates update setting information based on the received device setting information, and transmits and reflects the created update setting information to a predetermined other device.
A device setting management system. In the device setting management system according to claim 1,
The device setting management unit
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, information already held as device setting information of the device is compared with the received device setting information To understand whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed. In the device setting management system according to claim 1,
The device setting management unit
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, information already held as device setting information common to the device and a predetermined other device, and the received A device setting management system characterized by grasping whether or not a device setting of the device has been changed by comparing with device setting information. A device setting management system for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
Each of the plurality of devices is
A device monitoring unit for acquiring own device setting information and transmitting it to the management server,
The management server
When device setting information transmitted from a specific device among the plurality of devices is received, it is grasped whether the device setting of the device is changed, and when the setting of the device is changed, A device setting management unit that creates update setting information based on the received device setting information of the specific device, and transmits and reflects the created update setting information to a predetermined other device,
A device setting management system. A management server that manages device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network via the network,
When device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received, it is determined whether or not the device setting of the device is changed, and the setting of the device is changed A management server that creates update setting information based on the received device setting information, and transmits and reflects the created update setting information to a predetermined other device. A management server that manages device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network via the network,
When device setting information transmitted from a specific device among the plurality of devices is received, it is grasped whether the device setting of the device is changed, and when the setting of the device is changed, A management server that creates update setting information based on the received device setting information of the specific device and transmits the created update setting information to a predetermined other device to reflect the update setting information. A device setting management method for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
When receiving device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices, grasp whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed,
If the setting of the device has been changed, create update setting information based on the received device setting information,
Send and reflect the created update setting information to a predetermined other device,
A device setting management method. A device setting management method for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
When receiving device setting information transmitted from a specific device among the plurality of devices, grasp whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed,
If the setting of the device has been changed, create update setting information based on the received device setting information of the specific device,
Send and reflect the created update setting information to a predetermined other device,
A device setting management method. A computer program for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
A function of grasping whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed when device setting information transmitted from any one of the plurality of devices is received;
A function of creating update setting information based on the received device setting information when the setting of the device has been changed;
A function of transmitting and reflecting the created update setting information to a predetermined other device;
A computer program for realizing a computer. A computer program for managing device settings of a plurality of devices connected to a network with a management server connected to the network,
A function of grasping whether or not the device setting of the device has been changed when device setting information transmitted from a specific device among the plurality of devices is received;
When the setting of the device has been changed, a function of creating update setting information based on the received device setting information of the specific device;
A function of transmitting and reflecting the created update setting information to a predetermined other device;
A computer program for realizing a computer.   A recording medium for recording the computer program according to claim 9 or 10.

Images