Patent ID: 9459821
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A system comprising: an output device, the output device being one of (a) a printer, (b) a fax machine, (c) a copier, (d) a scanner, or (e) a multi-function device whose functionality is some combination thereof, the output device operable to transmit a status update; a tracker computer connected to a network, wherein the tracker computer is to transmit a first tracker query and a second tracker query through the network, the first tracker query requesting that the output device be turned on, and the second tracker query requesting an interpreted status of the output device, wherein the tracker computer is also to receive a tracker response over the network, the tracker response including the interpreted status of the output device; and a network element connected to the network and separately connected to the output device, wherein the network element is operable to receive the status update from the output device and interpret the status update of the output device into the interpreted status of the output device, wherein the network element is further operable to receive the first tracker query from the tracker computer and in response signal the output device to turn on, and wherein the network element is further operable to receive the second tracker query and in response generate the tracker response to include the interpreted status of the output device and transmit the tracker response to the tracker computer; and a router connected to the network in between the tracker computer and the network element so that the first and second tracker queries and the tracker response travel through the router, wherein the router serves as a firewall or logical divider between two subdivisions of the network, the two subdivisions of the network being a tracker network and an output network, wherein the tracker network connects the router to the tracker computer and one or more additional tracker computers, and the output network connects the router to the network element and one or more additional network elements, and wherein the tracker computer is to communicate with the network element, including transmitting the first and second tracker queries and receiving the tracker responses, through the router and using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).