Patent ID: 7392310
Filing Date: 2008-06-24
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. In a communication system having one or more monitored image output devices communicatively coupled to a monitoring system, a database having information related to the one or more monitored image output devices, a method of obtaining and maintaining, in the monitoring system, information related to the monitored image output devices comprising: a) accessing the one or more monitored image output devices and obtaining therefrom a first model name and a first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices by using a first IP address; b) storing configuration information corresponding to each of the one or more monitored image output devices, said configuration information including a second vendor name, a second model name and a second IP address of the one or more monitored image output devices; c) updating the configuration information to include the first model name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first model name is different than the second model name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; d) updating the configuration information to include the first vendor name of the one or more monitored image output devices when the first vendor name is different than the second vendor name and the first IP address is the same as the second IP address; e) enabling the monitoring system to access the database in order to retrieve information related to the monitored image output devices; f) populating a first data structure with information retrieved from the database; g) determining if a monitored image output device is supported by the monitoring system using information from the database; h) establishing communication with the monitored image output device in order to obtain status information of the monitored image output device if the monitored image output device is determined to be supported by the monitoring system; i) accessing a web page in an HTML format from a web server stored in the respective monitored image output devices so as to obtain a line from the web page; and j) parsing, without human interaction, the line from the web page to obtain the status information in accordance with information included in the first data structure, said parsing includes searching the line from the web page for a key included in the first data structure, and the information included in the first data structure includes a location of the status information within the web page with respect to a location of the key in the web page, wherein step h) is performed using an HTTP protocol.