Patent ID: 8014014
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media having components executable by a computer stored thereon, the components comprising: two or more class drivers, each class driver being provided for a corresponding input-output port in the computer and outputting status information representing status of an image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus in a format depending on specifications of the each class driver and depending on specifications of the image forming apparatus; two or more arbitrators that are provided selectively from among the arbitrators that each is a program module and receives the status information from a class driver of the two or more class drivers in the format depending on specifications of the class driver and depending on specifications of the image forming apparatus, and converts the status information into intermediate data that is independent from the specifications of the class driver and dependent on specifications of the image forming apparatus; two or more parsers that are provided selectively from among the parsers that each is a program module and converts the intermediate data into universal data that is independent from the specifications of the class driver and independent from the specifications of the image forming apparatus; a status monitor that acquires the universal data and outputs the universal data to an output device; and a correlation storage component that causes correlation information to be stored indicating a correlation between a name for identifying each image forming apparatus and a parser for the image forming apparatus, wherein each of the arbitrators has an interface compatible with each one of the parsers, wherein each of the parsers has an interface compatible with each one of the arbitrators, wherein the format of the intermediate data converted by each of the arbitrators is configured to be received by each of the parsers, wherein each of the parsers is configured to convert the format of the intermediate data converted by each of the arbitrators into the universal data, wherein when an image forming apparatus is specified as a target apparatus of output of the status information, the status monitor selects one of the parsers based on the specified target apparatus and the correlation information, and activates the selected one of the parsers, wherein the activated parser selects one of the arbitrators based on an input-output port corresponding to the specified target apparatus, and activates the selected one of the arbitrators, and wherein the status information from the target apparatus is converted into the intermediate information by the activated arbitrator and is further converted into the universal data by the activated parser, and then output by the status monitor.