Patent ID: 8464330
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An agent device connected with one or more image-forming devices in a local network having a firewall provided therein, comprising: a command receiving unit configured to start a connection with a management device which carries out remote management of the one or more image-forming devices in the local network through the Internet, and receive a plurality of management commands from the management device via the firewall, the plurality of management commands being sent by the management device in response to said connection and including a management command sent to the agent device and a management command sent to the one or more image-forming devices; a request-queue buffer storing the plurality of management commands received by the command receiving unit; and a management command analysis unit configured to acquire each of the plurality of management commands stored in the request-queue buffer, and determine whether the acquired management command is a management command sent to the agent device, or a management command sent to the one or more image-forming devices, wherein the management command analysis unit transmits the management command to an agent-device control unit provided in the agent device in response to a determination that the acquired management command relates to at least a setting of a connection start interval, and the management command analysis unit transmits the management command to an image-forming-device communication unit connected to the one or more image-forming devices in response to a determination that the acquired management command relates to device-state information regarding at least a setting of operation of a corresponding one of the image-forming devices.