Abstract:
An information processing apparatus is communicable with a device via a first communication channel and communicable with a device management apparatus for managing the device via a second communication channel. The information processing apparatus includes a request generator configured to generate a first device information acquisition request in a second protocol based on a device information acquisition request in a first protocol transmitted from the device management apparatus via the second communication channel; a first transmitter configured to transmit the first device information acquisition request to the device via the first communication channel; a first receiver configured to receive a first device information acquisition response in the second protocol including device information from the device via the first communication channel; and a response generator configured to generate a device information acquisition response in the first protocol based on the first device information acquisition response.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to and incorporates by reference the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-016976 filed in Japan on Jan. 30, 2012 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-268771 filed in Japan on Dec. 7, 2012. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventionally, device management apparatuses that manage devices connected over a network are known. For example, Japanese patent No. 3937478 discloses a technology enabling a processing module and a device to be managed to exchange management information using protocols by connecting the device to be managed to a network using a network expansion board having an agent for each of various protocols. 
         [0006]    Also, some of these device management apparatuses manage, via an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer (PC) connected over a network, devices connected to the information processing apparatus via a communication interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) cable. 
         [0007]    However, with the conventional technology described above, there is an issue that, in the case a device management apparatus manages a device via an information processing apparatus, information that can be acquired is limited compared to when directly managing a device and the extent of management is limited. 
         [0008]    Therefore, there is a need for an information processing apparatus and a computer-readable storage medium that allow a device management apparatus to perform high-level management even when a device is to be managed via an information processing apparatus. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems in the conventional technology. 
         [0010]    According to an embodiment, there is provided an information processing apparatus communicable with a device via a first communication channel and communicable with a device management apparatus for managing the device via a second communication channel. The information processing apparatus includes a request generator configured to generate a first device information acquisition request in a second protocol based on a device information acquisition request in a first protocol transmitted from the device management apparatus via the second communication channel; a first transmitter configured to transmit the first device information acquisition request in the second protocol to the device via the first communication channel; a first receiver configured to receive a first device information acquisition response in the second protocol including device information of the device from the device via the first communication channel; and a response generator configured to generate a device information acquisition response in the first protocol based on the first device information acquisition response in the second protocol. 
         [0011]    According to another embodiment, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon. The program instructs a computer that is communicable with a device via a first communication channel and communicable with a device management apparatus for managing the device via a second communication channel, to perform: generating a first device information acquisition request in a second protocol based on a device information acquisition request in a first protocol transmitted from the device management apparatus via the second communication channel; transmitting the first device information acquisition request in the second protocol to the device via the first communication channel; receiving a first device information acquisition response in the second protocol including device information of the device from the device via the first communication channel; and generating a device information acquisition response in the first protocol based on the first device information acquisition response in the second protocol. 
         [0012]    The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a device management system according to a present embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a PC  10  according to the present embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an example of a PJL response according to the present embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate an example of a PJL response according to the present embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a device according to the present embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a device management apparatus according to the present embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process that is performed at the device management system according to the present embodiment at the time of activation of a device; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process that is performed at the device management system according to the present embodiment at the time of occurrence of an error in a device; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process that is performed at the device management system according to the present embodiment when device information is requested by the device management apparatus; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a PC  10  and a device management apparatus  30  according to the present embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a device according to a modification; and 
           [0024]      FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate an example of a PJL response according to the modification. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0026]    First, a configuration of a device management system including an information processing apparatus of an embodiment will be described. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a device management system  1  of the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the device management system  1  includes a personal computer (PC)  10  (an example of an information processing apparatus), devices  20  to  22 , and a device management apparatus  30 . 
         [0028]    The PC  10 , the devices  21  and  22 , and the device management apparatus  30  are connected over a network  2  (an example of a second communication channel). The PC  10  and the device  20  are connected via a communication interface  3  (an example of a first communication channel). The network  2  can be realized by the Internet, a local area network (LAN) or the like, for example. The communication interface  3  may be realized by a universal serial bus (USB) cable or the like, for example. 
         [0029]    The device management apparatus  30  is installed at a service center of a service provider company that provides a device management service, and the PC  10  and the devices  20  to  22  are installed at service locations. A service location is an area where a device to be managed is installed, and an office of a company that receives the device management service or the like corresponds to the service location, for example. Additionally, the installation location of the device management apparatus  30  is not limited to a service center, and it may also be a service location or the like. 
         [0030]    The device management apparatus  30  is for managing the PC  10  and the devices  20  to  22 , and it may be realized by a PC or the like in which a device management (manager) program described later is installed. In  FIG. 1 , the PC  10  and the devices  20  to  22  are illustrated as the devices to be managed by the device management apparatus  30 , but the devices to be managed by the device management apparatus  30  are not limited to these. 
         [0031]    An agent program described later is installed in the PC  10 , and when acquisition of device information is requested by the device management apparatus  30 , the PC  10  acquires the device information from the device  20  via the communication interface  3  and notifies the device management apparatus  30  of the same. The device management apparatus  30  is thereby enabled to manage the device  20  that is not connected to the network  2 . 
         [0032]    It is enough if the device  20  is a device that is capable of connecting at least to the communication interface  3 , and if the devices  21  and  22  are devices that are capable of connecting at least to the network  2 . Additionally, the devices  20  to  22  may be devices that are capable of connecting to both the communication interface  3  and the network  2 . For examples, the devices  20  to  22  may be image forming devices such as printers, copy machines, multifunction peripherals, scanners and facsimiles, or various electronic devices such as projectors, cameras, air conditioners, refrigerators, fluorescent lights, vending machines and handheld terminals. The multifunction peripheral (MFP) serves the function of at least two of the copy function, the print function, the scan function and the facsimile function. Additionally, in the present embodiment, an explanation will be given assuming that the devices  20  to  22  are printers. 
         [0033]    Moreover, in the following explanation, a device that is connected to the network  2  may be referred to as a network device, and a device that is connected to the communication interface  3  may be referred to as a local device. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the PC  10  according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the PC  10  includes a communication unit  111 , a communication unit  112 , an operating unit  120 , a display unit  130 , a storage unit  140  and a control unit  150 . 
         [0035]    The communication unit  111  is for communicating with an external device such as the device management apparatus  30  over the network  2 , and it may be realized by a network interface card (NIC) or the like. 
         [0036]    The communication unit  112  is for communicating with a local device such as the device  20  or the like via the communication interface  3 , and it may be realized by a USB or the like. 
         [0037]    The operating unit  120  is for inputting various operations, and it may be realized by an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch panel or the like. 
         [0038]    The display unit  130  is for displaying various screens, and it may be realized by a display device such as a liquid-crystal display, a touch panel display or the like. 
         [0039]    The storage unit  140  stores various programs such as operating system (OS) programs and agent programs to be executed by the PC  10 , data used in various processes performed by the PC  10 , and the like. The storage unit  140  may be realized by any of storage devices capable of performing storing magnetically, optically or electrically, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a memory card, an optical disk, a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), for example. 
         [0040]    The storage unit  140  includes a device information storage unit  141  storing device information of the PC  10  or device information of a local device. The device information of the PC  10  is stored in advance in the device information storage unit  141 , and the device information of a local device is stored therein as appropriate by the control unit  150  described later. The device information of the PC  10  may be any information regarding the PC  10 , such as the serial number of the PC  10 , the IP address, the MAC address, the device name, the model name, the administrator information, error information and the like, for example. The device information of a local device may be any information regarding the local device, such as the serial number of the local device, the MAC address, the device name, the model name, counter information, error information (call information) and tray information, for example. 
         [0041]    The control unit  150  is for controlling each unit of the PC  10 , and it may be realized by a control device such as a central processing unit (CPU) or the like. The control unit  150  includes an OS  160  and agent software  170 . Here, the control unit  150  realizes the OS  160  and the agent software  170  as software by starting (executing) OS programs and agent programs stored in the storage unit  140 . 
         [0042]    The OS  160  is for controlling each unit of the PC  10  (more specifically, the hardware and software of the PC  10 ), and it may be realized by basic software such as Windows (registered trademark) or UNIX (registered trademark), for example. The OS  160  includes a second receiving unit  161 , a generating unit  162  and a second transmitting unit  163 . 
         [0043]    The second receiving unit  161  receives from the device management apparatus  30 , via the network  2 , a device information acquisition request in a first protocol. In the present embodiment, an explanation is given assuming that the first protocol is Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), but the first protocol is not limited thereto. The first protocol may be any protocol that allows the device management apparatus  30  to manage a network device, such as HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), for example. The generating unit  162  and the second transmitting unit  163  will be described later. 
         [0044]    The agent software  170  is for acquiring device information from a local device, and includes a protocol determination module  171 , and a first protocol conversion module  180  to an n-th (n is a positive integer) protocol conversion module  190 . 
         [0045]    The protocol determination module  171  includes a determining unit  172  and a setting unit  173 . 
         [0046]    The determining unit  172  determines whether or not to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol received by the second receiving unit  161  into another protocol. 
         [0047]    Specifically, the determining unit  172  checks whether or not the PC  10  is connected to a local device, using registry information, port information or the like in the storage unit  140 , and when the PC  10  is not connected to the local device, the determining unit  172  determines not to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into another protocol. Also, when the device information that is requested by the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is stored in the device information storage unit  141 , or is stored and satisfies a predetermined condition, the determining unit  172  determines not to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into another protocol. 
         [0048]    In the present embodiment, the agent software  170  acquires fixed (invariable) device information, such as a serial number, a MAC address, a device name and a model name, from a local device connected to the PC  10  at the time of activation of the local device, and stores the same in the device information storage unit  141 . Therefore, when the device information that is requested by the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is fixed device information as described above, since the information is already stored in the device information storage unit  141 , the determining unit  172  determines not to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into another protocol. 
         [0049]    Also, in the present embodiment, when an error occurs in a local device connected to the PC  10 , the agent software  170  receives, from the local device, error information (call information) regarding the error which has occurred and stores the same in the device information storage unit  141 . Therefore, when the device information that is requested by the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is the error information, if the information is stored in the device information storage unit  141  and satisfies a predetermined condition, the determining unit  172  determines not to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into another protocol. A predetermined condition here is whether or not the time from the occurrence of an error to the decision by the determining unit  172  exceeds a predetermined period of time, for example, and if it does, the predetermined condition is not satisfied, and if it does not, the predetermined condition is satisfied. 
         [0050]    On the other hand, when a local device is connected to the PC  10  and the device information that is requested by the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is not stored in the device information storage unit  141  or is stored but does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the determining unit  172  determines to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into a protocol for the corresponding device. 
         [0051]    For example, when the device information that is requested by the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is counter information or tray information, since it is not stored in the device information storage unit  141 , the determining unit  172  determines to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into the protocol for the corresponding device. Also, for example, when the device information that is requested by the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is error information, if the information is stored in the device information storage unit  141  but does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the determining unit  172  determines to convert the device information acquisition request in the first protocol into the protocol for the corresponding device. 
         [0052]    The setting unit  173  sets the protocol for the corresponding device into which the device information acquisition request in the first protocol received by the second receiving unit  161  is to be converted. Specifically, when the determining unit  172  determines that the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is to be converted into the protocol for the corresponding device, the setting unit  173  sets the protocol for the device corresponding to the device information acquisition request in the first protocol, using the model name or the like of the local device stored in the device information storage unit  141 . 
         [0053]    In the present embodiment, since the device  20  is connected to the PC  10  via the communication interface  3 , the setting unit  173  sets, using the model name or the like of the device  20  stored in the device information storage unit  141 , a second protocol as the protocol into which the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is to be converted. Here, an explanation will be given assuming that the second protocol is a predetermined printer job language (PJL), but the second protocol is not limited thereto. The protocol into which the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is to be converted (hereinafter, referred to as the conversion destination protocol), such as the second protocol, may be any protocol that allows the PC  10  to manage the target local device. 
         [0054]    The first protocol conversion module  180  to the n-th protocol conversion module  190  are modules corresponding to the conversion destination protocols of the device information acquisition request in the first protocol, and in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the first protocol conversion module  180  corresponds to the second protocol. Accordingly, the first protocol conversion module  180 , among the first protocol conversion module  180  to the n-th protocol conversion module  190 , will be mainly described. Additionally, although the conversion destination protocols of protocol conversion modules other than the first protocol conversion module  180  are different from that of the first protocol conversion module  180 , the details of the processing are the same. 
         [0055]    The first protocol conversion module  180  includes a request generating unit  181 , a first transmitting unit  182 , a first receiving unit  183  and a response generating unit  184 . 
         [0056]    The request generating unit  181  generates first device information acquisition request in the second protocol based on the device information acquisition request in the first protocol which has been transmitted from the device management apparatus  30  over the network  2 . Specifically, the request generating unit  181  generates the first device information acquisition request in the second protocol set by the setting unit  173 , based on the device information acquisition request in the first protocol received by the second receiving unit  161 . The first device information acquisition request in the second protocol is for requesting for acquisition of counter information of a local device, for example. 
         [0057]    Also, the request generating unit  181  generates a second device information acquisition request in the second protocol at the time of activation of a local device connected to the PC  10 . The second device information acquisition request in the second protocol is for requesting for acquisition of fixed device information of the local device, for example. 
         [0058]    The first transmitting unit  182  transmits, to the local device, via the communication interface  3 , the first device information acquisition request in the second protocol and the second device information acquisition request in the second protocol generated by the request generating unit  181 . 
         [0059]    The first receiving unit  183  receives, from the local device, via the communication interface  3 , a first device information acquisition response in the second protocol and a second device information acquisition response in the second protocol including the device information of the local device. Additionally, the first device information acquisition response in the second protocol is a response to the first device information acquisition request in the second protocol, and the second device information acquisition response in the second protocol is a response to the second device information acquisition request in the second protocol. 
         [0060]    Also, the first receiving unit  183  receives, from the local device, via the communication interface  3 , a device information notification in the second protocol including the device information of the device. The device information notification in the second protocol notifies of error information of the local device and includes the error information as the device information of the local device, for example. 
         [0061]    The response generating unit  184  converts the pieces of device information of the local device included in the second device information acquisition response in the second protocol and the device information notification in the second protocol received by the first receiving unit  183  into those in the first protocol, and stores the same in the device information storage unit  141 . 
         [0062]    Also, when the determining unit  172  determines that the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is not to be converted into another protocol, the response generating unit  184  generates a device information acquisition response in the first protocol using the device information of the local device stored in the device information storage unit  141 . 
         [0063]    Also, the response generating unit  184  generates the device information acquisition response in the first protocol based on the first device information acquisition response in the second protocol received by the first receiving unit  183 . At this time, the response generating unit  184  may generate the device information acquisition response in the first protocol using not only the device information included in the first device information acquisition response in the second protocol, but also the device information of the PC  10  or the local device stored in the device information storage unit  141 . 
         [0064]    Here, the processing of the first protocol conversion module  180  and the n-th protocol conversion module  190  will be described taking acquisition of the tray information of a local device as an example. As described above, the first protocol conversion module  180  is a module corresponding to a predetermined PJL (the second protocol), and the n-th protocol conversion module  190  is a module corresponding to a PJL different from the predetermined PJL. Additionally, it is assumed here that a local device other than the device  20  is connected to the PC  10 . 
         [0065]    When the conversion destination protocol of the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is set by the setting unit  173  to be the predetermined PJL, the first protocol conversion module  180  generates, as the first device information acquisition request in the predetermined PJL, @PJL INQUIRE INTRAYXSIZE, PJL INQUIRE INTRAYXQUANT and @PJL INQUIRE INTRAYXMEDIA, transmits the same to the device  20 , receives a response from the device  20 , formats the received response into XML data as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , parses the data in a tag “&lt;variables&gt;” in the formatted XML data, and converts the same for the first protocol. 
         [0066]    When the conversion destination protocol of the device information acquisition request in the first protocol is set by the setting unit  173  to be the PJL different from the predetermined PJL, the n-th protocol conversion module  190  generates @PJL INFO STATUS as the first device information acquisition request in the PJL, transmits the same to a local device which is not the device  20  connected to the PC  10 , receives a response from the local device, formats the received response into XML data as illustrated in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , parses the data in a tag “&lt;statuses&gt;” in the formatted XML data, and converts the same for the first protocol. 
         [0067]    The generating unit  162  and the second transmitting unit  163  will now be described. 
         [0068]    The generating unit  162  generates a device information acquisition response in the first protocol for the device information acquisition request in the first protocol received by the second receiving unit  161 , using the device information of the PC  10  stored in the device information storage unit  141 . 
         [0069]    The second transmitting unit  163  transmits, to the device management apparatus  30 , over the network  2 , the device information acquisition response in the first protocol, generated by the response generating unit  184 , including the device information of the local device and the device information acquisition response in the first protocol, generated by the generating unit  162 , including the device information of the PC  10 . 
         [0070]    Additionally, the PC  10  does not have to include all of the units described above, and one or some of the units may be omitted. 
         [0071]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the device  20  according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the device  20  includes a communication unit  210 , an operating unit  220 , a display unit  230 , a storage unit  240 , a control unit  250  and a printer unit  260 . 
         [0072]    The communication unit  210  is for communicating with the PC  10  via the communication interface  3 , and it may be realized by a USB or the like. 
         [0073]    The operating unit  220  is for inputting various operations, and it may be realized by an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch panel or the like. 
         [0074]    The display unit  230  is for displaying various screens, and it may be realized by a display device such as a liquid-crystal display, a touch panel display or the like. 
         [0075]    The storage unit  240  stores various programs to be executed by the device  20 , data used in various processes performed by the device  20 , such as the device information of the device  20 , and the like. The storage unit  240  may be realized by any of storage devices capable of performing storing magnetically, optically or electrically, such as an HDD, an SSD, a memory card, an optical disk, a ROM and a RAM, for example. 
         [0076]    The control unit  250  is for controlling each unit of the device  20 , and it may be realized by a control device such as a CPU or the like. Upon receiving the first device information acquisition request in the second protocol or the second device information acquisition request in the second protocol from the PC  10  via the communication interface  3 , the control unit  250  generates the first device information acquisition response in the second protocol or the second device information acquisition response in the second protocol and transmits the same to the PC  10  via the communication interface  3 . Also, when an error occurs in the device  20 , the control unit  250  generates the device information notification in the second protocol and transmits the same to the PC  10  via the communication interface  3 . 
         [0077]    The printer unit  260  performs printing when printing is requested by the PC  10  using PJL. 
         [0078]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of the device management apparatus  30  according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the device management apparatus  30  includes a communication unit  310 , an operating unit  320 , a display unit  330 , a storage unit  340  and a control unit  350 . 
         [0079]    The communication unit  310  is for communicating with a network device such as the PC  10  or the device  21  or  22  over the network  2 , and it may be realized by a NIC or the like. 
         [0080]    The operating unit  320  is for inputting various operations, and it may be realized by an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch panel or the like. 
         [0081]    The display unit  330  is for displaying various screens, and it may be realized by a display device such as a liquid-crystal display, a touch panel display or the like. 
         [0082]    The storage unit  340  stores various programs such as device management programs to be executed by the device management apparatus  30 , data used in various processes performed by the device management apparatus  30 , and the like. The storage unit  340  may be realized by any of storage devices capable of performing storing magnetically, optically or electrically, such as an HDD, an SSD, a memory card, an optical disk, a ROM and a RAM, for example. 
         [0083]    The control unit  350  is for controlling each unit of the device management apparatus  30 , and it may be realized by a control device such as a CPU or the like. The control unit  350  functions as a manager of the agent software  170  of the PC  10  by activating (executing) the device management program stored in the storage unit  340 . 
         [0084]    The control unit  350  transmits the device information acquisition request in the first protocol to a network device over the network  2 , and receives the device information acquisition response in the first protocol from the network device over the network  2 . Then, the control unit  350  stores, in the storage unit  340 , the device information included in the device information acquisition response in the first protocol, and manages the network device. 
         [0085]    Furthermore, when a local device is connected to a network device as the PC  10 , the control unit  350  receives the device information not only of the network device, but also of the local device by the device information acquisition response in the first protocol. Accordingly, the control unit  350  manages not only the network device, but also the local device. 
         [0086]    Next, an operation of the device management system including the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. 
         [0087]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process that is performed at the device management system  1  according to the present embodiment at the time of activation of the device  20 . 
         [0088]    First, when the device  20  that is connected to the PC  10  via the communication interface  3  is activated, the setting unit  173  sets a protocol to be used in the communication with the device  20  (step S 100 ). Here, it is assumed that the setting unit  173  sets PJL as the protocol to be used in the communication with the device  20 . 
         [0089]    Next, the request generating unit  181  generates a second device information acquisition request which is a request in the PJL determined by the setting unit  173  and which is for requesting for acquisition of fixed device information of the device  20  (step S 102 ). 
         [0090]    Subsequently, the first transmitting unit  182  transmits the PJL request generated by the request generating unit  181  to the device  20  via the communication interface  3  (step S 104 ). 
         [0091]    Then, the first receiving unit  183  receives, from the device  20 , via the communication interface  3 , a second device information acquisition response which is a PJL response generated by the device  20  and which is a respond to the acquisition request of the fixed device information of the device  20  (step S 106 ). 
         [0092]    Subsequently, the response generating unit  184  converts the fixed device information of the device  20  included in the PJL response received by the first receiving unit  183  for the first protocol and stores the same in the device information storage unit  141  (step S 108 ). 
         [0093]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process that is performed at the device management system  1  according to the present embodiment at the time of occurrence of an error in the device  20 . 
         [0094]    First, when an error occurs in the device  20 , the first receiving unit  183  receives, from the device  20 , via the communication interface  3 , a device information notification which is a PJL message and which notifies of error information of the device  20  (step S 200 ). 
         [0095]    Then, the response generating unit  184  converts the error information of the device  20  included in the PJL message received by the first receiving unit  183  for the first protocol and stores the same in the device information storage unit  141  (step S 202 ). 
         [0096]      FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a process that is performed at the device management system  1  according to the present embodiment when the device information is requested by the device management apparatus  30 . 
         [0097]    First, the second receiving unit  161  receives a device information acquisition request which is an SNMP request from the device management apparatus  30  over the network  2  (step S 300 ). 
         [0098]    Next, the determining unit  172  determines whether or not to convert the SNMP request received by the second receiving unit  161  into the protocol for the corresponding device (step S 302 ). 
         [0099]    In the case of converting the protocol of the SNMP request (YES in step S 302 ), the setting unit  173  sets a conversion destination protocol of the SNMP request using the model name or the like of the local device stored in the device information storage unit  141  (step S 304 ). Here, it is assumed that the PJL is set by the setting unit  173  as the protocol to be used in the communication with the device  20 . 
         [0100]    Then, based on the SNMP request, the request generating unit  181  generates a first device information acquisition request which is a request in the PJL set by the setting unit  173  and which is for requesting for acquisition of device information such as the counter information or the like of the device  20  (step S 306 ). 
         [0101]    Next, the first transmitting unit  182  transmits the PJL request generated by the request generating unit  181  to the device  20  via the communication interface  3  (step S 308 ). 
         [0102]    Subsequently, the first receiving unit  183  receives, from the device  20 , via the communication interface  3 , a second device information acquisition response which is a PJL response generated by the device  20  and which is a respond to the acquisition request of the device information such as the counter information or the like of the device  20  (step S 310 ). 
         [0103]    Then, based on the PJL response, the response generating unit  184  generates a device information acquisition response which is an SNMP response and which includes the device information of the device  20  (step S 312 ). 
         [0104]    On the other hand, in the case of not converting the protocol of the SNMP request (NO in step S 302 ), the response generating unit  184  generates a device information acquisition response which is an SNMP response and which includes the device information of the device  20 , using the device information of the local device stored in the device information storage unit  141  (step S 314 ). 
         [0105]    Then, the generating unit  162  generates a device information acquisition response which is a response to the SNMP request and which includes the device information of the PC  10 , using the device information of the PC  10  stored in the device information storage unit  141 . Then, the second transmitting unit  163  transmits, to the device management apparatus  30 , over the network  2 , the SNMP response generated by the response generating unit  184  and the SNMP response generated by the generating unit  162  (step S 316 ). 
         [0106]    As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a device information acquisition request in the first protocol is received from the device management apparatus  30 , the PC  10  generates a device information acquisition request in the second protocol used in the communication with a local device based on the device information acquisition request in the first protocol, acquires device information from the local device, and notifies the device management apparatus  30  of the acquired device information by a device information acquisition response in the first protocol. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the same device information as that of a network device can be acquired with respect to a local device which is not connected to the network, and the device management apparatus is enabled to perform high-level management also with respect to the local device. 
         [0107]    Additionally, with a conventional device management system, due to the difference in the protocols and the like, sufficient device information is not acquired with respect to a local device in the case of managing the local device, and only the live state or the like is managed. 
         [0108]    Moreover, according to the present embodiment, since the fixed device information of a local device is acquired from the local device in advance and does not have to be acquired from the local device every time, the amount of communication between the PC  10  and the local device can be reduced and the processing performance can be increased. 
         [0109]    Hardware Configuration 
         [0110]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the PC  10  and the device management apparatus  30  according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the PC  10  and the device management apparatus  30  of the present embodiment each include a control device  901  such as a CPU, a storage device  902  such as a ROM or a RAM, an external storage device  903  such as an HDD or an SSD, a drive device  904 , an input device  905  such as a mouse or a keyboard, a display device  906  such as a display, a communication device  907  such as a NIC, and an interface device  908 , the devices being interconnected by a bus B, and may be realized by a hardware configuration using a regular computer. 
         [0111]    The agent program to be executed by the PC  10  of the present embodiment and the device management program to be executed by the device management apparatus  30  of the present embodiment are provided being stored, in a format that can be installed or executed, in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a memory card, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a flexible disk (FD) or the like. 
         [0112]    Moreover, the agent program to be executed by the PC  10  of the present embodiment and the device management program to be executed by the device management apparatus  30  of the present embodiment may be stored in a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and be provided by being downloaded via the network. Furthermore, the agent program to be executed by the PC  10  of the present embodiment and the device management program to be executed by the device management apparatus  30  of the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. Still further, the agent program to be executed by the PC  10  of the present embodiment and the device management program to be executed by the device management apparatus  30  of the present embodiment may be provided being embedded in a ROM or the like in advance. 
         [0113]    The agent program to be executed by the PC  10  of the present embodiment and the device management program to be executed by the device management apparatus  30  of the present embodiment are modules for realizing each unit described above in the computer. With respect to the actual hardware, each unit is realized on the computer by the control device  901  reading a program from the external storage device  903  using the storage device  902  and executing the program. 
         [0114]    Modification 
         [0115]    The information processing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications are allowed. For example, in the embodiment described above, an explanation has been given assuming a case where the local device such as the device  20  is a printer, but the local device may also be a projector or the like, for example. 
         [0116]      FIG. 11  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a device  420  according to a modification. As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the device  420  includes the communication unit  210 , the operating unit  220 , the display unit  230 , the storage unit  240 , the control unit  250  and a projection unit  460 . 
         [0117]    The communication unit  210 , the operating unit  220 , the display unit  230 , the storage unit  240  and the control unit  250  are the same as those of the embodiment described above. The projection unit  460  performs projection when projection is requested by the PC  10  in PJL. 
         [0118]    In this manner, in the case the device  420  is a projector, when the conversion destination protocol of a device information acquisition request in the first protocol is set by the setting unit  173  to be a predetermined PJL, the first protocol conversion module  180  of the PC  10  generates @PJL INQUIRE INTRAYXSIZE, PJL INQUIRE INTRAYXQUANT and @PJL INQUIRE INTRAYXMEDIA as the first device information acquisition request in the predetermined PJL, transmits the same to the device  420 , receives a response from the device  420 , formats the received response into XML data as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , parses the data in a tag “&lt;variables&gt;” in the formatted XML data, and converts the same for the first protocol. 
         [0119]    Likewise, when the conversion destination protocol of a device information acquisition request in the first protocol is determined by the setting unit  173  to be the PJL different from the predetermined PJL, the n-th protocol conversion module  190  of the PC  10  generates @PJL INFO STATUS as the first device information acquisition request in the PJL, transmits the same to a local device which is different from the device  420  and which is connected to the PC  10 , receives a response from the local device, formats the received response into XML data as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , parses the data in a tag “&lt;statuses&gt;” in the formatted XML data, and converts the same for the first protocol. 
         [0120]    According to the embodiments, an effect is achieved that a device management apparatus is enabled to perform high-level management even when managing a device via an information processing apparatus. 
         [0121]    Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.