Patent ID: 7509380

Claim:
A method of controlling communications, comprising: generating, by a first monitoring device connected to a first local area network, a first message which comprises an electronic mail message including a reply request field in a body of the electronic mail message; automatically transmitting, from the first monitoring device, the first message to a second monitored device connected to a second local area network using an Internet e-mail protocol, the first and second local area networks being separated by a firewall; monitoring, by the first monitoring device, whether the second monitored device transmits, to the first monitoring device, a response to the first message; and transmitting, by the first monitoring device, a second message to the second monitored device when the step of monitoring determines that the first monitoring device has not received a response to the electronic mail message from the second monitored device, wherein the second monitored device is one of a printer, a facsimile machine, a facsimile server, a scanner, a copier, a metering system, and a vending machine.