Architecture for software for remote maintenance of a machine such as a copier
US6636899B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 24, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 21, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 24, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2149
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Software in a computer which accesses one or more software-intensive devices, such as a digital copier or printer, is organized in a set of layers. A device-dependent layer converts data transferred over various means, such as a modem or network, to a uniform data format. A protocol layer converts data from a particular accessed machine to a set of function calls. A system interface associated with the computer restricts a user of the computer to seeing only a subset of function calls, depending permissions granted to a particular user. The modular architecture of the software enables a system administrator to restrict a user to viewing machine status for a specific set of machines on a network, or limits the user to viewing only a certain set of functionalities from a particular machine.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.