Remote management system for distributing accesses from image forming apparatuses, and information processing method for distributing accesses from image forming apparatuses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10805482-B2
Application number	US-201916418437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2019
Priority date	May 25, 2018
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

The remote maintenance server includes a processor that operates as a connection inquiry receiving unit that receives an inquiry from the one or more image forming apparatuses, the inquiry inquiring which connection server to connect, a connection destination selecting unit that selects a connection server as a connection destination in response to the inquiry with reference to the connection management table, the connection destination being a connection server having a smaller number of connections, and a connection information reply sending unit that sends, in reply, connection information to an image forming apparatus, which has sent the inquiry, the connection information being an IP address or FQDN of the connection server selected by the connection destination selecting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A remote management system, comprising:
a database;
remote maintenance servers;
one or more connection servers;
one or more image forming apparatuses; and
a first load distribution apparatus that distributes accesses from the one or more image forming apparatuses to the remote maintenance servers,
the database, the remote maintenance servers, and the one or more connection servers being connected to each other via a network,
the one or more image forming apparatuses being connected via Internet,
the first load distribution apparatus being connected to the remote maintenance servers and being connected to the one or more image forming apparatuses via the Internet,
the database storing a connection management table, the connection management table describing a combination of a name of each of the one or more connection servers and a current number of connections, the current number of connections indicating a number of the one or more image forming apparatuses to which each of the one or more connection servers establishes connections currently,
each of the remote maintenance servers including a processor that operates as
a connection inquiry receiving unit that receives an inquiry from the one or more image forming apparatuses, the inquiry inquiring which connection server to connect,
a connection destination selecting unit that selects a connection server as a connection destination in response to the inquiry with reference to the connection management table, the connection destination being a connection server having a smaller value of the current number of connections, and
a connection information reply sending unit that sends, in reply, connection information to an image forming apparatus, which has sent the inquiry, the connection information being an IP address or FQDN of the connection server selected by the connection destination selecting unit,

each of the one or more image forming apparatuses including a processor that operates as
a connection inquiry unit that connects to one remote maintenance server of the remote maintenance servers via the first load distribution apparatus, sends the inquiry to the one remote maintenance server, the inquiry inquiring which connection server to connect, obtains the connection information, and then shuts down the connection to the one remote maintenance server, and
a connection establishing unit that establishes connection to the connection server specified on a basis of the connection information obtained from the one remote maintenance server after the connection to the one remote maintenance server is shut down.

2. The remote management system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second load distribution apparatus being one end point; and
one or more connection management servers that manages the one or more connection servers, the one or more connection management servers being connected from the second load distribution apparatus,
the second load distribution apparatus and the one or more connection management servers being connected between the one or more connection servers and the Internet,
the second load distribution apparatus being connected between the Internet and the one or more connection management servers.

3. The remote management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the connection management table further describes, in addition to the combination of the name of each of the one or more connection servers and the current number of connections, a version of software of each of the one or more connection servers.

4. The remote management system according to claim 1 , wherein the connection management table further describes, in addition to the combination of the name of each of the one or more connection servers and the current number of connections, a type of each of the one or more image forming apparatuses connected.

5. The remote management system according to claim 1 , wherein
the connection management table further describes, in addition to the combination of the name of each of the one or more connection servers and the current number of connections, presence or absence of a gateway agent.

6. An information processing method of a remote management system including a database, remote maintenance servers, one or more connection servers, one or more image forming apparatuses, and a first load distribution apparatus that distributes accesses from the one or more image forming apparatuses to the remote maintenance servers, the database, the remote maintenance servers, and the one or more connection servers being connected to each other via a network, the one or more image forming apparatuses being connected via Internet, the first load distribution apparatus being connected to the remote maintenance servers and being connected to the one or more image forming apparatuses via the Internet, the information processing method comprising:
by the database, storing a connection management table, the connection management table describing a combination of a name of each of the one or more connection servers and a current number of connections, the current number of connections indicating a number of the one or more image forming apparatuses to which each of the one or more connection servers establishes connections currently;
by a connection inquiry unit of each of the one or more image forming apparatuses, connecting to one remote maintenance server of the remote maintenance servers via the first load distribution apparatus, and sending an inquiry to the one remote maintenance server, the inquiry inquiring which connection server to connect;
by a connection inquiry receiving unit of the one remote maintenance server, receiving the inquiry from the one or more image forming apparatuses, the inquiry inquiring which connection server to connect;
by a connection destination selecting unit of the one remote maintenance server, selecting a connection server as a connection destination in response to the inquiry with reference to the connection management table, the connection destination being a connection server having a smaller value of the current number of connections;
by a connection information reply sending unit of the one remote maintenance server, sending in reply, connection information to an image forming apparatus, which has sent the inquiry, the connection information being an IP address or FQDN of the connection server selected by the connection destination selecting unit;
by a connection inquiry unit of each of the one or more image forming apparatuses, obtaining the connection information, and then shutting down the connection to the one remote maintenance server; and
by a connection establishing unit of each of the one or more image forming apparatuses, establishing connection to the connection server specified on a basis of the connection information obtained from the one remote maintenance server after the connection to the one remote maintenance server is shut down.

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Nishikai Kazuki
• Nakamura Takeshi
• Goshima Satoshi
• Park Dukil
• Obayashi Yuichi
• Nakamura Takumi
• Nakajima Koki
• Nakashima Yasuo

Classifications

• H04N1/00344 Primary

  with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus (monitoring H04N1/00002) · CPC title

• H04N1/32523

  a plurality of output devices · CPC title

• H04N1/00244 Primary

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title

• H04N1/32545

  Distributing a job or task among a plurality of input devices or a plurality of output devices · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title