Network system and control method of a network system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9787858-B2
Application number	US-201615192305-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

In a system in which a server and a client to which a device is connected communicate, the server can execute processes based on the result of checking device operation. The POS terminal of a network system has a device control function for controlling the device, and a diagnostic function for checking operation of the device. To check the operation of the device connected to the client, a maintenance server sends a control command instructing starting the diagnostic function to the POS terminal. The POS terminal stops the device control function if the device control function is executing, starts the diagnostic function, checks operation of the device with the diagnostic function, and returns the result of the checked operation to the maintenance server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A network system comprising a client to which a device connects, and a server that communicates with the client, wherein:
the client is configured to perform a device control function to control the device, and a diagnostic function to check operation of the device;
the server sends a control command that instructs starting of the diagnostic function to the client to check the operation of the device;
the client, based on the control command, stops the device control function if the device control function is executing, starts the diagnostic function, checks the operation of the device with the diagnostic function using a plurality of steps, returns a result of the checked operation to the server each time a step in the operation check is completed, and reboots after the operation check is completed.

2. The network system described in claim 1 , wherein:
the server sends a control command that instructs the starting of the diagnostic function and specifying a process to implement the device control function to the client to check the operation of the device connected to the client; and
the client stops the process specified by the control command as the device control function to be stopped if the device control function is executing.

3. The network system described in claim 1 , wherein:
a print mechanism having a print function is connected to the client as the device; and
the operation of the print mechanism checked by the diagnostic function of the client is an operation related to printing.

4. A control method of a network system including a client to which a device connects, and a server that communicates with the client, wherein:
the client performs a device control function to control the device, and a diagnostic function to check operation of the device;
the server sends a control command instructing starting the diagnostic function to the client to check the operation of the device connected to the client; and
the client, based on the received control command, stops the device control function if the device control function is executing, starts the diagnostic function, checks the operation of the device with the diagnostic function using a plurality of steps, returns a result of the checked operation to the server each time a step in the operation check is completed, and reboots after the operation check is completed.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sato Katsuaki
• Kaneko Naohiro
• Kawamori Takashi

Classifications

• H04N1/00084

  Recovery or repair, e.g. self-repair · CPC title

• G06K15/022

  for printing on continuous media, e.g. tapes · CPC title

• H04L41/5064

  Customer relationship management · CPC title

• G07G1/14

  Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit · CPC title

• G06F11/0772

  Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers · CPC title