Method and apparatus for managing network devices

A computer implemented method for managing at least one managed network printer connected to a network, comprising:

• a processor of the computer performing the steps of:
• storing a plurality of location information for providing information corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories through a web browser executed on a user's PC, wherein operational state information of the network printer is categorized by the predetermined categories according to whether the operational state information indicates that a user-recoverable-error has happened or a service call has happened;
• obtaining operational state information from the network printer;
• specifying location information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information, wherein the location information is stored in the storing step;
• and
• controlling a process of sending an electrical message including the location information specified in the specifying step to a predetermined address, wherein the location information is embedded in the electrical message so as to be used by a link function of a mailer program executed by the user's PC,
• wherein said specifying step includes the steps of:
• i) specifying first location information for showing a service call of a company which sold the network printer, when the obtained operational state information indicates that the service call error has happened;
• and
• ii) specifying second location information for providing information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information, when the obtained operational state information indicates that the user-recoverable-error has happened, wherein the second location information is used by the web browser of the user's PC to launch a web application installed in the network printer, and the web application provides the information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information.

A computer readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for making a computer execute a method for managing at least one managed network printer connected to a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of location information for providing information corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories through a web browser executed on a user's PC, wherein operational state information of the network printer is categorized by the predetermined categories according to whether the operational state information indicates that a user-recoverable-error has happened or a service call error has happened;
• obtaining operational state information from the network printer;
• specifying location information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information, wherein the location information is stored in the storing step;
• and
• controlling a process of sending an electrical message including the location information specified in the specifying step to a predetermined address, wherein the location information is embedded in the electrical message so as to be used by a link function of a mailer program executed by the user's PC,
• wherein said specifying step includes the steps of:
• i) specifying first location information for showing a service call of a company which sold the network printer, when the obtained operational state information indicates that the service call error has happened;
• and
• ii) specifying second location information for providing information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information, when the obtained operational state information indicates that the user-recoverable-error has happened, wherein the second location information is used by the web browser of the user's PC to launch a web application installed in the network printer, and the web application provides the information corresponding to a category for the obtained operational state information.

A system for managing at least one managed network printer connected to a network, comprising:

• a storage component that stores a plurality of location information for providing information corresponding to each of predetermined categories by a web browser executed on a user's PC, wherein operational state information of the network printer is categorized by the predetermined categories according to whether the operational state information indicates that a user-recoverable-error has happened or a user-unrecoverable-error has happened;
• a obtaining component that obtains operational state information from the network printer;
• a specifying component that specifies location information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information wherein the location information is stored by the storage component;
• and
• a notification component that notifies an electrical message which includes a link that is linkable to the location information specified by the specifying component to a predetermined address,
• wherein:
• i) said specifying component specifies first location information in said storage component for showing a service call of a company which sold the network printer, when the obtained operational state information indicates that the user-unrecoverable-error has happened;
• and
• ii) said specifying component specifies second location information in said storage component for providing information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information, when the obtained operational state information indicates that the user-recoverable-error has happened, wherein the second location information is used by a web browser of the user's PC to launch a web application installed in the network printer, and the web application provides the information corresponding to a category of the obtained operational state information.