Information display apparatus, information providing apparatus, and communication system

An information display apparatus configured to communicate image data with an information providing apparatus through a network, the information display apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the information display apparatus to execute operations including:
• transmitting, through the network, an information transmission request for requesting transmission of specific information related to the information providing apparatus by broadcast communication, the information transmission request being SET REQUEST command of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), the specific information includes the specific information includes a plurality of current providing-side setting values for a plurality of items of the information providing apparatus, the plurality of items including a common item and an individual item other than the common item;
• receiving the specific information transmitted, through the network, from the information providing apparatus as a response to the information transmission request, the specific information being sent as SET REQUEST command of SNMP;
• determining whether the providing-side setting value and the display-side setting value for the common item are same;
• and
• controlling a display unit to display the specific information received as the response to the information transmission request including a providing-side setting value for the individual item, a display-side setting value for the individual item, either one the providing-side setting value and the display-side setting value for the common item, and information indicating that the providing-side setting value and the display-side setting value for the common item are different from each other if it is determined that the providing-side setting value and the display-side setting value for the common item are different from each other, and
• transmitting, through the network, new setting value information including:
• at least one of providing-side identification information of the information providing apparatus and display-side identification information of the information display apparatus;
• and a new providing-side setting value for updating the providing-side setting value, by broadcast communication,
• wherein each of a plurality of apparatuses connected to the network has unique identification information, and
• wherein the common item is an item, for which a providing-side setting value set in the information providing apparatus should match a display-side setting value set in the information display apparatus.

An information providing apparatus configured to communicate image data with an information display apparatus through a network, the information providing apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the information providing apparatus to execute operations including:
• receiving an information transmission request transmitted, through the network, from the information display apparatus by broadcast communication, the information transmission request requesting transmission of specific information related to the information providing apparatus, the information transmission request being SET REQUEST command of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and including identification information uniquely set to each of a plurality of apparatuses connected to the network;
• and
• transmitting, through the network, the specific information by broadcast communication in response to receiving the information transmission request, the specific information being sent as SET REQUEST command of SNMP, and including a current providing-side setting value of the information providing apparatus and information representing a plurality of providing-side setting values for a plurality of items of the information providing apparatus, the plurality of items including an Internet Protocol (IP) address item for which an IP address is set, and an address acquisition item for which an IP address acquiring method is set
• receiving new setting value information which is transmitted from the information display apparatus through the network by broadcast communication and which includes:
• at least one of providing-side identification information of the information providing apparatus and display-side identification information of the information display apparatus;
• and a new providing-side setting value for updating the providing-side setting value;
• and
• updating the providing-side setting value with the new providing-side setting value included in the new setting value information when receiving the new setting value information;
• determining whether a new providing-side setting value for the address acquisition item represents an acquisition method of automatically acquiring an IP address;
• when it is determined that the new providing-side setting value for the address acquisition item represents the acquisition method of automatically acquiring an IP address, acquiring a new IP address from an IP address providing server;
• and
• transmitting, through the network, the new IP address and at least one of the providing-side identification information and the display-side identification information, by broadcast communication;
• wherein when the received information transmission request includes at least one of providing-side identification information of the information providing apparatus and display-side identification information of the information display apparatus, the transmitting operation transmits the specific information, and
• wherein when the received information transmission request does not include the providing-side identification information of the information providing apparatus nor the display-side identification information of the information providing apparatus, the transmitting operation does not transmits the specific information.