Abstract: An automated design specification verification tool automatically determines, for one or more functions defined in a first section of a design specification, whether a respective function name is declared in a second section of the same design specification. Further, it can be determined whether parameter names associated with respective functions in the first section are declared in the second section, and whether class attribute names associated with respective functions in the first section are described in a third section. Results of the verification process can be reported. In embodiments, the first section is a function definition section, the second section is a function list section, and the third section is a class attributes section; each being part of a class specification of a design specification document.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for diagnosing, controlling and collecting information from devices. Information regarding events of each one of a plurality of target applications executing in an application unit is collected and formatted into one of multiple data formats for transmission through one of multiple communication protocols at the request of each of the target applications, through an interface. A combination of a data format and communication protocol requested by a target application is verified for validity. If the requested combination is invalid, a valid combination is substituted for more reliable transmission. The formatted data is transmitted through, e.g., e-mail or FTP to a predetermined destination or may be saved to local storage, e.g., a local disk. By sharing resources, code duplication is reduced or eliminated.

Abstract: An automated software class specification validation tool automatically determines, for functions defined in a function definition section of a class specification, whether the function is properly declared throughout one or more other sections of the same class specification. Further, it can be determined whether variables, i.e., attributes, parameters, and local variables, associated with respective functions in the function definition section are properly specified throughout one or more other sections of the same class specification. The functions and variables that are validated include attributes and functions that are specified for structures and nested classes defined in a defined type section of the class specification. The validation tool is accessible over a network via a web page, and results of the validation process are also displayed on a web page.

Abstract: A system for monitoring a user's usage of a target application. Such a target application can, as examples, be a software program running on a computer or a workstation, an image forming device, an appliance, etc. The target application includes a user interface with a plurality of commands which a user can select. In the example of the target application being a software program, the commands may be icons displayed on a computer screen which a user can point to with a mouse pointer and then click on. In the case of the target application being an image forming device or an appliance, the interface may be an operation panel with buttons, a touch pad, etc. which a user can press. The present invention monitors the user's usage of such interfaces and logs data of the user's usage of such interfaces. The logged data can then be communicated by Internet mail to a designated location.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for (1) collecting information from a remote application unit and/or (2) diagnosing or controlling the remote application unit. By supporting dynamic generation of multiple data formats and/or multiple communication protocols, a computer code device increases the likelihood that a supported format and/or protocol will be either receivable or understandable by a receiver without having to pre-generate the protocol or format processor. By utilizing a shareable computer code device (e.g., a dynamic linked library), a new application can utilize tested, proven code without having to reproduce existing functionality.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for extracting, using a selected communication protocol, information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network. The method includes retrieving, from a first memory, implementation identifiers, each of which identifies (1) a first access function configured to access the monitored device using the selected communication protocol to obtain vendor and model information of the monitored device, and (2) a second access function configured to access the monitored device using the selected communication protocol to obtain status information of the monitored device; selecting an implementation identifier among the plurality of implementation identifiers; and accessing the device using the selected communication protocol and the first access function associated with the selected implementation identifier to attempt to obtain vendor and model information related to the device.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for diagnosing, controlling and collecting information from devices. Information regarding events of each one of a plurality of target applications executing in an application unit is collected and formatted into one of multiple data formats for transmission through one of multiple communication protocols at the request of each of the target applications, through an interface. The event information for a particular target application is formatted and transmitted according to a combination of a data format and communication protocol requested by the target application. The transmission of data representing the event information is handled in at least two levels of software classes, with at least one abstract software class having a declared virtual function and two or more software classes derived from the at least one abstract class and having definitions of the function for communicating the event information through specified communication protocols.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for (1) collecting information from a remote application unit and/or (2) diagnosing or controlling the remote application unit. By utilizing a shareable computer code device (e.g., a dynamic linked library), a new application can utilize tested, proven code without having to reproduce existing functionality. Moreover, by supporting multiple data formats and/or multiple communication protocols, a computer code device increases the likelihood that a supported format and/or protocol will be either receivable or understandable by a receiver.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for encoding data representing access information configured to be used by a selected communication protocol to extract status information related to a monitored device among distinct devices communicatively coupled to a network, and a monitoring device having a memory containing data representing access information configured to be used by a selected communication protocol to extract information related to a monitored device among distinct devices communicatively coupled to a network.

Abstract: A method for managing information configured to be used by a selected communication protocol to extract information related to a monitored device among distinct devices communicatively coupled to a network.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for extracting information associated with a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network. The method includes the steps of (1) accessing a first memory to obtain access information for accessing the monitored device, the access information including a type of status information to obtain from the monitored device and precondition information used for obtaining the type of status information from the monitored device, wherein the precondition information restricts a location of the type of status information obtainable from the monitored device; (2) accessing the device using an HTTP protocol and an IP address of the monitored device to obtain an information string associated with the monitored device; (3) extracting information corresponding to the type of status information from the information string using the precondition information; and (4) storing the extracted information in association with the IP address of the monitored device.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for extracting, using an SNMP protocol, information associated with a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network.

Abstract: A system, method and program product for diagnosing, controlling and collecting information from devices. Information regarding events of each one of a plurality of target applications executing in an application unit is collected and formatted into one of multiple data formats for transmission through one of multiple communication protocols at the request of each of the target applications, through an interface. The event information for a particular target application is formatted and transmitted according to a combination of a data format and communication protocol requested by the target application. The transmission of data representing the event information is handled in at least two levels of software classes, with at least one abstract software class having a declared virtual function and two or more software classes derived from the at least one abstract class and having definitions of the function for communicating the event information through specified communication protocols.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for creating a data processing object associated with a communication protocol used to extract status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, including accessing the monitored device using the communication protocol to obtain at least vendor information related to the monitored device; obtaining, from a first memory, information related to an access function for extracting the status information from an accessible data file on the monitored device; generating a string using the obtained vendor information and the obtained access function information; obtaining, from a second memory, information related to a creation function corresponding to the generated string; and creating the data processing object using the obtained creation function.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for initializing at least one data processing object associated with a communication protocol used to extract status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network, including accessing the monitored device to obtain vendor information related to the monitored device; obtaining, from a support memory, information related to an access function for extracting the status information using the communication protocol from an accessible data file on the monitored device, the accessible data file having a respective data file type; storing the vendor information and the access function information in a respective data processing object of the at least one data processing object; and repeating the preceding obtaining and storing steps for each of the at least one data processing object.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for extracting, for a selected communication protocol, status information related to a monitored device communicatively coupled to a network,including accessing the monitored device using the selected communication protocol to obtain at least vendor information related to the monitored device; obtaining, from a first memory, information identifying an access function for extracting the status information from an accessible data file on the monitored device; generating a string based on the obtained vendor information and the obtained access function information; retrieving, from a second memory in correspondence to the generated string, (1) information of a data processing object associated with the access fluction, and (2) an information map that includes at least a type of status information to be extracted from the monitored device and a weight associated with the status information; and accessing the monitored device using the access function, the information

Abstract: A remote position monitoring system, method, and computer-program product using a global position satellite receiver and information from at least two global position satellites to determine a position of a mobile object with the global position satellite receiver and report via Internet the position of the mobile object to a recipient in search of the mobile object. A remote position reporting device of the monitoring system can be part of or attached to any mobile object such as a child, a skier, a car, and expensive items. The remote position reporting device includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, monitoring software and an Internet access module. The monitoring software (e.g., a dynamic link library) supports multiple data formats and multiple protocols to communicated the position information. The GPS receiver provides the monitoring software with position information at prescribed times, and the monitoring software records the position information.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for (1) collecting information from a remote application unit and/or (2) diagnosing or controlling the remote application unit. By utilizing a shareable computer code device (e.g., a dynamic linked library), a new application can utilize tested, proven code without having to reproduce existing functionality. Moreover, by supporting multiple data formats and/or multiple communication protocols, a computer code device increases the likelihood that a supported format and/or protocol will be either receivable or understandable by a receiver.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for managing information used by a plurality of communication protocols to extract status information related to a monitored device among distinct devices communicatively coupled to a network. The method includes selecting a communication protocol among the plurality of communication protocols; retrieving, from a first memory, information for accessing the device using the selected communication protocol; and accessing the device using the selected communication protocol and the information retrieved from the first memory. In addition, a vendor-model support map, a protocol parameter map, and a status information map are maintained to allow for the efficient extraction of status information from monitored network devices using the plurality of communication protocols.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for (1) collecting information from a remote application unit and/or (2) diagnosing or controlling the remote application unit. By utilizing a shareable computer code device (e.g., a dynamic linked library), a new application can utilize tested, proven code without having to reproduce existing functionality. Moreover, by supporting multiple data formats and/or multiple communication protocols, a computer code device increases the likelihood that a supported format and/or protocol will be either receivable or understandable by a receiver.