Method and apparatus for managing remote devices and accessing remote for device information

Abstract

An example device for providing device information to a device management infrastructure includes a memory subsystem; a communication interface to: receive, from a first device, first device information in a first device-native format; receive, from a second device, second device information in a second device-native format different than the first device-native format; transmit the first device information to a remote server in a device-agnostic format; and transmit the second device information to the remote server in the device-agnostic format; and a device information processor to convert the first device information and the second device information into the device-agnostic format.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gateway device for providing device information to a device management infrastructure, the gateway device comprising:
 a memory subsystem;   a communication interface to:
 receive, from a first device, first device information in a first device-native format; 
 receive, from a second device, second device information in a second device-native format different than the first device-native format; 
 transmit the first device information to a remote server in a device-agnostic format; and 
 transmit the second device information to the remote server in the device-agnostic format; and 
   a device information processor to convert the first device information and the second device information into the device-agnostic format.   
     
     
         2 . A gateway device as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the device information processor is to covert the first device information into the device-agnostic format by encoding the first device information in a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) object. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus comprising:
 first communications circuitry to enable the apparatus to communicate a device information message by formatting the device information message in a device-native format;   second communications circuitry to enable the apparatus to communicate the device information message by formatting the device information message in a device-agnostic format; and   a processor to determine which of the first communications circuitry or the second communications circuitry to use to communicate the device information message.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is a printer and the device information message comprises a printer command. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the printer command is encoded in a printer control language. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the printer control language is Zebra Programming Language. 
     
     
         7 . A method for managing devices via a device management infrastructure, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a gateway device from a first device, a first set of device information in a first device-native format;   receiving, by the gateway device from a second device, a second set of device information in a second device-native format different than the first device-native format;   converting, by the gateway device, the first set of device information to a device-agnostic format;   converting, by the gateway device, the second set of device information to the device-agnostic format; and   transmitting, by the gateway device to a remote server, the first set of device information and the second set of device information in the device-agnostic format.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 . wherein the device-agnostic format is JavaScript® Object Notation and the first device-native format is Zebra Programming Language. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second devices is a printer.