1. A method for remote management of network imaging devices comprising:
storing indicia of user credentials in a local database accessible to the remote management tool;
checking the local database of stored indicia of user credentials to authenticate a user seeking to access remote device management;
if the user is authenticated, authorizing the authenticated user to access a remote front panel of a selected network imaging device; and
automatically logging the authenticated user into the selected device using the user credentials stored in the local database, so as to establish remote front panel access to the device for the authenticated user.
2. A method according to claim 1 and further comprising:
after authenticating the user, displaying a list of network imaging devices that the user is authorized to manage remotely, based on the user credentials stored in the local database;
receiving from the user an input selection of one of the network imaging devices for remote management;
and wherein said automatically logging the authenticated user into the selected device using the user credentials stored in the local database, so as to establish remote front panel access to the selected device for the authenticated user.
3. A method according to claim 2 and further comprising:
receiving from the user an input selection of a second one of the network imaging devices for remote management; and
automatically logging the authenticated user into the second selected device using the user credentials stored in the local database, if the user profile indicates permission to access the second selected device, so as to establish remote front panel access to the second selected device, without the user logging out of the first selected device.
4. A method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
displaying a first graphical remote front panel display in a first display window for managing the first selected device; and simultaneously
displaying a second graphical remote front panel display in a second display window for simultaneously managing the second selected device.
5. A method according to claim 3 including:
limiting the user’s management privileges with respect to each of the first and second selected devices, based on the corresponding privileges stored in the local database.
6. A method according to claim 3 displaying a device view screen display to the user including status of the selected device, and including a remote front panel activation button in the screen display only if the user has permission for remote front panel access to the selected device based on the stored user credentials.
7. A method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
before said logging the user into the selected device, checking whether another user is already logged into the selected device; and
if another user is already logged into the selected device for remote management, denying remote access to the selected device to prevent multiple simultaneous management accesses to the selected device.
8. A method according to claim 7 and further comprising:
notifying the user that another user is already logged into the selected device for remote management.
9. A method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
storing a record of the user’s access to manage the selected device in an access log.
10. A method according to claim 3 and further comprising:
storing the access log in the said local database.
11. A remote MFP device management application software tool comprising an executable set of instructions stored in machine-readable media, the application including:
a device database module for maintaining a list of remotely-manageable devices deployed on a network;
a user profile database module for maintaining user profile data, the stored user profile data including, for at least one user, identification of (a) at least one MFP device to which the user is permitted remote management access, and (b), for each such device, user login credentials for automatically logging the user into the corresponding MFP device to gain remote management access; and
an auto-login module for logging the user automatically into a device selected by the user from the list of devices only if the user profile data allows remote access to the selected device.
12. A device management software tool according to claim 11 including:
a device view module for displaying a device page screen to a user for a device selected from the list of network devices maintained by the software tool; wherein
the device page screen display includes selected data of the selected network device.
13. A device management software tool according to claim 12 wherein the data of the selected device displayed on the device page screen includes at least one of a device description, a firmware release identifier, a current status and a current configuration setting.
14. A device management software tool according to claim 12 including code for launching a remote front panel application as a separate process for each network device to which the user is permitted remote management access.
15. A device management software tool according to claim 12 including:
an access control module to check user login credentials against the stored user profile data to determine whether or not the user is logged into the device management software tool with sufficient privileges to allow the user to activate the said remote front panel application to manage the selected device; and wherein
if the user is logged in with sufficient privileges to allow the user to activate the said remote front panel application to manage the selected device, then the device page screen further displays a user input to activate the remote front panel application for the selected imaging device.
16. A device management software tool according to claim 15 wherein:
if the user is not logged in with sufficient privileges to allow the user to activate the said remote front panel application to manage the selected device, then the device page screen further displays a remote front panel action button that is obscured or grayed to indicate that such action is not available to the user.
17. A device management software tool comprising an executable set of instructions stored in machine-readable media for use on a machine coupled to a network in which at least one remotely-manageable imaging device can be coupled for communications, the software tool comprising:
code for storing user profile data in a local database; the user profile data including at least one set of MFP credentials for each user, and further wherein each set of user permissions is associated with a corresponding network device or predetermined group of the network devices;
an access control module to check user login credentials against the stored user profile data to determine whether or not the user is logged into the device management software tool with sufficient privileges to allow the user to activate a remote front panel application to manage a selected network device; and
an interface for communicating with the remote front panel application that implements remote management of a network imaging device;
wherein the software tool enables the user to access the remote front panel application only if the user is logged into the tool with sufficient permissions to do so.
18. A device management software tool according to claim 17 including access control resolution code to detect a preexisting user login to the remote front panel application and to prevent multiple simultaneous accesses to the front panel of the same device.
19. A device management software tool according to claim 18 and further including an access tracking module.
20. A device management software tool according to claim 18 and further including a logging module for maintaining a log file of accesses to network devices through the device management software tool.
21. A device management software tool according to claim 18 and further including a logging module for maintaining a log file of physical front panel accesses to network devices wherein the physical front panel accesses are communicated from each network device to the device management software tool for centralized logging.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for installing a gasket within a triangular gasket receiving groove provided within the bell end of a pipe section, the bell end having a mouth opening which is engageable with a spigot end of a mating pipe section to form a pipe joint, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a pipe section having a bell end opening;
orienting the pipe section having the bell end along a longitudinal work axis;
providing a sealing gasket formed at least in part of a flexible material, the gasket having a relatively rigid internal retainer ring which circumscribes the gasket interior at one circumferential location;
temporarily transforming the sealing gasket from a generally cylindrical shape to a generally elliptical shape;
inserting the gasket within the mouth opening of the bell end, the annular gasket being oriented at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal work axis such that a trailing edge of the gasket engages the annular groove, and a leading edge of the annular gasket is moved past the annular groove provided in the bell end;
exerting a retracting force on the annular gasket by pulling the leading edge thereof backwards in the direction of the mouth opening of the bell end until the gasket again assumes a generally
cylindrical shape and snaps into a locked-in position within the annular groove; and
wherein the location at which the relatively rigid ring circumscribes the gasket interior is selected according to the following formula:
R
ib
=
2
\u2062
D
R
L
D
+
D
G
–
4
\u2062
E
G
where when Rib is less than 1 gasket installation is possible, and when Rib is greater than 1 gasket installation is not possible; and
where DR=retainer ring diameter;
LD=distance from the bottom of the annular groove to the edge of the groove on the opposite side where the groove is formed by fillets and the distance is drawn along a line that passes through the approximate centers of the corresponding fillets;
DG=diameter of the annular groove;
EG=distance to the groove wall; and
wherein the optimum ring location is determined by the intersection of the lines which represent DR and EG.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pipe sections are formed of synthetic plastic materials.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pipe sections are formed of a synthetic plastic material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sealing gasket is inserted within the mouth opening of the bell end of the pipe section at an angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal working axis of the bell end.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sealing gasket is inserted within the mouth opening of the bell end of the pipe section at an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal working axis of the bell end.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the relatively rigid ring is made of metal.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the relatively rigid ring is made of steel.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the relatively rigid ring has a cross-sectional diameter which defines a locus of points on an inner surface thereof which is equal to or greater than the internal diameter of the remainder of the bell end of the pipe which joins the annular groove.