Diagnostic device, diagnostic system, diagnostic method, program and storage medium

• US 20030063913A1
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/8
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00113 Plurality of apparatus configured in groups each with its own host
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0017 Preparing data for the controlling system, e.g. status, memory data

Abstract

A diagnostic system that effectively presents optimum products to the users by effectively using information about the use history of an image forming apparatus used by the users and other information specific to the image forming apparatus that may be stored in advance. The diagnostic system includes a management device that receives and manages management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period, a determination device that determines an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management device, and a notification device that notifies information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination device to an information processing apparatus that is capable of communication via a communication line.

Claims

1. A diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a management device that receives and manages management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination device that determines an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management device; and

a notification device that notifies information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination device to an information processing apparatus via a communication device.

2. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination device determines the optimum image forming apparatus based on a search table that correlates the information of print volume for the predetermined period to predetermined types of image forming apparatuses.

3. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes type information of a type of the image forming apparatus, the determination device determines an optimum option for the image forming apparatus based on the type information and the information of print volume for the predetermined period, and the notification device notifies the optimum option to the information processing apparatus.

4. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the option is at least one of a paper feed option and a paper delivery option.

5. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination device determines the optimum paper feed option such that the number of paper to be fed in a predetermined period reaches a predetermined number with respect to the information of print volume for the predetermined period.

6. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined number is set according to information indicative of a number input externally through an input device, and is notified to the information processing apparatus.

7. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an extraction device that extracts an optimum option from among at least one of a plurality of kinds of options and a plurality of combinations of options, wherein the notification device notifies the optimum option extracted by the extraction device to the information processing apparatus.

8. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is the image forming apparatus.

9. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus is displayed at the information processing apparatus.

10. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a communication line.

11. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a communication network.

12. A diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a management device that receives and manages management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination device that determines an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management device; and

a notification device that notifies information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination device to a predetermined apparatus.

13. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the management information includes identification information that identifies the type of the image forming apparatus, and the determination device specifies a paper feed option according to the identification information.

14. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the determination device determines the optimum paper feed option such that the number of paper to be fed in a predetermined period reaches a predetermined number with respect to the information of print volume for the predetermined period.

15. A diagnostic system comprising:

a notification device that notifies management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication device;

a management device that receives and manages the management information including at least the information indicative of print volume of the image forming apparatus for the predetermined period notified by the notification device;

a determination device that determines an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management device; and

a device that notifies information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination device to an information processing apparatus via a communication device.

16. A diagnostic system according to claim 15, wherein the information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus is displayed at the information processing apparatus.

17. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the communication device includes a communication line.

18. A diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the communication device includes a communication network.

19. A diagnostic system comprising:

a notification device that notifies management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication device;

a determination device that determines an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period notified by the notification device; and

a device that notifies information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination device to at least the image forming apparatus via a communication device.

20. A diagnostic method comprising:

a management step of receiving and managing management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination step of determining an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a notification step of notifying information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination step to an information processing apparatus via a communication device.

21. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the determination step determines the optimum image forming apparatus based on a search table that correlates the information of print volume for the predetermined period to predetermined types of image forming apparatuses.

22. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the management information includes type information of a type of the image forming apparatus, the determination step determines an optimum option for the image forming apparatus based on the type information and the information of print volume for the predetermined period, and the notification step notifies the optimum option to the information processing apparatus.

23. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the option is at least one of a paper feed option and a paper delivery option.

24. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the determination step determines the optimum paper feed option such that the number of paper to be fed in a predetermined period reaches a predetermined number with respect to the information of print volume for the predetermined period.

25. A diagnostic method according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined number is set according to information indicative of a number input externally through an input device, and is notified to the information processing apparatus.

26. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, further comprising an extraction steps for extracting an optimum option from among at least one of a plurality of kinds of options and a plurality of combinations of options, wherein the notification step notifies the optimum option extracted by the extraction step to the information processing apparatus.

27. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the information processing apparatus is the image forming apparatus.

28. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus is displayed at the information processing apparatus.

29. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus is sent to the information processing apparatus via a communication line.

30. A diagnostic method according to claim 20, wherein the information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus is sent to the information processing apparatus via a communication network.

31. A diagnostic method comprising:

a management step of receiving and managing management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination step of determining an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a notification step of notifying information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination step to a predetermined apparatus.

32. A diagnostic method according to claim 31, wherein the management information includes identification information that identifies the type of the image forming apparatus, and the determination step specifies a paper feed option according to the identification information.

33. A diagnostic method according to claim 31, wherein the determination step determines the optimum paper feed option such that the number of paper to be fed in a predetermined period reaches a predetermined number with respect to the information of print volume for the predetermined period.

34. A diagnostic method comprising:

a notification step of notifying management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication device;

a management step of receiving and managing the management information including at least the information indicative of print volume of the image forming apparatus for the predetermined period notified by the notification step;

a determination step of determining an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a step of notifying information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination step to an information processing apparatus via a communication line.

35. A diagnostic method comprising:

a notification step of notifying management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication line;

a determination step of determining an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period notified by the notification step; and

a step of notifying information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination step to at least the image forming apparatus via a communication device.

36. A program executed by a computer, the program comprising:

a management step of receiving and managing management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination step of determining an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a notification step of notifying information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination step to an information processing apparatus via a communication line.

37. A program executed by a computer, the program comprising:

a management step of receiving and managing management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination step of determining an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a notification step of notifying information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination step to a predetermined apparatus.

38. A program executed by a computer, the program comprising:

a notification step of notifying management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication line;

a management step of receiving and managing the management information including at least the information indicative of print volume of the image forming apparatus for the predetermined period notified by the notification step;

a determination step of determining an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a step of notifying information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination step to an information processing apparatus via a communication line.

39. A program executed by a computer, the program comprising:

a notification step of notifying management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication line;

a determination step of determining an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period notified by the notification step; and

a step of notifying information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination step to at least the image forming apparatus via a communication line.

40. A computer readable storage medium that stores a program, the program comprising:

a management step of receiving and managing management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination step of determining an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a notification step of notifying information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination step to an information processing apparatus via a communication line.

41. A computer readable storage medium that stores a program, the program comprising:

a management step of receiving and managing management information including at least information of print volume of an image forming apparatus for a predetermined period;

a determination step of determining an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a notification step of notifying information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination step to a predetermined apparatus.

42. A computer readable storage medium that stores a program, the program comprising:

a notification step of notifying management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication line;

a management step of receiving and managing the management information including at least the information indicative of print volume of the image forming apparatus for the predetermined period notified by the notification step;

a determination step of determining an optimum image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period managed by the management step; and

a step of notifying information indicative of the optimum image forming apparatus determined by the determination step to an information processing apparatus via a communication line.

43. A computer readable storage medium that stores a program, the program comprising:

a notification step of notifying management information including at least information indicative of print volume for a predetermined period of an image forming apparatus to a diagnostic server via a communication line;

a determination step of determining an optimum paper feed option for the image forming apparatus based on the information of print volume in the predetermined period notified by the notification step; and

a step of notifying information indicative of the optimum paper feed option determined by the determination step to at least the image forming apparatus via a communication line.