IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD, PROGRAM AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20060291871A1
• Filed: 06/21/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Kotaro, Kawana, Yoshimasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/8
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1672 Paper handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00007 relating to particular apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00039 Analysis, i.e. separating and studying components of a greater whole
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00061 using a remote apparatus H04N1/00066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00074 Indicating or reporting details of user-machine interface H04N1/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00832 Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration

Abstract

A system remotely monitors at least one image forming apparatus. The system receives first operation information and second operation information concerning the image forming apparatus. The system is capable of detecting a frequent occurrence of failures in the image forming apparatus based on the first operation information. The system is further capable of detecting a resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures based on the second operation information. In response to the detection of the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures, the system outputs information that explicitly indicates the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus monitoring system configured to monitor at least one image forming apparatus, comprising:

a reception unit configured to receive first operation information and second operation information concerning the image forming apparatus;

a storage unit configured to store the first operation information and the second operation information received by the reception unit;

a first detection unit configured to detect a frequent occurrence of failures in the image forming apparatus based on the first operation information;

a second detection unit configured to detect a resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures based on the second operation information as a trigger of detecting the resolution; and

an output unit configured to output information that explicitly indicates the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures in response to the detection of the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures.

2. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein first operation information and second operation information are notified from the image forming apparatus or from a station monitoring apparatus adapted to intermediate between the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus monitoring system.

3. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes a notification unit configured to notify the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures through a communication line, in a case where the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures is detected by the second detection unit.

4. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, which further comprises:

a third detection unit configured to detect a component replaced in the image forming apparatus according to third information;

a storage control unit configured to cause a database to store information about the replaced component in an explicit form according to detection thereof by the third detection unit.

5. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the third detection unit detects the component replaced in the image forming apparatus in a frequent failure occurrence time.

6. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the output unit also outputs information about component replacement in response to the detection of the component replacement by the third detection unit in the frequent failure occurrence time.

7. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to set a detection sensitivity of the first detection unit which detects the frequent occurrence of failures, or to set a detection sensitivity of the second detection unit which detects the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures.

8. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the first operation information relates to a failure of the image forming apparatus, and wherein the second operation information relates to an operating amount of the image forming apparatus.

9. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the second operation information concerns the number of sheets printed in the image forming apparatus, or the number of print pages.

10. The image forming apparatus monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the third operation information represents a component counter value.

11. A method to monitor at least one image forming apparatus, comprising:

receiving first operation information and second operation information concerning the image forming apparatus;

storing the first operation information and the second operation information received;

detecting a frequent occurrence of failures in the image forming apparatus based on the first operation information;

detecting a resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures based on the second operation information as a trigger of detecting the resolution; and

outputting information that explicitly indicates the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures in response to the detection of the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first operation information and the second operation information are received from the image forming apparatus or from a station monitoring apparatus in communication with the image forming apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the outputting comprises:

notifying the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures through a communication line in response to the detection of the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a component replaced in the image forming apparatus according to third information;

causing a database to store information about the replaced component in an explicit form in response to the detection of the replaced component.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a frequent failure occurrence time associated with the replaced component.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

outputting information explicitly indicating the detection of the replaced component and the frequent failure occurrence time associated with the replaced component.

17. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

setting a detection sensitivity at which the frequent occurrence of failures is detected; and

setting a detection sensitivity at which the resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures is detected.

18. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the first operation information relates to a failure of the image forming apparatus, and

wherein the second operation information relates to an operating amount of the image forming apparatus.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the second operation information concerns the number of sheets printed in the image forming apparatus, or the number of print pages.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the third operation information represents a component counter value.

21. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving first operation information and second operation information concerning an image forming apparatus;

storing the first operation information and the second operation information;

detecting a frequent failure occurrence condition in the image forming apparatus based on the first operation information;

detecting a resolution of the frequent occurrence of failures based on the second operation information as a trigger of detecting the resolution; and

outputting information that explicitly indicates the resolution of the frequent failure occurrence condition in response to the detection of the resolution of the frequent failure occurrence condition.