ABNORMAL USAGE DETECTION

• US 20090016744A1
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kolb, Kurt Robert Thor
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/24
• 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

Abstract

A method and system compare actual consumable usage (e.g., toner usage) with expected consumable usage in a xerographic machine, such as a printer or copier. Expected toner usage may be predicted from pixel count (area coverage) and actual usage is obtained from monitoring of consumable usage, such as from toner dispense data or toner bottle replacements. If the actual toner usage differs significantly from the expected toner usage (e.g., ±40%), the system may take some action, such as scheduling of a service call. Early detection of abnormal consumable usage in a xerographic machine may allow early correction before any noticeable image defects occur, such as images that are too light or too dark.

Claims

1. A method for detecting abnormal usage of consumables in a machine, comprising:

determining a usage of a consumable;

determining an expected usage of the consumable;

comparing the usage of the consumable to the expected usage; and

communicating an abnormal usage alert when the usage deviates from the expected usage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the usage and the expected usage over a time frame; and

communicating the abnormal usage alert when the usage over the time frame deviates from the expected usage by a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a moving average of expected usage for the time frame; and

determining a moving average of usage for the time frame;

wherein the abnormal usage alert is communicated when the moving average of usage deviates from the moving average of expected usage.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

updating the moving average of expected usage; and

updating the moving average of usage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the abnormal usage alert includes placing a service order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable is toner and further comprising:

determining the expected usage based on a pixel count.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable is toner and further comprising:

determining the usage using a dispense time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable is selected from:

toner, color ink, marking materials, power draw, paper, and customer replaceable units.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumable is selected depending on a job type.

13. A computer readable medium storing instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim i, further comprising:

determining a ratio of an average consumable usage over an average consumable dispensed; and

determining that the usage deviates from the expected usage when the ratio deviates from a predetermined amount.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

building a model of usage.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining the expected usage from the model.

14. A system for detecting abnormal usage of consumables in a xerographic machine, comprising:

a xerographic module for creating images;

a xerographic monitor including a processor and a storage device, the processor including;

means for determining a usage of a consumable;

means for determining an expected usage of the consumable; and

means for comparing the usage of the consumable to the expected usage;

arid

an abnormal usage alerting mechanism connected to the xerographic monitor that is activated when the usage deviates from the expected usage.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a display for displaying an abnormal usage alert.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the consumables are selected from:

toner, color ink, marking materials, power draw, paper, and customer replaceable units.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a fuser module; and

a fuser monitor in the fuser module including a fuser processor and a fuser storage device, the fuser including;

means for determining a fuser usage as a consumable;

means for determining an expected fuser usage of the consumable; and

means for comparing the fuser usage of the consumable to an expected fuser usage;

wherein the abnormal usage alerting mechanism is activated when the fuser usage deviates from the expected fuser usage.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining a ratio of an average consumable usage over an average consumable dispensed; and

means for determining that the usage deviates from the expected usage when the ratio is greater than a predetermined amount.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

means for determining a moving average of expected usage for a time frame; and

means for determining a moving average of usage for the time frame, wherein the abnormal usage alerting mechanism is activated when the moving average of usage deviates from the moving average of expected usage.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for updating the moving average of expected usage; and

means for updating the moving average of usage.