STATUS MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090147299A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ECi Software Solutions
• Original Assignee: FMAudit, LLC
• Inventors: Tetu, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

The system comprises a local network including several printing devices provided with a diagnostic unit collecting various device working data'"'"'s; and at least a connecting device connecting a plurality of printing devices, whereby the connecting device is adapted for collecting data'"'"'s from a plurality of printing devices and for storing said data'"'"'s in a digital repository, whereby said digital repository is in a form readable by a processor comprising instructions for treating at least some data'"'"'s of the digital repository.

Claims

1-70. -70. (canceled)

71. A method for monitoring a plurality of printing devices associated with a local network, the method comprising:

providing a removable storage device to a client processor associated with the local network;

executing, with the client processor, a computer program stored at least partially on the removable storage device to acquire printer usage data corresponding to the plurality of printing devices, the acquired printer usage data being stored on the removable storage device; and

providing the removable storage device to a remote processor to analyze the acquired printer usage data, the remote processor not being associated with the local network.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the removable storage device is a USB flash drive.

73. The method of claim 71, wherein the processors are personal computers.

74. The method of claim 71, where the remote processor is positioned at a location remote from the client processor.

75. The method of claim 71, wherein the analysis of the acquired printer usage data includes generating a report associated with the use of the plurality of printing devices.

76. A system for monitoring a plurality of printing devices associated with a local network, the system comprising:

a client processor associated with the local network, the client processor operable to identify at least one of the printing devices by searching the local network, access the identified printing devices to acquire printer usage data therefrom, and store the acquired printer usage data on the computer-readable medium; and

a remote processor not associated with the local network, the remote processor operable to be accessed by the client processor through the internet, acquire at least a portion of the stored printer usage data, and analyze the acquired printer usage data.

77. The system of claim 76, wherein the client processor accesses the remote processor through a web site.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein the client processor is operable to acquire instructions from the remote processor to enable the client processor to identify the printing devices, acquire printer usage data, and store the printer usage data.

79. The system of claim 76, wherein the remote processor is operable to analyze the printer usage data to generate a report associated with the use of the plurality of printing devices.

80. The system of claim 76, wherein the remote processor includes a digital repository operable to store printer usage data corresponding to a plurality of client processors.

81. The system of claim 76, wherein the remote processor includes a digital repository operable to store program data for use by the client processor.

82. The system of claim 76, wherein the client processor is operable to send an email to the remote processor including at least a portion of the acquired printer usage data as an attachment.

83. (canceled)

84. A computer program for monitoring a plurality of printing devices associated with a local network, the computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for operating a client processor, the computer program comprising a plurality of code segments operable to:

identify at least one of the printing devices by searching the local network;

access the identified printing devices to acquire printer usage data therefrom; and

store the acquired printer usage data on the computer-readable medium.

85. The computer program of claim 84, wherein the computer readable medium is a removable storage device and the code segments are operable to be executed by the client processor directly from the removable storage device.

86. The computer program of claim 85, wherein the removable storage device is a USB flash drive.

87. The computer program of claim 84, further including a code segment operable to analyze the acquired printer usage data and generate a report associated with the use of the plurality of printing devices.

88. The computer program of claim 84, further including a code segment operable to send at least a portion of the acquired printer usage data through the internet from the client processor to a remote processor.

89. The computer program of claim 88, wherein the code segments are operable to send an email though the internet to the remote processor, the email including at least a portion of the acquired printer usage data as an attachment.

91. The computer program of claim 84, further including a code segment operable to store acquired printer usage data on a second computer-readable medium accessible through the local network.

92. The computer program of claim 84, wherein at least one of the code segments is operable to be accessed by the client processor through the internet to enable the client processor to identify printing devices associated with the local network and acquire printer usage data from the identified printing devices.

90. (canceled)

93. A system for monitoring a local printing device, the system comprising:

a remote processor not associated with the local printing device; and

a client processor associated with the local printing device, the client processor operable to identify the local printing device and be accessed by the remote processor to enable the remote processor to communicate with the local printing device in real time to acquire printer usage data therefrom.

94. The system of claim 93, further including a plurality of client processors each associated with a different local printing device, each of the client processors being operable to identify the local printing device associated therewith and be accessed by the remote processor to enable the remote processor to communicate with each local printing device in real time to acquire printer usage data therefrom.

95. The system of claim 93, wherein the client processor is operable to be accessed by the remote processor through a local area network.

96. The system of claim 93, wherein the client processor is operable to be accessed by the remote processor through the internet.

97. The system of claim 93, wherein the client processor is operable to identify a plurality of local printing devices and be accessed by the remote processor to enable the remote processor to communicate with the local printing devices in real time.