DEVICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, DEVICE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20120013936A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: SAWADA, Masaichi
• Application Number:
  US13/177,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20120013936A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/402 Sharing data concerning the arrangement's configuration or current state for managing optional units G06K15/4025
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00029 Diagnosis, i.e. identifying a problem by comparison with a normal state
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00055 automatically on a periodic basis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00061 using a remote apparatus H04N1/00066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0009 Storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 : with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 : Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A device management apparatus is connected to an image forming apparatus via a first network. The device management apparatus includes a sending unit that sends identification information of the device management apparatus; a monitor unit that periodically acquires status information from the image forming apparatus in response to a request to execute a first process sent by the image forming apparatus that has received the identification information, and records the status information in a storing unit; a diagnosing unit that diagnoses fault prediction of the image forming apparatus based on the status information in response to a request to execute a second process sent by the image forming apparatus from which the status information is acquired; and a transferring unit that transfers, to a remote monitor device via a second network, report information including diagnosis results obtained by the diagnosing unit.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable monitor program stored therein, wherein the monitor program instructs a processor of a computer connected to an image forming apparatus via a first network to execute the steps of:

sending identification information of the monitor program;

periodically acquiring status information from the image forming apparatus in response to a request to execute a first process sent by the image forming apparatus that has received the identification information;

recording the status information in a storing unit;

diagnosing fault prediction of the image forming apparatus based on the status information in response to a request to execute a second process sent by the image forming apparatus from which the status information is acquired; and

transferring, to a remote monitor device via a second network, report information including diagnosis results obtained at the diagnosing.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending, to the image forming apparatus, a print request to print the report information; and

receiving confirmation that the image forming apparatus printed the report information in response to the print request.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a screen image indicating the report information on the display device; and

sending the report information to the remote monitor device in response to an instruction to send the report information being entered into the screen image.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the transferring step further includes sending, to the report monitor device, a part of the report information selected as a sending target in the screen image.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying an image corresponding to a status indicated by the status information.

6. A device management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus via a first network, the device management apparatus comprising:

a sending unit configured to send identification information of the device management apparatus;

a monitor unit configured to periodically acquire status information from the image forming apparatus in response to a request to execute a first process sent by the image forming apparatus that has received the identification information, and record the status information in a storing unit;

a diagnosing unit configured to diagnose fault prediction of the image forming apparatus based on the status information in response to a request to execute a second process sent by the image forming apparatus from which the status information is acquired; and

a transferring unit configured to transfer, to a remote monitor device via a second network, report information including diagnosis results obtained by the diagnosing unit.

8. A device management system according to claim 6, wherein

the image forming apparatus includes

a display control unit configured to display, on a display device, a display element corresponding to the received identification information, and

a communications control unit configured to send, to the device management apparatus, the request to execute the first process or the request to execute the second process, in response to the display element being selected.

7. A device management method executed by a computer connected to an image forming apparatus via a first network, the device management method comprising:

sending identification information of the computer;

periodically acquiring status information from the image forming apparatus in response to a request to execute a first process sent by the image forming apparatus that has received the identification information;

recording the status information in a storing unit;

diagnosing fault prediction of the image forming apparatus based on the status information in response to a request to execute a second process sent by the image forming apparatus from which the status information is acquired; and

transferring, to a remote monitor device via a second network, report information including diagnosis results obtained at the diagnosing.