Equipment management system

• US 5,812,874 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Yasuhiro, Yamashita, Yuji, Nagira, Jiro, Utatsu, Hiroshige
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Application Number:
  US08/757,505
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 395/830, 395/613, 395/616, 395/617, 395/622, 395/651, 395/653, 399/8-13
• US Class Current: 710/10
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

In a management system in which a plurality of copiers are managed by a host computer, each copier is provided with a device that is connected to the host computer so as to manage the copier. The device can be initialized from the copier without advance registration in the host computer. To achieve this, when a serviceperson, having set up the copier, enters a registration code and executes initialization, the device communicates with the host computer and transmits thereto an initialization report. On receiving the initialization report, the host computer creates a database, and subsequently sets the device using predetermined values in the database and assigns thereto a copier ID number. When communication has been completed without errors, the device returns the copier ID number to the copier. To register the copier, an operator of the host computer opens a screen of a list of non-registered pieces of equipment to be managed in order to select and register the corresponding copier on that screen. Thus, a database is made ready for use in the host computer.

Claims

1. An equipment management system comprising a terminal device that is attached to a managed piece of equipment so as to transmit equipment management data needed for managing that managed piece of equipment and a host computer that is connected to said terminal device by way of a data communication line so as to collectively manage said equipment management data, said host computer setting initial data on said terminal device,

wherein said managed piece of equipment comprises an input operation means that inputs to said terminal device a registration code identifying said managed piece of equipment and thereafter conducts initialization,

wherein said terminal device comprises a report creating means that creates an initialization report based only on said registration code when initialization is conducted,

wherein said host computer comprises a database creating means that creates a database when an initialization report is received from said terminal device, and a non-registered equipment list creating means, and

wherein said host computer determines setting values for said terminal device preliminarily based on predetermined values in said database and, when said terminal device has acknowledged completion of setting, said host computer registers equipment management data of a managed piece of equipment whose initialization has been completed in said non-registered equipment list.

2. An equipment management system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein, when equipment management data of the managed piece of equipment freely selected from said list is registered and stored in the database, said non-registered equipment list creating means deletes equipment management data of that managed piece of equipment from the list.