Auditron data format for remote maintenance of a machine such as a copier

• US 6,189,113 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rabb, Khalid M., Daughton, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ray, Gopal C.
• Application Number:
  US09/160,682
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 714/20, 714/25, 714/15, 714/47, 703/21, 707/101, 707/503, 702/184, 708/173, 710/65, 358/406, 399/8, 399/9, 341/173
• US Class Current: 714/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00034 Measuring, i.e. determining a quantity by comparison with a standard H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• 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 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• 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 2201/0072 Detecting the status of a connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Electronically-rendered auditron data, such as from a copier or printer, is formatted with an initial structured portion followed by an unstructured portion. A code within the structured portion instructs a downstream computer how to interpret the digits in the unstructured portion of the data, so that different sets of digits within the unstructured portion are converted to discrete numbers having assigned meanings. The resulting numbers and their assigned meanings can be readily ported to a commercial spreadsheet program.

Claims

1. A method of collecting auditron data from a machine, comprising the steps of:

the machine outputting auditron data in a format including a structured portion in which digits therein are assigned meanings depending on their position relative to a beginning of the auditron data, and an unstructured portion, the structured portion including a code therein;

interpreting the code as an instruction to parse digits in the unstructured portion in a predetermined manner, thereby interpreting the digits in the unstructured portion as a set of discrete numbers; and

entering the discrete numbers into a template, thereby assigning meanings to each of the discrete numbers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interpreting step includes the steps of

if the code is a first number, interpreting the code as an instruction to parse digits in the unstructured portion in a first predetermined manner, thereby interpreting the digits in the unstructured portion as a set of discrete numbers;

if the code is a second number different from the first number, interpreting the code as an instruction to parse digits in the unstructured portion in a second predetermined manner different from the first manner.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the entering step includes the steps of

if the code is the first number, entering the discrete numbers into a first template, thereby assigning a first set meanings to each of the discrete numbers;

and

if the code is the second number, entering the discrete numbers into a second template, thereby assigning a second set of meanings to each of the discrete numbers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the discrete numbers to a spreadsheet program.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising assigning column headings to columns in the spreadsheet program according to the meanings associated with the template.