Dynamic, preventive, centralized printer resource management system and method

• US 6,310,692 B1
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: KUJI Xerox Company Limited, Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Yasuo, Fung, Joseph, Fan, ShengKuo, Tan, Shee-Yen
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US09/079,362
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/1.11, 358/1.9, 358/1.1, 358/1.2, 358/1.17, 358/1.18, 358/404, 358/406, 358/407, 358/434-439, 358/441, 358/444, 358/468, 710/15, 710/18, 710/19, 399/8, 399/18, 399/21, 399/24, 399/25, 399/27, 399/28, 399/29, 399/87, 347/3, 347/5
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1235 caused by end of consumables, e.g. paper, ink, toner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

A dynamic, preventive, centralized printer resource management system provides dynamic, preventive monitoring of printer resources and centralization of the supervision of printer resources in a print management system. The system dynamically monitors the printer resources and delivers warning messages to system administrators, end users, and/or vendors when a printer resource falls below a predetermined threshold. Further, the printer resources can be monitored from a single, centralized location, such as a control panel proximate the system administrator. Notification of printer resource warnings can also be electronically delivered to end users, system operators, and/or vendors. Thus, the printer resource deficiency can be investigated by the administrator, user, or vendor, and resolved prior to the printer resource becoming entirely exhausted.

Claims

1. A printer resource management system comprising:

a database that stores, for each of at least one printer, at least one pair of attributes, each pair of attributes representative of a printer resource level and a corresponding modifiable printer resource threshold for preventive monitoring of printer resource, the modifiable printer resource threshold being modified according to at least one of printer location, printer capacity, printer workload, and configuration of printing environment;

a printer resource manager that receives at least one updated printer resource level from one of the at least one printer, updates a corresponding printer resource level attribute in the database, compares each updated printer resource level attribute with the corresponding modifiable printer resource threshold attribute to determine whether the corresponding printer resource level is deficient, and generates and outputs an advanced notification if that printer resource level is deficient;

at least one output device that receives and displays the notification from the printer resource manager without interrupting the at least one printer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the printer resource level is one of paper level, ink level, toner level, and image forming device quality level.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the printer resource threshold is one of paper threshold, ink threshold, toner threshold, and image forming device quality threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the printer resource manager comprises:

a graphical user interface for displaying the notification on the at least one output device.

5. A printer resource management system, comprising:

storing means for storing in a database, for each of at least one printer, at least one pair of attributes, each pair of attributes representative of a printer resource level and a corresponding modifiable printer resource threshold for preventive monitoring of printer resource, the modifiable printer resource threshold being modified according to at least one of printer location, printer capacity, printer workload, and configuration of printing environment;

managing means for receiving at least one updated printer resource level from one of the at least one printer, the managing means comprising

updating means for updating a corresponding printer resource level attribute in the database,

comparing means for comparing each updated printer resource level attribute with the corresponding modifiable printer resource threshold attribute to determine whether the corresponding printer resource level is deficient,

and notifying means generating and outputting an advanced notification regarding the deficient printer resource level; and

output means for receiving and outputting the notification.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the printer resource level is one of paper level, ink level, toner level, and image forming device quality level.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the printer resource threshold is one of paper threshold, ink or toner threshold, and image forming device quality threshold.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the managing means further comprises graphical user interface means for displaying the notification on the output means.

9. A method for managing printer resources, comprising:

storing in a database, for each of at least one printer, at least one pair of attributes representative of a printer resource level and a corresponding modifiable printer resource threshold for preventive monitoring of printer resource, the modifiable printer resource threshold being modified according to at least one of printer location, printer capacity, printer workload, and configuration of printing environment;

receiving at least one updated printer resource level from one of the at least one printer;

updating a corresponding printer resource level attribute in the database;

comparing each updated printer resource level attribute with the corresponding modifiable printer resource threshold attribute;

determining whether the corresponding printer resource level is deficient; and

generating and outputting an advanced notification if that printer resource level is deficient.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the printer resource level is at least one of paper level, ink or toner level, and print drum quality level.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the printer resource threshold is at least one of paper threshold, ink or toner threshold, and print drum quality threshold.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the outputting of the advanced notification comprises displaying the notification on at least one output device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying of the notification comprises displaying the notification using a graphical user interface.