Image-forming apparatus system and method for remotely supervising a plurality of image-forming apparatuses

• US 6,366,741 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Fukushima, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Fred L.
• Application Number:
  US09/539,509
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 399/8, 399/9, 399/10, 399/11
• US Class Current: 399/8
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location

Abstract

A supervising method and system, the system including a plurality of image-forming apparatuses, and a monitoring terminal apparatus disposed in a service center which is connected to the plurality of image-forming apparatuses via a public line. Each image-forming apparatuses is capable of transmitting report information to the service center when an abnormality occurs in the image-forming apparatus. A monitoring terminal stores and displays the report information from the image-forming apparatus. The monitoring device counts a not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period per stored report information. The monitoring terminal further compares each not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period of the report information with a predetermined time period, alerting an operator of the report information and associated effect based upon the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeding the predetermined time period as to process expediently urgent report information.

Claims

1. A system for supervising over a public line network, comprising:

an image-forming apparatus configured to transmit report information when a report activity is initiated; and

a monitoring terminal communicating with the image-forming apparatus over the public line network to receive the report information,

the monitoring terminal being configured to store the received report information, to display contents of the stored report information, to count a not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period per stored report information, the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period starting when the report information is stored at the monitoring terminal, to compare the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period of the report information with a predetermined time period, and to inform selectively of the report information and associated effect based upon the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeding the predetermined time period.

2. The system as in claim 1, further comprising a service station configured to dispatch a service person to address the report information transmitted from the image-forming apparatus.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein the monitoring terminal periodically compares between the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period and the predetermined time period at a predetermined interval.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein the predetermined interval is adjustable.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is adjustable.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein the report activity indicates an abnormality associated with the image-forming apparatus that requires urgent maintenance.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein said monitoring terminal is configured to transmit confirmation information indicating reception of report information.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein the monitoring terminal transmits the confirmation information when the report information is displayed.

9. The system as in claim 1, wherein the image-forming apparatus is configured to transmit operation related information to the monitoring terminal in response to the report information being transmitted to the monitoring terminal and operation related information.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the operation related information includes information-indicating completion of repair of the image-forming apparatus.

11. The system as in claim 10, wherein the monitoring terminal is configured to delete the stored report information based upon the operation related information corresponding to the report information being transmitted from the image-forming apparatus.

12. The system as in claim 1, wherein the monitoring terminal is configured to forward selectively the report information and associated effect based upon either a first informing method or a second informing method, when the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeds the predetermined time period.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein the monitoring terminal is configured to designate at least one of the first informing method and the second informing method.

14. The system as in claim 12, wherein the first informing method includes informing an operator of the report information, wherein the system further comprises:

another monitoring terminal configured to receive the report information based upon the second informing method.

15. The system as in claim 14, wherein the other monitor terminal is a part of a service station.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first and second informing methods are selectively predetermined based upon customer information associated with the image-forming apparatus.

17. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first informing method and the second informing method is selectively predetermined based upon model of the image-forming apparatus.

18. The system as in claim 13, wherein the first informing method and the second informing method are selectively predetermined based upon service station information.

19. The system as in claim 1, wherein the monitoring terminal is configured to change the predetermined time period based upon customer information associated with the image-forming apparatus.

20. The system as in claim 1, wherein the monitoring terminal is configured to change the predetermined time period based upon model of the image-forming apparatus.

21. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the monitoring terminal is configured to change the predetermined time period based upon the service station corresponding to the image-forming apparatus.

22. The system as in claim 12, wherein the monitoring terminal displays the report information by using color images that dynamically change based upon the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeding the predetermined time period when the first informing method is designated.

23. The system as in claim 12, further comprising:

a remote monitoring terminal connected to the public line network, wherein the image-forming apparatus transmits the report information to the remote monitoring terminal via a public line of the public line network when the second informing method is designated and the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period corresponding to any report information exceeds the predetermined time period.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the remote terminal selectively displays the report information and associated effect.

25. The system as in claim 24, wherein the remote terminal is a personal computer.

26. The system as in claim 24, wherein the report information transmitted to the remote monitoring terminal is discriminated from other stored report information.

27. A method for supervising over a public line network, comprising:

transmitting report information from an image-forming apparatus when a report activity is initiated;

receiving the report information in a monitoring terminal;

storing the received report information;

displaying contents of the stored report information by the monitoring terminal;

counting a not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period per stored report information, the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period starting when the report information is stored at the monitoring terminal;

comparing the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period of the report information with a predetermined time period; and

selectively informing an operator of the report information and associated effect based upon the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeding the predetermined time period.

28. The method as in claim 27, wherein the comparing step is periodically executed at a predetermined interval.

29. The method as in claim 28, wherein the predetermined interval is optionally changed.

30. The method as in claim 27, wherein said predetermined time is optionally changed.

31. The method as in claim 27, wherein the transmitting step is executed when an abnormality which requires urgent maintenance occurs in the image-forming apparatus.

32. The method as in claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting confirmation information indicating reception of the report information to the image-forming apparatus as to identify the image-forming apparatus as a transmission source of the report information.

33. The method as in claim 32, wherein the step of transmitting confirmation information is executed when report information is displayed.

34. The method as in claim 27, further comprising:

inputting operation related information; and

transmitting operation related information to the monitoring terminal in response to the step of transmitting report information and the step of inputting operation related information.

35. The method as in claim 34, further comprising:

deleting the stored report information based upon the step of transmitting operation related information.

36. The method as in claim 27, wherein the step of selectively informing is based upon at least one of the first informing method and the second informing method.

37. The method as in claim 36, wherein the first informing method includes displaying the report information to an operator, and the second informing method includes transmitting the report information to another monitoring terminal.

38. The method as in claim 36, wherein the other monitoring terminal is a service station.

39. The method as in claim 36, wherein the first and second informing methods are selectively predetermined depending on customer information associated with the image-forming apparatus.

40. The method as in claim 36, wherein the first informing method and the second informing method are selectively predetermined depending on model of the image-forming apparatus.

41. The method as in claim 36, wherein the first informing method and the second informing method are selectively predetermined depending on a service station corresponding to the image-forming apparatus.

42. The system as in claim 36, further comprising:

changing the predetermined time period according to customer information associated with the image-forming apparatus.

43. The method as in claim 42, further comprising:

changing the predetermined time period according to model of the image-forming apparatus.

44. The method as in claim 42, further comprising:

changing the predetermined time period according to a service station corresponding to the image-forming apparatus.

45. The method as in claim 36, wherein the step of displaying displays the report information by using color images that dynamically change based upon the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeding the predetermined time period when the first informing method is designated.

46. The method as in claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting the report information to a remote terminal via a public line of the public line network when the second informing method is designated and the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period corresponding to any report information exceeds the predetermined time period.

47. The method as in claim 46, further comprising:

displaying the report information on a display on the remote monitoring terminal.

48. The method as in claim 46, further comprising:

discriminating the report information transmitted to the remote monitoring terminal from other stored report information.

49. A system for supervising over a public line network, comprising:

an image-forming apparatus configured to transmit report information when a report activity is initiated; and

a monitoring terminal communicating with the image-forming apparatus over the public line network to receive the report information, the monitoring terminal comprising;

report information receiving means for receiving report information transmitted from the image-forming apparatus,

report-information-storing means for storing the report information received by the report information receiving means,

report-information-displaying means for displaying contents of report information stored in the report information-storing means,

not-yet-dealt-elapsing time counting means for counting a not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period per report information stored in the report information-storing means, the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period starting when the report information is stored at the monitoring terminal,

comparing means for comparing the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period of the report information with a predetermined time period, and

informing means for informing through the report-information displaying means an operator of the report information and an associated effect based upon the not-yet-dealt-elapsing time period exceeding the predetermined time period.

50. The system as in claim 49, wherein the monitoring terminal means includes an informing method designating means for selectively designating at least one of a first informing method and a second informing method.

51. The system as in claim 50, wherein said first informing method informs the operator of report information through the report information displaying means, the system further comprising:

another monitoring terminal receiving the report information based upon the second informing method.

52. The system as in claim 51, wherein the other monitoring terminal is part of a service station.