Remote diagnosis system and method

• US 6,415,392 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Shin, Suzuki, Kobun
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIEMER, RITA A
• Application Number:
  US09/206,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/27, 399/8, 399/24, 399/26, 399/9, 709/222, 709/223, 345/433, 345/112, 345/136, 345/520, 345/5, 345/333, 700/17, 700/83, 600/545, 713/168
• US Class Current: 714/27
• 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: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• 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 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface

Abstract

A remote diagnosis system includes a central computer system that receives user data related to a user request and deals with the user request data, and at least one kind of image-forming apparatus connected to the central computer system. Each image-forming apparatus has a user request data input device, through which data related to a user request is optionally input, and a user request data transmitting device that transmits the user request data to the central computer system. A data communication adapter collects the user request data from the at least one kind image forming apparatus and transmits the user request data to the central computer system. An interface interfaces the at least one kind of image-forming apparatus with the data communication adapter, and a public communication network connects the data communication adapter with the central computer system. The central computer system includes a plurality of request-dealing computers each separately taking charge of at least one prescribed kind of image-forming apparatus to deal with the user request, and a request-receiving computer that receives the user request data from the at least one kind of image-forming apparatus and automatically distributes the user request data to the prescribed request-dealing computer based on identification data included in the user request data.

Claims

1. A remote diagnosis system, comprising:

a central computer system configured to receive user request data related to a user request and to address said user data;

at least one image forming apparatus connected to said central computer system and including a user request data input device, through which user request data is input, and a user request data transmitting device configured to transmit said user request data from said at least one image forming apparatus;

a data communication adapting device configured to collect said user request data from said at least one image forming apparatus and transmit said user request data to said central computer system;

an interface configured to interface said at least one image forming apparatus with said data communication adapting device;

a communication network configured to connect said data communication adapting device with said central computer system;

wherein,

said central computer system includes;

a plurality of request-dealing terminal computers each separately taking charge of at least one corresponding image forming apparatus to address said user request data; and

a data receiving terminal computer configured to receive said user request data from said at least one image forming apparatus and automatically distribute said user request data to prescribed of said plurality of request-dealing computers responsible for said user request data.

2. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 1, further including:

a request-dealing computer determining device employed in each of said plurality of request-receiving computers, configured to determine at least one prescribed request-dealing computer to which said user request data is transferred based on received identification data of said user request data.

3. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 1, further including:

a remaining request data inspecting device configured to inspect whether a prescribed amount of user request data to be addressed remains in said prescribed request-dealing computer; and

a user request data transfer-controlling device configured to control said user request data inspecting device such that said user request data is transferred only when a predetermined amount of user request data does not remain in said prescribed request-dealing computer.

4. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said prescribed amount of user request data comprises at least one user request data.

5. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said prescribed request-dealing computer addresses a plurality of user request data in a prescribed priority order.

6. A remote diagnosis system, comprising:

a central computer system configured to receive user request data related to a user request and to address said user request data;

at least one image-forming apparatus connected to said central computer system and including a user request data input device, through which data related to said user request data is input, and a user request data transmitting device configured to transmit said user request data having identification data therein;

a data communication adapting device configured to collect said user request data from said at least one image forming apparatus and transmit said user request data to said central computer system;

an interface configured to interface said at least one image forming apparatus with said data communication adapting device;

a communication network configured to connect said data communication adapting device with said central computer system;

wherein,

said central computer system includes;

a plurality of request-dealing computers each separately taking charge of at least one image-forming apparatus to address said user request, wherein, each of said request-dealing computers includes;

a user request data receiving and storing device configured to receive and store a plurality of said user request data in an order of a user request data receiving time;

a priority order-determining device configured to determine a priority order of addressing said user requests;

a displaying device configured to display said user request data; and

a display controlling device configured to control said displaying device such that said user request data are displayed in said priority order.

7. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said display controlling device controls said displaying device such that said user request data are displayed in order of said user request data receiving time, when a plurality of user request data having a same priority are received by said user request data receiving device.

8. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said displaying device displays said user request data having different priority levels in different colors.

9. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said request-dealing computer includes a response time setting device, through which a prescribed time period corresponding to said image-forming apparatus or user for addressing said user request are input, and said displaying device displays user request data in a different manner when said user request data has not been addressed within said prescribed time period set by said response time setting device.

10. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said displaying device blinks said problem request data.

11. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said display controlling device gives a first priority to said user request data and then arranges a plurality of user request data in a prescribed priority order.

12. A remote diagnosis system, comprising:

a central computer system configured to receive problem data related to a problem and to resolve said problem;

at least one image-forming apparatus connected to said central computer system and including a self-call data generating device that generates self-call data constituted by identification data and said problem data, and a self-call data transmitting device that transmits said self-call data from said image-forming apparatus to said central computer system by self-calling;

a data communication adapting device configured to collect said self-call data from said at least one image-forming apparatus and transmit said self-call data to said central computer system;

an interface configured to interface said at least one image-forming apparatus with said data communication adapting device;

a communication network configured to connect said data communication adapting device with said central computer system, wherein;

said central computer system includes;

a plurality of problem resolving terminal computers each separately taking charge of a prescribed image-forming apparatus to resolve a problem therein, wherein, each of said problem resolving terminal computers includes;

a condition determining device configured to determine if said problem has been resolved by a user; and

a reset command-transmitting device that transmits a reset command to said image-forming apparatus only when said image-forming apparatus determines that a status of said image forming apparatus of a problem is not reset by said user.

13. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a status determining device disposed in said image forming apparatus configured to determine a status of said image forming apparatus when said reset command is received by said image-forming apparatus; and

a response transmitting device disposed in said image-forming apparatus, which transmits a valid or invalid answer data to said central computer system through said interface, data communication adapting device, and data communication network depending on said status of the image-forming apparatus.

14. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

said valid answer data is generated when said image forming apparatus is determined to have resolved said problem or is executing an image formation, and

said invalid answer data is generated when said image-forming apparatus is determined as not having resolved said problem or is not executing said image formation.

15. A remote diagnosis executing method, comprising steps of:

generating user request data related to a user request from an image forming apparatus;

transmitting said user request data to a central computer system from said image forming apparatus;

receiving said user request data at a request-receiving computer of said central computer system;

determining a prescribed request-dealing computer based on identification data included in said user request data; and

automatically distributing said user request data to said prescribed request-dealing computer.

16. A remote diagnosis executing method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a step of:

resolving a plurality of user request data in a prescribed priority order.

17. A remote diagnosis executing method comprising steps of:

generating user request data related to a user request from an image forming apparatus;

transmitting said user request data to a central computer system from said image forming apparatus;

receiving said user request data at a request receiving computer of said central computer system;

determining a prescribed user request resolving terminal computer based on identification data included in said user request data;

determining whether a prescribed amount of user request data to be addressed remains in a prescribed request dealing computer; and

transferring said user request data only when said prescribed amount of said user request data does not remain in said prescribed terminal computer.

18. A remote diagnosis executing method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a step of:

resolving a plurality of user request data in a prescribed priority order.

19. A remote diagnosis executing method, comprising steps of:

generating problem data related to a problem of an image forming apparatus in said image-forming apparatus;

transmitting said problem data to a central computer system from said image-forming apparatus by self-calling;

receiving said problem data at a data receiving terminal computer of said central computer system;

determining a prescribed problem resolving terminal computer based on identification data included in said problem data;

automatically distributing said problem data to a prescribed problem resolving terminal computer;

determining a priority order of addressing said problem data; and

displaying said problem data in said priority order.

20. A remote diagnosis executing method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

displaying said problem data in order of a problem data receiving time, when a plurality of problem data having a same priority are received.

21. A remote diagnosis operation method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a step of:

displaying said problem data having different priority levels in different colors.

22. A remote diagnosis operation method, comprising steps of:

generating problem data related to a problem of an image forming apparatus in said image forming apparatus;

transmitting said problem data to a central computer system from said image forming apparatus by self-calling;

receiving said problem data at a data receiving terminal computer of said central computer system;

determining a prescribed problem resolving terminal computer based on identification data included in said problem data;

automatically distributing said problem data to said prescribed problem resolving terminal computer;

determining whether a problem can be resolved by a user by resetting a status of said image-forming apparatus; and

transmitting a reset command to said image forming apparatus from said problem resolving terminal computer when said status of said image forming apparatus is not reset by said user.

23. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 22, further comprising steps of:

determining a status of said image-forming apparatus, when said reset command is received by said image-forming apparatus; and

responding by transmitting a valid or invalid answer data to said central computer system from said image forming apparatus depending on said status of the image forming apparatus.

24. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 22, further comprising steps of:

determining a status of said image-forming apparatus, when said reset command is received by said image-forming apparatus; and

responding by transmitting invalid answer data to said central computer system from said image-forming apparatus when said image-forming apparatus is executing image formation when received said reset command signal.

25. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a step of:

re-transmitting said reset command when said invalid answer data includes a BUSY response data.

26. A remote diagnosis system as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a step of:

retransmitting said reset command after said image forming apparatus stops said image formation when said invalid answer data includes BUSY response data.

27. A remote diagnosis system, comprising:

central computer means for receiving user request data related to a user request and for addressing said user request data;

image-forming means for forming images connected to said central computer system and including user request data inputting means for inputting request data and data transmitting means for transmitting said user request data from said image-forming means;

data communication adapting means for collecting said user request data from said image-forming means and for transmitting said user request data to said central computer means;

interfacing means for interfacing said image forming means with said data communication adapting means;

communication networking means for communicating said user request data from communication adapting means with said central computer system;

wherein,

said central computer means includes;

request-dealing terminal computer means for taking charge of a prescribed image-forming means to address corresponding of said user request data; and

data receiving terminal computer means for receiving said user request data from said image forming means and for automatically distributing said user request data to said prescribed request-dealing computer means for said corresponding user request data.