Method and system for remote diagnostic, control and information collection based on various communication modes for sending messages to users

• US 6,714,971 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Niro, Masaichi
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US10/423,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20030195982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/318, 709/328, 709/329
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0323 Heads moving to and away from the reproducing medium, e.g. for pressure sensitive reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32021 according to the type of received information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report

Abstract

A method, system, and program product for communicating with machines and end users connected to a network. Information sent to or from the machines is transmitted using electronic mail or a via a direct connection. The electronic mail may be transmitted over the Internet to a service center or from a service center to a resource administrator, but also may remain within a local or wide area network for transmission between a machine and an end user or a resource administrator. E-mail messages may be transmitted from a computer which is attached to a device which is being monitored or controlled and include information regarding the status, usage or capabilities of the attached device. The device may send status messages and usage information of the device by an end user to either a resource administrator or to a service center on the Internet through a firewall. The message may be sent directly to the resource administrator station if an urgent need of the end user is indicated, so that a communication may be sent either directly to the end user or to a device driver so that the device driver may communicate the message to the end user. For example, an end user may have exceeded a predetermined limit of resource usage, and needs to be informed. For routine information, the service center may manage all the resources on an intranet and may send predetermined types of information such as summary information regarding usage of network resources to the end user using e-mail.

Claims

1. A method of processing messages, comprising:

transmitting a first electronic message generated by a first device, said first device configured to be used by a first end user among a plurality of end users;

receiving the first electronic message by a first computer;

determining whether the first electronic message received by said first computer includes status information of a job request by the first end user; and

transmitting a first communication from the first computer to the first end user, when it is determined that the first electronic message includes statue information regarding the first end user,

wherein the first electronic message comprises information indicating usage of the first device; and

the determining step comprises;

determining whether the received first electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the first device by the first end user that is less than a predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value; and

sending a warning message showing a percentage level of usage of the first device to the first end user when it is determined that the received first electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the first device by the first end user that is less than the predetermined usage limit value but greater than the predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined percentage is 90%.

3. A method of processing messages, comprising:

transmitting an electronic message by a device;

receiving the electronic message by a computer; and

determining whether the received message includes status information of a job request indicating an urgent need of an end user of the device,

wherein the electronic message comprises information indicating usage of the device; and

the determining step comprises;

determining whether the received electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the device by the end user that is less than a predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value; and

sending a warning message showing a percentage level of usage of the device to the end user when it is determined that the recovered electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the device by the end user that is less than the predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined percentage is 90%.

5. A system, comprising:

a first device configured to transmit a first message from a first resource; and

a first computer configured to receive the first electronic message, to determine whether the received first electronic message includes information regarding a first end user, said information including status of a job request by the first end user; and

to transmit a first communication to the first end user, wherein the first electronic message comprises information indicating usage of the first resource, wherein

the first computer is configured to generate summary information indicating usage of the first resource by the first end user, said first communication including summary information; and

the first computer is configured to generate a warning message indicating a percentage level of usage of the first device by the first end user when the usage of the first resource by the first end user exceeds a predetermined percentage of a predetermined usage limit value, but is less than the predetermined usage limit value, the first communication including the warning message.

6. A computer program product including a computer readable medium embodying program instructions for causing a system to perform the steps of:

transmitting a first electronic message generated by a first device, said first device configured to be used by a first end user among a plurality of end users;

receiving the first electronic message by a first computer;

determining whether the first electronic message received by said first computer includes status information of a job request by the first end user; and

transmitting a first communication from the first computer to the first end user, when it is determined that the first electronic message includes status information regarding the first end user,

wherein the first electronic message comprises information indicating usage of the first device; and

the determining step comprises;

determining whether the received first electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the first device by the first end user that is less than a predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value; and

sending a warning message showing a percentage level of usage of the first device to the first end user when it is determined that the received first electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the first device by the first end user that is less than the predetermined usage limit value but greater than the predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the predetermined percentage 90%.

8. A computer program product including a computer readable medium embodying program instructions for causing a system to perform the steps of:

transmitting an electronic message by a device;

receiving the electronic message by a computer; and

determining whether the received message includes status information of a job request indicating an urgent need of an end user of the device,

wherein the electronic message comprises information indicating usage of the device; and

the determining step comprises;

determining whether the received electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the device by the end user that is less than a predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value; and

sending a warning message showing a percentage level of usage of the device to the end user when it is determined that the recovered electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the device by the end user that is less than the predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predetermined percentage is 90%.

10. A method of processing messages, comprising:

generating a first electronic message by a first device, said first device being configured to be used by a first end user among a plurality of end uses;

transmitting a first electronic message generated by the first device, the first electronic message comprising information indicating usage of the first device;

receiving the first electronic message by a first computer;

determining whether the first electronic message received by said first computer includes information identifying whether a task requested by the first end user, to be performed by the first device, was performed with or without error; and

transmitting a first communication from the first computer to the first end user, when it is determined that the first electronic message includes information related to the first end user; and

the determining step comprises;

determining whether the received first electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the first device by the first end user that is less than a predetermined usage limit value, but greater than a predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value; and

sending a warning message showing a percentage level of usage of the first device to the first end user when it is determined that the received first electronic message includes information indicating a level of usage of the first device by the first end user that is less than the predetermined usage limit value, but greater than the predetermined percentage of the predetermined usage limit value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the predetermined percentage is 90%.