Method for building a peripheral information database

• US 6,795,829 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2001
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Norris, Corey J., Markle, Catherine R., Alsop, Abraham D., McKinley, Brian E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Linh
• Application Number:
  US09/874,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 709/217-219, 709/223-225, 709/227-229, 709/318, 709/328, 370/449, 710/8, 710/15-19, 710/29, 710/46, 710/200, 714/100, 714/1, 714/47-48, 714/49, 705/400
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/02 Counting the number of copies; Billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0879 Manual configuration through operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A novel method for building a computer peripheral information database for a plurality of peripherals operably connected to a network for sharing between a plurality of users provide a valuable tool for network management and administration. A preferred embodiment of the method is for use with networked printers. Configuration data for the printer is input by at least one user, and printer usage data is obtained by repeated queries over the network to the printers. The information database will contain printer duty cycle and cost data for each of the printer.

Claims

1. A method for building an information database for a plurality of network peripherals, comprising the steps of:

repeatedly querying the plurality of network peripherals for output count data;

obtaining peripheral cost data; and

,

building a peripheral information database for each of the plurality of peripherals using said output count data and said cost data, the peripheral information database comprising at least an operating cost for the peripheral.

2. A method for building a peripheral information database as defined by claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

designating a first portion of the plurality of peripherals as high use peripherals and designating a second portion of the plurality of peripherals as low use; and

,

querying said high use peripherals at a first rate of frequency for said output count data and querying said low use peripherals at a second rate of frequency for said output count data, said second rate of frequency less than said first rate of frequency.

3. A method for building a peripheral information database as defined by claim 1 wherein said peripheral cost data comprises fixed and variable cost data, said fixed cost data comprising one of either a peripheral depreciation value or a peripheral lease value, and wherein said average operating cost is calculated using said fixed and variable cost data.

4. A method for building a peripheral information database as defined by claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of obtaining peripheral recommended output duty cycle data and wherein said step of building the peripheral information database further comprises calculating a duty cycle ratio for the peripheral.

5. A method for building a peripheral information database as defined by claim 1 wherein the plurality of peripherals are of the type that consume a supply to produce output, and wherein the method further comprises the step of repeatedly querying the plurality of network peripherals for a supply level.

6. A method for building a peripheral information database as defined by claim 1 wherein the method is for use with a central computer and a communications network, wherein said step of repeatedly querying the plurality of network peripherals for output count comprises repeatedly querying said plurality of peripherals from the central computer over the communications network, wherein said step of obtaining said peripheral cost data comprises accepting said cost data input over the communications network to the central computer by a user, and wherein said step of building a peripheral information database further comprises building said database with the central computer.

7. A method for building a peripheral information database as defined by claim 1 wherein the peripheral consumes power to produce output, and wherein the method further comprises the step of repeatedly querying the peripheral for a power consumption level.

8. A method for building a printer information database for a plurality of printers connected to a communications network, the method utilizing a central computer connected to the communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

repeatedly querying the plurality of printers over the network from the central computer for printer page count data;

accepting printer cost data input from at least a user over the network to the central computer; and

,

building the printer information database with the central computer using said printer page count data and said printer cost data, the printer information database comprising at least a printer operating cost on a cost per printed page basis.

9. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the step of repeatedly querying the plurality of printers for color page count, page count by paper size, and marking agent level.

10. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein said printer cost data comprises printer fixed and variable cost data, said fixed cost data comprising one of either a printer depreciation cost or a printer lease cost.

11. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the step of obtaining a recommended printer duty cycle, and wherein said step of building a printer information database further comprises calculating at least a duty cycle ratio.

12. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

designating a first portion of the plurality of printers high use printers and designating a second portion of the plurality of printers low use printers, and,

querying said high use printers for printer page count data at a first frequency, querying said low use printers for printer page count data at a second frequency, said second frequency lower than said first frequency.

13. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises repeatedly querying the plurality of printers at a first frequency for page count data and repeatedly querying the plurality of printers at a second frequency for page count by paper size, said first frequency higher than said second frequency.

14. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

obtaining at least one printer power consumption value;

repeatedly querying the plurality of printers for marking agent usage data;

wherein said cost data comprises fixed and variable cost data, said fixed cost data comprising a maintenance contract cost and one of either a printer depreciation cost or a printer lease cost, said variable cost data comprising at least a paper cost and a marking agent cost; and

,

wherein the printer information database comprises at least printer operating cost on a per page basis, said printer operating cost calculated using said configuration data fixed cost data, said configuration variable cost data, said printer power usage data, said marking agent usage data, and said page count data.

15. A method for building a printer configuration database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the step of querying the plurality of printers over the communications network from the central computer for a printer model number, a printer serial number, and a printer duty cycle.

16. A method for building a printer information database as defined by claim 8 wherein the method further comprises the step of repeatedly querying the plurality of printers over the communications network for print job data comprising at least job wait time, and wherein said printer information database further comprises at least an average wait time for each of the plurality of printers.

17. A method for building a printer information database for a plurality of printers connected to a communications network, the plurality of printers for sharing among a plurality of users, the method utilizing a central computer connected to the communications network, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining printer configuration data with the central computer over the network, said printer configuration data comprising at least;

printer fixed cost data comprising one of either a printer depreciation cost or a printer lease cost;

printer variable cost data comprising printer supply item costs;

printer recommended duty cycle data;

printer power consumption data;

repeatedly querying the plurality of printers from the central computer for printer usage data, said printer usage data comprising at least;

page count data;

print job data comprising at least print job wait time;

power consumption status;

current time value; and

,

building the printer information database with said central computer using said printer configuration data and said printer usage data for each of the plurality of printers, said printer information database comprising at least;

a printer operating cost for each printer calculated by summing said fixed cost data with said variable cost data and dividing by total pages printed;

a printer duty cycle ratio calculated by dividing actual pages printed by said recommended duty cycle.

18. A method for building a printer information database for a plurality of printers as defined by claim 17, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

designating a portion of said usage data as high priority usage data and a portion as low priority usage data; and

,

querying said plurality of printers at a first frequency for said high priority usage data at a first frequency and querying said plurality of printers at a second frequency for said low priority usage data, said first frequency higher than said second frequency.

20. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein said printer cost data comprises printer fixed cost data and printer variable cost data, said fixed cost data comprising one of a printer lease cost or a printer depreciation cost, and wherein said average printed page cost is calculated by summing total printer fixed cost data with total printer variable cost data and dividing by total pages printed.

21. A computer program product for building a printer information database as defined by claim 18, wherein causing the central computer to obtain said cost data comprises causing the central computer to accept said cost data input over the data network from at least a user.

19. A computer program product for building a printer information database for a plurality of printers connected to a communications network, the computer program comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed causes a central computer connected to the communications network to:

obtain printer cost data and printer recommended duty cycle data;

repeatedly query each of the plurality of printers over the network at a desired frequency for at least a page count; and

build the printer information database using said page count and said printer cost data, said printer information database comprising at least average printed page cost for each of the plurality of printers and a printer duty cycle ratio for each of the plurality of printers.

22. A computer program product for building a printer information database for a plurality of printers connected to a communications network, the plurality of printers for sharing by a plurality of users, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed causes a central computer connected to the communications network to:

obtain printer configuration data over the data network, said printer configuration data comprising at least;

printer fixed cost data comprising one of either printer depreciation cost or printer lease cost;

printer variable cost data comprising printer supply item costs;

printer recommended duty cycle value;

printer power consumption data;

designate a first portion of the plurality of printers as high use;

designate a second portion of the printers as low use;

repeatedly query said high use printers at a first frequency for printer usage data, and repeatedly query said low use printers at a second frequency for printer usage data, said first frequency greater than said second frequency, said printer usage data comprising at least;

page count data;

print job data comprising at least print job wait time;

power consumption status;

current time value;

build the printer information database using said printer configuration data and said printer usage data for each of the plurality of printers, said printer information database comprising at least;

a printer operating cost for each printer calculated by summing said fixed cost data with said variable cost data and dividing by total pages printed;

a printer duty cycle ration calculated by dividing actual pages printed by said recommended duty cycle.