Image forming device having a regular information dispatch judgment unit configured to determine irregular message transmission

• US 6,859,625 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sawada, Masaichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grainger, Quana
• Application Number:
  US10/106,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 399/8, 399/9, 399/11, 399/18
• US Class Current: 399/8
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00063 using at least a part of the apparatus itself, e.g. self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• 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 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002

Abstract

In an image forming device, a first transmitting unit periodically transmits a regular message, indicating a state information of the device, to a central management equipment by connecting the device to the management equipment via a communication line when a timing of dispatch of the regular message is detected. A second transmitting unit transmits an irregular message, indicating a malfunction information of the device, to the management equipment by connecting the device to the management equipment via the communication line when a malfunction in the device is detected. A transmission judgment unit determines, immediately before the regular message transmission is started, whether the irregular message has been transmitted within a preset period prior to a timing of the regular message transmission, based on a stored newest malfunction information.

Claims

1. An image forming device equipped with a communication unit connecting the image forming device to a central management equipment via a communication line to allow the central management equipment to remotely perform maintenance of the image forming device, the image forming device comprising:

a first transmitting unit configured to periodically transmit a regular message, indicating a state information of the device, to the management equipment by connecting the device to the management equipment via the communication line when a timing of dispatch of the regular message is detected;

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit an irregular message, indicating a malfunction information of the device, to the management equipment by connecting the device to the management equipment via the communication line when a malfunction in the device is detected;

a transmission judgment unit configured to determine, immediately before the regular message transmission is started, whether the irregular message has been transmitted within a preset period prior to a timing of the regular message transmission, based on a stored newest malfunction information, the transmission judgment unit configured to allow the first transmitting unit to transmit the regular message only when it is determined that the irregular message has not been transmitted within the preset period;

a preset period changing unit configured to change the preset period of the transmission judgment unit to an arbitrarily selected period in response to a preset period changing command.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit the regular message to the management equipment when a predetermined date and time of regular message transmission is reached.

3. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit the regular message to the management equipment when a total number of copy sheets used exceeds a predetermined number.

4. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting unit is configured to transmit the regular message to the management equipment when a period of use of the image forming device exceeds a predetermined period.

5. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control operation inhibiting unit configured to cancel, when a control operation inhibiting command is inputted, the judgment operation of the transmission judgment unit as to whether the regular message transmission is allowed.

6. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission judgment unit is configured to inhibit the transmission of the regular message by the first transmitting unit when it is determined that the irregular message has been transmitted within the preset period.

7. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dispatch detecting unit configured to detect the timing of dispatch of the regular message depending on whether a predetermined date and time of regular message transmission is reached.

8. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dispatch detecting unit configured to detect the timing of dispatch of the regular message depending on whether a total number of copy sheets used by the image forming device exceeds a predetermined number.

9. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dispatch detecting unit configured to detect the timing of dispatch of the regular message depending on whether a period of use of the image forming device exceeds a predetermined period.

10. An image forming device equipped with a communication unit which connects the image forming device to a central management equipment via a communication line in order to allow the central management equipment to remotely perform maintenance of the image forming device, the image forming device comprising:

a first transmitting unit configured to periodically transmit a regular message, indicating a state information of the device, to the management equipment by connecting the device to the management equipment via the communication line when a timing of dispatch of the regular message is detected;

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit an irregular message, indicating a malfunction information of the device, to the management equipment by connecting the device to the management equipment via the communication line when a malfunction in the device is detected;

a transmission judgment unit configured to determine, immediately before the regular message transmission is started, whether the irregular message has been transmitted within a preset period prior to a timing of the regular message transmission, based on a stored newest malfunction information, the transmission judgment unit configured to allow the first transmitting unit to transmit the regular message only when it is determined that the irregular message has not been transmitted within the preset period; and

a malfunction information memory configured to store the newest malfunction information received from the second transmitting unit as a result of the irregular message transmission, wherein the transmission judgment unit is configured to read the newest malfunction information from said memory before the determination is performed.

11. The image forming device according to claim 10, wherein the transmission judgment unit is configured to inhibit the transmission of the regular message by the first transmitting unit when it is determined that the irregular message has been transmitted within the preset period.