Electrically controlled apparatus

• US 6,990,381 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshimoto, Tsutomu, Yoshiura, Syouichirou, Nomura, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tanh Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/310,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/5, 710/6, 710 15- 19, 710/62, 710/72, 710/73, 700/17, 700/83, 700/99, 700/100, 700/102, 700/108, 345/440, 345/440.1, 345/440.2, 345/441, 345/442, 345/443, 715/700, 715/716, 715/719, 715/762, 715/763, 715/961, 715/963, 715/965, 715/966, 715/967, 715/969, 715/974
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1217 achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00832 Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/966 Computer process, e.g. operation of computer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/974 Slider control as on-screen object in operator interface

Abstract

An electronically controlled apparatus of the present invention includes: an input-output section, which electronically processes and outputs input data; a control section, which electronically controls the input-output section according to operating status data of each component of the input-output section; a managing section, which monitors the operating status data of each component of the input-output section, so as to store and manage the operating status data with corresponding time information of the operating status data; and a processing section, which creates graphic display of the operating status data in a given time scale according to the operating status data and the time information. With the electronically controlled apparatus, it becomes easier to manage regular inspections and replenishing expendables, without lowering an activity rate.

Claims

1. An electronically controlled apparatus, comprising:

at least one input-output section, which electronically processes and outputs input data;

a control section, which electronically controls the input-output section according to activity rate data of each component of the input-output section;

a managing section, which monitors the activity rate data of each component of the input-output section, so as to store and manage the activity rate data with corresponding time information of the activity rate data;

a processing section, which creates a graphic display of the activity rate data in a given time scale according to the activity rate data and the time information,

wherein the processing section is in communication with each of a printer function, a scanner function and a fax function, and

wherein the processing section includes means for displaying, in graphical form having both a time axis and a count number axis indicative of a number of counts, historical data illustrating the count numbers over variable periods of time for each of print counts, scanner counts and fax counts; and

a reservation section, which displays a reservation icon on a graphic display of activity rate data for the electronically controlled apparatus in a given time scale, so as to make a reservation for an inspection on the graphic display for the electronically controlled apparatus,

wherein the reservation section comprises a reservation time setting section which moves the graphically displayed reservation icon to set a reservation time for the inspection, and wherein the reservation icon is moved along a time axis to a time corresponding to one of the displayed activity rate data considered appropriate for the inspection, and

wherein the reservation time setting section includes a setting key for setting reservation time by operation of the setting key, and an OK key for completing a setting of reservation time.

2. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an instructing section, which instructs the processing section to graphically display the activity rate data.

3. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a setting section, which sets a time scale for the processing section to create the graphic display of the activity rate data.

4. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

a distinguishing section, which distinguishes an administrator from at least common users, said setting section setting the time scale according to a result of distinction between the administrator and at least common users.

5. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a communicating section, which sends and receives data that contains the activity rate data.

6. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a completion displaying section, which displays completion of the reservation for an inspection.

7. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a display section, which displays the graphic display that was processed in the processing section; and

a reservation instructing section, which makes a reservation for a new job for the each component according to the displayed graphic display.

8. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

a reservation mark displaying section, which displays, when there already exists a job reservation, the reserved job on the graphic display when the graphic display of the activity rate data of the each component, created by the processing section, is displayed.

9. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

a reservation completion indicating section, which displays the new job reservation made by the reservation instructing section, the reservation being displayed on the graphic display of the activity rate of the each component, created by the processing section.

10. The electronically controlled apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an optimum level displaying section, which graphically displays an optimum processing level of the each component on the graphic display of the activity rate data.

11. The electronically controlled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the time scale is a time period selected from the group consisting of day, week, month, and year.

12. The electronically controlled apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphic display is a line chart or a bar chart with a horizontal time axis.