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

• US 7,043,551 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• 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:
  US10/784,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 719/318, 719/313, 719/328
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 monitoring usage of a monitored image output device, comprising:

receiving an electronic mail message transmitted using an Internet protocol, the electronic mail message comprising information related to usage of the monitored image output device;

automatically extracting identifying information of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message;

automatically extracting total page count information of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message, the total page count information indicating the total number of pages printed by the monitored image output device; and

automatically storing the total page count information in association with the identifying information in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the electronic mail message by the monitored image output device; and

transmitting the electronic mail message over the Internet using the Internet protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored image output device is one of a copier and a printer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically extracting identifying information comprises:

extracting a device identifier of the monitored image output device;

extracting model information of the monitored image output device; and

extracting device type information of the monitored image output device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracting step further comprises:

extracting a total number of pages printed since a last report.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically extracting information of a total number of jobs performed by the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically extracting information of capabilities of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically extracting information of a total number of jams of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message.

6. A system, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor configured (1) to receive an electronic mail message transmitted using an Internet protocol, the electronic mail message comprising information related to usage of a monitored image output device, (2) to extract, automatically, identifying information of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message, (3) to extract, automatically, total page count information of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message, the total page count information indicating the total number of pages printed by the monitored image output device, and (4) to store, automatically, the total page count information in association with the identifying information in a database associated with the computer.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

the monitored image output device configured to generate the electronic mail message and to transmit the electronic mail message comprising information related to the usage of the monitored image output device over the Internet to the computer using the Internet protocol.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the monitored image output device is one of a copier and a printer.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to extract a device identifier of the monitored image output device, to extract model information of the monitored image output device, and to extract device type information of the monitored image output device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to extract a total number of pages printed since a last report in the memory.

11. A computer program product including a computer readable medium for monitoring usage of a monitored image output device, comprising:

instructions for receiving an electronic mail message transmitted using an Internet protocol, the electronic mail message comprising information related to usage of the monitored image output device;

instructions for automatically extracting identifying information of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message;

instructions for automatically extracting total page count information of the monitored image output device from the electronic mail message, the total page count information indicating the total number of pages printed by the monitored image output device; and

instructions for automatically storing the total page count information in association with the identifying information in a database.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

instructions for generating the electronic mail message by the monitored image output device; and

instructions for transmitting the electronic mail message over the Internet using the Internet protocol.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the monitored image output device is one of a copier and a printer.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions for automatically extracting identifying information comprise:

instructions for extracting a device identifier of the monitored image output device;

instructions for extracting model information of the monitored image output device; and

instructions for extracting device type information of the monitored image output device.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the instructions for extracting comprise:

instructions for extracting a total number of pages printed since a last report.