Method and system for providing updated help and solution information at a printing device

• US 7,480,064 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Katano, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): EBRAHIMI DEHKORDY, SAEID
• Application Number:
  US10/404,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.16, 358/404, 700/8, 700/51, 700/275, 709/221, 709/223, 434/118, 434349-350, 434/323, 714/25
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32609 Fault detection or counter-measures, e.g. original mis-positioned, shortage of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32635 of reproducing apparatus or receiver, e.g. out of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32662 remotely, e.g. to the transmitter from the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32694 Storing a fault condition in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A method and system for providing updated help and solution information at a printing device is disclosed. According to one aspect, a printing device is configured to detect a problem relative to the printing device, to download solution data from a remote server, and display recommended actions to address the problem. According to another aspect, a printing device is configured to receive user input through a user interface on the printing device, and to print instructions for operating the printing device in response to the user input. According to another aspect, a printing device is configured to collect statistics that indicate how many times one or more particular help instructions or particular recommended actions have been selected or displayed. The printing device is further configured to provide the statistics to a remote server.

Claims

1. A printing device configured to:

detect a problem relative to the printing device;

download, in response to detecting the problem relative to the printing device, solution data from a specified remote server that stores the solution data;

display, through a user interface on the printing device, one or more recommended actions, based on the solution data, to address the problem;

update statistics that indicate how many times the one or more recommended actions have been displayed;

determine whether a number of times that the one or more recommended actions have been displayed exceeds a specified threshold;

generate, in response to determining that the number of times that the one or more recommended actions have been displayed exceeds the specified threshold, a notification that indicates that the number of times that the one or more recommended actions have been displayed exceeds the specified threshold; and

send the notification to a specified e-mail address.

2. The printing device of claim 1, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

determine, in response to detecting the problem, whether the printing device can currently access, through a communication interface of the printing device, the specified remote server that stores the solution data; and

display, in response to determining that the printing device cannot currently access the specified remote server that stores the solution data, one or more recommended actions that are based on solution data that the printing device previously downloaded from the remote server.

3. The printing device of claim 1, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

select, based on the problem, the one or more recommended actions from among a plurality of possible recommended actions.

4. The printing device of claim 1, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

periodically download, at one or more specified intervals of time, other solution data from the specified remote server that stores the solution data.

5. The printing device of claim 1, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

store the solution data on a persistent storage device.

6. A printing device configured to:

receive user input through a user interface on the printing device;

print, in response to receiving the user input through the user interface on the printing device, and through a printing mechanism in the printing device, one or more instructions for operating the printing device;

determine whether the printing device can currently access a specified remote server that stores the one or more instructions for operating the printing device; and

download, from the specified remote server that stores the one or more instructions for operating the printing device, and in response to determining that the printing device can currently access the specified remote server that stores the one or more instructions for operating the printing device, one or more of the one or more instructions for operating the printing device.

7. The printing device of claim 6, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

periodically download, from the specified remote server that stores the one or more instructions for operating the printing device, and at one or more specified intervals of time, one or more other instructions for operating the printing device.

8. The printing device of claim 6, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

store the one or more instructions on a persistent storage device.

9. The printing device of claim 6, wherein the one or more instructions for operating the printing device comprise at least a portion of a user manual.

10. A printing device configured to:

receive user input through a user interface on the printing device;

print, in response to receiving the user input through the user interface on the printing device, and through a printing mechanism in the printing device, one or more instructions for operating the printing device;

determine whether the printing device can currently access a specified remote server that stores the one or more instructions for operating the printing device; and

print, in response to receiving the user input through the user interface on the printing device, and in response to determining that the printing device cannot currently access the specified remote server that stores the one or more instructions for operating the printing device, one or more instructions that the printing device previously downloaded from the remote server.

11. A printing device configured to:

receive user input through a user interface on the printing device;

select, based on the user input, from among a plurality of help instructions that specify how to operate the printing device, one or more particular help instructions that both correspond to the user input and specify how to operate the printing the device;

display, through the user interface on the printing device, the one or more particular help instructions;

update statistics that indicate how many times the one or more particular help instructions have been selected;

determine whether a number of times that the one or more particular help instructions have been selected exceeds a specified threshold; and

generate, in response to determining that the number of times that the one or more particular help instructions have been selected exceeds the specified threshold, a notification that indicates that the number of times that the one or more particular instructions have been selected exceeds the specified threshold.

12. The printing device of claim 11, wherein the printing device is further configured to:

send the notification to a specified e-mail address.

13. A method of updating printing device solution data, the method comprising:

uploading, to a remote printing device, solution data that includes one or more recommended actions to address one or more problems that could affect the remote printing device;

updating statistics that indicate how many times one or more particular help instructions have been selected;

determining whether a number of times that the one or more particular help instructions have been selected exceeds a specified threshold;

generating, in response to determining that the number of times that the one or more particular help instructions have been selected exceeds the specified threshold, a notification that indicates that the number of times that the one or more particular instructions have been selected exceeds the specified threshold; and

sending the notification to a specified e-mail address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein uploading further comprises:

uploading, in response to the remote printing device detecting a particular problem relative to the remote printing device, solution data that includes one or more recommended actions to address the particular problem.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein uploading further comprises:

periodically uploading, to the remote printing device, at one or more specified intervals of time, other solution data.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

uploading, to the remote printing device, and in response to the remote printing device receiving user input through a user interface on the remote printing device, one or more instructions that are contained in a user manual.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

periodically uploading, to the remote printing device, at one or more specified intervals of time, one or more instructions that are contained in a user manual.

18. A method of updating printing device solution data, the method comprising:

uploading, to a remote printing device, solution data that includes one or more recommended actions to address one or more problems that could affect the remote printing device;

updating statistics that indicate how many times one or more particular recommended actions have been displayed on one or more printing devices;

determining whether a number of times that the one or more particular recommended actions have been displayed on the one or more printing devices exceeds a specified threshold;

generating, in response to determining that the number of times that the one or more particular recommended actions have been displayed on the one or more printing devices exceeds the specified threshold, a notification that indicates that the number of times that the one or more recommended actions have been displayed on the one or more printing devices exceeds the specified threshold; and

sending the notification to a specified e-mail address.

19. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with one or more sequences of instructions for updating printing device solution data, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

uploading, to a remote printing device, solution data that includes one or more recommended actions to address one or more problems that could affect the remote printing device;

updating statistics that indicate how many times one or more particular help instructions have been selected by one or more printing devices;

determining whether a number of times that the one or more particular help instructions have been selected by the one or more printing devices exceeds a specified threshold;

generating, in response to determining that the number of times that the one or more particular help instructions have been selected by the one or more printing devices exceeds the specified threshold, a notification that indicates that the number of times that the one or more particular instructions have been selected by the one or more printing devices exceeds the specified threshold; and

sending the notification to a specified e-mail address.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein uploading further comprises:

uploading, in response to the remote printing device detecting a particular problem relative to the remote printing device, solution data that includes one or more recommended actions to address the particular problem.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein uploading further comprises:

periodically uploading, to the remote printing device, at one or more specified intervals of time, the solution data.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

uploading, to the remote printing device, and in response to the remote printing device receiving user input through a user interface on the remote printing device, one or more instructions that are contained in a user manual.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

periodically uploading, to the remote printing device, at one or more specified intervals of time, one or more instructions that are contained in a user manual.

24. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with one or more sequences of instructions for updating printing device solution data, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

uploading, to a remote printing device, solution data that includes one or more recommended actions to address one or more problems that could affect the remote printing device;

updating statistics that indicate how many times one or more particular recommended actions have been displayed on one or more printing devices;

determining whether a number of times that the one or more particular recommended actions have been displayed on the one or more printing devices exceeds a specified threshold;

generating, in response to determining that the number of times that the one or more particular recommended actions have been displayed on the one or more printing devices exceeds the specified threshold, a notification that indicates that the number of times that the one or more recommended actions have been displayed on the one or more printing devices exceeds the specified threshold; and

sending the notification to a specified e-mail address.