Image forming device diagnostics using served applets

• US 7,701,596 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lexmark International Incorporated (Ninestar Corporation)
• Inventors: Coriale, Matthew Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici; Dov
• Application Number:
  US10/879,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20050286073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.14, 358/1.13, 358/1.1, 358/1.6, 358/1.9, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.18, 358/400, 358/407, 358/468, 358/1.2, 358/1.5, 358/1.11, 358/437, 358/1.3, 399/8, 399/9, 399/18, 399/19, 399/20, 399/21, 399/37, 399/94, 399/176, 399/279, 399/320, 399/400, 347/1, 347/2, 347/3, 347/5, 347/14, 347/23, 710/18, 710/19, 710/15, 710/64, 710/62, 380/55, 380/243, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/273 Tester hardware, i.e. output processing circuits G06F11/263 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• 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

Abstract

An image forming device includes a web server, and serves applets to a communicatively coupled computer. The applets execute on the computer, and control one or more operations and/or monitor one or more conditions or sensors in the image forming device. An applet may provide detailed instructions to the computer user as a diagnostic program executes on the image forming device. A list of available applets may be served to the computer, and one or more applets served in response to a user'"'"'s selection from the list. A decision tree may be served, and one or more applets served as the user advances through the decision tree. Serving the diagnostic applets from the image forming device alleviates the need for a field repair technician to carry a large suite of diagnostic software to diagnose and repair a plurality of models, years, and configurations of image forming devices.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing and repairing an image forming device having a web server, comprising:

establishing a communication connection with a computer by the image forming device;

granting, by said image forming device, access to the web server of the image forming device by the computer over the established communication connection;

downloading, by the image forming device, a software module from said image forming device web server to said computer over the established communication connection; and

allowing the computer executing said software module to control at least one operation in said image forming device, wherein the at least one operation comprises repairing a malfunction of the image forming device, and wherein the communication connection is terminated when the repair is complete.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein repairing the malfunction comprises activating a drive roller and monitoring a position thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein repairing a malfunction comprises allowing the computer executing said software module to control a temperature of a fuser in the image forming device and monitor the fuser temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein granting access comprises granting access to said image forming device web server via a web browser running on the computer and receiving a predetermined password to said image forming device web server from the computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said software module comprises an applet independent of any processor and operating system of the computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein repairing a malfunction comprises controlling and monitoring at least one of a voltage setting and a power supply in the image forming device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing, by the image forming device, a communication connection comprises establishing a direct connection with the computer.

8. An image forming device, comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor controlling said communication interface and executing applications;

memory operatively coupled to said processor and storing at least one applet; and

a web server application serving said applet to a host computer via said communication interface, said applet when executed being capable of controlling at least one malfunction repair operation in said image forming device via the communication interface, the image forming device being a printer such that the communication interface, the processor, the memory and the web server application are contained within the printer.

9. The image forming device of claim 8 wherein said web server application requires a predetermined password from said host computer prior to serving said applet.

10. The image forming device of claim 8 further comprising a diagnostic application executing on said processor to diagnose a malfunction, and wherein said applet served to said host computer by said web server when executed provides instructions to a user of said computer to repair said malfunction, the image forming device further comprising at least one drive roller and at least one encoder associated with the at least one drive roller, and the at least one malfunction repair operation comprising activating the at least one drive roller and reading a position thereof via the at least one encoder.

11. The image forming device of claim 8 further comprising a menu of diagnostic applets for transfer to said host computer by said web server via the communication interface, and wherein one or more said applets are selectively downloaded to said host computer in response to a user selection of said applets via said menu and via the communication interface.

12. The image forming device of claim 11 wherein each said applet when executed exercises and monitors a discrete malfunction repair operation within said image forming device and reports the results to the user via said host computer, the at least one malfunction repair operation comprising controlling a voltage setting in the image forming device.

13. The image forming device of claim 8 further comprising a decision tree for transfer to said host computer by said web server via the communication interface, the decision tree including a diagnostic procedures for the image forming device for controlling the at least one malfunction operation.

14. The image forming device of claim 13, further comprising a fuser assembly, wherein at least one of said diagnostic procedures is performed by an applet downloaded to said host computer by the image forming device via said communication interface, the at least one malfunction repair operation comprising setting a temperature of the fuser assembly.

15. A method of facilitating repair of an image forming device having a processor and a web server, comprising:

executing a diagnostic program on said processor of the image forming device; and

serving, by the web server of the image forming device, a software module to a computer communicatively coupled to said image forming device, said software module including instructions which when executed by the computer addresses at least one malfunction of the image forming device identified by the diagnostic program, wherein the software module include instructions which when executed by the computer provide instructions for remedying the malfunction, and terminating a communication between the image forming device and the computer when remedying the malfunction is complete, the remedying comprising at least one of setting and monitoring a temperature of a fuser in the image forming device, activating a drive roller in the image forming device and monitoring a position thereof, and controlling and monitoring a power supply in the image forming device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prior to serving the software module, establishing a communication connection with the computer, wherein the software module is sent to the computer over the established connection, wherein the communication connection comprises a direct connection to the computer.

17. A method of diagnosing and repairing an image forming device having a web server, comprising:

serving, by the web server of the image forming device, a list of available diagnostic software modules to a computer communicatively coupled to said image forming device; and

serving, by the image forming device, a selected software module appearing on the list to said computer, said software module including instructions for controlling at least one operation in said image forming device when executed on said computer, wherein controlling at least one operation in said image forming device comprises repairing a malfunction of the image forming device, and terminating a communication between the image forming device and the computer when the repair is complete, the repairing comprising at least one of controlling a fuser and a power supply in the image forming device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

prior to serving the list, establishing a communication connection with the computer, wherein the list is sent to the computer over the established communication connection.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

prior to serving the selected software module, receiving from the computer a selection of the software module, the software module serving to at least one of test, monitor and diagnose a condition of the image forming device.

20. A method of diagnosing and repairing an image forming device having a web server, comprising:

serving, by the web server of the image forming device, a diagnostic decision tree to a computer communicatively coupled to said image forming device; and

serving, by the image forming device, at least one software module to said computer in response to a position in said decision tree, said software module including instructions for controlling at least one operation in said image forming device when executed on said computer, wherein controlling at least one operation in said image forming device comprises repairing a malfunction of the image forming device, and terminating a communication between the image forming device and the computer when the repair is complete.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

prior to serving the diagnostic decision tree, establishing a communication connection with the computer, wherein the decision tree is sent to the computer over the established communication connection.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising, prior to serving at least one software module, receiving an indication of a procedure of the decision tree to be performed, the procedure being a procedure to perform one of testing, monitoring and diagnosing a condition of the image forming device.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein repairing the malfunction comprises controlling a drive roller in the image forming device and monitoring a position thereof.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein repairing the malfunction comprises controlling and monitoring a power supply in the image forming device.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein repairing the malfunction comprises setting a temperature of a fuser in the image forming device.