Methods and systems for outlying peripheral device management

• US 8,051,218 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bourret, Mary Louise, Ferlitsch, Andrew Rodney, Hooper, Harold Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred; Alford
• Assistant Examiner(s): MODO, RONALD T
• Application Number:
  US12/432,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/18
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00113 Plurality of apparatus configured in groups each with its own host
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention comprise systems and methods for detecting and managing peripheral devices that perform outside a given performance envelope. In some aspects, one or more threshold values may be determined prior to or during implementation by heuristic or other methods. These threshold values may then be used to determine device performance. In some aspects, threshold values may relate to performance parameters comprising device failures, consumption levels, output quality and other parameters. In some aspects, multiple threshold values may be used to determine device performance. In an exemplary aspect, a sheet usage threshold, a tone usage threshold and a power usage threshold may be used to determine if a device is an outlying device. In some aspects, performance below an excellence threshold value may indicate that a device has excellent performance.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating network device performance, said method comprising:

measuring the performance of at least one network device;

determining a network device performance value, based on the measured performance of said at least one network device, wherein said at least one network device is connected, via a network, to a data collection center (DCC);

sending the determined network device performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

comparing, at said data collection center, the determined network device performance value to a network device performance threshold value;

designating, by the DCC, said at least one network device as an outlying device when the determined network device performance value exceeds the network device performance threshold value; and

automatically reconfiguring, by said designated outlying device, a set of operation modes of the designated outlying device, wherein the reconfiguration is based on the measured performance of another network device performing better than the threshold value.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said at least one network device is separated from said DCC by a firewall, and said connection between said at least one network device and said DCC is routed through a master device that is authorized to communicate through said firewall.

3. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising modifying a maintenance schedule for said at least one network device when said at least one network device is designated as an outlying device.

4. A method as described in claim 1 further comprising scheduling said at least one network device for component replacement when said at least one network device is designated as an outlying device.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said at least one network device is a multifunction peripheral (MFP) device.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said network device performance value relates to a period of time between device failures.

7. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said network device performance value relates to consumption of a consumable material by said at least one network device.

8. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said network device performance value relates to power consumption by said at least one network device.

9. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said network device performance value relates to a device fault performed by said at least one network device.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the network device performance value is further based on data in a consumption history report.

11. A method for evaluating network device performance, said method comprising:

determining first and second network device performance threshold values, wherein said first and second network device performance threshold values relate to a first device factor;

determining third and fourth network device performance threshold values wherein said third and fourth network device performance threshold values relate to a second device factor;

determining a fifth network device performance threshold value, wherein said fifth network device performance threshold value relates to a poor count;

measuring the performance of at least one network device in relation to said first device factor;

determining a first network device performance value, wherein said at least one network device is connected, via a network, to a data collection center;

sending said first network device performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

comparing said first network device performance value to said first network device performance threshold value at said data collection center;

designating said at least one network device as an outlying device when said network device performance value exceeds said first network device performance threshold value;

comparing said first network device performance value to said second network device performance threshold value at said data collection center when said network device performance value does not exceed said first network device performance threshold value;

incrementing a network device poor count value when said first network device performance value exceeds said second network device performance threshold value;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to said second device factor;

determining a second network device performance value;

sending said second network device performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

comparing said second network device performance value to said third network device performance threshold value at said data collection center;

designating said at least one network device as an outlying device when said second network device performance value exceeds said third network device performance threshold value;

comparing said second network device performance value to said fourth network device performance threshold value at said data collection center when said second network device performance value does not exceed said third network device performance threshold value;

incrementing said network device poor count value when said second network device performance value exceeds said fourth network device performance threshold value;

comparing said network device poor count value to said fifth network device performance threshold value at said data collection center;

designating said at least one network device as an outlying device when said network device poor count value exceeds said fifth network device performance threshold value; and

modifying a maintenance schedule for said at least one network device, based on the measured performance of a network device performing better than the threshold value, when said at least one network device is designated as an outlying device.

12. A method for evaluating network device performance in a system comprising at least one network device connected, via a network, to a data collection center, said method comprising:

determining a sheet usage threshold value;

determining a toner usage threshold value;

determining a power usage threshold value;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to sheet usage;

determining a sheet usage performance value;

sending said sheet usage performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to toner usage;

determining a toner usage performance value;

sending said toner usage performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to power usage;

determining a power usage performance value;

sending said power usage performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

comparing said sheet usage performance value to said sheet usage threshold value at said data collection center;

designating said at least one network device as an outlying device when said sheet usage performance value exceeds said sheet usage threshold value;

comparing said toner usage performance value to said toner usage threshold value at said data collection center when said sheet usage performance value does not exceed said sheet usage threshold value;

designating said at least one network device as an outlying device when said toner usage performance value exceeds said toner usage threshold value;

comparing said power usage performance value to said power usage threshold value at said data collection center when said toner usage performance value does not exceed said toner usage threshold value;

designating said at least one network device as an outlying device when said power usage performance value exceeds said power usage threshold value; and

scheduling said at least one network device for component replacement, wherein the scheduling is based on the determined usage of a network device performing better than the usage threshold value, when said at least one network device is designated as an outlying device.

13. A method for evaluating network device performance in a system comprising at least one network device connected, via a network, to a data collection center, said method comprising:

determining a sheet usage threshold value;

determining a toner usage threshold value;

determining a power usage threshold value;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to sheet usage;

determining a sheet usage performance value by the data collection center;

sending said sheet usage performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to toner usage;

determining a toner usage performance value by the data collection center;

sending said toner usage performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

measuring the performance of said at least one network device in relation to power usage;

determining a power usage performance value by the data collection center;

sending said power usage performance value from said at least one network device to said data collection center;

comparing said sheet usage performance value to said sheet usage threshold value at said data collection center;

designating, by the data collection center, said at least one network device as an outlying device when said sheet usage performance value exceeds said sheet usage threshold value;

comparing said toner usage performance value to said toner usage threshold value at said data collection center when said sheet usage performance value does not exceed said sheet usage threshold value;

designating, by the data collection center, said at least one network device as an outlying device when said toner usage performance value exceeds said toner usage threshold value;

comparing said power usage performance value to said power usage threshold value at said data collection center when said toner usage performance value does not exceed said toner usage threshold value;

designating, by the data collection center, said at least one network device as an outlying device when said power usage performance value exceeds said power usage threshold value;

determining an exceptional sheet usage threshold value;

determining an exceptional toner usage threshold value;

determining an exceptional power usage threshold value;

comparing said sheet usage performance value to said exceptional sheet usage threshold value at said data collection center;

designating, by the data collection center, said at least one network device as an exceptional device when said exceptional sheet usage performance value is below said exceptional sheet usage threshold value;

comparing said toner usage performance value to said exceptional toner usage threshold value at said data collection center when said sheet usage performance value is not below said exceptional sheet usage threshold value;

designating, by the data collection center, said at least one network device as an exceptional device when said toner usage performance value is below said exceptional toner usage threshold value;

comparing said power usage performance value to said exceptional power usage threshold value at said data collection center when said toner usage performance value is not below said exceptional toner usage threshold value;

designating, by the data collection center, said at least one network device as an exceptional device when said power usage performance value is below said exceptional power usage threshold value; and

automatically reconfiguring, by a network device on said network not designated as exceptional, with configuration parameters from said at least one designated exceptional network device performing better than the threshold value.

14. A method as described in claim 13 further comprising using at least one of said sheet usage performance value, said toner usage performance value and said power usage performance value as a performance model when said at least one network device is designated as an exceptional device.

15. A method comprising:

providing at least one network device comprising a reconfiguration data set;

determining a network device performance value, of the at least one network device, based on a set of performance metrics, wherein the set of performance metrics comprise at least one of;

a period of time between device failures, consumption of consumable materials by the at least one network device, power consumption by the at least one network device, a device fault performed by the at least one network device, and data of a consumption history report;

transmitting the determined network device performance value from the at least one network device to a data collection center via a network link;

comparing, by the data collection center, the at least one network device performance value to an associated network device performance threshold value; and

designating, by the data collection center, the at least one network device as an outlying device based on the at least one network device exceeding the determined at least one network device performance threshold value, and

if the network device performance value exceeds the determined network device performance threshold value then reconfiguring the designated outlying device, by the designated outlying device, a set of operation modes of the designated outlying device, based on configuration data of the at least one network device performing better than the threshold value.