Communication system, communication device, and computer readable storage media for information displaying device and for the communication device

• US 8,605,313 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Asai, Norihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLean, Neil R
• Application Number:
  US12/731,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• 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 11/0793 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 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1234 Errors handling and recovery, e.g. reprinting G06F3/1261 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00015 Reproducing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0005 in service, i.e. during normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00222 details of image data generation or reproduction, e.g. scan-to-email or network printing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00233 details of image data reproduction, e.g. network printing or remote image display using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer H04N1/00238; digital output from computer to printer unit G06F3/12
• 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

Abstract

A communication system including a communication device, and a plurality of information displaying devices capable of receiving status information of a communication device is provided. Each information displaying device includes a first judging unit to judge whether the received status information includes error settling information, a first display unit to display the error information and an operable image when the judgment is made that the received status information lacks the error settling information, a first transmitter to transmit error settling information to the communication device in response to an operation to the operable image, and a display restrictor to restrict the error information from being displayed when judgment is made that the received status information includes the error settling information. The communication device includes a second transmitter to transmit at least the error information, and additionally with the error setting information.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a communication device; and

a plurality of information displaying devices, each of which is connected with the communication device to communicate and capable of receiving status information of the communication device;

wherein each of the information displaying devices comprises;

a first judging unit configured to judge, when the status information transmitted from the communication device includes error information, which indicates an error condition in the communication device, as to whether the received status information includes error settling information associated with the error information, the error settling information including indications that an initial response for the error condition has been made and that the error condition remains unsettled;

a first display unit configured to display the error information and an operable image representing an error-dealing button operable to create the error settling information, when the first judging unit judges that the received status information lacks the error settling information;

a first transmitter configured to generate and transmit error settling information associated with the error information to the communication device in response to an operation to the operable image; and

a display restrictor configured to restrict the error information from being displayed when the first judging unit judges that the received status information includes the error settling information;

wherein when the error settling information is present in the status information received in the information display device, the first display unit is activated, and when the error settling information is not present in the status information received in the information display device, the display restrictor is activated;

wherein the communication device comprises;

a storage unit configured to store the error settling information transmitted from the information displaying device to be associated with the error information; and

a second transmitter configured to transmit, to the plurality of information displaying devices the error information, and when the error settling information is created, to transmit and stored the error settling information in the storage unit in association with the error information.

2. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the information displaying devices further comprises:

a transmitter judging unit to judge, when the first judging unit judges that the received status information includes the error settling information, as to whether the error settling information included in the received status information originates from the own first transmitter; and

a second display unit to display the error information when the transmitter judging unit judges that the error settling information included in the received status information originates from own first transmitter.

3. The communication system according to claim 2,

wherein each of the information displaying devices further comprises:

a second judging unit to judge an urgency level of the error information based on a predetermined criterion; and

a third display unit to display the error information when the first judging unit judges that the received status information includes error settling information and the second judging unit judges that the error information indicates a higher-leveled urgency.

4. The communication system according to claim 3,

wherein one of the first, second, and third display units is provided with a comment entry area, in which entry of an additional comment is accepted;

and

wherein each of the information displaying devices comprises a third transmitter, which transmits the additional comment accepted in the comment entry area to the communication device to be included in the error settling information when one of the second and the third display units is provided with the comment entry area.

5. The communication system according to claim 4,

wherein one of the first, second, and third display units is provided with a first comment displaying area, in which at least the additional comment and additionally with a first basic comment are displayed, the additional comment being included in the error settling information and transmitted from the communication device to the information displaying device along with the error settling information, and the first basic comment being prepared on basis of content of the error information.

6. The communication system according to claim 4,

wherein one of the second and third display units is provided with a second comment displaying area, in which at least the additional comment and additionally with a second basic comment are displayed, the additional comment being included in the error settling information and transmitted from the communication device to the information displaying device along with the error settling information, and the second basic comment being prepared on basis of content of the error information;

and

wherein at least a part of the second basic comment is replaced with the error settling information transmitted from the communication device.

7. The communication system according to claim 2,

wherein the error settling information in the received status information includes an identifier of the information displaying device, of which operable image being displayed by the first display unit was operated;

and

wherein the transmitter judging unit compares an identifier of the information displaying device itself with the identifier included in the error settling information in order to determine that the error settling information included in the received status information originates from the own first transmitter of the information displaying device.

8. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein the error settling information stored in the storage unit of the communication device is deleted when the error condition indicated by the error information is settled.

9. The communication system according to claim 1,

wherein each of the information displaying devices comprises a transmitter judging unit to judge, when the first judging unit judges that the received status information includes the error settling information, as to whether the error settling information included in the received status information originates from the own first transmitter;

and

wherein the display restrictor restricts the error information from being displayed when the transmitter judging unit judges that the received status information includes the error settling information originating from the first transmitter of a different one of the information displaying devices.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions to control an information displaying device, which has a display unit and is connected with a communication device to communicate and receive status information of the communication device, to execute steps of:

judging, when the status information transmitted from the communication device includes error information, which indicates an error condition in the communication device, as to whether the received status information includes error settling information associated with the error information, the error settling information including indications that an initial response for the error condition has been made and that the error condition remains unsettled;

displaying the error information and an operable image representing an error-dealing button, operable to create the error settling information, when judgment is made that the received status information lacks the error settling information;

generating and transmitting error settling information associated with the error information to the communication device in response to an operation to the operable image; and

restricting the error information from being displayed when the judgment is made that the received status information includes the error settling information;

wherein when the error settling information is present in the status information received in the information display device, displaying is executed, and when the error settling information is not present in the status information received in the information display device, restricting is executed.

11. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 10,

wherein the information displaying device further executes steps of:

judging an urgency level of the error information based on a predetermined criterion;

judging, when judgment is made that the error information indicates a lower-leveled urgency and that the received status information includes error settling information associated with the error information, as to whether the error settling information included in the received status information originates from the information displaying device itself;

one of displaying the error information, when judgment is made that the error settling information included in the received status information originates from the information displaying device itself, and restricting the error information from being displayed, when judgment is made that the error settling information included in the received status information originates from a different one of the information displaying devices; and

displaying the error information when judgment is made that the received status information includes error settling information and that the error information indicates a higher-leveled urgency.

12. A communication device connected with a plurality of information displaying devices to communicate and capable of transmitting status information to the information displaying devices, comprising:

a receiver unit configured to receive from one of the information displaying devices, when the status information transmitted to the information displaying devices includes error information indicating an error condition in the communication device, error settling information associated with the error information, the error settling information including indications that an initial response for the error condition has been made, and that the error condition remains unsettled;

a storage unit configured to store the error settling information received from the information displaying device to be associated with the error information; and

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the plurality of information displaying devices, the error information, and when the error settling information is created, to transmit and store the error settling information in the storage unit in association with the error information.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions to control a communication device, which is connected with a plurality of information displaying devices to communicate and capable of transmitting status information to the information displaying devices, to execute steps of:

receiving from one of the information displaying devices, when the status information transmitted to the information displaying devices includes error information indicating an error condition in the communication device, error settling information associated with the error information, the error settling information including indications that an initial response for the error condition has been made, and that the error condition remains unsettled;

storing the error settling information received from the information displaying device in a storage unit to be associated with the error information; and

transmitting, to the plurality of information displaying devices, the error information, and, when the error settling information is created, transmitting and storing the error settling information in the storage unit in association with the error information.