Systems and method for monitoring consumable supply levels in one or more printers

• US 8,649,033 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Agnetta, Karen, Stollfus, Brennen W., Clough, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Demeter, Hilina K
• Application Number:
  US11/541,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,692 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00

Abstract

A system for monitoring consumable supply levels in one or more printers includes a printer server for periodically polling the one or more printers for an indication of a supply level of one or more consumables in each printer. The printer server comprises a polling algorithm that dynamically adjusts a polling rate at which the one or more printers are polled. A method of monitoring consumable supply levels in one or more printers includes periodically polling the one or more printers for an indication of a supply level of one or more consumables in each printer; and automatically adjusting a polling rate at which the one or more printers are polled.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring consumable supply levels in one or more printers, said system comprising:

a printer server for periodically polling said one or more printers for an indication of a supply level of one or more consumables in each printer;

wherein said printer server comprises a polling algorithm that dynamically adjusts a polling rate at which said one or more printers are polled; and

wherein said polling algorithm increases said polling rate if a polled printer is approaching a warning threshold level for a consumable.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said polling algorithm calculates an estimated time until a warning threshold level for a consumable is reached.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said warning threshold level is set by a user of said server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said polling algorithm decreases said polling rate for a printer when that printer is re-supplied with a consumable.

5. A system for monitoring consumable supply levels in one or more printers, said system comprising:

a printer server for periodically polling said one or more printers for an indication of a supply level of one or more consumables in each printer;

wherein said printer server comprises a polling algorithm that dynamically adjusts a polling rate at which said one or more printers are polled; and

wherein said polling algorithm increases said polling rate if a polled printer is using a consumable at a rate that exceeds a historical rate at which that printer has used that consumable.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said polling algorithm increases said polling rate if said polled printer is using said consumable at a rate that exceeds said historical rate at which that printer has used that consumable by more than a predetermined variance.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said polling algorithm decreases said polling rate if said polled printer is using said consumable at a rate that is less than said historical rate at which that printer has used that consumable by more than a predetermined variance.