Management system, image forming apparatus, and method therefor

• US 8,793,369 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US12/908,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 709208-211, 709224-227, 358 114- 115, 714/100
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• 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 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32614 related to a single-mode communication, e.g. at the transmitter or at the receiver
• 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 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report

Abstract

A management system includes an image forming apparatus that manages a phenomenon having occurred in the image forming apparatus as history information, inquires a management apparatus about status information indicating whether the management apparatus is ready for a remote operation of the image forming apparatus, receives the status information relating to the image forming apparatus, from the management apparatus, as a response to an inquiry, enables a function for starting connection to the management apparatus for communication if the managed history information includes an unprocessed phenomenon and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation, and causes the image forming apparatus to start the connection to the management apparatus for communication in response to a user'"'"'s operation to execute the enabled function.

Claims

1. A management system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a management apparatus that can communicate with each other via a network,

the management apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store status information of the management apparatus, the status information indicating whether the management apparatus is ready for a remote operation of each image forming apparatus and being set to the management apparatus by an operator; and

a response unit configured to transmit the status information stored in the storage unit to the image forming apparatus in response to an inquiry received from the image forming apparatus,

each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses comprising;

a management unit configured to manage a phenomenon having occurred in the image forming apparatus as history information;

an inquiry unit configured to inquire the management apparatus about the status information;

a reception unit configured to receive the status information corresponding to the image forming apparatus, from the management apparatus, as a response to an inquiry from the inquiry unit; and

a control unit configured to enable a function for starting communication to the management apparatus for the remote operation by the management apparatus, wherein the enabled function is used to acquire user'"'"'s permission of the user of the image forming apparatus for the communication for the remote operation,

wherein the control unit enables the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus so as to acquire the user'"'"'s permission for the communication for the remote operation if the history information managed by the management unit includes an unprocessed phenomenon and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.

2. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses further comprising, a connection start unit configured to cause the image forming apparatus to start the communication to the management apparatus in response to a user'"'"'s operation to execute the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus enabled by the control unit, and

wherein the remote operation by the management apparatus can be realized by causing the image forming apparatus to execute a command transmitted from the management apparatus in the communication started and established by the connection start unit.

3. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the management apparatus further comprises a provision unit configured to provide a screen that can be used to confirm a measurement value and a setting value acquired from the image forming apparatus,

wherein the measurement value includes a value relating to at least one of internal apparatus temperature, humidity, drum surface temperature, and drum surface potential, and the setting value includes a value relating to at least one of tint adjustment, density adjustment, writing start position, and toner replenishment amount.

4. The management system according to claim 3, wherein when the image forming apparatus transmits the measurement value to the management apparatus, a phenomenon having occurred in the image forming apparatus is notified and transmitted to the management apparatus, and when the image forming apparatus transmits the setting value to the management apparatus, transmission is performed in response to a change of the setting value of the image forming apparatus via an operation unit, and

wherein the management apparatus manages the measurement value and the setting value transmitted from the image forming apparatus.

5. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit enables the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus if the history information managed by the management unit includes a phenomenon for which the management apparatus determines whether to perform the remote operation and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.

6. The management system according to claim 5, wherein the phenomenon for which the management apparatus determines whether to perform the remote operation is a jam that induces frequent occurrence of jams.

7. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit enables the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus if the history information managed by the management unit includes a phenomenon that requires monitoring even after the remote operation by the management apparatus is completed and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.

8. The management system according to claim 2, wherein the management apparatus transmits a command for changing a setting value of the image forming apparatus to the image forming apparatus, to realize the remote operation by the management apparatus, in the communication started and established by the connection start unit.

9. The management system according to claim 1, wherein the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus is not enabled if the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is not ready for the remote operation.

10. An image forming apparatus that can communicate with a management apparatus via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a management unit configured to manage a phenomenon having occurred in the image forming apparatus as history information;

an inquiry unit configured to inquire the management apparatus about status information of the management apparatus, the status information indicating whether the management apparatus is ready for a remote operation of the image forming apparatus and being set to the management apparatus by an operator;

a reception unit configured to receive the status information corresponding to the image forming apparatus, from the management apparatus, as a response to an inquiry from the inquiry unit;

a control unit configured to enable a function for starting communication to the management apparatus, wherein the enabled function is used to acquire user'"'"'s permission of the user of the image forming apparatus for the communication for the remote operation; and

a connection start unit configured to cause the image forming apparatus to start the communication to the management apparatus in response to a user'"'"'s operation to execute the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus enabled by the control unit,

wherein the control unit enables the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus so as to acquire the user'"'"'s permission for the communication for the remote operation if the history information managed by the management unit includes an unprocessed phenomenon and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation, and

wherein the remote operation by the management apparatus can be realized by causing the image forming apparatus to execute a command transmitted from the management apparatus in the communication started and established by the connection start unit.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit enables the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus if the history information managed by the management unit includes a phenomenon for which the management apparatus is required to determine whether to perform the remote operation and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the phenomenon for which the management apparatus is required to determine whether to perform the remote operation is a jam that induces frequent occurrence of jams.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit enables the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus if the history information managed by the management unit includes a phenomenon that requires monitoring even after the remote operation by the management apparatus is completed and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus to the reception unit indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.

14. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus that communicates with a management apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

managing a phenomenon having occurred in the image forming apparatus as history information;

inquiring the management apparatus about status information of the management apparatus, the status information indicating whether the management apparatus is ready for a remote operation of the image forming apparatus and being set to the management apparatus by an operator;

receiving the status information corresponding to the image forming apparatus, from the management apparatus, as a response to an inquiry;

enabling a function for starting communication to the management apparatus, wherein the enabled function is used to acquire user'"'"'s permission of the user of the image forming apparatus for the communication for the remote operation;

causing the image forming apparatus to start the communication to the management apparatus in response to a user'"'"'s operation to execute the enabled function for starting the communication to the management apparatus; and

enabling the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus so as to acquire the user'"'"'s permission for the communication for the remote operation if the managed history information includes an unprocessed phenomenon and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute a method for an image forming apparatus which communicates with a management apparatus via a network, the method comprising:

managing a phenomenon having occurred in the image forming apparatus as history information;

inquiring the management apparatus about status information of the management apparatus, the status information indicating whether the management apparatus is ready for a remote operation of the image forming apparatus and being set to the management apparatus by an operator;

receiving the status information corresponding to the image forming apparatus, from the management apparatus, as a response to an inquiry;

enabling a function for starting communication to the management apparatus, wherein the enabled function is used to acquire user'"'"'s permission of the user of the image forming apparatus for the communication for the remote operation;

causing the image forming apparatus to start the communication to the management apparatus in response to a user'"'"'s operation to execute the enabled function for starting the communication to the management apparatus; and

enabling the function for starting the communication to the management apparatus so as to acquire the user'"'"'s permission for the communication for the remote operation if the managed history information includes an unprocessed phenomenon and the status information transmitted from the management apparatus indicates that the management apparatus is ready for the remote operation.