Method and system for managing service activity in a network printing context using a cloud administration system

• US 8,810,821 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Burke, Robert William Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cato, Miya J
• Application Number:
  US13/723,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• 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: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/402 Sharing data concerning the arrangement's configuration or current state for managing optional units G06K15/4025

Abstract

A cloud administration system for managing service information in a network printing context may include a processing module in communication with a plurality of print devices and a plurality of remote systems, and one or more storage modules in communication with the processing module. The processing module may be configured to receive fault information, store the received fault information, send at least a portion of the fault information to the remote systems, receive response information associated with the at least a portion of the fault information, aggregate the received response information into a set of response information, and cause at least a portion of the set of response information to be displayed at one or more of the print device from which the fault information was received, and a computing device associated with a service technician servicing the print device from which the fault information was received.

Claims

1. A cloud administration system for managing service information in a network printing context, the system comprising:

a processing module in communication with a plurality of print devices and a plurality of remote systems, wherein the processing module is located remotely from the plurality of print devices; and

one or more storage modules in communication with the processing module,

wherein the processing module is configured to;

receive fault information from one of the plurality of print devices,

store the received fault information in at least one of the storage modules,

send at least a portion of the fault information to one or more of the remote systems in communication with the cloud administration system,

receive, from the one or more remote systems, response information associated with the at least a portion of the fault information,

aggregate the received response information into a set of response information,

cause at least a portion of the set of response information to be displayed at one or more of;

the print device from which the fault information was received, and

a computing device associated with a service technician servicing the print device from which the fault information was received,

wherein the cloud administration system operates as a shared resource for each of the plurality of print devices and the remote system.

2. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive fault information from a service queue associated with at least one of the plurality of print devices.

3. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive response information from a service activity customer relationship management system.

4. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive response information from a service reporting system, wherein the response information comprises historical service activity associated with one or more print devices.

5. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive response information from a service reporting system, wherein the response information comprises one or more of the following:

a reliability report;

a parts usage report;

a device service hours report;

a print volume report; and

a response time report.

6. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive response information from a knowledgebase system, wherein the response information comprises one or more actions to be performed to resolve a fault associated with the fault information.

7. The cloud system of claim 6, wherein the response information comprises information pertaining to past service calls for one or more print devices.

8. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive response information from a service documentation content management system, wherein the response information comprises service procedure information that describes one or more steps to resolve a fault associated with the fault information.

9. The cloud administration system of claim 8, wherein the service procedure information comprises one or more of the following:

a video;

one or more troubleshooting procedures for resolving the fault; and

one or more schematic diagrams.

10. The cloud administration system of claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to receive response information from a service documentation content management system, wherein the response information comprises one or more of the following:

part inventory information; and

service call information.

11. A method of managing service information in a network printing context, the method comprising:

receiving, by a cloud administration system, fault information from a print device, wherein the fault information comprises information associated with a fault experienced by the print device;

storing, by the cloud administration system, the received fault information in a storage module;

sending, by the cloud administration system, at least a portion of the fault information to one or more remote systems;

receiving, from the one or more remote systems, response information associated with the at least a portion of the fault information;

aggregating the received response information into a set of response information;

causing at least a portion of the set of response information to be displayed at one or more of;

the print device, and

a computing device associated with a service technician servicing the print device from which the fault information was received.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving fault information comprises receiving fault information from a service queue associated with the print device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving response information comprises receiving response information from a service activity customer relationship management system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving response information comprises receiving response information from a service reporting system, wherein the response information comprises historical service activity associated with one or more print devices.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving response information comprises receiving response information from a service reporting system, wherein the response information comprises one or more of the following:

a reliability report;

a parts usage report;

a device service hours report;

a print volume report; and

a response time report.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving response information comprises receiving response information from a knowledgebase system, wherein the response information comprises one or more actions to be performed to resolve a fault associated with the fault information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the response information comprises information pertaining to past service calls for one or more print devices.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving response information comprises receiving response information from a service documentation content management system, wherein the response information comprises service procedure information that describes one or more steps to resolve a fault associated with the fault information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the service procedure information comprises one or more of the following:

a video;

one or more troubleshooting procedures for resolving the fault; and

one or more schematic diagrams.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving response information comprises receiving response information from a service documentation content management system, wherein the response information comprises one or more of the following:

part inventory information; and

service call information.