Status monitoring system and method

• US 8,825,835 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ECi Software Solutions
• Original Assignee: FMAudit, LLC
• Inventors: Tetu, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lan-Dai T
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIDHALM, ANGELA M
• Application Number:
  US11/995,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20090147299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,192 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/217, 709220-224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning

Abstract

The system comprises a local network including several printing devices provided with a diagnostic unit collecting various device working data'"'"'s; and at least a connecting device connecting a plurality of printing devices, whereby the connecting device is adapted for collecting data'"'"'s from a plurality of printing devices and for storing said data'"'"'s in a digital repository, whereby said digital repository is in a form readable by a processor comprising instructions for treating at least some data'"'"'s of the digital repository.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a plurality of printing devices associated with a local network, the method comprising:

providing a removable storage device to a client processor associated with the local network;

executing, with the client processor, a computer program stored at least partially on the removable storage device to acquire printer usage data including toner coverage data corresponding to the plurality of printing devices and to apply a scaling algorithm that converts raw value data into a percentage value to the printing device toner coverage data of a printing device that reports toner coverage data in raw value format to be included in the acquired printing device usage data, the acquired printing device usage data being stored on the removable storage device; and

providing the removable storage device to a remote processor to analyze the acquired printing device usage data, the remote processor not being associated with the local network,

wherein the computer program includes conducting a first audit and a second audit of the printing device usage data, comparing the first audit with the second audit, and flagging a printing device that was present in one audit and absent from the other audit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the removable storage device is a USB flash drive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processors are personal computers.

4. The method of claim 1, where the remote processor is positioned at a location remote from the client processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis of the acquired printing device usage data includes generating a report associated with the use of the plurality of printing devices.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program further includes applying a scaling algorithm to at least a portion of the printing device usage data to be included in the acquired printing device usage data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the scaling algorithm is selected according to the printing device.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program further includes calculating a cost of ownership based on the first audit and the second audit.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program further includes calculating the printing device usage per department of an organization utilizing the printing devices.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the client processor is further operable to calculate the printing device usage per department of an organization utilizing the printing devices.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the scaling algorithm includes the steps of

calculating an average coverage based on a coverage sum from the printing device,

calculating an average coverage squared based on a coverage sum squared from the printing device,

multiplying the coverage sum by a scaling factor if the average coverage is less than one and a square root of the average coverage squared is greater than a first level, and

multiplying the coverage sum squared by a scaling factor if the average coverage is less than one and the square root of the average coverage squared is greater than a first level.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program is further operable to report that a printing device is underutilized if a monthly volume of the printing device is less than a first percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the printing device.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program is further operable to report that a printing device is overutilized if a monthly volume of the printing device is greater than a second percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the printing device.

6. A system for monitoring a plurality of printing devices associated with a local network, the system comprising:

a client processor associated with the local network, the client processor operable to receive a removable storage device, identify at least one of the printing devices by searching the local network, execute a computer program stored at least partially on the removable storage device and access the identified printing devices to acquire printing device usage data including toner coverage data therefrom, apply a scaling algorithm that converts raw value data into a percentage value to the printing device toner coverage data of a printing device that reports toner coverage data in raw value format to be included in the acquired printing device usage data, and store the acquired printing device usage data on a computer-readable medium, wherein the acquired printing device usage data is stored on the removable storage device; and

a remote processor not associated with the local network, the remote processor operable to be accessed by the client processor through the internet, acquire at least a portion of the stored printing device usage data, and analyze the acquired printing device usage data, wherein the computer program includes conducting a first audit and a second audit of the printing device usage data, comparing the first audit with the second audit, and flagging a printing device that was present in one audit and absent from the other audit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the client processor accesses the remote processor through a web site.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the client processor is operable to acquire instructions from the remote processor to enable the client processor to identify the printing devices, acquire printing device usage data, and store the printing device usage data.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote processor is operable to analyze the printing device usage data to generate a report associated with the use of the plurality of printing devices.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote processor includes a digital repository operable to store printing device usage data corresponding to a plurality of client processors.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote processor includes a digital repository operable to store program data for use by the client processor.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the client processor is operable to send an email to the remote processor including at least a portion of the acquired printing device usage data as an attachment.

25. The system of claim 6, wherein the scaling algorithm is selected according to the printing device.

26. The system of claim 6, wherein the client processor is further operable to conduct a first audit and a second audit of the printing device usage data, compare the first audit with the second audit, and flag a printing device that was present in one audit and absent from the other audit.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the client processor is further operable to calculate a cost of ownership based on the first audit and the second audit.

35. The system of claim 6, wherein the scaling algorithm includes the steps of

calculating an average coverage based on a coverage sum from the printing device,

calculating an average coverage squared based on a coverage sum squared from the printing device,

multiplying the coverage sum by a scaling factor if the average coverage is less than one and a square root of the average coverage squared is greater than a first level, and

multiplying the coverage sum squared by a scaling factor if the average coverage is less than one and the square root of the average coverage squared is greater than a first level.

36. The system of claim 6, wherein the client processor is further operable to report that a printing device is underutilized if a monthly volume of the printing device is less than a first percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the printing device.

37. The system of claim 6, wherein the client processor is further operable to report that a printing device is overutilized if a monthly volume of the printing device is greater than a second percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the printing device.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon for monitoring a plurality of printing devices associated with a local network, the computer program comprising a plurality of code segments operable to:

identify at least one of the printing devices by searching the local network;

access the identified printing devices to acquire printing device usage data including toner coverage data therefrom;

apply a scaling algorithm that converts raw value data into a percentage value to the printing device toner coverage data of a printing device that reports toner coverage data in raw value format to be included in the acquired printing device usage data; and

store the acquired printing device usage data on the computer-readable medium, and;

wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes a removable storage device provided to a client processor associated with the local network,

wherein the computer program is stored at least partially on the removable storage device and the acquired printing device usage data is stored on the removable storage device,

wherein the computer program includes conducting a first audit and a second audit of the printing device usage data, comparing the first audit with the second audit, and flagging a printing device that was present in one audit and absent from the other audit.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer readable medium is a removable storage device and the code segments are operable to be executed by the client processor directly from the removable storage device.

15. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the removable storage device is a USB flash drive.

16. The storage medium of claim 13, further including a code segment operable to analyze the acquired printing device usage data and generate a report associated with the use of the plurality of printing devices.

17. The storage medium of claim 13, further including a code segment operable to send at least a portion of the acquired printer usage data through the internet from the client processor to a remote processor.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the code segments are operable to send an email though the internet to the remote processor, the email including at least a portion of the acquired printing device usage data as an attachment.

19. The storage medium of claim 13, further including a code segment operable to store acquired printing device usage data on a second computer-readable medium accessible through the local network.

20. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein at least one of the code segments is operable to be accessed by the client processor through the internet to enable the client processor to identify printing devices associated with the local network and acquire printing device usage data from the identified printing devices.

29. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the code segments are further operable to conduct a first audit and a second audit of the printing device usage data, compare the first audit with the second audit, and flag a printing device that was present in one audit and absent from the other audit.

30. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein the code segments are further operable to calculate a cost of ownership based on the first audit and the second audit.

31. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the code segments are further operable to calculate the printing device usage per department of an organization utilizing the printing devices.

38. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the code segments are further operable to include the following steps of the scaling algorithm calculating an average coverage based on a coverage sum from the printing device,

calculating an average coverage squared based on a coverage sum squared from the printing device,

multiplying the coverage sum by a scaling factor if the average coverage is less than one and a square root of the average coverage squared is greater than a first level, and

multiplying the coverage sum squared by a scaling factor if the average coverage is less than one and the square root of the average coverage squared is greater than a first level.

39. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the code segments are further operable to report that a printing device is underutilized if a monthly volume of the printing device is less than a first percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the printing device.

40. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the code segments are further operable to report that a printing device is overutilized if a monthly volume of the printing device is greater than a second percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the printing device.