Method and system for remote diagnostic, control and information collection based on various communication modes for sending messages to users

• US 9,436,420 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Niro, Masaichi
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US14/628,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0323 Heads moving to and away from the reproducing medium, e.g. for pressure sensitive reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32021 according to the type of received information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0017 Notifying a communication result
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3202 of communication or activity log or report

Abstract

A method, system, and program product for communicating with machines and end users connected to a network. Information sent to or from the machines is transmitted using electronic mail or a via a direct connection. The electronic mail may be transmitted over the Internet to a service center or from a service center to a resource administrator, but also may remain within a local or wide area network for transmission between a machine and an end user or a resource administrator. E-mail messages may be transmitted from a computer which is attached to a device which is being monitored or controlled and include information regarding the status, usage or capabilities of the attached device. The device may send status messages and usage information of the device by an end user to either a resource administrator or to a service center on the Internet through a firewall.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring usage of an image output device, comprising:

receiving, from the image output device, a first message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a job and resource usage information for the job, wherein the job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;

obtaining, based on the resource usage information and usage information of the registered user stored in a memory, a total resource usage of the registered user;

determining whether the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting a second message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined in the determining step that the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image output device is one of a copier and a printer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a device identifier of the image output device;

obtaining model information of the image output device; and

obtaining device type information of the image output device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the job identifier identifies a print job.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a number of pages in the job as the resource usage information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting, to the predetermined destination, a warning message as the second message, the warning message including the obtained total resource usage, when it is determined that the obtained total resource usage reaches the predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, from the received message, the job identifier and the resource usage information.

4. An apparatus for monitoring usage of an image output device, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

receive, from the image output device, a first message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a job and resource usage information for the job, wherein the job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;

obtain, based on the resource usage information and usage information of the registered user stored in a memory, a total resource usage of the registered user;

determine whether the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold; and

transmit a second message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined that the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the image output device is one of a copier and a printer.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

obtain a device identifier of the image output device;

obtain model information of the image output device; and

obtain device type information of the image output device.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform a method of monitoring usage of an image output device, the method comprising:

receiving, from the image output device, a first message transmitted using an Internet application-layer protocol over a network, the received message including a job identifier identifying a job and resource usage information for the job, wherein the job was processed by the image output device for a registered user of the image output device;

obtaining, based on the resource usage information and usage information of the registered user stored in a memory, a total resource usage of the registered user;

determining whether the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches a predetermined threshold; and

transmitting a second message over the network to a predetermined destination, when it is determined in the determining step that the obtained total resource usage of the registered user reaches the predetermined threshold.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the image output device is one of a copier and a printer.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, the method further comprising:

obtaining a device identifier of the image output device;

obtaining model information of the image output device; and

obtaining device type information of the image output device.