System and method for remote monitoring of document processing device

• US 9,762,758 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Jianxin, Ormond, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US15/134,049
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00042 Monitoring, i.e. observation H04N1/00029 - H04N1/00039 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00061 using a remote apparatus H04N1/00066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• 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 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00976 Arrangements for regulating environment, e.g. removing static electricity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32625 Fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring of document processing devices for scheduling of service includes a processor, associated memory and a network interface. The network interface is in data communication with a plurality of identifiable multifunction peripherals. Contact data maps each multifunction peripheral to at least one designated contact is stored in the memory. The network interface receives status data from each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals which is stored in the memory. A statistical engine, including the processor and memory calculates trend data from stored status data and generates alerts corresponding to identified multifunction peripherals in accordance with an analysis of the trend data. The network interface communicates the alerts to at least one designated contact in accordance with each identified multifunction peripheral and the contact data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a network interface configured for data communication with a plurality of identifiable multifunction peripherals,

the network interface configured to receive status data from each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals;

a processor and associated memory,

the memory configured to store contact data mapping each multifunction peripheral to at least one designated contact and device location data corresponding to a location of each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals,

the processor configured to store received status data in the memory; and

a statistical engine, including the processor and the memory, configured to calculate trend data indicative of failure rates and likelihood of failure of each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals in accordance with the stored status data,

wherein the processor is further configured to generate multifunction peripheral device clusters comprising a geographically-proximate grouping of multifunction peripherals in accordance with failure rates and location data;

wherein the processor is further configured to selectively generate alerts corresponding to identified multifunction peripheral device clusters in accordance with an analysis of the trend data, and

wherein the network interface is further configured to communicate the alerts to at least one designated contact in accordance with each identified multifunction peripheral and the contact data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to generate mapping data corresponding to relative locations of each of the multifunction peripherals identified by the location data,

wherein the processor is further configured to generate indicator data for mapped multifunction peripherals in accordance with the mapping data, and

wherein the processor is further configured to generate service area data corresponding to locations of each of the multifunction peripherals and indicator data associated therewith.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to generate service data corresponding to at least one device service area in accordance with the service area data, and further comprising:

an output configured to communicate the device service area to an associated technician.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the network interface is further configured for receiving the status data comprising data associated with an error condition corresponding to at least one of the multifunction peripherals.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the network interface is further configured for receiving the status data comprised of machine environment data corresponding a physical environment of at least one of the multifunction peripherals.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the machine environment data is comprised of temperature data from a multifunction peripheral heat sensor.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the processor is further configured to generate alerts in accordance with data corresponding to a preselected alert threshold.

8. A method comprising:

communicating data communication with a plurality of identifiable multifunction peripherals via an associated data network;

storing contact data mapping each multifunction peripheral to at least one designated contact,

storing device location data corresponding to a location of each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals;

receiving status data from each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals;

storing received status data in a memory;

calculating trend data indicative of failure rates and likelihood of failure of each of the plurality of multifunction peripherals from the stored status data via a statistical engine including a processor and the memory;

generating multifunction peripheral device clusters comprising a geographically-proximate grouping of multifunction peripherals in accordance with the failure rates and the device location data;

generating alerts corresponding to identified multifunction peripheral device clusters in accordance with an analysis of the trend data; and

communicating the alerts to at least one designated contact in accordance with each identified multifunction peripheral and the contact data.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating mapping data corresponding to relative locations of each of the multifunction peripherals identified by the device location data;

generating indicator data for mapped multifunction peripherals in accordance with the mapping data; and

generating service area data corresponding to locations of each of the multifunction peripherals and the indicator data associated therewith.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

generating service data corresponding to at least one device service area in accordance with the service area data; and

communicating, via an output, the device service area to an associated technician.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving the status data comprising data associated with an error condition corresponding to at least one of the multifunction peripherals.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating the alerts in accordance with data corresponding to preselected alert threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving the status data comprising machine environment data corresponding a physical environment of at least one of the multifunction peripherals.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the machine environment data is comprised of temperature data from a multifunction peripheral heat sensor.

15. A system comprising:

a network interface configured for data communication with a plurality of document processing devices,

the network interface configured for ongoing receipt of event data from each document processing device;

a memory configured to store, for each document processing device, setup data specifying a device identifier, device location and designated service entity,

the memory configured to store received event data;

a processor configured to catalog received event data into a plurality of categories of event data in accordance with characteristics thereof and timing data indicative of a duration between events associated with a single document processing device of the plurality of document processing devices,

the processor configured to generate trend data indicative of device failure rates accordance with one or more cataloged events and associated timing data,

the processor configured to apply the trend data to the event data for each of the plurality of document processing devices to calculate a likelihood of failure factor for each document processing device,

the processor configured to generate document processing device clusters comprising a geographically-proximate grouping of document processing devices in accordance failure factors, and

the processor configured to communicate data corresponding to the device clusters and data corresponding to a calculated likelihood of failure to a commonly associated service entity.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the network interface is configured for data communication with device logs from each of the plurality of document processing devices, and wherein the event data is comprised of information from the device logs.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the network interface is configured for data communication with a sensor from each of the plurality of document processing devices, and wherein the event data is comprised of information from the sensor.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the sensor is comprised of a paper document counter.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the network interface is configured for data communication with a portable, personal data device, and wherein the event data is comprised of user-supplied device data.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the processor is further configured to communicate the data corresponding to the device clusters and corresponding to a calculated likelihood of failure to the commonly associated service entity when the likelihood of failure exceeds a preselected threshold value.