Device error archive

• US 7,274,473 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Parry, Travis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TOMMY D
• Application Number:
  US09/991,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/437, 358/1.1, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/400, 358/401, 358/402, 358/405, 358/434
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00

Abstract

A method of error archiving for an imaging device is provided. The method includes monitoring system operations for the imaging device, and when an error is detected, compiling information about the error into an error file for one or more of storage, transmission, retrieval, and disposal. In addition, an imaging device including error archiving is provided. The imaging device includes a processor adapted to compile error information when an error is detected, a storage device coupled to the processor and adapted to store the error information for one or more of transmission, retrieval, and disposal of the error information based on user criteria, and a print engine coupled to the processor and adapted to produce tangible output images.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

a processor adapted to compile error information when an error is detected, wherein the error is based on one or more imaging device processes;

a print engine coupled to the processor and adapted to produce tangible output images; and

a storage device coupled to the processor, wherein the storage device is a computer-usable medium and where the processer is adapted to store in the storage device the error information for two or more errors for one or more of transmission, retrieval, and disposal of the error information based on user criteria;

wherein the error information stored by the processor in the storage device is selectable from two or more of a location where the error occured, a type of error detected, a program address where the error occured, contents of the file being processed when the error occured, sequence of events that led up to the error, type of file being processed when the error occured, size of the file being processed when the error occured, a page number, an error code, and a stack trace.

2. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the error information comprises user error information and administrator error information.

3. The imaging device of claim 2 wherein the processor is adapted to transmit the administrator error information to one or more user designated addresses, where the one or more user designated address are selected from one or more e-mail addresses, web addresses, printer addresses, facsimile addresses, and http addresses.

4. The imaging device of claim 2, wherein the user error information comprises the location where the error occurred and the type of error detected, and where the administrator error information includes the location where the error occured, the type of error detected, and one or more of the program address where the error occured, contents of the file being processed when the error occurred, sequence of events that led up to the error, type of file being processed when the error occurred, size of the file being processed when the error occurred, a page number, an error code, and a stack trace.

5. The imaging device of claim 1, further comprising a control panel coupled to the processor and adapted to enable access of the error information.

6. The imaging device of claim 1, further comprising an embedded web server coupled to processor, wherein the embedded web server is adapted to interface between the processor and one or more user-identified addresses.

7. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the computer-usable medium of the storage device comprises one or more of an SRAM, DRAM, non-volatile memory, register, magnetic media, and optical media.

8. A method of error archiving for an imaging device, comprising:

monitoring system operations for the imaging device; and

when an error is detected, compiling information about the error into an error file stored on a storage device of the imaging device for one or more of storage, transmission, retrieval, and disposal;

wherein the storage device is a computer-usable medium;

wherein the information about two or more errors is stored in the error file; and

wherein the information about each error stored on the storage device is configurable and includes two or more of a location where the error occured, a type of error detected, a program address where the error occured, contents of the file being processed when the error occured, sequence of events that led up to the error, type of file being processed when the error occured, size of the file being processed when the error occured, and a stack trace.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein compiling information about an error into an error file further comprises:

displaying user error information, wherein the user information is selected from one or more of the location where the error occured and the type of error detected; and

storing administrator error information, wherein the administrator information is selected from two or more of the location where the error occured, the type of error detected, and one or more of the program address where the error occured, contents of the file being processed when the error occured, sequence of events that led up to error, type of file being processed when the error occured, size of the file being processed when the error occured, a page number, an error code, and a stack trace.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the computer-usable medium of the storage device comprises one or more of an SRAM, DRAM, non-volatile memory, register, magnetic media, and optical media.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting administrator error information to one or more user designated addresses, wherein the one or more user designated address comprise one or more e-mail addresses, web addresses, printer addresses, facsimile addresses, and http addresses; and

wherein the administrator error information includes the location where the error occurred, the type of error detected, and one or more of the program address where the error occurred, contents of the file being processed when the error occurred, sequence of events that led up to the error, type of file being processed when the error occurred, size of the file being processed when the error occurred, and a stack trace.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting an error further comprises detecting one of a service error, a system operation error, a lack of memory, and an operation cancellation.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising, diagnosing the error from the error information and determining correction procedures based on the detected error.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising selectively transmitting error information from the error file to one of an associated imaging device administration program, a web server, a http address, a web address, and an email address.

15. A computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to perform a method of error archiving for an imaging device comprising:

monitoring system operations of the imaging device; and

when an error is detected, compiling information about the error into an error file and storing it on a storage for one or more of storage, transmission, retrieval, and disposal;

wherein the storage device is a computer-usable medium associated with the imaging device;

wherein the information for two or more errors is stored in the error file; and

wherein the information about each error stored by the processor on the storage device is selected and includes two or more of a location where the error occured, a type of error detected, a program address where the error occured, contents of the file being processed when the error occured, sequence of events that led up to the error, type of file being processed when the error occured, size of the file being processed when the error occured, a page number, an error code, and a stack trace.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying user error information, wherein the user information includes one or more of the page number where the error occured and the type of service error detected; and

storing administrator error information, wherein the administrator information includes two or more of the location where the error occured, the type of error detected, and one or more of the program address where the error occured, contents of the file being processed when the error occured, sequence of events that led up to the error, type of file being processed when the error occured, size of the file being processed when the error occured, a page number, an error code, and a stack trace.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

outputting selected elements of the compiled error information by one of printing selected elements of the compiled error information, transmission of selected elements of the compiled error information to a user designated address, displaying selected elements of the compiled error information on a control panel, and displaying selected elements of the compiled error information through an embedded web server.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

sending administrator error information to one of an imaging device administrator program, the imaging device manufacturer, a service contract administrator, a system administrator, and an alternate storage location.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

when the storage device is full, selecting an action from one or more of deleting the oldest error information and storing the new error information, sending a notification to one or more user designated addresses, and deleting error information once transmitted from the imaging device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

performing error correction procedures based on the detected error.