Electrophotography – Remote monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-05-29
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Remote monitoring
C399S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240261
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus supervising system having a central control apparatus and a plurality of image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, facsimiles, printers, etc. connected to the central control apparatus via a communication network. More particularly, this invention relates to an image forming apparatus supervising system capable of avoiding an erroneous service person call from a user site to a service center or the like.
2. Discussion of the Background
A variety of image forming apparatus supervising systems have been proposed. For example, the Japanese Patent Application laid Open No. 8-1116399 describes an image forming apparatus disposed at a user site connected to a data communication apparatus via a signal line. Further, Japanese Patent Application laid Open No. 5-141526 describes that information related to a paper jam occurring in the image forming apparatus is automatically transmitted by an image forming apparatus supervising system, if it is determined that the paper jam requires maintenance of a service person. Thus, the service person can call on the user and address a problem (the paper jam) quickly.
Further, the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 8-331355 describes that information of a time when maintenance for an image forming apparatus of a user starts, and a time when the same is completed, are reported from the user site using an image forming apparatus supervising system.
Further, a digital type image forming apparatus having a printer function, a facsimile function, and a copier function is generally used as an output device of a host computer as the digital type image forming apparatus comes into wide use. Further, a scanner used in the copier function is generally used as an input device of the host computer.
As a developed system, a plurality of digital image forming apparatuses disposed at user sites are connected to a host computer (central control apparatus) disposed at a sales dealer or a service center via a data communication apparatus and a data communication line.
Further, it is well known that the plurality of image forming apparatuses disposed at user sites are supervised by a central control apparatus (host machine-supervising apparatus) using a remote diagnosis system and a public telephone line or the like.
The background system generally includes the following functions. First, the system may control data communications between the central control apparatus and the plurality of the image forming apparatuses. Second, the system may control data communications between the image forming apparatuses and the central control apparatus or a data communication apparatus. Third, the system may control the data communication apparatus.
In such a background image forming apparatus supervising system, predetermined problems occurring in an image forming apparatus (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a SC (service call)) are quickly reported to the central control apparatus from the image forming apparatuses via the communication line as a service person call.
However, sometimes a user can resolve the problem by turning an electrical switch of the image forming apparatus having the problem OFF and ON, and then perform an image formation without any problem, if the SC has erroneously been detected by the image forming apparatus. Such an erroneous detection is generally executed when a sensor is wrongly tripped due to noise or the like.
Further, since a central control apparatus having been informed of a problem generally arranges a service person to call on a user having the reported problem, the arrangement may result in waste, if the SC was erroneously detected and reported to the central control apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel supervising system and method for image forming apparatuses.
These and other object are achieved by the supervising system including a problem detecting device for detecting a present problem occurring in an image forming apparatus, a first copysheet number storing device for storing a total number of copysheets copied before the present problem occurred in the image forming apparatus, and a second copysheet number storing device for storing a number of copysheets having been copied before a last problem occurred in the image forming apparatus. The problem may be reported only if a difference between the number stored in the first copysheet number storing device and the number stored in the second copysheet number storing device exceeds a predetermined level.
In another embodiment, the number of total copysheets stored in the first copysheet number storing device is copied to the second copysheet number storing device when the present problem occurs.
In yet another embodiment, the level is predetermined corresponding to the kind of the problem.
In yet another embodiment, the level is changeable.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5835816 (1998-11-01), Sawada et al.
patent: 5848326 (1998-12-01), Komuro et al.
patent: 5911092 (1999-06-01), Hotta et al.
Grainger Quana M.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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