System, service determining method, and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10944810-B2
Application number	US-201615177794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 23, 2015
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A system includes a device and one or more information processing apparatuses. The device includes a device-information generator configured to generate device information on the device; and an analyzer determining unit configured to determine any one of the device and the one or more information processing apparatuses as an analyzer for the device information. The one determined as the analyzer includes an analysis unit configured to perform an analysis based on the device information; and a service determining unit configured to determine a service to the device based on a result of the analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more information processing apparatuses, the one or more information processing apparatuses being different ones of a plurality of types of potential analysis devices each having an expected user associated therewith that varies amongst the plurality of types of the potential analysis devices based on the type of the potential analysis device; and
a printer device, the printer device being one of the plurality of types of potential analysis devices, the printer device including,
first processing circuitry configured to,
store, at a first time, analyzer information including a flag indicating which of the printer device and the one or more information processing apparatuses are selectable as an analysis device such that multiple ones of the printer device and the one or more information processing apparatuses are concurrently selectable as the analysis device,
select, at a second time subsequent to the first time, at least one of the printer device and the one or more information processing apparatuses as the analysis device using the flag in the analyzer information, the expected user of the analysis device having a level of knowledge set based on which one of the plurality of types of the potential analysis devices is associated with the analysis device, and
when a paper jam error is occurred in the printer device and the printer device has been selected as the analysis device,
estimate an estimated slip amount from information for estimating the slip amount to generate device information,
determine whether the estimated slip amount is (i) greater than or equal to a first threshold and less than a second threshold greater than the first threshold, or (ii) greater than or equal to the second threshold,
determine a service to be provided to the printer device based on the device information indicating the estimated slip amount such that,
 if the estimated slip amount is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the analysis device determines a cleaning of a paper feeding roller associated with the printer device as the service, and
 if the estimated slip amount is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the analysis device determines a replacement of the paper feeding roller associated with the printer device as the service, and
display service information relating to the service to be provided on a display of the printer device such that the service information provides instructions on how to clean or replace the paper feeding roller and a depth of detail of the instructions varies based on the level of knowledge set for the expected user of the analysis device by reading the service information from different storage areas based on which of the potential analysis devices is selected as the analysis device.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more information processing apparatuses include one or more of an information processing system run by a maintenance company of the printer device, a user terminal owned by a user of the printer device, and a staff terminal owned by maintenance staff of the printer device,
the printer device is configured to select the analysis device based on analyzer information that indicates any one of the information processing system, the user terminal, the staff terminal, and the printer device as the analysis device,
the information processing system includes second processing circuitry configured to receive, via a network, the device information from the printer device when the information processing system is determined as the analysis device, to perform an analysis based on the device information received by the information processing system, and to determine the service to the printer device based on a result of the analysis performed by the information processing system,
the user terminal includes third processing circuitry configured to receive, via the network, the device information from the printer device when the user terminal is determined as the analysis device, perform an analysis based on the device information received by the user terminal, and to determine a service to the printer device based on a result of the analysis performed by the user terminal,
the staff terminal includes fourth processing circuitry configured to receive, via the network, the device information from the printer device when the staff terminal is determined as the analysis device, to perform an analysis based on the device information received by the staff terminal, and to determine the service to the printer device based on a result of the analysis performed by the staff terminal, and
the first processing circuitry associated with the printer device is configured to transmit, via the network, the device information to the analysis device when any one of the information processing system, the user terminal, and the staff terminal is determined as the analysis device, to perform an analysis based on the device information when the printer device has been determined as the analysis device, and to determine the service to the printer device based on a result of the analysis performed by the printer device.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein
the second processing circuitry associated with the information processing system is configured to output the service information on the service determined by the information processing system,
the third processing circuitry associated with the user terminal is configured to output service information on the service determined by the user terminal,
the fourth processing circuitry associated with the staff terminal is configured to output service information on the service determined by the staff terminal, and
the first processing circuitry associated with the printer device is configured to output service information on the service determined by the printer device.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the second processing circuitry associated with the information processing system is further configured to,
determine an output destination of the service information on the service determined by the information processing system based on output destination information, the output destination information associating service identification information identifying a service with output-destination identification information identifying an output destination that is any one of the information processing system, the user terminal, the staff terminal, and the printer device,
transmit, via the network, the service identification information of the service to the output destination when any one of the user terminal, the staff terminal, and the printer device is determined as the output destination, and
output the service information when the information processing system is determined as the output destination.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the third processing circuitry associated with the user terminal is further configured to,
receive, via the network, service identification information from either the information processing system or the printer device, and
output service information on a service indicated by the service identification information, when the user terminal receives the service identification information.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the third processing circuitry associated with the user terminal is configured to output the service information whose content is appropriate for the user.

7. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the fourth processing circuitry associated with the staff terminal is further configured to,
receive service identification information from either the information processing system or the printer dev

Assignees

• Ueda Kenji
• Oku Takenori
• Nishida Hiroshi
• Hatanaka Satoshi
• Sekine Takeyoshi
• Nakazato Yasushi
• Nagano Fumihiro
• Oishi Tetsutaro
• Satoh Kazuho
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ueda Kenji
• Oku Takenori
• Nishida Hiroshi
• Hatanaka Satoshi
• Sekine Takeyoshi
• Nakazato Yasushi
• Nagano Fumihiro
• Oishi Tetsutaro
• Satoh Kazuho

Classifications

• G06F3/121 Primary

  Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted · CPC title

• G03G15/5079

  for maintenance · CPC title

• G06F11/0733

  in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title

• G06F3/1285

  Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server · CPC title