Analyzing sensor data of a device collected by a mobile endpoint device operating with the device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9544449-B1
Application number	US-201514807529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for analyzing operational sensor data of a device collected by a mobile endpoint device operating with the device are disclosed. For example, the method includes receiving the operational sensor data, a time stamp, a location of the device and a device identification (ID) from the mobile endpoint device, wherein the operational sensor data is collected by the mobile endpoint device from the device when the mobile endpoint device initiates a communication session with the device and transmitting the operational sensor data to a management service, wherein the operational sensor data is analyzed to determine a cause of a failure of the device when the device fails.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for analyzing operational sensor data of a device collected by a mobile endpoint device operating with the device, the method comprising:
receiving, by a management service that is located remotely from the device, an operational sensor data, a time stamp, a location of the device and a device identification (ID), via a global positioning system data on the mobile endpoint device, from the mobile endpoint device, wherein the operational sensor data comprises an environmental condition, which include at least one of: a temperature, a humidity level, a wireless communication signal strength, an ambient light level and is collected by the mobile endpoint device when the mobile endpoint device initiates a communication session with the device, wherein the communication session comprises a pairing request between the mobile endpoint device and the device to allow the mobile endpoint device to control the device, wherein the device does not have any communication capability with the management service; and
transmitting, by the mobile endpoint device, the operational sensor data to the management service, wherein the operational sensor data is analyzed by the management service to determine a cause of a failure of the device when the device fails.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a multi-function device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected from a sensor in the device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected from a sensor that is at the location of the device and is external to the device and external to the mobile endpoint device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected by the mobile endpoint device at the location of the device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile endpoint device collects from the device, the operational sensor data the time stamp, the location of the device and, the device ID over a first communication protocol and the mobile endpoint device transmits the operational sensor data, the time stamp, the location of the device and the device ID to the management service over a second communication protocol different than the first communication protocol.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for analyzing operational sensor data of a device collected by a mobile endpoint device operating with the device, the operations comprising:
receiving by a management service that is located remotely from the device, an operational sensor data, a time stamp, a location of the device, and a device identification (ID) via a global positioning system data on the mobile endpoint device, from the mobile endpoint device, wherein the operational sensor data comprises an environmental condition which include at least one of: a temperature, a humidity level, a wireless communication signal strength, an ambient light level and is collected by the mobile endpoint device when the mobile endpoint device initiates a communication session with the device, wherein the communication session comprises a pairing request between the mobile endpoint device and the device to allow the mobile endpoint device to control the device, wherein the device does not have any communication capability with the management service; and
transmitting, by mobile endpoint device, the operational sensor data to the management service, wherein the operational sensor data is analyzed by the management service to determine a cause of a failure of the device when the device fails.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the device comprises a multi-function device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected from a sensor in the device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected from a sensor that is at the location of the device and is external to the device and external to the mobile endpoint device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected by the mobile endpoint device at the location of the device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the mobile endpoint device collects from the device, the operational sensor data, the time stamp, the location of the device and the device ID over a first communication protocol and the mobile endpoint device transmits the operational sensor data, the time stamp, the location of the device and the device ID to the management service over a second communication protocol different than the first communication protocol.

13. A method for analyzing operational sensor data of a multi-function device (MFD) collected by a mobile endpoint device operating with the MFD, the method comprising:
initiating, by the mobile endpoint device, a pairing with the MFD to control the MFD, wherein the MFD does not have any communication capability with a management service that is located remotely from the MFD;
collecting, by the mobile endpoint device, an operational sensor data, a time stamp, a location of the device, and a device identification (ID) via a global positioning system data on the mobile endpoint device, wherein the operational sensor data comprises an environmental condition which include at least one of: a temperature, a humidity level, a wireless communication signal strength, an ambient light level;
transmitting, by the mobile endpoint device, the operational sensor data, the time stamp, the location of the device and the device identification (ID) to a sensor aggregation server of a sensor aggregation service provider;
detecting, by the mobile endpoint device, a failure of the MFD on a subsequent pairing attempt; and
transmitting, by the mobile endpoint device, a notification to the sensor aggregation server of the sensor aggregation service provider that an operation of the MFD has failed to initiate an analysis of the operational sensor data by the management service that services the MFD that received the operational sensor data, the time stamp, the location of the device and the device identification (ID) from the sensor aggregation server to correlate the operational sensor data to the failure of the MFD.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected from a sensor in the MFD.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected from a sensor that is at the location of the MFD and is external to the MFD and external to the mobile endpoint device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operational sensor data is collected by the mobile endpoint device at the location of the device.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Zehler Peter J
• Tredoux Gavan Leonard
• Rajendran Premkumar

Classifications

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title

• H04N2201/0003

  Method used · CPC title

• G06F3/121

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

• H04N1/00037

  Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state (H04N1/00031 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00007

  relating to particular apparatus or devices · CPC title