Patent Application
20080025734
Referring now to the figures, which are exemplary embodiments, wherein like items are numbered alike:
As used herein, a local communication device is any device coupled to the machine 12 by at least one computer communications network. The local communication device 16 is optional and fulfills the function of an auxiliary or backup system. It may include any one or more: personal computer, workstation computer, laptop computer, handheld computer, palmtop computer, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), and any other device capable of communicating electronic messages via the local network 14. It is contemplated that the local communication device 16 is associated with a user who is responsible for manually ordering supplies for the machine 12 in the event that the automated system disclosed herein is temporarily taken off line for service or otherwise rendered inoperable. The network 14 may be, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN) associated with an office 27, building, campus, or other limited geographic space.
The supplier computer 30 may include any one or more: personal computer, workstation computer, laptop computer, mainframe computer, and other computers capable of receiving data from multiple customers via network 28. The remote communications network 28 may include any one or more of: a Wide Area Network (e.g., the Internet, an Intranet, and the like), a telephone network, and the like. Either network 14 or 28 may employ any wired and/or wireless mode of communication. In general, network topologies other than those shown in
In the embodiment shown, the electronic message 26 is sent to the remote communication device 30 at the supplier 32 via the local communications network 14 using an electronic messaging service provided by a message server computer (message server) 34 associated with the communications network 14. The message server 34 includes any one or more computers having: components that handle the transfer of messages to and from other message servers and user computers, a storage area where electronic messages are stored for users of the messaging service, and a set of rules that determine how the message server computer 34 should react to messages and commands from the processor 24 and optionally the user via the communication device 16. While the message server 34 is shown as being associated with the local network 14 (e.g., forming part of the LAN), it will be appreciated that message servers may be associated with the remote network 28 (e.g., the Internet) and may be accessed by the machine 12 and/or optionally by the communication device 16 via the remote network 28.
The message server 34 may provide any suitable electronic messaging service to send the electronic message 26 from the machine 12 to the provider or supplier computer 30. As used herein, an electronic message is any electronic, file, data, or other information transmitted between computers, servers, processors, terminals, and the like within a computer network. Well-known electronic messaging services include: electronic mail (e-mail), text messaging, instant messaging, Short Messaging Service (SMS), and the like.
For example, the message server 34 may be an e-mail server and the electronic message 26 sent from the machine 12 to the remote communication device 30 via network 28 may be an e-mail message. In this embodiment, the processor 24, message server 34, and supplier computer 30, as well as optionally computer 16, may employ one or more protocols found in the Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite of protocols to communicate the electronic message 26. The most common TCP/IP protocols used for e-mail are SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), Post Office Protocol (POP), and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). In general, SMTP is used in sending and receiving e-mail, while POP and IMAP let the computer 30 (optionally computer 16) and processor 24 save messages in a mailbox in message server 34 and download them periodically from the message server 34. Other protocols that can be employed and which might be preferred include web services over HTTP and HTTPS which are wire protocols, similar to the use of SMTP for email. The MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) protocol may also be used to send binary data across networks 14 and 28. The processor 24, message server 34, and computer 30 may employ a commercially available e-mail program to send and receive the message 26. Commercially available e-mail programs include, for example, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook and Netscape Communicator.
In another example, instant messaging may be used to provide the electronic message 26 to the remote communication device 30 via network 28. Popular instant messaging services on the Internet include MSN (Microsoft Network) Messenger, AOL (America On Line) Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). In yet another example, text messaging or SMS may be used to provide the electronic message 26 to the communication device 30. Text messaging and SMS are generally applied to send relatively short text messages (e.g., about 160 alpha-numeric characters or less) to and from mobile devices (e.g., a mobile phone) and/or IP addresses.
In the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
In operation, sheets on which images are to be printed are drawn from the stack 22 and move relative to the marking device 18 where the individual sheets are printed upon with desired images. The marking material for placing marks on various sheets by marking device 18 is provided by marking material supply 20. If machine 12 is an electrostatographic printer, marking material supply 20 may include a supply of toner, while marking device 18 includes any number of hardware items for the electrostatographic process, such as a photoreceptor or fusing device. In the well-known process of electrostatographic printing, the most common type of which is known as “xerography,” a charge retentive surface, typically known as a photoreceptor, is electrostatically charged, and then exposed to a light pattern of an original image to selectively discharge the surface in accordance therewith. The resulting pattern of charged and discharged areas on the photoreceptor form an electrostatic charge pattern, known as a latent image, conforming to the original image. The latent image is developed by contacting it with a finely divided electrostatically attractable powder known as “toner.” Toner is held on the image areas by the electrostatic charge on the photoreceptor surface. Thus, a toner image is produced in conformity with a light image of the original being reproduced. The toner image may then be transferred to a substrate, such as paper from the stack 22, and the image affixed thereto to form a permanent record of the image.
In the ink-jet context, the marking material supply 20 includes a quantity of either liquid or solid ink, and may include, in the case of liquid inks, separate tanks for different primary-colored inks, while the marking device 18 includes a printhead, for example. In either the electrostatographic or ink-jet context, “marking material” can include other consumed items used in printing but not precisely used for marking, such as oil or cleaning fluid used in a fusing device.
In the current market for office equipment, for example, it is typically desirable that a component such as toner 20 is configured as a module that is readily replaceable by the end user, thus saving the expense of having a representative of the supplier visit the user. Also, there may be provided several different modules for marking material supply 20, such as in a full color printer. In general, there may simply be provided one or more supply components associated with the machine 12, and it is expected that, at times within the life of machine 12, one or more of these components will need to be replenished.
The microprocessor 40 is configured along with counters 50, 52 and 54 to detect a number of conditions or events that may occur during operation of the machine 12, such as when the machine is or will be out of a consumable supply or when a toner receptacle is filled, when a supply level is low and when a supply has been replenished and to what level it has been replenished. The usage counters 50, 52 and 54 may provide a count of the number of sheets of media output, or the number of pixels of colorant (toner) used in an image that has been printed or copied, for example.
As used herein, a condition of a component is any state of being of a component and may include: remaining or depleted supply of a consumable component, rate of depletion of a consumable component, age and health of a component, usage of a component, and wear and rate of wear of a component.
The processor 40 may implement counters 50, 52 and 54 for each component 18, 20 and 22 being tracked. In the example shown in
The processor 24 is able to interpolate and analyze the data collected by the microprocessor 40 and counters 50, 52 and 54 and to provide an accurate estimation of the condition of all the components 18, 20 and 22. The processor 24 is also configured to implement a data model for the values of the supply levels that normalizes the values (i.e., provides a measure that is device independent and is relevant to the user's business processes), and/or puts the data in units that are most useable to the user. For example, rather than giving the number of grams of colorant used up so far in a toner bottle, the processor 24 provides data as a percentage of the toner bottle volume that remains to be used. The processor 24 is also able to determine by extrapolation based on recent usage, at which time in the future, the marking device 18 will have worn out and need replacement or when the toner supply 20 will likely be exhausted.
The processor 24 is also configured to create an event notification when any supply is estimated to have dropped below a predetermined, but configurable, level or when a device or part of the machine has reached or passed its useful life and needs to be replaced. This level or event may be dynamically configured to be a function of the device's historical usage and of the estimated arrival time for ordered replacement materials with an appropriate adjustment to accommodate any variation in the supply usage. An event notification may also be created by the processor 24 in the case where any device or part of the machine, based on past usage, is likely to break or wear out.
As indicated above, the supply level or predicted useful life data collected and analyzed by the processor 24 may be sent through the remote communication network 28, such as the internet, to a supplier or seller 32 of the supply being monitored, or may simply be displayed at the user interface 36, in which case, the user is responsible for rendering the necessary repairs or replenishing the supplies. In most cases, the supplies will have been stored locally by the user at a convenient place close to the machine 12 as depicted at 55 in
The method 100 begins at step 102 where the processor 24 determines at start-up the condition of all the components 18, 20 and 22, e.g., age of a device component and remaining or depleted supply of a consumable component, for example.
The processor 24 may implement counters 50, 52, and 54 for each device and supply component 18, 20 and 22 , respectively, being tracked and depending upon the condition of at least one of the components, the processor 24 may call for repair or replacement of a device or installation of additional consumables from a storage supply 55 to establish a fully stored level. After repair, replacement or installation is complete, the processor 24 resets the counters 50, 52 and 54 to correspond with this initial level.
During step 102, the microprocessor 50 sets an initial time interval, say one day, for example, during which time the machine 12 is allowed to operate and consume supplies before again determining the condition of components 18, 20 and 22 by implementing counters 50, 52 and 54. This time interval is determined by the processor 24 and its ability to extrapolate and analyze data collected from previous usage of the machine and to provide an estimation or prediction of when a device may be worn or the level of supplies may be low or exhausted.
The method 100 continues through step 104 with processor 24 tracking the time interval set in step 102. If the time interval has not yet expired, the method returns to its initial status at the beginning of step 104 and additional supplies are consumed. If, however, the time interval has expired, then the method advances to step 106, the processor 24 implementing counters 50, 52 and 54 for each component 18, 20 and 22 being tracked. The count value from each counter 50, 52 and 54 is indicative of the condition of the corresponding device or supply component 18, 20 and 22. The count provided by the counter 50 associated with marking device component 18 is indicative of the usage and remaining life of the component 18. The count provided by the counter 52 associated with the marking material component 20 is indicative of the amount of marking material (e.g., toner, ink, etc.) remaining in the module. The count provided by the counter 54 associated with the sheet media component 22 is indicative of the number of sheets used from, and remaining in, the stack 22. It will be appreciated that after the device component 18 has been repaired or replaced and/or additional supplies have been added to components 20, 22, the counter associated with each component is then reset.
In step 108, the processor 24 analyses the count data extracted from the counters 50, 52 and 54 and automatically prepares and sends an electronic message including the count data via the remote network 28 (e.g. the internet) to the remote computer 30 at the supplier 32. The same message is also concurrently sent to the user interface 36.
As indicated above, the remote computer 30 at the supplier 32 receives a message containing the count data from the counters 50, 52 and 54 that is sent by the processor 24. In step 150, the computer 30 waits for this report and, upon receipt, analyzes the data and, in step 152, computes a prediction, based on past usage, of when the repairs or replacement will be required or supplies will be exhausted. If this prediction is above a configurable threshold as determined by the computer 30 in step 154, then the method 100 at the supplier's site reverts back to step 150 and waits for another report from the processor 24. If, on the other hand, it is determined that the device component 18 will need repair or replacement and/or supply components 20, 22 will need to be replenished, or soon will be exhausted, then the supplier 32 in step 156 will automatically order the repairs, replacements or supplies, as the case may be, unless the supplier 30 has already ordered the repairs or replacements or shipped the supplies in response to a prior message from the processor 24. The threshhold can be configured in such a way that, under normal machine operation, the part or supply will arrive at the customer site before it is needed in machine 12.
If it is estimated in step 110, based on past usage, that no repair, replacement or additional supplies are required yet, the method 100 reverts back to step 104 and the process begins again. However, if it is determined in step 110 that the device component 18 needs repair or replacement or that supply components 20, 22 are exhausted, the microprocessor 40 initiates and transmits a signal to the interface 36, indicating the need to repair, replace or replenish. If there are sufficient parts or supplies on hand, then the component is repaired or replaced, the method 100 at step 112 reverts back to step 102 and the method starts over again. If, on the other hand, there are not enough parts or supplies at step 112, then, in this case, the user must wait for the proper parts or supplies to be repaired or at hand. It is this potential wait that this application seeks to eliminate or minimize.
In
The method 200 begins at step 202 where the processor 24 determines at start-up the condition of the device component 18 and/or one or both of the supply components 20, 22 (e.g., the remaining or depleted supply of toner in the supply component 20, for example). The processor 24 may again implement counters 50, 52 and 54 for each device or supply component 18, 20 and 22, respectively, and depending upon the condition of the components, the processor 24 may call for the installation of additional consumables, (e.g. toner) to establish a fully stored level. After installing the consumables, the processor 24 resets the counters 50, 52 and 54 to correspond with the initial supply level.
The method 200 continues through step 204 with the processor 24 tracking the condition of the device component 18 and the amount of consumables in the components 20, 22 that are being consumed. At the same time, the processor 24 is continuously comparing the condition of each component 18, 20 and 22 against a threshold condition. As used herein, a threshold condition is a predetermined condition or value against which the condition being tracked is compared to determine a need to repair, replace or replenish a component.
The threshold condition for each component 18, 20 and 22 is established in step 206 based on past usage of the machine 12 and is stored as a corresponding threshold count value 56, 58 and 60 (
If in step 208, the microprocessor 40 determines that the condition of one of the components 18, 20 and 22 has not reached its corresponding threshold value, the method 200 returns to step 204 and the machine continues to consume supplies.
If, however, in step 208, the microprocessor 40 determines, based on past usage and/or configurable threshold values, that a condition of one of the device or supply components 18, 20 and 22 has in fact reached its threshold value (e.g., the count from either of the counters 50, 52, 54 has reached its associated threshold 56, 58, 60) , and unless microprocessor 40 has already reported this threshold crossing to remote communication device 30, the method 200 proceeds to step 210 where the microprocessor 40 generates an electronic message or report including the count data and the need to repair or replenish certain supplies. This electronic message or report is sent to the provider or supplier 32 via the remote network 28 (e.g. the internet) to the remote communication device 30, e.g. the supplier's computer.
The provider or supplier's computer 30 waits to receive a message at step 250. Periodically, the computer 30 will query the system at step 252, seeking the message from the processor 24. If no message is received, then the computer 30 reverts back to a waiting mode at step 250 and the method 200 continues. However, when a message or report is received from the processor 24 indicating a lack of parts or exhaustion of supplies, the computer 30 at step 254 automatically orders the parts or supplies to be shipped to the user.
If it is estimated in step 212, based on past usage, that no repair, replacement or additional supplies are required yet, the method 200 reverts back to step 204 and the process begins again. However, if it is determined in step 212 that the device component 18 needs repair or replacement or that supply components 20, 22 are exhausted, the microprocessor 40 initiates and transmits a signal to the interface 36, indicating the need to repair, replace or replenish. If there are sufficient parts or supplies on hand, then the component is repaired or replaced, the method 200 at step 214 reverts back to step 202 and the method starts over again. If, on the other hand, there are not enough parts or supplies at step 214, then, in this case, the user must wait for the proper parts or supplies to be repaired or at hand. It is this potential wait that this application seeks to eliminate or minimize.
It will be appreciated that the above described system for detecting the need to service or replenish supplies in a machine is completely automatic and does not require the intervention of any human effort to determine the condition of a device or supply component or if and when a device will need to be repaired or replaced or a supply component will need to be replenished. With the present system, the user is able to keep fewer supplies on hand for less time, representing both a storage and cost savings. In some supply cases, like toner, there is less chance for degradation since the supplies spend less time in storage or on the shelf. Owners of the machine also bear lower human cost by not having to monitor supply levels and order supplies themselves.
It should be understood that any of the features, characteristics, alternatives or modifications described regarding a particular embodiment herein may also be applied, used, or incorporated with any other embodiment described herein.
A number of embodiments of the present system have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
