Image forming system, image forming apparatus, server apparatus, client apparatus, and program

Abstract

To optimize a notification destination of information on maintenance.SOLUTION: A server apparatus acquires state information of an image forming apparatus, and analyzes the state information to determine a content of a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus and a notification destination thereof. The notification destination is, for example, the image forming apparatus or a client apparatus. The image forming apparatus or the client apparatus determined as the notification destination receives the countermeasure content and applies the countermeasure content.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system, an image forming apparatus, a server apparatus, a client apparatus, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Image forming devices are made up of many consumable parts, and therefore require preventive or emergency maintenance at appropriate times. Patent Document 1 proposes that an analysis program installed on a server analyzes the operation history of a printer, notifies a dealer of the analysis results, and feeds back to the analysis program the maintenance content that was actually performed after the notification. A dealer is a company that is responsible for maintaining image forming devices or a company that sells image forming devices.

[0003] Patent Document 2 proposes changing corrective maintenance information or preventive maintenance information according to worker information (user, dealer, serviceman, etc.) specified by a maintenance terminal and fault information indicating the fault that has occurred. Corrective maintenance information indicates corrective maintenance work for recovering from a fault that has occurred in the device to be maintained. Preventive maintenance information indicates preventive maintenance work for preventing a fault from occurring in the device to be maintained. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-071657 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6566913 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, when there is a high need for maintenance, a dealer dispatches a serviceman (maintenance technician) to a maintenance location to perform maintenance work on the image forming device (hereinafter referred to as a service call-out). If the amount of notified information and the number of image forming devices managed by the dealer increase, the dealer's service costs will increase and maintenance work will be delayed. There are maintenance works that should be performed by a maintenance technician and those that can be performed by the image forming device itself. Therefore, if the notification destinations for maintenance work can be optimized, the dealer's service costs will be reduced and delays in maintenance work will also be reduced. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to optimize the notification destinations for information regarding maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to, for example, An image forming system having a server device, an image forming device, and a client device, The server device includes: acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; The first control means is configured as follows: The image forming apparatus or the client apparatus determined as the notification destination, Receive the countermeasures, Apply the above measures The present invention provides an image forming system having a second control means configured to: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the notification destination of information regarding maintenance is optimized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the function of a control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining operation history, countermeasures, and analysis results. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a countermeasure content and a notification destination. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a process of reflecting the contents of a measure. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a method for determining the content of a measure to be executed by the server device and the notification destination. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing a process of reflecting countermeasure contents executed by a client device. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a message displayed on a client device. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining the functions according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a setting screen for schedule information of a maintenance technician. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining a countermeasure content and a notification destination in the second embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a method for setting schedule information executed in a client device. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing a method for determining the content of a measure to be executed by the server device and the notification destination. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a block diagram for explaining the functions according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] 11 is a flowchart showing a process of reflecting countermeasure contents executed by a client device. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a screen for inquiring whether or not a maintenance technician can be dispatched. [Figure 21]11 is a flowchart showing a process of reflecting countermeasure contents executed by a client device. [Figure 22] 10 is a flowchart showing a part of a method for determining the content of a countermeasure and a notification destination executed by the server device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Example 1> [Image forming device] As shown in Fig. 1, the printer 100 is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. However, the electrophotographic method is merely an example, and other recording methods such as an inkjet recording method and a thermal transfer method may be adopted. The printer 100 outputs a color image by overlapping four color toners, namely, yellow "Y", magenta "M", cyan "C", and black "K". In Fig. 1, the letters YMCK are added to the end of the reference numbers, but when matters common to the four colors are explained, the letters YMCK are omitted from the reference numbers.

[0011] The process cartridge 5 has a toner container 6 that contains toner. The process cartridge 5 also has a photosensitive drum 1 that is an image carrier. The process cartridge 5 also has a charging roller 2, a developing roller 3, a cleaning blade 4, and a waste toner container 7.

[0012] The photosensitive drum 1 rotates in the direction of the arrow. A predetermined negative voltage (charging voltage) is applied to the charging roller 2, which charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to a predetermined negative potential. A laser unit 8 is disposed below the process cartridge 5. The laser unit 8 is an exposure device or optical scanning device that irradiates the photosensitive drum 1 with light based on an image signal to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing roller 3 adheres toner supplied from a toner container 6 to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image. A predetermined negative voltage (developing voltage) is applied to the developing roller 3.

[0013] The intermediate transfer unit is composed of an intermediate transfer body 11, a drive roller 12, a tension roller 13, and an opposing roller 15. The intermediate transfer body 11 is, for example, an endless belt. The drive roller 12 is a roller that rotates the intermediate transfer body 11. The tension roller 13 and the opposing roller 15 are rollers that rotate following the intermediate transfer body 11.

[0014] A primary transfer roller 10 is disposed inside the intermediate transfer body 11, facing the photosensitive drum 1. A transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 10. As the photosensitive drum 1 rotates, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 1 is transported to the primary transfer nip. The primary transfer nip is a position where the photosensitive drum 1 and the primary transfer roller 10 face each other. The primary transfer roller 10 transfers the toner image from the photosensitive drum 1 to the intermediate transfer body 11. As a result, the YMCK toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer body 11 to form a full-color image. The cleaning blade 4 is a cleaning member that cleans the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 1 and stores it in the waste toner container 7. The feeding unit 20 is composed of a feeding cassette 21, a feeding roller 22, a transport roller 23, a separation roller 24, and the like. The feeding cassette 21 stores a plurality of sheets S. The feeding roller 22 feeds the sheet S from the feeding cassette 21 to the conveying path. The conveying roller 23 conveys the sheet S further downstream on the conveying path. The separation roller 24 separates one sheet S from the multiple sheets S.

[0015] The registration roller pair 25 is disposed further downstream of the feeding section 20 in the conveying path. The registration roller pair 25 corrects skew of the sheet S conveyed from the feeding section 20 and conveys the sheet further downstream. A sheet sensor 27 is disposed downstream of the registration roller pair 25. The sheet sensor 27 detects the arrival of the leading edge of the sheet S and the timing when the trailing edge of the sheet S passes by.

[0016] A secondary transfer roller 14 is provided further downstream of the pair of registration rollers 25. The secondary transfer roller 14 is disposed to face an opposing roller 15, and forms a secondary transfer nip in cooperation with the intermediate transfer body 11. The secondary transfer roller 14 transfers a toner image from the intermediate transfer body 11 to the sheet S. To promote the transfer of the toner image, a positive voltage (secondary transfer voltage) is applied to the secondary transfer roller 14.

[0017] A fixing device 30 is disposed downstream of the secondary transfer nip. The fixing device 30 has a fixing film 31 and a pressure roller 32, and applies heat and pressure to the sheet S and the toner image, thereby fixing the toner image onto the sheet S. A pair of discharge rollers 33 is provided downstream of the fixing device 30. The pair of discharge rollers 33 discharges the sheet S to the outside of the image forming apparatus.

[0018] The detection result of the sheet sensor 27 is used to determine whether the sheet S has arrived early or late. An early arrival means that the sheet S arrives at the sheet sensor 27 earlier than the scheduled timing. A late arrival means that the sheet S arrives at the sheet sensor 27 later than the scheduled timing. These phenomena may be called a conveyance error. If the sheet sensor 27 cannot detect the sheet S even after the feeding roller 22 retries feeding, it is determined that a jam of the sheet S has occurred.

[0019] [Feeding section] 2(A) to 2(C) show the feeding operation of the feeding section 20. As shown in FIG. 2(A), the uppermost sheet S1 among the multiple sheets S stored in the feeding cassette 21 is fed by the feeding roller 22. The multiple sheets S1 in the feeding cassette 21 are positioned by a trailing end regulating plate 26. The leading edge of the sheet S1 is located at a transport start position Ps. When the feeding operation starts, the feeding roller 22 and the transport roller 23 each rotate. The sheet S1 moves to the right (transport direction) due to friction between the feeding roller 22 and the sheet S1.

[0020] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2B, the sheet S1 reaches the separation nip Pn formed by the conveying roller 23 and the separation roller 24. A frictional force also acts between the sheet S1 and the sheet S2 located below the sheet S. As a result, the sheet S2 may also move in the conveying direction. When two or more sheets S are sent to the separation nip Pn by the feed roller 22, the separation nip Pn separates one sheet S from the two or more sheets S and conveys it downstream. A torque limiter (not shown) is connected to the separation roller 24. A predetermined torque is applied to the separation roller 24. As a result, the sheet S2 is given a resistance force from the separation roller 24 in the opposite direction to the conveying direction of the sheet S1. This torque is set so that when there is one sheet S in the separation nip Pn, the separation roller 24 rotates following the conveying roller 23, and when two or more sheets S enter the separation nip Pn, the separation roller 24 stops. Therefore, the separation nip Pn can separate and transport the sheets S one by one.

[0021] Thereafter, as the feeding roller 22 and the conveying roller 23 continue to rotate, the sheet S1 passes through the pair of registration rollers 25, as shown in Fig. 2C. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet S1 reaches a position (detection position Pr) detected by the sheet sensor 27. The time elapsed from the start of this feeding operation to the arrival of the sheet S1 at the sheet sensor 27 is the feeding time.

[0022] 3A and 3B show a number of feeding times when the feeding operation is repeatedly performed. Specifically, FIG. 3A shows the feeding times from the 1st sheet to the 2,000th sheet when the feeding operation is performed for 400,000 sheets. FIG. 3B shows the feeding times from the 398,001st sheet to the 400,000th sheet. When the feeding operation is repeated, a sudden delay in the feeding of the sheet S occurs, and the variation in the feeding time increases. The repeated feeding operation gradually wears the feeding roller 22. As a result, the frictional force acting between the feeding roller 22 and the sheet S decreases at a portion of the circumferential surface of the feeding roller 22 that is highly worn. This leads to the variation in the feeding time.

[0023] [Hardware] 4 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 100, the server device 400, and the client device 450. The server device 400 is capable of communicating with one or more printers 100 and one or more client devices 450 via a network such as the Internet. The server device 400 is a computer (information processing device) responsible for maintaining and managing the one or more printers 100. The client device 450 is capable of communicating with the server device 400 via the network, and is a computer that can be operated by, for example, a maintenance person at a dealer.

[0024] The printer 100 has a video controller 411, an operation unit 412, and a printer engine 413. The video controller 411 includes a communication circuit that receives image data from a host computer or an image scanner, and an image processing circuit that converts the image data to generate an image signal for the printer engine 413. The video controller 411 can communicate with the server device 400 via the communication circuit. The operation unit 412 includes a display device that displays information to the user, and an input device that accepts input of instructions from the user. The input device may be realized by a touch panel sensor that detects the touch of the user. Therefore, the operation unit 412 may be called an operation panel. The input device may also include a power switch, an operation button, and the like. The video controller 411 transmits an image signal and a print instruction to the printer engine 413.

[0025] The printer engine 413 includes an engine control unit 416, a system bus 414, and an IO port 415. The engine control unit 416 includes a CPU 80, a storage device 81, and a timer 82. CPU is an abbreviation for central processing unit. The storage device 81 includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The ROM area of ​​the storage device 81 stores programs and various data. The RAM area is used as a working area. The timer 82 may include a real-time clock (RTC), a counter circuit, etc.

[0026] The CPU 80 executes a program to realize various functions. The CPU 80 receives the detection result of the sheet sensor 27 via the system bus 414 and the IO port 415, and supplies drive signals to the motor 90 and the solenoid 91. A drive circuit that generates a drive current for the motor 90 may be provided between the IO port 415 and the motor 90. A drive circuit that generates a drive current for the solenoid 91 may be provided between the IO port 415 and the solenoid 91. The motor 90 drives various rotating bodies such as the conveying roller 23 and the pair of registration rollers 25. Although one motor 90 is shown here, multiple motors may be implemented. The solenoid 91 rotates the feed roller 22 once, causing the feed roller 22 to feed the sheet S.

[0027] The server device 400 has a server control unit 401. The server control unit 401 is a control board including a CPU 85, a storage device 86, a communication circuit 402, and a timer 403. The CPU 85 executes a program stored in the storage device 86 and reads and writes various data. The CPU 85 includes a CPU core and a GPU core. GPU is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The storage device 86 includes a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid state drive (SSD). The CPU 85 may realize a virtual environment according to a program, and the server may be implemented by this virtual environment. The server control unit 401 can exchange information with the engine control unit 416 via a video controller 411. The server control unit 401 exchanges information with a monitoring tool 460 realized by a client device 450 through a network such as the Internet. The communication circuit 402 includes a circuit for communicating with the printer 100 and the client device 450. The timer 403 may include a real-time clock (RTC), a counter circuit, and the like.

[0028] The client device 450 is a computer having a CPU 87, a storage device 88, an operation unit 89, and a communication circuit 452. The client device 450 may be any of a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, and a tablet terminal. The CPU 87 is a processor that functions as a monitoring tool 460 by executing a program stored in the storage device 88. The storage device 88 may include a RAM, a ROM, a HDD, and an SSD. The operation unit 89 includes a display device (liquid crystal display) and an input device (keyboard, mouse, touch detection sensor, etc.). The communication circuit 452 includes a circuit for communicating with the server device 400. The monitoring tool 460 receives information from the server control unit 401 and displays the received information on the operation unit 89. The monitoring tool 460 may be realized by a PC or a server computer, or may be implemented in a virtual environment such as a virtual machine. The monitoring tool 460 may refer to the program itself executed by the CPU 87, may refer to an instance of the program, or may refer to the client device 450 itself.

[0029] [Function Description] 5 shows the functions of the engine control unit 416, the video controller 411, the server control unit 401, and the monitoring tool 460. The function of the engine control unit 416 is realized by the CPU 80 executing a program stored in the storage device 81. The function of the video controller 411 is realized by the processor in the video controller 411 executing a program stored in the ROM in the video controller 411. The function of the server control unit 401 is realized by the CPU 85 executing a program stored in the storage device 86. The function of the monitoring tool 460 is realized by the CPU 87 executing a program in the storage device 88.

[0030] The engine control unit 416 executes feeding control, measurement of feeding time, collection of operation history, and reflection of countermeasures (maintenance contents). The server control unit 401 executes analysis of the operating state of the feeding unit 20, analysis of jam occurrence rate, determination of countermeasures, selection of notification destination, and transmission of the countermeasures. The monitoring tool 460 executes display of the countermeasures.

[0031] The feed control unit 501 is responsible for controlling the feed of the feed unit 20. When the printer engine 413 receives a print instruction, the feed control unit 501 instructs the drive control unit 502 to perform a feed operation. The drive control unit 502 rotates the conveying roller 23 and the separation roller 24 by driving the motor 90. Furthermore, the feed control unit 501 causes the drive control unit 502 to drive the solenoid 91 at the timing of starting feeding. This causes the feed roller 22 to rotate once, and the sheets S pushed up in the feed cassette 21 are separated and fed one by one. Thereafter, the sheets S are conveyed to the sheet sensor 27. The detection unit 504 detects the leading edge of the sheet S based on an input signal from the sheet sensor 27, and notifies the feed control unit 501 and the measurement unit 503 that the leading edge of the sheet S has been detected. If the detection unit 504 cannot detect the leading edge of the sheet S within a predetermined time after starting the feeding operation, the feeding control unit 501 determines that a jam has occurred, and instructs the drive control unit 502 to stop the feeding operation.

[0032] The measurement unit 503 measures the feeding time. The measurement unit 503 measures the elapsed time from the timing when the feeding control unit 501 issues a feeding command to the timing when the leading edge of the sheet S reaches the sheet sensor 27, using the timer 82. Each time the measurement unit 503 feeds one sheet S, it adds date and time data indicating the date and time when the measurement was performed (hereinafter referred to as the feeding date and time) to the elapsed time, and stores the data in the storage device 81. If a jam occurs, a negative value (e.g., -1) indicating that measurement is not possible is stored as the feeding time.

[0033] The collection unit 505 collects the operation history of the printer 100. For example, the collection unit 505 reads out the feeding date and time and the feeding time stored in the storage device 81 by the measurement unit 503, and transmits them to the communication processing unit 511 of the video controller 411. The communication processing unit 511 notifies the server control unit 401 of the feeding date and time, the feeding time, and the identification information of the printer 100 (e.g., model number, manufacturing serial number). The server control unit 401 stores the received feeding date and time, the feeding time, and the identification information in the storage device 86.

[0034] 6A shows an example of the operation history stored in the storage device 86. The operation history is stored in association with the identification information of the printer 100.

[0035] The engine control unit 416 further includes a countermeasure receiving unit 506 and a countermeasure reflecting unit 507. In this embodiment, the server device 400 may change the operation of the feeding control unit 501 based on the analysis results of the operating state and jam occurrence rate of the feeding unit 20. The countermeasure receiving unit 506 receives countermeasure contents from the countermeasure transmitting unit 524 of the server control unit 401. The countermeasure contents are, for example, instructions to enable / disable a feeding retry. This instruction is expressed as a command to the engine control unit 416. The countermeasure reflecting unit 507 sets the countermeasure contents received by the countermeasure receiving unit 506 in the feeding control unit 501.

[0036] 6B is a diagram showing the relationship between commands and jam determination conditions. If the received command is a command to disable the feeding retry, the feeding control unit 501 determines that a jam has occurred when the sheet S is not detected within a predetermined time after the feeding operation is started. The feeding control unit 501 also instructs the drive control unit 502 to stop feeding.

[0037] On the other hand, if the received command is a command to enable a feeding retry, the feeding control unit 501 instructs the drive control unit 502 to perform a feeding retry when the sheet S is not detected within a predetermined time from the start of the feeding operation. Furthermore, the feeding control unit 501 determines that a jam has occurred when the sheet S is not detected within a predetermined time from the start of the feeding retry. Furthermore, the feeding control unit 501 instructs the drive control unit 502 to stop feeding. Enabling the feeding retry reduces the occurrence rate of jams, but may delay the detection of a jam or reduce throughput. For this reason, the feeding retry is enabled only when measures are necessary.

[0038] The server control unit 401 has a first analysis unit 521 for analyzing the operating state of the feeding unit 20. The first analysis unit 521 obtains a variance V for N feeding times received from the collection unit 505 within a predetermined period. Here, among the multiple feeding times, −1 is a unique value indicating the occurrence of a jam, and is not used in the calculation of the variance V. In addition, the N feeding times are feeding times for the most recent N sheets S excluding the jammed sheet S. For example, N=1000. If the number of collected feeding times is less than 1000, the first analysis unit 521 does not calculate the variance V and sets the variance V as uncalculated. Furthermore, the first analysis unit 521 may classify the current performance or wear state of the feeding unit 20 based on the variance V.

[0039] 6(C) shows the analysis result by the first analysis unit 521. As the amount of wear of the feed roller 22 increases, the performance of the feed unit 20 decreases. The amount of wear is correlated with the variance V of the feed time. Therefore, the first analysis unit 521 obtains the analysis result of the state of the feed unit 20 based on the variance V, and stores the analysis result in the storage device 86 in association with the feed date and time.

[0040] The server control unit 401 may further include a second analysis unit 522 (optional). The second analysis unit 522 analyzes the jam occurrence rate J. The second analysis unit 522 calculates the jam occurrence rate J for the most recent M sheets S from the feeding times received from the collection unit 505. For example, the second analysis unit 522 counts the number of feeding times (occurrence count D) that are -1 among the feeding times for the most recent M sheets S. The second analysis unit 522 calculates the occurrence rate J by dividing the jam occurrence count D by the parameter M (J=D / M). For example, M is 5,000. If the number of data is less than M, the second analysis unit 522 assigns 0 to J.

[0041] The countermeasure determination unit 523 may determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination of the countermeasure content based on the analysis result of the first analysis unit 521. That is, the countermeasure determination unit 523 may determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination of the countermeasure content using the analysis result of at least one analysis method. Furthermore, the countermeasure determination unit 523 may determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination of the countermeasure content based on a combination of the analysis result of the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis result of the second analysis unit 522. That is, the countermeasure determination unit 523 may determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination of the countermeasure content using the analysis results of a plurality of different analysis methods.

[0042] 7 shows combinations of countermeasures and notification destinations corresponding to combinations of the state of the feeding unit 20 and the occurrence rate J. If the state (feeding state) of the feeding unit 20 is "unknown", no countermeasure is necessary. If the feeding state is "very good" or "good", the countermeasure decision unit 523 decides the countermeasure to be "disable feeding retry" and decides the notification destination to be the printer 100. In other words, a command to disable feeding retry is sent to the printer 100.

[0043] If the feeding state is “bad” and the occurrence rate J is less than the threshold, the countermeasure determining unit 523 determines the countermeasure content to be a feeding retry enable, and determines the notification destination to be the printer 100. That is, a command to enable the feeding retry is sent to the printer 100.

[0044] In this way, even if the feeding state is poor, if the jam occurrence rate J is small, the dealer is not notified. This reduces service costs and also reduces the occurrence of jams. The threshold value is, for example, 0.01%. It is known from experience that when the jam occurrence rate J is less than 0.01%, the pace at which the feeding state deteriorates is gradual, and the urgency of a service call is likely to be low.

[0045] When the feeding state is "bad" and the occurrence rate J is equal to or greater than the threshold, the countermeasure decision unit 523 decides the countermeasure to be a display of preparation for replacement of the feeding roller 22, and decides the notification destination to be the monitoring tool 460. That is, a message indicating that preparation for replacement of the feeding roller 22 should be made is transmitted to the monitoring tool 460.

[0046] If the feeding state is "very bad", the countermeasure decision unit 523 decides to display the necessity of replacing the feeding roller 22 as the countermeasure content, and decides to notify the monitoring tool 460. That is, a message indicating that the feeding roller 22 needs to be replaced is sent to the monitoring tool 460. In this case, the urgency of service dispatch is high.

[0047] When the notification destination is a "printer", the countermeasure transmission unit 524 of the server control unit 401 transmits the countermeasure content to the countermeasure reception unit 506 of the engine control unit 416 via the communication processing unit 511 of the video controller 411. The countermeasure reception unit 506 passes the received countermeasure content (disable command or enable command) to the countermeasure reflection unit 507. The countermeasure reflection unit 507 sets the feed control unit 501 by executing the countermeasure content (disable command or enable command).

[0048] When the notification destination is the "monitoring tool", the countermeasure transmission unit 524 transmits the countermeasure content to the countermeasure reception unit 561 of the monitoring tool 460. In this embodiment, the countermeasure content may be transmitted as a command to the notification destination. The monitoring tool 460 has a countermeasure reception unit 561, a countermeasure reflection unit 562, and a display processing unit 563. In this embodiment, the display content on the operation unit 89 by the display processing unit 563 is changed based on the state of the feeding unit and the analysis result of the occurrence rate J. The countermeasure reception unit 561 receives the countermeasure content transmitted from the countermeasure transmission unit 524 of the server control unit 401. The countermeasure content is to display instructions to the dealer such as "Prepare for replacement of the feeding roller" or "Replacement of the feeding roller is required" on the monitoring tool 460. The countermeasure reception unit 561 passes the countermeasure content to the countermeasure reflection unit 562. When the "display preparation for replacement" command is received as the countermeasure content, the countermeasure reflection unit 562 displays instructions for ordering the feeding roller 22 on the operation unit 89 through the display processing unit 563. When the "display replacement required" command is received, the countermeasure reflection unit 562 displays an instruction to dispatch a service and to replace the feed roller 22 on the operation unit 89 through the display processing unit 563. This enables the maintenance person at the dealer to check the countermeasure content displayed on the operation unit 89.

[0049] [flowchart] 8 is a flowchart showing a series of processes executed by the printer 100. The start of the process is triggered when the printer engine 413 receives a print instruction.

[0050] In S801, the CPU 80 (feed control unit 501) initializes the number of retries C of the feeding operation to 0. The number of retries C is a variable stored in the storage device 81.

[0051] In S802, the CPU 80 (feed control unit 501) starts feeding the sheet S. The feed control unit 501 rotates the motor 90 via the drive control unit 502 and drives the solenoid 91. This starts feeding the sheet S. The feed control unit 501 also instructs the measurement unit 503 to start measuring the elapsed time (feeding time). The measurement unit 503 measures the elapsed time using the timer 82.

[0052] In S803, the CPU 80 (feeding control unit 501) judges whether the sheet S is delayed based on the elapsed time and the detection result of the sheet sensor 27. For example, if the sheet sensor 27 detects the leading edge of the sheet S before the elapsed time reaches the threshold time, the feeding control unit 501 judges that a jam has not occurred. In this case, the CPU 80 advances the process to S804. On the other hand, if the sheet sensor 27 cannot detect the leading edge of the sheet S even when the elapsed time reaches the threshold time, the feeding control unit 501 judges that a jam has occurred. In this case, the CPU 80 advances the process to S811. In S811, the CPU 80 (feeding control unit 501) judges whether a retry of the feeding operation of the sheet S is possible based on the retry count C. For example, if the retry count C is 0, the feeding control unit 501 judges that a retry of the feeding operation is possible. In this case, the CPU 80 adds 1 to the retry count C, advances the process to S802, and retries the feeding operation. On the other hand, if the retry count C is equal to the threshold value (e.g., threshold value=1), the feeding control unit 501 determines that retrying the feeding operation is not possible. In this case, the CPU 80 advances the process to S812. In S812, the CPU 80 (feeding control unit 501) executes jam processing. For example, the feeding control unit 501 stops the motor 90, assigns -1 to the feeding time, and transmits the operation history to the server device 400.

[0053] In S804, the CPU 80 (measurement unit 503) measures the feeding time. The measurement unit 503 determines the elapsed time from the timing when the feeding operation is started to the timing when the leading edge of the sheet S is detected by the sheet sensor 27 as the feeding time.

[0054] In S805, the CPU 80 (measurement unit 503) stores the feeding time in the storage device 81 together with the feeding date and time.

[0055] In S806, the CPU 80 (collection unit 505) reads the feeding date and time and the feeding time (and the identification information of the printer 100) from the storage device 81, creates an operation history, and notifies the server device 400. The identification information of the printer may be added to the operation history.

[0056] In S807, the CPU 80 (countermeasure receiving unit 506) determines whether or not countermeasure contents have been received from the server device 400. If countermeasure contents have not been received, the CPU 80 advances the process to S809. If countermeasure contents have been received, the CPU 80 advances the process to S808.

[0057] In S808, the CPU 80 (countermeasure reflecting unit 507) reflects the countermeasure content in the printer 100.

[0058] In S809, the CPU 80 (feed control unit 501) determines whether or not the next page that needs to be printed remains based on the print instruction. If the next page does not remain, the CPU 80 ends the print job. If the next page remains, the CPU 80 advances the process to S801.

[0059] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the details of S808.

[0060] In S901, the CPU 80 (countermeasure application unit 507) determines whether the countermeasure is a retry of the feeding operation. If the countermeasure is a retry enable command, the countermeasure application unit 507 advances the process to S902. If the countermeasure is an invalid command, the countermeasure application unit 507 advances the process to S903.

[0061] In S902, the CPU 80 (countermeasure application unit 507) enables a retry of the feeding operation. For example, the countermeasure application unit 507 sets a retry flag held in the storage device 81 to 1.

[0062] In S903, the CPU 80 (countermeasure application unit 507) disables the retry of the feeding operation. For example, the countermeasure application unit 507 resets the retry flag held in the storage device 81 to 0.

[0063] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a series of processes executed in the server device 400.

[0064] In S1001, the CPU 85 (first analysis unit 521) analyzes the feeding state (the operating state of the feeding unit 20) based on the operation history collected from the printer 100. For example, the first analysis unit 521 calculates the variance V based on the operation history, and classifies the feeding state based on the variance V.

[0065] In S1002, the CPU 85 (second analysis unit 522) analyzes the jam occurrence rate J based on the operation history. For example, the second analysis unit 522 counts the number D of pieces during the feeding time set to "-1" and divides the number D by the parameter M to calculate the jam occurrence rate J.

[0066] In S1003, the CPU 85 (countermeasure decision unit 523) determines the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination based on the analysis result of the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis result of the second analysis unit 522. The countermeasure decision unit 523 may determine the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination by referring to a judgment table stored in the storage device 86 as shown in Fig. 7.

[0067] In S1004, the CPU 85 (countermeasure transmission unit 524) determines whether countermeasures (maintenance) are necessary based on the countermeasure contents. If the countermeasure contents are "none", no countermeasures are necessary, and the CPU 85 ends the series of processes. On the other hand, if the countermeasure contents are to transmit a command, etc., the CPU 85 advances the process to S1005.

[0068] In S1005, the CPU 85 (countermeasure transmission unit 524) determines whether the notification destination is the printer 100. If the notification destination is the printer 100, the CPU 85 advances the process to S1006. If the notification destination is the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450), the CPU 85 advances the process to S1011.

[0069] In S1006, the CPU 85 (countermeasure transmission unit 524) transmits the countermeasure content (for example, an activation command or an inactivation command) to the printer 100. The network address of the printer 100 may be acquired from the operation history.

[0070] In S1011, the CPU 85 (countermeasure transmission unit 524) transmits countermeasure content (e.g., a preparation indication or a replacement required indication) to the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450). The network address of the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450) is stored in advance in the storage device 86. The network address of the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450) may be associated with the identification information of the printer 100. Thus, the CPU 85 may identify the network address of the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450) based on the identification information of the printer 100.

[0071] FIG. 11 shows a series of processes executed by the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450).

[0072] In S1101, the CPU 87 (countermeasure receiving section 561) determines whether or not countermeasure contents have been received from the server device 400. When the countermeasure contents have been received, the CPU 87 advances the process to S1102.

[0073] In S1102, the CPU 85 (countermeasure reflection unit 562) reflects the countermeasure contents in the monitoring tool 460 (client device 450). The reflection process of the countermeasure contents may include, for example, S1111, S1112, and S1121.

[0074] In S1111, the CPU 85 (countermeasure reflection unit 562) determines whether the countermeasure content is an indication of replacement preparation. For example, if the countermeasure content is an indication of replacement preparation of the feed roller 22, the CPU 85 advances the process to S1103. If the countermeasure content is an indication of the necessity of replacing the feed roller 22, the CPU 85 advances the process to S1121.

[0075] In S1112, the CPU 85 (countermeasure reflection unit 562) controls the display processing unit 563 to display on the operation unit 89 information indicating that preparation for replacement of the feed roller 22 is required.

[0076] 12A shows an example of information (message) indicating that preparation for replacement of the feed roller 22 is necessary. The message may include the customer name, customer address, printer name, and the part to be replaced (part code). The message may include information such as "Please order the part to be replaced" as information indicating the specific contents of the preparation.

[0077] In S1121, the CPU 85 (countermeasure reflection unit 562) controls the display processing unit 563 to display on the operation unit 89 information indicating that the feed roller 22 needs to be replaced.

[0078] 12B shows an example of information (message) indicating that replacement of the feed roller 22 is necessary. The message may include the customer name, customer address, printer name, and the part to be replaced (part code). The message may also include information indicating the urgency of the maintenance, such as "Please dispatch to the customer's site immediately and replace the part to be replaced."

[0079] According to this embodiment, the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination are determined according to the usage status (degree of wear) of the printer 100. This will reduce the service costs of the dealer. Note that the embodiment is not limited to this embodiment. In this embodiment, one feeding unit 20 is exemplified, but there may be multiple feeding units 20. In this case, the threshold time used in S803 may be set for each feeding unit 20 selected as the feeding target.

[0080] In this embodiment, the countermeasure content and the notification destination are determined based on the analysis result of the operation history of the feeding unit 20. However, this is also just one example. The analysis target may be the fixing device 30 or the intermediate transfer body 11. For example, a sheet sensor may be arranged downstream of the fixing device 30, and the feeding time and the jam occurrence rate J may be obtained based on the detection result. The server device 400 may determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination based on the feeding time and the jam occurrence rate J for the fixing device 30. Similarly, a sheet sensor may be arranged downstream of the secondary transfer roller 14, and the feeding time and the jam occurrence rate J may be obtained based on the detection result. The server device 400 may determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination based on the feeding time and the jam occurrence rate J for the intermediate transfer body 11.

[0081] Furthermore, the countermeasure content and notification destination are not limited to those in this embodiment. "Clean the feed section" may be selected as the countermeasure content, and "printer user" may be selected as the notification destination. In this case, the countermeasure content may be displayed on the operation unit 412 of the printer 100. When the CPU 80 of the printer 100 receives the countermeasure content addressed to the user, the countermeasure content may be displayed on the display device of the user's host computer (for example, a printer driver setting screen or a pop-up screen).

[0082] <Example 2> In this embodiment, a countermeasure decision unit 523 decides the contents of the countermeasure and the notification destination based on the analysis result of the feeding state by the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis result of the maintenance personnel information by the second analysis unit 522. The maintenance personnel information is information on whether or not a maintenance personnel can be dispatched. In the second embodiment, the explanation common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the parts different from the first embodiment will be explained in detail.

[0083] [Function Description] 13 is a block diagram of the engine control unit 416, the server control unit 401, and the monitoring tool 460 in this embodiment. There are three differences from the first embodiment. The first is that the collection unit 564 collects predetermined maintenance staff information (e.g., dispatch schedule) related to the dispatch of maintenance staff. The second is that the second analysis unit 522 analyzes the maintenance staff information collected from the collection unit 564. The third is that the countermeasure decision unit 523 decides the contents of the countermeasure and the notification destination based on the analysis results of the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis results (dispatch feasibility) of the second analysis unit 522.

[0084] The monitoring tool 460 has a collection unit 564 that collects predetermined maintenance personnel information. The collection unit 564 is realized by the CPU 87 executing a program stored in the storage device 88. For example, the collection unit 564 collects schedule information (days of the week and time periods when maintenance personnel are available) that is predetermined by the dealer from the storage device 88. In this embodiment, when the dealer installs the printer 100 at the customer's residence, the dealer may create schedule information via the monitoring tool 460 and store it in the storage device 88.

[0085] Fig. 14 is a setting screen for schedule information that the collection unit 564 causes to be displayed on the display device of the operation unit 89. The maintenance personnel of the dealer checks the check boxes corresponding to the days of the week when they are available for service, and inputs the time periods when they are available for service. In the example shown in Fig. 14, the maintenance personnel are available for service between 10:00AM and 5:00PM, Monday through Friday.

[0086] The second analysis unit 522 of the server control unit 401 acquires schedule information from the collection unit 564 and analyzes the schedule information to determine whether a maintenance worker can be dispatched. For example, the second analysis unit 522 acquires the current time from the timer 403, checks it against the schedule information, and determines whether a maintenance worker can be dispatched at the current time. More specifically, if the current time is included in the time period when the maintenance worker is available for dispatch, the second analysis unit 522 determines the maintenance worker status as "available for dispatch." On the other hand, if the current time is not included in the time period when the maintenance worker is available for dispatch, the second analysis unit 522 determines the maintenance worker status as "unavailable for dispatch."

[0087] The countermeasure decision unit 523 of the server control unit 401 decides the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination based on a combination of the analysis result of the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis result of the second analysis unit 522. In this embodiment, the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination are decided based on a combination of the feeding state and the maintenance worker state.

[0088] 15 shows a judgment table stored in the storage device 88. The countermeasure decision unit 523 refers to the judgment table and decides a combination of a countermeasure content and a notification destination corresponding to a combination of a feeding state and a maintenance worker state. If the maintenance personnel status is "available" and the feeding status is "unknown", "very good", or "good", the countermeasure content is "none" and the notification destination is also "none". · If the maintenance personnel status is "available" and the feeding status is "bad", the countermeasure is "display ready for replacement" and the notification destination is the "monitoring tool". If the maintenance personnel status is "available for dispatch" and the feeding status is "very bad", the countermeasure is "display indicating replacement is required" and the notification destination is the "monitoring tool". If the maintenance personnel status is "unavailable" and the feeding status is "unknown", "very good", or "good", the countermeasure content is "none" and the notification destination is also "none". If the maintenance personnel status is "unavailable" and the feeding status is "bad," the countermeasure is "retry enabled" and the notification destination is the "printer." If the maintenance personnel status is "unavailable" and the feeding status is "very poor," the countermeasure is "retry enabled" and the notification destination is the "printer."

[0089] In this way, when the maintenance personnel status is "available," the notification destination is the monitoring tool 460. When the maintenance personnel status is "unavailable," the notification destination is the printer. This will reduce the occurrence of jams even if the feeding state deteriorates on days or times when maintenance personnel are unavailable, and will also reduce the number of service calls.

[0090] [flowchart] In this embodiment, the operation of the printer 100 is as described in embodiment 1. The countermeasure reflection process of the monitoring tool 460 is also as described in embodiment 1. Therefore, in the following, the schedule information collection process in the monitoring tool 460 and the countermeasure decision process in the server device 400 will be described in detail.

[0091] FIG. 16 shows a schedule information collection process executed by the CPU 87 (monitoring tool 460) of the client device 450.

[0092] In S1601, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) displays a setting screen for schedule information on the display device of the operation unit 89. For example, a setting screen such as that shown in Fig. 14 is displayed.

[0093] In S1602, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) accepts the setting of schedule information through the input device of the operation unit 89. For example, the time period during which a maintenance worker can be dispatched for each day of the week is set. In this example, the schedule information for one week is shown, but the schedule information for one month may be set.

[0094] In S1602, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) stores the schedule information in the storage device 88.

[0095] In S1604, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) determines whether a transmission condition for the schedule information is satisfied. The transmission condition may be, for example, that a transmission instruction has been received from the server device 400. The transmission condition may be that the current date and time has become a predetermined transmission date and time. If the transmission condition is satisfied, the CPU 87 advances the process to S1605.

[0096] In step S1605, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) reads out the schedule information from the storage device 88 and transmits it to the server device 400.

[0097] Fig. 17 shows a countermeasure decision process executed by the CPU 85 of the server device 400. Among the multiple processes shown in Fig. 17, the processes described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. S1002 and S1003 described in Fig. 10 are replaced with S1702 and S1703, respectively.

[0098] In S1702, the CPU 85 (second analysis unit 522) acquires schedule information from the dealer's client device 450 and analyzes the maintenance personnel status based on the schedule information. For example, the second analysis unit 522 acquires the current day of the week and the current time from the timer 403 and compares them with the schedule information to determine whether the maintenance personnel can be dispatched.

[0099] In S1703, the CPU 85 (measure determination unit 523) determines the contents of measures and the notification destination based on the analysis result of the feeding state by the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis result of the maintenance worker state by the second analysis unit 522. The measure determination unit 523 may determine the contents of measures and the notification destination by referring to the judgment table shown in FIG.

[0100] According to this embodiment, the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination are determined taking into consideration the schedule information of the maintenance personnel that has been determined in advance. As a result, on days or times when the maintenance personnel are not at work, the occurrence of jams is suppressed by countermeasures taken by the printer 100 without relying on the maintenance personnel. Furthermore, since the possibility of a service call being requested is reduced, the service costs of the dealer will be reduced.

[0101] In this embodiment, the countermeasure content and notification destination are determined based on predetermined schedule information, but this is merely one example. The countermeasure content and notification destination may also be determined based on the management policy of each dealer, such as "fine-grained maintenance desired" or "coarse-grained maintenance desired." For example, if "fine-grained maintenance desired" is selected by the dealer, the notification destination will be the monitoring tool 460. On the other hand, if "coarse-grained maintenance desired" is selected by the dealer, the notification destination will be the printer 100. Note that the countermeasure content is determined depending on the feeding state, as shown in FIG. 15.

[0102] <Example 3> In this embodiment, the countermeasure decision unit 523 decides the countermeasure content and the notification destination based on the analysis result of the feeding state by the first analysis unit 521 and the analysis result of the maintenance personnel information by the second analysis unit 522. The maintenance personnel information may be obtained, for example, by a dialogue between the server device 400 and the client device 450. Descriptions of matters common to the embodiment 1 or embodiment 2 will be omitted, and matters different from the embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 will be described in detail.

[0103] [Function Description] 18 is a block diagram of the server control unit 401 and the monitoring tool 460. There are two differences from the second embodiment. The first is that the collection unit 564 collects maintenance personnel information on whether or not the maintenance personnel can immediately execute the countermeasure content displayed on the operation unit 89 via the display processing unit 563. The second is that the second analysis unit 522 analyzes the maintenance personnel information collected by the collection unit 564.

[0104] In this embodiment, the collection unit 564 collects maintenance staff information on whether or not the maintenance staff can immediately carry out the countermeasures for the dealer displayed on the display device of the operation unit 89. For example, when the countermeasure receiving unit 561 receives a command such as "display replacement preparation" or "display replacement required" from the server device 400, the countermeasure reflecting unit 562 displays the countermeasures on the operation unit 68 through the display processing unit 563 in accordance with the command. Furthermore, the display processing unit 563 displays a message (answer screen) on the operation unit 89 prompting the maintenance staff to input an answer as to whether or not the maintenance staff can immediately carry out the countermeasures. The collection unit 564 collects the answers input through the answer screen and transmits the answers to the second analysis unit 522.

[0105] The second analysis unit 522 of the server control unit 401 analyzes the response (information indicating whether the maintenance personnel can immediately implement the countermeasure content) received from the collection unit 564, and determines the maintenance personnel status. For example, if the maintenance personnel can immediately implement the countermeasure content, the maintenance personnel status is determined to be "available for deployment." On the other hand, if the maintenance personnel cannot immediately implement the countermeasure content, the maintenance personnel status is determined to be "unavailable for deployment."

[0106] As a result, in the event that maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched immediately due to an unexpected trouble or the like, the occurrence of jams can be reduced by measures taken by the printer 100. In addition, the possibility of a service call being required will also decrease.

[0107] [flowchart] 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of the monitoring tool 460. S1901 to S1903 are added after S1112 and S1121.

[0108] In S1901, the CPU 87 (display processing unit 563) displays a screen for inquiring as to whether or not the countermeasure content can be executed on the display device of the operation unit 89. FIG. 20 shows an example of the inquiry screen 2000. In this example, the inquiry screen 2000 is also used as a display screen for the countermeasure content. The inquiry screen 2000 has a button 2001 for replying that the countermeasure content can be executed immediately, and a button 2002 for replying that the countermeasure content cannot be executed immediately. In this example, the button 2001 is pressed when a maintenance person can be dispatched immediately. The button 2002 is pressed when a maintenance person cannot be dispatched immediately.

[0109] In S1902, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) accepts an input of whether or not to execute the countermeasure content through the operation unit 89. For example, the collection unit 564 may detect that the button 2001 or the button 2002 has been pressed through the operation unit 89, and determine whether or not to dispatch.

[0110] In S1903, the CPU 87 (collection unit 564) transmits to the server device 400 whether or not the countermeasure content can be executed.

[0111] In Fig. 19, even when the countermeasure content indicates "prepared for replacement," the possibility of implementing the countermeasure content is input. However, as shown in Fig. 21, S1901 to S1903 may be added only after S1121. In other words, the possibility of implementing the countermeasure content may be input only when the countermeasure content indicates "replacement required."

[0112] Fig. 22 shows a process for determining the content of measures and the notification destination, which is executed by the CPU 85 of the server device 400. S2201 to S2204 are added after S1011 in Fig. 10 or S1011 in Fig. 17.

[0113] In S2201, the CPU 85 (second analysis unit 522) receives from the client device 450 information indicating whether or not the countermeasure content can be executed.

[0114] In S2202, the CPU 85 (second analysis unit 522) determines whether the maintenance personnel can immediately execute the countermeasure content based on the information indicating whether the countermeasure content can be executed. If the countermeasure content can be executed, the countermeasure content and the notification destination are maintained. On the other hand, if the countermeasure content cannot be executed, the CPU 85 advances the process to S2203. The second analysis unit 522 outputs a signal indicating that the countermeasure content cannot be executed to the countermeasure decision unit 523. The second analysis unit 522 may rewrite the maintenance personnel status from "available" to "unavailable".

[0115] In S2203, the CPU 85 (countermeasure decision unit 523) changes the countermeasure content and the notification destination. That is, the countermeasure decision unit 523 refers to the judgment table shown in Fig. 15 and decides the combination of the countermeasure content and the notification destination corresponding to the combination of "not available for dispatch" and the feeding state. In this example, the countermeasure content is changed to "retry enabled" and the notification destination is changed to the printer.

[0116] In S2203, the CPU 85 (countermeasure transmission unit 524) transmits the countermeasure content to the updated notification destination, the printer 100. In this case, a "retry enable" command is transmitted as the countermeasure content.

[0117] According to this embodiment, the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination are determined according to the sudden change in the schedule of the maintenance personnel. This will reduce the occurrence of jams even if the maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched to the customer's site immediately. Furthermore, the possibility of a service call being requested will decrease, which will reduce the service costs of the dealer.

[0118] In this embodiment, the countermeasure content and the notification destination determined from the feeding state and the schedule information are updated depending on the current availability of the maintenance personnel, but this is only one example. The countermeasure content and the notification destination may be determined depending on the feeding state and the current availability of the maintenance personnel. In the latter case, the schedule information described in the second embodiment may not be taken into consideration.

[0119] <Technical ideas derived from examples> [Item 1] An image forming system having a server device, an image forming device, and a client device, The server device includes: acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; A first control means (e.g., CPU 85) configured as described above, The image forming apparatus or the client apparatus determined as the notification destination, Receive the countermeasures, Apply the above measures The image forming system has a second control means (e.g., CPU 80, 87) configured as described above.

[0120] In this way, the content of the countermeasure is determined based on the status information of the image forming apparatus. Also, the notification destination is determined according to the content of the countermeasure. Therefore, the notification destination is optimized.

[0121] [Item 2] The image forming system described in item 1, wherein the first control means is further configured to perform a second analysis on the status information or whether or not maintenance personnel should be dispatched for the image forming device, determine the content of countermeasures to be applied to the image forming device based on the analysis results of the first analysis and the analysis results of the second analysis, and determine the destination of the notification of the content of the countermeasures to be sent to the image forming device or the client device.

[0122] In this way, the CPU 85 may execute a second analysis on the status information or the possibility of dispatching a maintenance technician for the image forming apparatus, and take into consideration both the results of the first and second analyses. This will further optimize the notification destination.

[0123] [Item 3] The status information includes an operation history of the image forming apparatus (e.g., feeding time, jam occurrence rate), The first control means A first analysis means for analyzing the operation history; A second analysis means for analyzing the operation history using an analysis method different from the analysis method used by the first analysis means; a determination means for determining the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination in accordance with a combination of the analysis result of the first analysis means and the analysis result of the second analysis means; 3. The image forming system according to item 2, comprising:

[0124] By analyzing operation history from two different perspectives in this way, the countermeasures and notification recipients will be optimized.

[0125] [Item 4] the first analysis means is configured to analyze the operation history to obtain a variance (e.g., a variance V) of an operating state of the image forming apparatus; the second analysis means is configured to analyze the operation history to acquire an error parameter indicating an occurrence number or an occurrence rate of a sheet transport error in the image forming apparatus; 4. The image forming system according to item 3, wherein the determining unit is configured to determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination according to a combination of the variation in the operating state and an error parameter of the transport error.

[0126] In this way, the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination may be optimized according to the number of times or the occurrence rate J of jams.

[0127] [Item 5] 5. The image forming system according to item 3 or 4, wherein the operation history includes an operation history of a feeding means (eg, feeding unit 20) provided in the image forming apparatus.

[0128] The image forming apparatus has a number of parts that require maintenance, such as the feeding unit 20. Therefore, by acquiring the operation history of each part, the maintenance content (measures) for that part will be appropriately determined.

[0129] [Item 6] The operation history of the feeding unit includes a measurement result of a sheet conveying performance (e.g., a feeding time) of the feeding unit, The first analysis means obtains a statistical value (e.g., variance V) indicating the dispersion of the measurement results, and obtains a degree of wear of the feeding means according to the statistical value; 6. The image forming system according to any one of items 3 to 5, wherein the determining unit determines the countermeasure content and the notification destination based on a combination of the degree of wear and the error parameter.

[0130] The variation in the measurement results of the sheet conveying performance correlates with the degree of wear of the feeding means. Therefore, by taking the variation into consideration, the degree of wear of the feeding means can be accurately estimated. Furthermore, the content of measures and the notification destination will be appropriately determined based on the degree of wear and the error parameters.

[0131] [Item 7] The image forming system described in item 6, wherein the determination means determines that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level (e.g., bad) and the error parameter is less than a first threshold value (e.g., 0.01%), and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

[0132] In this manner, the countermeasure content (e.g., a retry enable command) may be sent to the printer 100. In this case, the CPU 80 or the video controller 411 may display information indicating that the retry of the feeding operation has been enabled on the operation unit 412 (operation panel).

[0133] [Item 8] The image forming system described in item 7, wherein the determination means determines that the countermeasure content is to display the need to prepare for replacement of the feeding means when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at the first level and the error parameter is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the client device.

[0134] [Item 9] The image forming system of item 7 or 8, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is a second level (e.g., very bad) greater than the first level, decides to display the countermeasure content indicating that the feeding means needs to be replaced without relying on the error parameter, and decides to notify the client device of the countermeasure content.

[0135] [Item 10] 10. The image forming system according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the client device is an information processing device of a company in charge of maintenance of the image forming device or a company that sold the image forming device.

[0136] In this manner, an indication of preparation for replacement or an indication of necessity for replacement may be transmitted to the client device 450 as countermeasure content.

[0137] [Item 11] the status information includes an operation history of the image forming apparatus, The first control means A first analysis means for analyzing the operation history; a second analysis means for acquiring and analyzing dispatch status information regarding whether or not a maintenance technician for the image forming apparatus can be dispatched from a company in charge of maintenance of the image forming apparatus or a dealer that has sold the image forming apparatus; a determination means for determining the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination in accordance with a combination of the analysis result of the first analysis means and the analysis result of the second analysis means; 3. The image forming system according to item 2, comprising:

[0138] As described in the second and third embodiments, the dispatch status information on whether or not a maintenance person can be dispatched may be used to determine the content of the countermeasure and the destination. The dispatch status information may be, for example, schedule information of the maintenance person or information on whether or not a maintenance person can be dispatched at the current time.

[0139] [Item 12] 12. The image forming system according to item 11, wherein the operation history includes an operation history of a feeding unit provided in the image forming apparatus.

[0140] [Item 13] the operation history of the feeding unit includes a measurement result of a sheet conveying performance of the feeding unit, the first analysis means obtains a statistical value indicating a variation in the measurement results, and obtains a degree of wear of the feeding means according to the statistical value; 13. The image forming system according to claim 12, wherein the determining means determines the countermeasure content and the notification destination based on a combination of the degree of wear and the analysis result of the second analyzing means, which is whether or not a maintenance person can be dispatched.

[0141] [Item 14] The image forming system described in item 13, wherein when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel can be dispatched, the decision means decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that preparation for replacement of the feeding means is necessary, and decides that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the client device of the dealer.

[0142] [Item 15] The image forming system described in item 14, wherein when the degree of wear of the feeding means is a second level greater than the first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel can be dispatched, the decision means decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that the feeding means needs to be replaced, and decides to notify the countermeasure content to the client device of the dealer.

[0143] [Item 16] The image forming system described in item 13, wherein when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched, the decision means decides that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means, and decides that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

[0144] This will reduce jams in image forming devices even when maintenance personnel are unable to be dispatched.

[0145] [Item 17] The image forming system described in item 16, wherein when the degree of wear of the feeding means is a second level greater than the first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched, the decision means decides that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means, and decides that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

[0146] This will reduce jams in image forming devices even when maintenance personnel are unable to be dispatched.

[0147] [Item 18] The server device has a clock (e.g., timer 403), The image forming system according to any one of items 13 to 16, wherein the second analysis means acquires the dispatch status information indicating the time period during which the maintenance personnel is available from the dealer, and determines whether or not the maintenance personnel can be dispatched based on the current time acquired from the clock and the time period during which the maintenance personnel is available.

[0148] [Item 19] the first control means transmits an inquiry message to the client device of the dealer to inquire whether the maintenance person of the dealer can be immediately dispatched, and receives a response to the inquiry message from the client device as the dispatch status information; The image forming system described in item 13, wherein when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel can be dispatched immediately, the decision means decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that preparation for replacement of the feeding means is necessary, and decides that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the client device of the dealer.

[0149] As shown in Fig. 20, the inquiry message may be provided to the client device 450 together with the countermeasure content. Also, the answer as to whether or not to dispatch is an example of a response. Note that, as shown in Fig. 22, in a case where preparation for replacing the feeding means is required, the urgency of dispatching a maintenance technician is low, so that the display of the inquiry message may be omitted.

[0150] [Item 20] The image forming system described in item 19, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a second level greater than the first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel can be dispatched immediately, decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that the feeding means needs to be replaced, and decides to notify the countermeasure content to the client device of the dealer.

[0151] In this way, in cases where replacement of the feeding means is necessary (essential), the urgency of dispatching a maintenance technician is high, so an inquiry message may be displayed.

[0152] [Item 21] 21. The image forming system according to item 20, wherein the determination means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at the first level or the second level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched immediately, determines that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming apparatus.

[0153] In this way, in cases where maintenance is required for the feeding means and maintenance personnel are not available immediately, the contents of the countermeasure and the notification destination may be changed, which will make jams less likely to occur, reduce the number of service calls, and reduce service costs.

[0154] [Item 22] The image forming apparatus includes: A storage unit (e.g., a feeding cassette 21) for stacking a plurality of sheets; a feeding means for feeding one sheet out of the plurality of sheets stacked in the storage means; A driving means (e.g., a motor 90, a solenoid 91) for driving the feeding means; a detection unit (e.g., a sheet sensor 27) that is provided downstream of the feeding unit in the sheet conveying direction and detects the leading edge of the sheet; A measuring means (e.g., a measuring unit 503) that measures the elapsed time from when the driving means starts to drive until the leading edge of the sheet is detected by the detecting means; having The operation history includes: The measurement means measures a plurality of elapsed times (e.g., feeding times), the first analysis means acquires a variance of the plurality of elapsed times measured by the measurement means as a variation in the operational state of the image forming apparatus; Item 14. The imaging system according to item 4 or 13.

[0155] [Item 23] The image forming apparatus includes: The apparatus further includes a detection unit (e.g., a feed control unit 501) for detecting the occurrence of a jam based on the elapsed time measured by the measurement unit, 23. The image forming system according to item 22, wherein the operation history includes information indicating whether or not the jam has occurred (e.g., a feeding time set to -1).

[0156] [Item 24] 24. The image forming system according to item 23, wherein in the operation history, the information indicating whether or not the jam has occurred is indicated by predetermined specific time information (e.g., a negative value) as the elapsed time.

[0157] This will reduce the amount of information sent from the image forming device to the server device, and will also reduce the memory required for storing the operation history from the image forming device to the server device.

[0158] [Item 25] 25. The image forming system according to item 24, wherein the predetermined unique time information is a negative value (e.g., −1).

[0159] [Item 26] A communication means (e.g., a communication circuit 402) for communicating with the image forming apparatus and the client apparatus; acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; A control means (e.g., a CPU 85) configured to transmit the countermeasure content to the notification destination via the communication means; A server device having the above configuration.

[0160] [Item 27] A program executed by a server device capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus and a client device, the server device comprising: acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be sent to the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; transmitting the countermeasure content to the notification destination; program.

[0161] [Item 28] An image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a server device, A sheet feeding means (e.g., a feeding roller 22) for feeding a sheet; An image forming means (e.g., a secondary transfer roller 14) for forming an image on the sheet; A communication means for communicating with the server device (e.g., a video controller 411, a communication processing unit 511), Acquire status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; Transmitting the status information to the server device via the communication means; a server device analyzes the status information to determine a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming device, and if the countermeasure is a first countermeasure, the image forming device is determined as a notification destination of the countermeasure, and if the countermeasure is a second countermeasure different from the first countermeasure, the client device of the server device is determined as a notification destination of the countermeasure, and the first countermeasure is received from the server device via the communication means; A control means (e.g., a CPU 80) configured to display the first content, which is the content of the countermeasure, on an operation panel, or to apply the first content, which is the content of the countermeasure, to the feeding means or the image forming means; An image forming apparatus comprising:

[0162] [Item 29] A client device that communicates with a server device that maintains and manages an image forming device, A communication means (e.g., a communication circuit 452) for communicating with the server device; a control means (e.g., a CPU 87) for transmitting, via the communication means, to the server device, dispatch status information indicating whether or not a maintenance person in charge of maintenance of the image forming apparatus is available for dispatch; the server device is configured to acquire status information indicating an operating status of the image forming device, determine a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming device by analyzing the status information and the dispatch status information, and determine a notification destination of the countermeasure to be sent to the image forming device if the countermeasure is a first countermeasure, and determine a notification destination of the countermeasure to be sent to the client device if the countermeasure is a second countermeasure different from the first countermeasure, The client device, wherein the control means is configured to receive the countermeasure content, which is the second content, from the server device via the communication means.

[0163] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0164] 100: image forming apparatus, 400: server apparatus, 450: client apparatus

Claims

1. An image forming system having a server device, an image forming device, and a client device, The server device includes: acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; A first control means configured as described above, The image forming apparatus or the client apparatus determined as the notification destination, Receive the countermeasures, Apply the above measures The image forming system further comprises a second control means configured to:

2. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the first control means is further configured to perform a second analysis on the status information or whether or not maintenance personnel should be dispatched for the image forming device, determine the content of countermeasures to be applied to the image forming device based on the analysis results of the first analysis and the analysis results of the second analysis, and determine the destination of the notification of the content of the countermeasures to be sent to the image forming device or the client device.

3. the status information includes an operation history of the image forming apparatus, The first control means A first analysis means for analyzing the operation history; A second analysis means for analyzing the operation history using an analysis method different from the analysis method used by the first analysis means; a determination means for determining the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination in accordance with a combination of the analysis result of the first analysis means and the analysis result of the second analysis means; The imaging system of claim 2 .

4. the first analysis means is configured to analyze the operation history to obtain a variation in an operating state of the image forming apparatus; the second analysis means is configured to analyze the operation history to acquire an error parameter indicating an occurrence number or an occurrence rate of a sheet transport error in the image forming apparatus; 4. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein the determining unit is configured to determine the countermeasure content and the notification destination in accordance with a combination of the variation in the operating state and an error parameter of the transport error.

5. 5. The image forming system according to claim 4, wherein the operation history includes an operation history of a feeding unit provided in the image forming apparatus.

6. the operation history of the feeding unit includes a measurement result of a sheet conveying performance of the feeding unit, the first analysis means obtains a statistical value indicating a variation in the measurement results, and obtains a degree of wear of the feeding means according to the statistical value; 6. The image forming system according to claim 5, wherein the determining unit determines the countermeasure content and the notification destination based on a combination of the degree of wear and the error parameter.

7. The image forming system of claim 6, wherein the determination means determines that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the error parameter is less than a first threshold value, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

8. 8. The image forming system of claim 7, wherein the determination means determines that the countermeasure content is to display the need to prepare for replacement of the feeding means when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at the first level and the error parameter is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the client device.

9. 9. The image forming system of claim 8, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is a second level greater than the first level, decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that replacement of the feeding means is necessary, without relying on the error parameter, and decides to notify the countermeasure content to the client device.

10. 10. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein the client device is an information processing device of a company in charge of maintenance of the image forming device or a company that sold the image forming device.

11. the status information includes an operation history of the image forming apparatus, The first control means A first analysis means for analyzing the operation history; a second analysis means for acquiring and analyzing dispatch status information regarding whether or not a maintenance technician for the image forming apparatus can be dispatched from a company in charge of maintenance of the image forming apparatus or a dealer that has sold the image forming apparatus; a determination means for determining the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination in accordance with a combination of the analysis result of the first analysis means and the analysis result of the second analysis means; The imaging system of claim 2 .

12. 12. The image forming system according to claim 11, wherein the operation history includes an operation history of a feeding unit provided in the image forming apparatus.

13. the operation history of the feeding unit includes a measurement result of a sheet conveying performance of the feeding unit, the first analysis means obtains a statistical value indicating a variation in the measurement results, and obtains a degree of wear of the feeding means according to the statistical value; The image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein the determining unit determines the content of the countermeasure and the notification destination based on a combination of the degree of wear and the analysis result of the second analyzing unit, which is whether or not a maintenance person can be dispatched.

14. The image forming system of claim 13, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that a maintenance technician is available, decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that preparation for replacement of the feeding means is necessary, and decides to notify the countermeasure content to the client device of the dealer.

15. The image forming system of claim 14, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a second level greater than the first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that a maintenance technician is available, decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that the feeding means needs to be replaced, and decides to notify the countermeasure content to the client device of the dealer.

16. The image forming system of claim 13, wherein the determination means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched, determines that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

17. The image forming system of claim 16, wherein the determination means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a second level greater than the first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel cannot be dispatched, determines that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

18. the server device has a clock; The image forming system according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the second analysis means acquires the dispatch status information indicating the time period during which the maintenance personnel is available from the dealer, and determines whether or not the maintenance personnel can be dispatched based on the current time acquired from the clock and the time period during which the maintenance personnel is available.

19. the first control means transmits an inquiry message to the client device of the dealer to inquire whether the maintenance person of the dealer can be immediately dispatched, and receives a response to the inquiry message from the client device as the dispatch status information; The image forming system of claim 13, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel can be dispatched immediately, decides to display the countermeasure content as indicating that preparation for replacement of the feeding means is necessary, and decides to notify the countermeasure content to the client device of the dealer.

20. The image forming system of claim 19, wherein the decision means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is at a second level greater than the first level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel can be dispatched immediately, decides that the countermeasure content is to display that the feeding means needs to be replaced, and decides that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the client device of the dealer.

21. The image forming system of claim 20, wherein the determination means, when the degree of wear of the feeding means is the first level or the second level and the analysis result of the second analysis means indicates that the maintenance personnel cannot be immediately dispatched, determines that the countermeasure content is to enable a retry of the feeding operation by the feeding means, and determines that the notification destination of the countermeasure content is the image forming device.

22. The image forming apparatus includes: A storage means for storing a plurality of sheets; a feeding means for feeding one sheet out of the plurality of sheets stacked in the storage means; A driving means for driving the feeding means; a detection unit that is provided downstream of the feeding unit in a conveying direction of the sheet and detects a leading edge of the sheet; a measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from when the driving means starts to drive until the leading edge of the sheet is detected by the detecting means; having The operation history includes: a plurality of elapsed times measured by the measuring means; the first analysis means acquires a variance of the plurality of elapsed times measured by the measurement means as a variation in the operating state of the image forming apparatus; 14. The image forming system according to claim 4 or 13.

23. The image forming apparatus includes: The apparatus further includes a detection unit for detecting the occurrence of a jam based on the elapsed time measured by the measurement unit, 23. The image forming system according to claim 22, wherein the operation history includes information indicating whether or not the jam has occurred.

24. 24. The image forming system according to claim 23, wherein in the operation history, the information indicating whether or not the jam has occurred is indicated by predetermined unique time information as the elapsed time.

25. 25. The image forming system according to claim 24, wherein the predetermined unique time information is a negative value.

26. A communication means for communicating with the image forming apparatus and the client apparatus; acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; The countermeasure content is transmitted to the notification destination via the communication means. A control means configured as described above; A server device having the above configuration.

27. A program executed by a server device capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus and a client device, the server device comprising: acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; performing a first analysis on the status information; determining a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming apparatus based on at least a result of the first analysis, and determining a notification destination of the countermeasure to be sent to the image forming apparatus or the client apparatus; transmitting the countermeasure content to the notification destination; program.

28. An image forming apparatus capable of communicating with a server device, A feeding means for feeding a sheet; an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet; A communication means for communicating with the server device; acquiring status information indicating an operating status of the image forming apparatus; Transmitting the status information to the server device via the communication means; a server device analyzes the status information to determine a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming device, and if the countermeasure is a first countermeasure, the image forming device is determined as a notification destination of the countermeasure, and if the countermeasure is a second countermeasure different from the first countermeasure, the client device of the server device is determined as a notification destination of the countermeasure, and the first countermeasure is received from the server device via the communication means; a control means configured to display the first content, which is the content of the countermeasure, on an operation panel, or to apply the first content, which is the content of the countermeasure, to the feeding means or the image forming means; An image forming apparatus comprising:

29. A client device that communicates with a server device that maintains and manages an image forming device, A communication means for communicating with the server device; a control unit that transmits, via the communication unit, dispatch status information indicating whether a maintenance person in charge of maintenance of the image forming apparatus is available to the server device; the server device is configured to acquire status information indicating an operating status of the image forming device, determine a countermeasure to be applied to the image forming device by analyzing the status information and the dispatch status information, and determine a notification destination of the countermeasure to be sent to the image forming device if the countermeasure is a first countermeasure, and determine a notification destination of the countermeasure to be sent to the client device if the countermeasure is a second countermeasure different from the first countermeasure, The client device, wherein the control means is configured to receive the countermeasure content, which is the second content, from the server device via the communication means.

Images