Remote Inkjet Printer Maintenance via Visual Data Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current maintenance systems for inkjet printers lack the ability to acquire visual information about the printer mechanism and conveyance line, making it difficult to determine issues with high precision, and are unable to provide immediate support, especially when the service center is closed or the customer is distant, leading to production line stoppages and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A remote maintenance support system that combines radio communication and Internet connectivity, using external communication devices with video camera functions, and a data server to acquire and analyze customer apparatus data, allowing for real-time troubleshooting and recovery method proposals, even when the service center is closed or distant from the customer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only internal data of the apparatus is acquired, then the maintenance system is simple, but the diagnosis precision is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple information sources (internal apparatus data, visual information from video cameras, and operator input) into a unified maintenance support system. The server integrates data from USB memory connections, video camera feeds showing printer mechanisms and conveyance lines, and operator-provided symptoms to comprehensively determine apparatus states and provide accurate maintenance guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance support server acts as an intermediary that collects, processes, and analyzes information from multiple sources. It receives internal apparatus data via USB memory, visual information from video cameras, and operator input, then synthesizes this information to provide diagnostic conclusions and maintenance instructions, bridging the gap between simple data collection and complex diagnosis.
2Reliability
If service center visits are required for all issues, then accurate diagnosis is possible, but production downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables operators to perform self-diagnosis and self-troubleshooting by connecting USB memory containing apparatus data to their personal terminals (smartphones, tablets, or PCs). The maintenance support server automatically analyzes the data and provides diagnostic conclusions and maintenance instructions, allowing operators to resolve issues without waiting for service center visits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares comprehensive diagnostic capabilities in advance by establishing a server that can receive and analyze various types of apparatus data (internal data, visual information, operator input). When issues occur, the system is already configured to immediately process the information and provide maintenance guidance, eliminating the need to wait for service center availability.
3Productivity
If service center is closed or distant, then customer can operate independently, but diagnosis accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates operator feedback about apparatus symptoms and operational context into the diagnostic process. Operators input their observations and the server uses this feedback alongside the apparatus data and visual information to refine the diagnosis and provide accurate maintenance guidance, ensuring high diagnostic accuracy even when operators work independently outside service center hours.
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance support server provides universal diagnostic capabilities that work across different locations and times. It can process apparatus data, visual information from video cameras, and operator input regardless of whether the service center is open or closed, or how distant the customer location is, enabling accurate diagnostics and maintenance support anywhere in the world at any time.
Data Source
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AI summary
In the prior art, a customer may not know which information is acquired and may feel anxiety. In addition, only internal data of the apparatus is acquired in the prior art. However, in order to determine a trouble in the inkjet printer with high precision, visual information such as a state of a printer mechanism or a conveyance line and a print result is also necessary to determine the apparatus state. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a maintenance system capable of acquiring such information. Disclosed is a support service system for an inkjet printing apparatus, including: a first network terminal that can communicate information regarding a state of a first inkjet printing apparatus through communication from a first external communication device installed in the first inkjet printing apparatus; and a second network terminal that performs determination on the basis of the information regarding the state obtained through communication of the first network terminal and transmits a result of the determination to the first network terminal, wherein the first network terminal transmits a maintenance request for the first inkjet printing apparatus to the second network terminal, and the second network terminal transmits whether or not responding to the maintenance request to the first network terminal.