Status-Based Maintenance Notification Routing for Service Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to efficiently notify appropriate destinations for device maintenance based on device status, particularly in commercial printing and industrial printing environments, leading to suboptimal device uptime.

Innovation Solution

A service management system that determines appropriate notification destinations for maintenance based on device status, utilizing a server apparatus to identify modules requiring maintenance, user contracts, and send notifications to designated personnel or engineers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If notification of maintenance execution is sent without determining appropriate destination based on device status, then notification process is simple, but maintenance efficiency deteriorates due to incorrect notification routing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance efficiencyVSAvoidnotification system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The service management system acts as an intermediary between the device status monitoring and notification delivery. It receives device status information, determines the appropriate notification destination based on contract types and maintenance levels, and then sends notifications to the correct recipient. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by adding intelligent routing logic that improves maintenance efficiency without requiring complex changes at the notification endpoint.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring device status information and using it to dynamically determine notification destinations. The device status serves as feedback that triggers appropriate maintenance notifications to the correct personnel based on the current maintenance level and contract type, ensuring timely and accurate maintenance response.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If operator maintenance contract is concluded without clear notification routing, then contract flexibility is improved, but device uptime deteriorates due to delayed maintenance response

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice uptimeVSAvoidcontract management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The notification destination determination is segmented into distinct cases based on contract type and maintenance level. The system divides the notification routing logic into separate pathways: one for operator maintenance contracts (notifying device operator) and another for contracts requiring service provider notification. This segmentation ensures that the appropriate party is notified based on the specific contract configuration, improving device uptime while maintaining contract flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The notification destination is determined dynamically based on current device status and contract configuration rather than being static. The system adapts the notification routing in real-time based on the maintenance level, contract type, and device state, ensuring that notifications are sent to the most appropriate recipient for each specific situation, thereby improving response time and device uptime.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4439271B1Information processing system, notification method, service management system, and carrier means
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 RICOH CO LTD
  • EP4439271B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4439271B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(c)
  • EP4439271B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An information processing system for determining execution of a service includes a notification destination determination unit (14) configured to determine a notification destination of the service according to first service level information that is associated with a device and a user of the device and defines a service to be performed by the user, the service to be performed by the user being different depending on the user. The information processing system includes a notification unit (18) configured to notify the notification destination determined by the notification destination determination unit (14) of execution of the service.