ES2402021B1 - PROGRAM AND PROCEDURE CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF COPIER OR PRINTER SUPPLIES (DCPP-MACI) - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a copier or printer with or without a copy system (printing device or ID hereinafter) with a program control system, and the control procedure of a DI, with the aim of minimizing the time in which DI stands still either due to the exhaustion of the necessary consumable, or due to wear and tear due to the use of the parts, identifying in advance and with the sole help of the data available in the D.I. and from a data repository the moment this will happen, and providing this information to the person or computer systems that require it.

Description

  Control device by program and procedure to improve the supply of copiers or printers (DCPP-MACI)

The invention relates to a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter we will refer to them as a printing device or 0.1.) with a program control system, and to the control procedure of a copier or printer with the objective of minimizing the time in which 0.1 stands still. either due to the exhaustion of the necessary consumable, or due to wear due to the use of the parts, identifying in advance the moment in which this will happen, and providing this information to the person or computer system that requires it (user of the equipment or other) or individually, that is D.! to D.I., either in a pluralized and centralized manner, that is, by providing the corresponding information of several DIs in a grouped form.

Existing copiers and printers according to the state of the art have three major drawbacks in minimizing the time they remain stopped and scheduling stops for preventive maintenance. Although there are not many, cases of ID are known that include a program control for consumables and in some exceptional cases for a minimum proportion of the parts they incorporate. This control is carried out based on the amount of consumable that remains, not taking into account the intensity with which the equipment is used, resulting in a large number of stops of 0.1. due to lack of supply of consumables and parts, this being the first inconvenience that arises. The most common case of control by existing program is one in which the D.! It incorporates some LEOs that indicate that the consumable is at a low level. The LED lights or blinks or changes color, usually red, in response to the indication of the consumable level sensor (for example, the toner) due to having dropped from the pre-programmed level. In other less common cases also known, D.1. It incorporates a display or screen that shows the approximate consumable level expressed in terms of the percentage that remains at 0.1. and a warning addressed to! user indicating when the level of a consumable has dropped from the pre-programmed level. This level is independent of the workload of a printer, so in the vast majority of cases it is shown to be visible to the user too late to request a replacement with sufficient time before the DI stops, either too much. soon remaining on for weeks or months, and consequently losing any utility of proactivity and assistance in the maintenance of ID. Since the sensor warning level is not reprogrammable, it is not possible to solve even the problem explained, of so that the urgency that the contr ~ per detailed program intends to show loses all real utility.

Similar to what is stated in the previous paragraph regarding the consumables used by a D.I. In order to perform the physical task of printing on a medium, an ordinary or professional use printing device is made up of parts that are subject to wear and that have a lifespan measured by the manufacturer in terms of the number of prints made or scans made . This leads us to the second drawback, which is that given the impossibility of anticipating the fatal wear or failure of the part, the D, 1. remains hopelessly stopped until the arrival of a technician with the corresponding part. This ~ cases are even more burdensome for the owner or the user of 0.1., Since the stock available in the supply channel of this type of parts is very small, so the downtime can be extended for days or even weeks

S

ES 2 402 021 A2

A third problem is added to the state of the art in order to manage fleets of 0.1 .. In the last 20 years, information technology has become universal and can be found not only in leading offices. but in professional jobs of the most varied (example: car workshops, stonework, or any other job very far from what we might think would be a place where a computer would have an obvious utility), homes, automatic machines (such as ATMs, vending machines for train or plane tickets, etc.) and in summary anywhere. As a result of all this, the same person interacts throughout the day with several copying equipment or printers (for example: with the printer in your home and with the copier and printer in your office or business). The maintenance management that the individual carries out of these equipment is therefore limited to the preprogrammed notices in the IDs, as we have commented in the previous paragraphs. There is no possibility in the current state of the art to know the technical state of all its equipment in a simple and centralized way, that is, there is no possibility that a user can know at any time and place the state of wear of the consumables and parts of the D.!. for which he is responsible, and his need for restitution over time.

Starting from this known state of the art, the invention proposes the purpose of providing a

GAVE. known a program control system that significantly improves the provisioning method by now based on the time (expressed in days or any other unit of time) that remains for a certain consumable or part of the D.I. before the end of its useful life is exhausted or reached and therefore 0.1 is stopped, thereby reducing the actual cost of use, as well as making the maintenance management of the D.I. more efficient. while dedicating a smaller amount of resources to these tasks.

The embodiment of the invention considers the possibility of improving the systems of a 0 .1. known to provide it with the possibility of capturing sufficient data on the wear of consumables and 0.1 parts. and that the program control can then process the information and provide the notices of need for restitution of a consumable or part depending on the time remaining before 1 .. end of its useful life.

In the drawing of figure 1 a 0.1 is represented. usual market. It indicates the main components. the invention would give D.! of the appropriate sensors as long as they were not available and "available in the state of the art. Based on Figure 1, the type operation of 0.1 and the sensors involved in the invention are listed below. The medium to be printed it is dragged in by the feed rollers (10) from the input tray (101) A sensor located in the rollers (102) indicates if it has not been able to take the medium, that is, if it turns empty, another sensor indicates if any !! : the rollers cannot rotate, that is, if it has become stuck, once introduced inside the ID, the well-known process of most of the 0.1 .. will follow the sensors located in the different components susceptible to wear transmit the information about the state of use of each O '. We list the following as being the most common in the market D.1.: the laser (103), the toner or ink consumable container cartridge (104), the container of the Band of transfer or photoconductOf (105), the fuser (107), the remaining or residual consumable container (108). A sensor located in the internal motors (110) indicates the number of turns made, and another sensor at the entrance of the output tray (109) identifies that the printed media has been ejected by completing the printing cycle. The Program Control resulting from the invention has its own processor resources, memory, hosts and interfaces, which allows it to use specific monitoring protocols (SNMP) to access the sensors through the native main processor that incorporates 0.1 .

The solution to the problems mentioned by the invention is characterized in that 0.1 is provided. of a series of sensors supplementary to those already existing according to the state of the art, so that together with the existing sensors the measurement of the consumable level data is obtained,

the counter of impressions, the jams of feeding (of the means on which it is printed like paper, cards, COs or others, or other supplies that are part of the finished product such as

staples and others) and the various errors detected by the equipment as well as the date and time at which these measurements occur. This measurement is made with a pre-programmed and adaptable frequency on a case-by-case basis. These supplementary sensors are implanted in 0.1. and connects directly to the Control by program.

A more economical alternative to the incorporation of complementary sensors to those already existing in the ID, is the use of the values provided by the existing sensors (which are accessed as described in the previous paragraph) to determine the necessary values for the correct operation of the program control object of the invention. In this way, on a regular, automatic basis and with a pre-programmed frequency, the program control itself takes the values of the existing sensors and executes calculations using known mathematical formulas to determine the value of the consumable level or the part in every moment. This value is stored in the storage system of the control by program, and subsequently used by it to determine the times of the remaining useful life of the consumable or part as already described. This alternative is a slight improvement in the functionality of the native sensors by many 0.1. from the market, in which the level of the consumable or the part is indicated either by inaccurate sections (example: 100% toner level, greater than 75%, greater than 50%, greater than 2S% and low toner; Example 2 : toner level indicated by jumps: 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, low toner), either in a simple state type "correct level" and "low level "(example: OK toner, Low toner), allowing to know with acceptable precision the consumable rel level or 'piece. This becomes an aspect of clear advantage when the level of the consumable or the part goes, approaching its end, since it allows to identify with more precision the right time to change it, using the resources to the maximum and therefore getting cheaper the cost of one of a 0.1. Up to 30%.

Unlike the known technique, the invention proposes to record in a memory the data provided by the sensors or already pre-processed according to the described alternative, so that they remain in time by building a sequence of data. One control per program installed in the D.I. (control module 111 in Figure 1) periodically executes a relationship between the different data collected 1 recorded in the report so that it estimates the most accurate date in which foreseeably specific consumable will be exhausted, and can also be expressed in the remaining time of use before it must be replaced.

Regarding the wear of the parts as well as the consumables, it is added to the previous sensors or change sensor of the part in question. The value provided by the sensor indicates that this part has been replaced by another, and is recorded in a memory together with the values of the sensors of different meters and levels and the date and time of capture of said values, remaining in time while building a sequence of data. This change sensor may be incorporated into the program control, thus avoiding the cost of installing a physical sensor (¡

S

ES 2 402 021 A2

in the D.I. or in the part or consumable An alternative that the invention contemplates is that the data indicating the change of a part can be manually entered in the Program Control. In any of the cases, it is also stored in a register together with the different usage counters and consumable levels and the date and time of capture of said values, forming a sequence of data with the set of records. One control per program installed in D.1. (control module 111 in Figure 1) periodically executes a relationship between the different data collected, so that it estimates both the level of wear of the piece in question expressed in terms of percentage, or number of prints, or turns of engine, or of turns of roller, or of scans, as the most accurate date in which the piece must be replaced, and can also be expressed as the remaining time of use before it must be replaced.

In the D.I. perfected according to the invention, a drastic decrease in the time the device is stopped due to maintenance or repair results. The invention clearly provides the remaining time for a certain consumable or part before the equipment is stopped due to wear. The invention proposes to show that information in the form of a warning through the own screen or display of the 0.1 device, accessing the corresponding menu, which in a preferred form of the invention would be called "Levels" or "Substitution dates". In the case of the Capability of the ID screen, the replacement time data of each consumable or part would be displayed, one at a time or several at a time, ordered from closest to furthest on its estimated replacement date.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control system resides in a remote location separated from the D.I., that is, on a platform external to 0.1 .. the values collected from the different sensors installed in 0.1. they are sent to the control system installed in a remote place by means of a known data collection device, which may be a PC with the data collector installed or an electronic system dedicated to such function. The sending of the data collected through the different sensors installed in 0.1. and the way in which said shipment is made is the responsibility of! mentioned data collector. The connection between the program control and the 0.1 sensors. it is done 'through the network thanks to the device data collector in the same way as if it were within the physical box of 0.1., and using the same mechanisms. Program control does not intervene until such data is received. Then proceed to memorize them to create a sequence of data. One control per program installed in a remote place at 0.1. It periodically executes a relationship between the different data collected and recorded in the report in a way that estimates the most accurate date on which each consumable or particular piece will foreseeably be exhausted, and can also be expressed in the time they have left before they must be used. be replaced With the invention it is proposed to configure the control by program so that the general state of the consumables and parts of a D.!. they can be visualized by the people or systems that are in charge of managing the maintenance of the D.I., regardless of where they are. This second implementation option has the first one in which the control per program resides in D.1. additional advantages First of all it is not required that the

0.1. have a display or screen, and therefore the cost of implementation is cheaper and can be universalized for virtually all D.! already existing in the market. Figure 4 shows an example. what would be the scheme of the relationship of each integral part of the solution. The printing devices (402) may be network accessible (for example, ANjWAN) to the collecting device, or if necessary, the use of dedicated agent systems (404) is also provided to retrieve the information of each D.1. isolated from the network and forward them to the collecting device (401). Said age-ntes are implemented as a reduced version of the main collecting equipment (401), thus being able to form a

network of collecting equipment. Once the data is captured, either partially packaged or in a single

block, are transmitted to the remote equipment on which the program control is installed (403). This transfer will be made through the most appropriate channel according to the type of network architecture of the

installation, the recommendation being the Internet network itself applying the necessary security criteria such as the design of a virtual private network. It is anticipated that there may be a two-way communication between

the platform with program control and collecting devices, to perform updates on

real time, requests for readings on demand for sensor levels, remote control and value-added services.

Program control consists of a device with at least one processor, a fast memory module supporting the processor (cache, random access memory), a non-volatile storage device and a generic communications module with the necessary communication interfaces for installation (for example Ethernet). Figure S shows a diagram of the preferred embodiment of the invention. It contains the following components: main processor (501), Memory (502), HOO / SOO Storage (503), Communications module (504), Bus flow, instruction and Control data (SOS), Direct Access (506) ), Memory Extension (507) and Communications Interfaces (508).

In the implementation of the invention where the program control system resides outside 0.1., The data collected from the different sensors are transmitted through the collecting device (Figure 4, 401) to the external platform (403) in which the Program control is installed, and all procedures and provisioning methods are executed. Information on "levels" or "replacement dates" is displayed to the user or interested person through universal access via the internet (or local network), thus allowing access to this relevant information regardless of having physically about 0.1. or not (figure 4: 404). In this variant of the invention it is proposed that there be a two-way communication between the program control and the user. This is possible and easy in practice since the user will access the program control using a standard communication interface preferably via the internet (or local network), such as any known browser. Bidirectionality should allow the user to interact with the program control to adapt it to their specific needs. This way it is expected that the user can group their 0.1. Within the program control, enter parameters that allow you to unequivocally identify the D.1. with the location data or references that you want to give them, as well as modify the alert levels that will determine the warning generated by the program control regarding the need to replace a certain consumable or part, request current data of the value of a certain sensor or general checks In this way, the single user identification (404) when accessing the control system shows all its 0.1. and the technical status of each of them, regardless of the geographical location in which they are located. In a preferred embodiment, the program control will show the user the following when accessing using his power to connect: a unique ID of the D.I. (the serial number or MAC address will be used), the model of 0.1., the personalized description of the same and the physical location that the user wanted to give, the level of each of the consumables expressed in percentage, the quantity of time remaining for each of the consumables before their foreseeable depletion, the average duration in terms of days and of impressions that each replacement of consumable comes to last, the estimated date of replacement of the parts susceptible to wear, the values of different usage counters such as the total number of prints, color prints, monochrome prints, scans performed, and hard disk level of D.1. expressed in terms of percentage of use over its total capacity and free space value, the values indicated on the virtual and real screens of 0.1., and in

general any other parameter that can be collected from the sensors of the Printing Device by the

procedure already commented.

Figure 2 indicates the preferred embodiment of the capture and storage procedure of the

level records Each of the consumables or parts that you want to control is capable of generating

S

an event. An event is a remaining consumable level for that consumable, or remaining living level for

that piece. The value of each of the sensors (201) is recorded periodically. It is also captured

the date and time the registration was made (202) V also captures the values provided by the

Impression sensors made and the scanned (203) thanks to the information provided by

impression and scan sensors (204). Everything is stored for later analysis in a

10

nonvolatile memory (205).

The proper functioning of the invention requires having at least two records to generate

Each of the events. This means that it is necessary to have at least two records of, for example,

black toner level to be able to indicate the estimated date of need to replenish the black toner. the

Figure 3 indicates the preferred embodiment of the replacement control procedure of the

fifteen

consumables and parts in 0.1 .. the recorded data (301) according to Figure 3 are now analyzed

(302) by means of a logic programmed in the program control. the logic is made consumable to

consumable or piece by piece that we will call element. Each element is unique for a 0.1. concrete,

being able to present so many elements in a 0.1. as planned by the manufacturer of 0.1 .. As already stated

explained by commenting on figure 2, for each 0.1. the following data will be collected that constitute a

twenty

record that is finally stored in the storage module (figure S, 503); the level of

element indicated by the sensor or the counter value on which its useful life is measured, the values of the

print and scan counters, the date and time the registration was made. When available

of at least two records per item, a pre-programmed logic retrieves the recordset

of the element (data stack) and by means of known mathematical models the counter will project the level

25

of useful life of the element towards the future based on its known evolution so far (and recorded in the

data stack) Note that as the data stack will grow depending on the number of measures that are

perform, the projection or estimation of the level meter data will be increasingly adjusted, that is

which will have a minor deviation. The program control has the value of the

expected time in which the useful life of the element will be exhausted. This value is registered and associated with a date

30

and determined time, and constitutes an event about the consumable or part in question (304) and the whole is

stored (305) in a non-volatile memory. The event is now accessible by the user through

of the user interface or by means of the buttons arranged in 0 .1. and browsing through the menus.

In order to facilitate to the maximum the work of forecast of supply of the 0.1., The event can be

expressed as the remaining time of the item in question before the end of its useful life, or as a

35

expected date of completion of its useful life (303). A parameter entered manually and associated with

each of the possible events is the time of notice (306). Process control compares the value

of the time of notice with that of the event and determine if because the first is greater than the second is

it is necessary to send a notice of replacement of the consumable or the corresponding part (307). In case

Yes, the warning is shown directly by the program control and projected well on the screen

40

of 0.1., well on the screen of the intended user when the program control does not reside in 0.1 itself.

(308). The warning is stored (309) in a non-volatile memory. When the program control is

installed on a remote platform independent of 0.1., a complementary variant allows the

notice be sent directly to the user identified for that 0.1 .. Through the interface of

communications (Figure S) provided in the program control, the warning is set up, packaged and transmitted through a standard communications interface enabled as a connector for this purpose

Claims (11)

one.

Program Control Device characterized by being installed in a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter Print Device or 0.1.), Within the physical box of 0.1. or annexed to it, which allows to know the time remaining for each piece or consumable of a 0.1.) before it is completely worn out or used up, even when the 0.1. Do not provide any logical information about the level of wear of those. It consists of at least one processor, a fast memory module supporting the processor, a non-volatile storage device and a communications module that demands V receives data from the different sensors of the Printing Device, using the specific monitoring protocols ( SNMP) to access those through the native main processor that incorporates 0.1., Which it uses so that a computer program resident in the control memory by program or in its storage system and executed by the main processor solves and builds the information. The Program Control Device identifies the data that is not available in 0.1., Enabling virtual or calculated sensors whose function is to complete the data from 0.1., So that the Program Control can have all the necessary parameters for manage the replacements of all 0.1 parts and consumables. As a result, the Program Control Device determines the estimated time remaining for each consumable or part of each copier or printer before reaching the limit of its useful life; transmits this information to the user or to any interested person through notices through the channels enabled in the corresponding communications interfaces such as the 0.1 screen itself, or as an extension to the included http (s) server accessible from a browser, or through the transmission of data packets of reduced size, thus avoiding unnecessary use of the bandwidth of the LAN or data network, a problem that is very evident in the professional network environment.

2.

Program Control Device according to Claim 1 characterized in that it is installed independently of a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter Print Device or 0 .1.), And that receives the data of the values of the sensors available in 0.1. by means of a known data collection device, making the connection between the Program Control Device and the sensors through the network thanks to the data collector in the same way as if it were within the physical box of 0.1., of so that the program control receives data from a plural number of Printing Devices, performing its control tasks described in Claim 1 for each and every one of them.

3.

Program Control Device according to Claims 1 or 2 characterized by identifying the fault messages of a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter Print Device or 0.1.) From the error stack available in 0.1 itself, or by capturing errors in the physical and / or virtual screens of 0.1., and by using logical criteria based on the combination of the 0.1 error stack, the level sensors of 0.1 itself. and the virtual level sensors of the Control Device by Program, and which are processed by it to determine the type of technical assistance required.

Four.

Program Control Device according to Claim 3 characterized by sending technical assistance request notices to the technician responsible for each type of fault, identified

by means of a selective criterion conditioned by the type of assistance as defined in accordance with Claim 3. communication that is made by telematic means in packets not exceeding 200 bits and therefore V therefore suitable in networks of professional environment in which Bandwidth usage is very tight.

5.

Program Control Device according to Claims 1 or 2 characterized by incorporating an indicator button for the installation of a part or cartridge in a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter Print Device or DI) and why by pressing it, a reset of the wear level of the corresponding consumable or part is carried out, replenishing to its full level the level of the virtual sensor corresponding to that part or cartridge in the Program Control Device.

6.

Program Control Device according to Claim 10 2 characterized in that it incorporates an automatic button to indicate the installation of a cartridge or part in a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter Print Device or 0.1.). A logic per program included in the Program Control Device estimates the moment when the new part or cartridge has been installed, making an automatic "press" of the reset button and thereby resetting the wear level of these at the corresponding virtual sensor level in the Program Control Device.

7.

Program Control Device according to Claim 2 characterized by having a two-way communication with the collecting devices to perform real-time actions on the copier or printer with or without a copy system, such as sensor data capture in a specific moment, changes in the pre-programmed parameters in the collection devices, or updates of these.

8.

Program Control Device according to Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that there is a two-way communication between the Program Control and the person or computer system when informing of the warnings and duration levels of the consumables and parts, allowing therefore the modification of pre-programmed parameters in the control by: program.

9.

Program Control Device according to Claim 2, characterized in that it allows a user to be identified for each copier or printer with or without a copy system or for a set of them, and this user can interrelate with the program control by means of . of a secure standard connection preferably online or local network to receive notices of consumable or part to be changed soon, and / or see the status of each consumable or part by a copier or printer with or without a copy system (hereinafter Device of Printing or 0.1.) Expressed in terms of time remaining before reaching the end of its useful life, as well as any other parameter that can be collected from the sensors of the Printing Device according to what is already mentioned in Claim 1, including values of the number of prints made, the levels of the different consumables or parts, the dates on which the consumable or part was installed, data come from both 0.1. as of the Program Control Device according to Claims 5 and 6.

10.

Program Control Device according to Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that having an http server (s) securely accessible by means of a unique identifier created by an algorithm that allows to associate a QR type image code to it in such a way that by your scan by a mobile device equipped with an appropriate scanner, you have access to information

5 limited on the status of each consumable or part per printer or copier expressed in terms of time remaining before reaching the end of its useful life, as well as any other parameters that can be collected from the sensors of the Printing Device as already discussed in claim 1, including the values of the number of prints made, the levels of the different consumables or parts, the dates on which the consumable was installed or 10 piece, data that come from both 0.1. as of the Program Control Device according to Claims 5 and 6. 11. Control procedure for the supply of consumables and parts for copiers and printers with or without a copy system (hereinafter a Printing Device or 0.1.) characterized by the use of the data obtained from the sensors installed in 0.1. or in virtual sensors 15 according to claims 1 and 2, and captured remotely using specific monitoring protocols (SNMP) through the native main processor that incorporates the 'Printing Device, for once the data has been processed, notify by means of one or several interfaces of communication to the person or external computer system in charge of supply management of consumables or parts or in any way interested in the information, so that they can: 20 proactively and over time, proceed with preparations to replace the corresponding consumable or part.