Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090033993 | MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, OPERATION STATUS DETERMINATION METHOD, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A data collecting unit receives a plurality of types of status data from an image forming apparatus and stores the status data in a status database. A data generating unit generates a plurality of types of target data for determining a maintenance sign, based on the status data. A first determining unit determines whether each of the status data exceeds a predetermined reference value. A second determining unit performs weighted majority decision based on a determination result from the first determining unit and a weight value set for each of the status data, and determines whether there is a maintenance sign taking all the status data into consideration. | 02-05-2009 |
20090034990 | Management device of an image forming apparatus - A management device for an image forming apparatus including a status data collection unit where multiple types of status data are received from the image forming apparatus and stored in a status database, a target data creation unit where multiple types of target data are created based upon the multiple types of status data, a first stage determination unit where the multiple types of target data are identified as being above or below reference values set for each type, and a second stage determination unit where a weight value set for each status data type is attached to the determination results of the multiple types of status data of the first stage determination unit and as a whole of the multiple types of status data determined with majority logic for abnormal occurrence prediction. | 02-05-2009 |
20090052912 | ABNORMALITY DETERMINING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, COPYING MACHINE, AND INFORMATION OBTAINING METHOD - A time point at which a predetermined period elapses since the start of use of a copying machine as a detection subject after factory shipment or repair is obtained. Pieces of set information, which are combinations of various types of information until the time point is reached are sequentially stored to construct a normal set information group. After the time point is reached, presence of abnormality in the copying machine is determined based on the normal set information group and the various types of information obtained. | 02-26-2009 |
20090190939 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - In an image forming apparatus, a cleaning blade cleans residual toner adhered on the surface of an image carrier and a sound sensor collects a sound generated inside a casing of the image forming apparatus. A determining unit determines, based on the sound collected by the sound sensor, whether cleaning failure has occurred in the cleaning blade. The determining unit makes the determination based on at least intensity of a first sound component that is a sound component of a first frequency and intensity of a second sound component that is a sound component of a second frequency different from the first frequency. | 07-30-2009 |
20090196634 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An area calculating unit calculates an image area of a toner image formed on a sheet recording member. A behavior detecting unit detects behavior of the recording member fed out of a conveying nip formed by a pair of conveying members. A thickness obtaining unit obtains thickness information of the recording member. A width obtaining unit obtains width information of the recording member. An index calculating unit calculates an index value indicating windability of the recording member with respect to the conveying members based on the width information as well as the image area, the behavior, and the thickness information. | 08-06-2009 |
20090322524 | STATUS DETERMINATION METHOD AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A plurality of weak discriminators output determinations results about a status of an apparatus. Weight values are individually assigned to the determination results. By performing majority vote of the weighted determination results, the status of the apparatus is determined. The determination results are displayed on a single status indicating screen such that portions corresponding to a normal status are indicated in white while portions corresponding to an anomalous status are indicated in one or more colors other than white. The areas of the portions differ from one another depending on magnitudes of weight assigned to the determination results corresponding to the portions. | 12-31-2009 |
20100094594 | PREDICTIVE FAILURE REPORTING SYSTEM, PREDICTIVE FAILURE REPORTING METHOD, AND METHOD FOR MAINTAINING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A determining unit determines whether the printer is in the predictive failure state based on the internal information of the printer acquired by the information acquiring unit. A failure risk computing unit performs a failure risk determination process for determining the size of failure risk of the printer when the printer is in the predictive failure state. The determination result is reported to a maintenance person or a user. In this way, the maintenance person or the user who receives the report can definitely grasp a degree of urgency of maintenance at that point. | 04-15-2010 |
20100098471 | SHEET CONVEYING APPARATUS, BELT DRIVE APPARATUS, IMAGE READING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A sheet conveying apparatus includes a conveying path for conveying a sheet, an optical displacement sensor that detects displacement of the sheet, and a calculating unit that calculates a movement index value indicating moving distances of the sheet in a conveying direction and a direction perpendicular thereto based on an output from the optical displacement sensor. The optical displacement sensor includes a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a matrix array. A row alignment direction and a column alignment direction of the light receiving elements are tilted with respect to the conveying direction. | 04-22-2010 |
20110052224 | FAILURE DIAGNOSIS DEVICE, FAILURE DIAGNOSIS METHOD, IMAGE FORMING DEVICE, AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A first feature quantity computing unit that computes a first feature quantity representing an average of a plurality of driving loads recorded by a driving load of a fixing section recording unit of an image forming device that records the driving load acquired by a driving load acquiring unit that acquires the driving load, a second feature quantity computing unit that computes a second feature quantity representing a deviation of the plurality of the driving loads, and a diagnosis unit that performs failure diagnosis including estimation of a cause of a failure of the fixing section using the first feature quantity and the second feature quantity are used. | 03-03-2011 |
20110206393 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS HAVING A FUNCTION OF PREDICTING DEVICE DETERIORATION BASED ON A PLURALITY OF TYPES OF OPERATION CONTROL INFORMATION - An image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes an acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of types of operation control information of the image forming apparatus that indicate deterioration of a toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of a component of the image forming apparatus. An index value calculating unit calculates an index value indicating a state of the image forming apparatus based on the acquired operation control information. An abnormality judging unit judges whether the image forming apparatus abnormality has occurred and predicts an occurrence of a failure that requires maintenance of the image forming apparatus due to deterioration of the toner in the image forming apparatus or deterioration of the component of the image forming apparatus based on the index value. | 08-25-2011 |
20120033243 | Management device of an image forming apparatus - A management device for an image forming apparatus including a status data collection unit where multiple types of status data are received from the image forming apparatus and stored in a status database, a target data creation unit where multiple types of target data are created based upon the multiple types of status data, a first stage determination unit where the multiple types of target data are identified as being above or below reference values set for each type, and a second stage determination unit where a weight value set for each status data type is attached to the determination results of the multiple types of status data of the first stage determination unit and as a whole of the multiple types of status data determined with majority logic for abnormal occurrence prediction. | 02-09-2012 |
20120065885 | MAINTENANCE SUPPORT DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A maintenance support device, supporting a maintenance work by providing a maintenance worker with information useful for a maintenance object, includes: a data storage unit; a characteristic acquiring unit that acquires a narrowing-down useful characteristic value; an information receiving unit that receives maintenance execution information; a storage process executing unit that executes a process of storing the maintenance execution information in association with execution timing information; and a graph image providing unit that forms a graph image in which a graph indicating a change in a plurality of narrowing-down useful characteristic values and a mark representing the execution timing are drawn in two dimensional coordinates including a value axis which is a coordinate axis for representing a value magnitude of the narrowing-down useful characteristic value and an operation axis which is a coordinate axis for representing the number of operation times or an operation time of the maintenance object. | 03-15-2012 |
20120075659 | MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND MANAGEMENT METHOD - A management apparatus includes: a receiver that receives, via a network, status data based on control system data for stabilizing image forming from an image forming apparatus formed by image forming units; an inference unit that determines abnormality occurrence symptom, and calculates an index of the abnormality occurrence symptom, of the image forming units based on the received status data; a replacement part information acquisition unit that acquires information including a replacement date from a maintenance management system via the network when receiving a diagnosis request from a terminal of a maintenance person; a judgment table generator that calculates weight information of the symptom determination index value; a integrated diagnostic information generator for the image forming units based on the symptom determination index value and the weight information; and a integrated diagnostic information notification unit transmitting the integrated diagnostic value information to the terminal of the maintenance person. | 03-29-2012 |
20130028615 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An area calculating unit calculates an image area of a toner image formed on a sheet recording member. A behavior detecting unit detects behavior of the recording member fed out of a conveying nip formed by a pair of conveying members. A thickness obtaining unit obtains thickness information of the recording member. An index calculating unit calculates an index value indicating windability of the recording member with respect to the conveying members based on the image area, the behavior, and the thickness information. | 01-31-2013 |
20140016951 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a latent image carrier, a charging device, a latent image writing device, and a development device; a cumulative value calculation device that calculates, for each of regions of a surface of the image carrier, a cumulative value of the area of a latent image formed in the region; a surface potential detector that detects the surface potential of the image carrier in one of the regions as a detection region; and a determination device that determines the deterioration degree of the detection region on the basis of the detected potential, and determines the deterioration degree of a region other than the detection region on the basis of the detected potential, the cumulative value for the detection region, and the cumulative value for the region other than the detection region. | 01-16-2014 |
20140321865 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image forming apparatus includes a deterioration determining device to determine a deterioration degree of a latent image bearer based on a potential detected by a surface potential detector. The deterioration determining device calculates a relative value indicating the deterioration degree based on the aggregated number of pixels and a time value for each of virtually divided regions. The deterioration determining device determines a deterioration degree of a detecting target region of the virtually divided region based on a potential detected by the surface potential detector. The deterioration determining device further determines deterioration degrees of non-detecting target respective regions of the virtually divided regions based on the relative values of the non-detecting target respective regions, the relative value of the detecting target region, and the deterioration degree of the detecting target region. | 10-30-2014 |
20140348520 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An area calculating unit calculates an image area of a toner image formed on a sheet recording member. A behavior detecting unit detects behavior of the recording member fed out of a conveying nip formed by a pair of conveying members. A thickness obtaining unit obtains thickness information of the recording member. An index calculating unit calculates an index value indicating windability of the recording member with respect to the conveying members based on the image area, the behavior, and the thickness information. | 11-27-2014 |