System, apparatus and method configured to detect, analyze and/or report impact to output device
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTom HAAPANEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided to allow for detection of an impact to an output apparatus. Such impact may be caused by a sudden force applied to one or more points on the apparatus housing or another part of the apparatus accessible from outside the apparatus housing. An impact detector outputs to an apparatus controller an impact report including impact time and impact data corresponding to the detected impact event.
Claims20
An output apparatus that includes a printer engine to form an image on a recording medium, the output apparatus further comprising:
- an apparatus controller to control operation of the output apparatus;
- and
- one or more impact detectors disposed within or on an apparatus housing to detect an impact event that meets a minimum impact criteria,
- each impact detector amongst the impact detectors including:
- a real-time clock to maintain current date and current time;
- and
- an acceleration detection unit to detect change in acceleration of the impact detector caused by sudden force applied to one or more points on the apparatus housing or on another part of the apparatus accessible from outside of the apparatus housing, wherein
- the minimum impact criteria includes a specified amount of acceleration change over a predetermined amount of time, and
- the impact detector outputs to the apparatus controller an impact report including impact time and impact data corresponding to the detected impact event.
A maintenance system to maintain one or more apparatuses that provide printing services, the maintenance system comprising:
- an output apparatus comprising an apparatus controller to control operation of the output apparatus, and one or more impact detectors disposed within or on a housing of the output apparatus,
- each impact detector amongst the impact detectors being configured to detect an impact event that is constituted by change in acceleration of the impact detector and that meets a minimum impact criteria including a specified amount of acceleration change over a predetermined amount of time, and being configured to output to the apparatus controller an impact report including impact time and impact data corresponding to the impact event;
- and
- an impact assessment device that communicates with the apparatus controller of the output apparatus to collect one or more impact reports obtained by the apparatus controller from the impact detectors of the output apparatus, and performs an analysis of the collected impact reports, to determine one or more existing or prospective problems corresponding to the impact events reported in the impact reports, and determining whether, and causing to be performed if necessary, corrective or remedial actions directed to said problems.
An impact assessment method for assessing impact to an output apparatus that provides printing services, the output apparatus comprising an apparatus controller to control operation of the output apparatus, and one or more impact detectors disposed within or on a housing of the output apparatus, the impact assessment method comprising:
- detecting, by at least one impact detector of the output apparatus, an impact event that is constituted by change in acceleration of the impact detector and that meets a minimum impact criteria including a specified amount of acceleration change over a predetermined amount of time;
- outputting by the impact detector outputs to the apparatus controller an impact report including impact time and impact data corresponding to the impact event;
- communicating, by an impact assessment device, with the apparatus controller of the output apparatus to collect one or more impact reports obtained by the apparatus controller from the impact detectors of the output apparatus;
- and
- performing, by the impact assessment device, an analysis of the collected impact reports, to determine one or more existing or prospective problems corresponding to the impact events reported in the impact reports, and determining whether, and causing to be performed if necessary, corrective or remedial actions directed to said problems.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.