# US 2023/0053552 A1 · Failure prediction server, failure prediction system, and image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 2023/0053552 A1
- Document ID: US20230053552A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/407,428
- Filed: 2021-08-20
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-20
- Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Masami OHSHIMA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230053552A1

## CPC

- G03G 15/553: {Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job}
- G03G 15/5008: {Driving control for rotary photosensitive medium, e.g. speed control, stop position control}
- G03G 15/757: {Drive mechanisms for photosensitive medium, e.g. gears}
- G03G 21/1647: {Mechanical connection means}
- G03G 2221/1657: transmitting mechanical drive power
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

According to at least one embodiment, a failure prediction server includes an interface, a memory, and a processor. The interface is configured to communicate with equipment including a component that deteriorates over time. The memory is configured to store measurement data acquired from the equipment. The processor is configured to set a monitoring start condition for failure prediction in the corresponding equipment based on the measurement data acquired as initial data from the equipment, accumulate the measurement data acquired from the equipment in the memory after the monitoring start condition is satisfied, and predict a failure of the component based on the measurement data accumulated in the memory.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A failure prediction server comprising:
an interface configured to communicate with equipment comprising a component targeted for failure prediction;
a memory configured to store measurement data acquired from the equipment; and
a processor configured to:
set a monitoring start condition for failure prediction in the corresponding equipment based on the measurement data acquired as initial data from the equipment;
accumulate the measurement data acquired from the equipment in the memory after the monitoring start condition is satisfied;
predict a failure of the component based on the measurement data stored in the memory; and
determine the monitoring start condition by comparing the initial data with initial data acquired from other devices in the past.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The server of claim 1, wherein the equipment is an image forming apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The server of claim 2, wherein the component is a motor, and
the measurement data is data indicating a driving state of the motor.

### Claim at position 4

-6. (canceled)

### Claim 7

A failure prediction server comprising:
an interface configured to communicate with equipment comprising a component targeted for failure prediction;
a memory configured to store measurement data acquired from the equipment; and
a processor configured to:
set a monitoring start condition for failure prediction in the corresponding equipment based on the measurement data acquired as initial data from the equipment;
accumulate the measurement data acquired from the equipment in the memory after the monitoring start condition is satisfied;
predict a failure of the component based on the measurement data stored in the memory; and
determine deterioration over time of the component by comparing a change pattern of measurement data acquired from the equipment with a change pattern of measurement data acquired from other devices in the past.

### Claim 8

A failure prediction system comprising:
a failure prediction server; and
an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming station configured to form an image on a medium;
a first memory configured to store a monitoring start condition for a component targeted for failure prediction in the image forming station;
a first interface configured to communicate with the failure prediction server; and
a first processor configured to:
transmit initial data of measurement data indicating an acting state of the component to the failure prediction server;
store the monitoring start condition set by the failure prediction server based on the initial data in the first memory; and
transmit the measurement data indicating the acting state of the component to the failure prediction server after the monitoring start condition is satisfied; and
wherein the failure prediction server comprises:
a second interface configured to communicate with the image forming apparatus;
a second memory configured to store measurement data acquired from the image forming apparatus; and
a second processor configured to:
set a monitoring start condition to be determined based on the initial data acquired from the image forming apparatus for the image forming apparatus;
accumulate the measurement data acquired from the image forming apparatus in the second memory after the monitoring start condition is satisfied; and
predict a failure of the component in the image forming apparatus based on the measurement data accumulated in the second memory.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein
the component is a motor, and
the measurement data is data indicating a driving state of the motor.

### Claim 10

(canceled)

### Claim 11

A method for failure prediction, the method comprising:
communicating with equipment comprising a component targeted for failure prediction;
storing measurement data acquired from the equipment;
setting a monitoring start condition for failure prediction in the corresponding equipment based on the measurement data acquired as initial data from the component;
accumulating the measurement data acquired from the equipment after the monitoring start condition is satisfied;
predicting a failure of the component based on the measurement data; and
determining the monitoring start condition by comparing the initial data with initial data acquired from other devices in the past.

### Claim 12

(canceled)

### Claim 13

(canceled)

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the set monitoring start condition for the component targeted for failure prediction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting initial data indicating an acting state of the component.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the equipment is an image forming apparatus.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the component is a motor, and
the measurement data is data indicating a driving state of the motor.

### Claim 18

(canceled)

### Claim 19

(canceled)

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

The server of claim 7, wherein the equipment is an image forming apparatus.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The server of claim 20, wherein the component is a motor, and
the measurement data is data indicating a driving state of the motor.