Diagnostic and administrative device for document production apparatus

Document production apparatus having a plurality of replaceable units and diagnostic means for determining a condition of the replaceable units;

• said apparatus having:
• a computer control system for monitoring and controlling document production functions;
• a display means for providing instructions for error diagnostic sequences;
• a diagnostic microprocessor for processing diagnostic signals representative of document production device conditions, said microprocessor having data entry means, data output means, and storage means for storing diagnostic routines;
• and
• means for utilizing error isolation diagnostic procedures to identify suspect replaceable units, said procedures including displaying (1) a list of symptoms from which a user can select a symptom which best describes a condition of the document production apparatus, (2) a list, stored in said storage means, of suspect replaceable units which are being associated with a selected symptom, and (3) whether each suspect replaceable unit displayed is of good or bad status, wherein said error isolation diagnostic procedures include displaying the list of supect replaceable units in an order of the probability of defect.

For use with a document production apparatus having a plurality of replaceable units and a computer control system for monitoring and controlling document production functions, diagnostic means for determining a condition of the replaceable units;

• said diagnostic means comprising:
• a display means for providing instructions for error diagnostic sequences;
• a diagnostic microprocessor for processing diagnostic signals representative of document production device conditions, said microprocessor having data entry means, data output means, and storage means for storing diagnostic routines;
• and
• means for utilizing error isolation diagnostic procedures to identify suspect replaceable units, said procedures including displaying (1) a list of symptoms from which a user can select a symptom which best describes a condition of the document production apparatus, (2) a list, stored in said storage means, of suspect replaceable units which are being associated with a selected symptom, and (3) the status of each suspect replaceable unit displayed, wherein said error isolation diagnostic procedures include displaying the list of suspect replaceable units in an order of a probability of defect.

A method for identifying a bad replaceable unit which causes an error situation in a document reproduction apparatus having a plurality of replaceable units;

• said method comprising:
• presenting a list of user-observable symptoms for each of which there is at least one known cause associated with a replaceable unit;
• identifying from a presented list a symptom which best describes the error situation;
• listing replaceable units which, if bad, could cause the identifed symptom, together with the status of the listed replaceable units;
• and determining an order of probability that each listed replaceable unit is bad.