Office Machine Monitoring Device

The present invention relates in general to office machine maintenance techniques and more particularly to an office machine monitoring device.

Office machine products such as laser printers copiers and computers are well known in the art. These office machines generate status information that typically can be monitored manually or through connection to a computer, either directly or indirectly over telephone line communications. However, these monitoring techniques are not economically justifiable for the office machine maintenance industry because of the costs involved in sending a maintenance person to monitor the office machine or in establishing a computer monitoring station with telephone line access. Therefore, it is desirable to have a maintenance technique that monitors office machine status without personal attention or expensive computer and telecommunications attachments.

From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that a need has arisen for a technique to monitor office machines in an efficient and inexpensive manner. In accordance with the present invention, an office machine monitoring device is provided that substantially eliminates or reduces disadvantages and problems associated with conventional monitoring techniques.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an office machine monitoring device that includes an interface circuit coupled to the logic circuit and the display circuit of the office machine. The interface circuit intercepts data from the logic circuit of the office machine while allowing the display circuit of the office machine to receive the data. The data intercepted by the interface board is processed by a microcontroller unit, placed into a wireless message format, and sent to a monitoring base through a wireless transceiver unit.

The present invention provides various technical advantages over conventional monitoring techniques. For example, one technical advantage is to have an interface unit within the office machine to intercept data without affecting the operation of the office machine. Another technical advantage is to provide monitoring of office machines without performing manual checks or establishing expensive communication links. Other technical advantages are readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an office machine monitoring network;

FIG. 2 illustrates operation of an office machine monitoring device within the office machine monitoring network;

FIG. 3 illustrates the office machine monitoring device connected within an office machine.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an office machine monitoring network 10. Office machine monitoring network 10 may be established in a similar manner as the copier monitoring network disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,257 issued on Mar. 14, 1995 to Groenteman and incorporated herein by reference. Office machine monitoring network 10 provides the capability to perform status and alarm communications with a variety of office machines to include computers 12, laser printers 14, vending machines 16, plotters 18, copiers 20, other printers 22, and fax machines 24. Though not shown, other office machines that may be also included in office machine monitoring network 10 are file servers, cash machines, debit card machines, and coin machines. All office machines within a range of coverage communicate with a supervisory transceiver base unit 28 to provide status and alarm information and receive operating and control information.

FIG. 2 shows the operation of office machine monitoring network 10 with respect to a single office machine 30. An office machine monitoring device 31 coupled to an office machine 30, such as a printer, includes an interface unit 32, a microcontroller unit 34, and a transceiver unit 36. Interface unit 32, microcontroller unit 34, and transceiver unit 36 may be configured on a single board or separate boards, and may be located internal to office machine 30 or external to office machine 30. Interface board 32 provides the data handshaking functionality to retrieve status and alarm information from and provide operation and control information to office machine 30. Interface unit 32 may be coupled between a display cable connector and a main logic board connector of office machine 30. Interface unit 32 allows data to be sent to a display unit of office machine 30 while also capturing that data for transfer to microcontroller unit 34. FIG. 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of interface unit 32 for a laser printer.

Microcontroller unit 34 monitors the data transferred to the display unit of office machine 30. When an appropriate data signal is identified by microcontroller unit 34, microcontroller unit 34 initiates the transmission of the corresponding alarm and status information. Microcontroller unit 34 can analyze analog or digital signals generated by office machine 30, such as metering signals identifying page/unit counts for inventory, machine signals identifying alarms, security breaches, and service requests, and status signals identifying operating temperatures and physical configurations. The analog and digital signals identified above are not an exhaustive list as microcontroller unit 34 can analyze all operational characteristics of office machine 30.

Transceiver unit 36 receives alarm and status information from microcontroller unit 34 for wireless transmission to a supervisory transceiver base unit 28 within office machine monitoring network 10. Transceiver unit 36 may provide data transmission to supervisory transceiver base unit 28 over any number of frequencies, including radio, and may employ any variety of communication techniques, including spread spectrum and encryption. An example of a frequency used by transceiver unit 36 may include 913.5 MHz to avoid the user to require an FCC license.

Supervisory transceiver base unit 28 receives alarm and status information transmitted by transceiver unit 36 for processing by a base microprocessor unit 40. Base microprocessor unit 40 handles any type of office machine within range of supervisory transceiver base unit 28. Base microprocessor unit 40 processes the alarm and status information and transfers the processed alarm and status information to a remote host monitoring computer 42 either directly, by a non-dedicated shared telephone line connection, or through a local area network. For communication over a telephone line connection, a DTMF to ASCII converter 44 provides the interface between the touch tone signaling of base microprocessor unit 40 and the ASCII protocol of remote host monitoring computer 42. Remote host monitoring computer 42 performs the monitoring function on the alarm and status information of office machine 30. Remote host monitoring computer 42 may provide management reporting capabilities in response to the alarm and status information. Remote host monitoring computer 42 may also generate correction, adjustment, and control data for communication back to office machine 30.

FIG. 3 shows how office machine monitoring device 31 is connected to office machine 30. Office machine 30 includes a main logic board 50 and a front panel display circuit 52. Typically, office machine 30 has a cable or other connecting apparatus extending between a display connection 54 of main logic board 50 and a logic board connection 56 of front panel display circuit 52 for data exchange such that status information can be displayed and to allow for control information to be returned from front panel inputs. Office machine monitoring device 31 is inserted into office machine 30 by coupling display connection 54 of main logic board 50 with an interface logic connection 60 of interface unit 32. Interface unit 32 includes an interface display connection 62 that couples to logic board connection 56 of front panel display circuit 52 by a display cable 63. Interface unit 32 also includes a microcontroller connection 64 to couple interface unit 32 with microcontroller unit 34 at an interface connection 66 by an interface cable 65.

Through coupling with main logic board 50 and front panel display circuit 52 of office machine 30, interface unit 32 can intercept status and control data transferred between main logic board 50 and front panel display circuit 52. Interface unit 32 provides this data interception capability without affecting data exchange and transfer between main logic board 50 and front panel display circuit 52. Data intercepted by interface unit 32 is transferred through microcontroller connection 64 and interface connection 66 to microcontroller unit 34. After processing, microcontroller unit 34 provides transceiver unit 36 with a wireless message through a transceiver connection 68 and a message connection 70 for wireless transmission to supervisory transceiver base unit 28.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, an office machine monitoring device that satisfies the advantages set forth above. Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein. For example, though cable connections are shown and discussed, the interface unit of the office machine monitoring device may couple to the main logic board and the front panel display of the office machine through any conventional connection techniques. Other examples are readily ascertainable to one skilled in the art and can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.