IP Library › Granted Patent US 12675070
Granted Patent B2
US 12675070 · App. 18/915,452 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Image forming system, diagnostic apparatus, and image forming apparatus

Inventors: Yohei Suzuki (Shizuoka, JP); Seiji Hara (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
G03G15/55G03G15/5016G03G15/5062G03G15/5079H04N1/00015H04N1/00039H04N1/00042H04N1/00061H04N1/00074G03G2215/00637
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12675070
App. No.
18/915,452
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The server includes: an identification unit configured to identify that a location of a defect is in a first range including a plurality of replaceable components in an image forming apparatus, and in a case where it is possible to identify that the location of the defect is in a second range included in the first range, further identify the second range; and a reporting unit configured to, in a case where the identification unit identifies the second range, report to a display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating the second range, and in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second range, report to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating the first range.

Claims (51)

1 . An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a server capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus,

the image forming apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more first memory devices configured to store one or more first programs, wherein the one or more first programs, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first processors to function as:

a collection unit configured to collect data of operation sounds of the image forming apparatus; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the data to the server, wherein a plurality of replaceable components is in a first area in the image forming apparatus, and wherein the first area includes a plurality of second areas, each of the plurality of second areas including a replaceable component among the plurality of replaceable components in the first area, and

the server comprising one or more second processors and one or more second memory devices configured to store one or more second programs, wherein the one or more second programs, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to function as:

an identification unit configured to detect a defect occurring in the image forming apparatus based on the data, identify that a location of the defect is in the first area based on the data, and in a case where it is possible to identify that the location of the defect is in a second area included in the first area based on the data after the location of the defect has been identified as being in the first area, further identify the second area; and

a reporting unit configured to, in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, report to a display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the second area, and in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second area and identifies the first area, report to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the first area.

2 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second area and identifies the first area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the first area.

3 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the second area.

4 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, the reporting unit further reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the first area.

5 . The image forming system according to claim 4 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the second area and an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the first area but not included in the second area.

6 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first area includes the plurality of replaceable components and is also one replaceable component of the image forming apparatus.

7 . The image forming system according to claim 6 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second area and identifies the first area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays that the one replaceable component is to be replaced, or the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays that in a case where the defect is not resolved even when the replaceable components included in the first area are replaced according to an order of replacement, the one replaceable component is to be replaced.

8 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of replaceable components included in the first area are driven by the same driving source.

9 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of replaceable components included in the first area include a replaceable component that forms a black image on a photosensitive body and transfers the black image to an intermediate transfer body and a replaceable component that includes the intermediate transfer body.

10 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

the data is data indicating a relationship between an operation sound of the image forming apparatus and operation states of a plurality of driving sources included in the image forming apparatus.

11 . The image forming system according to claim 10 , wherein

the defect detected by the identification unit is occurrence of an abnormal sound.

12 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

the data is read data obtained by reading a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus.

13 . The image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein

the defect detected by the identification unit is an image defect of the image formed on the sheet.

14 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein

a representation of the information indicating that the defect is in the first area is a general term of the plurality of second areas.

15 . A diagnostic apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more memory devices configured to store one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to function as:

a collection unit configured to collect data of operation sounds of an image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of replaceable components is in a first area in the image forming apparatus, and wherein the first area includes a plurality of second areas, each of the plurality of second areas including a replaceable component among the plurality of replaceable components in the first area; and

an identification unit configured to detect a defect occurring in the image forming apparatus based on the data, identify that a location of the defect is in the first area, based on the data, and in a case where it is possible to identify that the location of the defect is in a second area included in the first area based on the data after the location of the defect has been identified as being in the first area, further identify the second area; and

a reporting unit configured to, in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, report to a display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the second area, and in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second area and identifies the first area, report to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the first area.

16 . The diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second area and identifies the first area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the first area.

17 . The diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the second area.

18 . The diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, the reporting unit further reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the first area.

19 . The diagnostic apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein

in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, the reporting unit reports to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the second area and an order of replacement of replaceable components included in the first area but not included in the second area.

20 . The diagnostic apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein

the first area includes the plurality of replaceable components and is also one replaceable component of the image forming apparatus.

21 . An image forming apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more memory devices configured to store one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to function as:

a collection unit configured to collect data of operation sounds of the image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of replaceable components is in a first area in the image forming apparatus, and wherein the first area includes a plurality of second areas, each of the plurality of second areas including a replaceable component among the plurality of replaceable components in the first area; and

an identification unit configured to detect a defect occurring in the image forming apparatus based on the data, identify that a location of the defect is in the first area based on the data, and in a case where it is possible to identify that the location of the defect is in a second area included in the first area based on the data after the location of the defect has been identified as being in the first area, further identify the second area; and

a reporting unit configured to, in a case where the identification unit identifies the second area, report to a display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the second area, and in a case where the identification unit does not identify the second area and identifies the first area, report to the display apparatus such that the display apparatus displays information indicating that the defect is in the first area.