Prediction apparatus, prediction system, image forming apparatus, medium transporter, and computer readable medium

1. A prediction apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires, from a transporting unit, an operation time during which the transporting unit is driving and a non-operation time during which the transporting unit is not driving, the transporting unit transporting a sheet-shaped medium and the transporting unit being roll-shaped or belt-shaped; and

a prediction unit that predicts a change of a transporting time, in the future, of the sheet-shaped medium in the transport unit, and predicts a life end of the transporting unit using a change of the transporting time, the life end being determined based on when the transporting time will be equal to or larger than a predetermined value based on both (i) a relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time and (ii) a relational expression between the non-driving time and the transporting time, the transporting time being a time in which the medium transported by the transporting unit passes through a preset interval.

2. The prediction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a preset ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit is a ratio between a future time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

3. The prediction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit up to the current point in time acquired by the acquisition unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

4. The prediction apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: an output unit that outputs the prediction result of the prediction unit when the time length up to the timing predicted by the prediction unit becomes equal to or less than a preset time length.

5. The prediction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein both of (i) the relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time and (ii) the relational expression between the non-operation time and the transporting time, are derived according to a technique using a polynomial regression model.

6. The prediction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein (i) the relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time is:

y

=

∑

j

=

0

M

⁢

⁢

w

j

·

x

j

;

and (ii) the relational expression between the non-operation time and the transporting time is:

y

=

∑

j

=

0

M

⁢

⁢

w

j

′

·

x

′

j

;

wherein M represents the degree, y is the transporting time, x is the operation time, x′ is the non-operation time, and w and w′ are coefficients.

7. A prediction system comprising:

a monitor target apparatus; and

a prediction apparatus connected to the monitor target apparatus through a network, wherein

the monitor target apparatus comprises a transporting unit that transports a medium, and

the prediction apparatus comprises:

an acquisition unit that acquires an operation time during which the transporting unit is driving and a non-operation time during which the transporting unit is not driving, the transporting unit transporting a sheet-shaped medium and the transporting unit being roll-shaped or belt-shaped, the prediction apparatus acquiring the operation time and the non-operation times from the monitor target apparatus through the network; and

a prediction unit that predicts a change of a transporting time, in the future, of the sheet-shaped medium in the transport unit, and predicts a life end of the transporting unit using a change of the transporting time, the life end being determined based on when a transporting time will be equal to or larger than a predetermined value based on both (i) a relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time and (ii) a relational expression between the non-operation time and the transporting time, the transporting time being a time in which the medium transported by the transporting unit passes through a preset interval.

8. The prediction system according to claim 7 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a preset ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

9. The prediction system according to claim 7 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit up to the current point in time acquired by the acquisition unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

10. The prediction system according to claim 7 further comprising: an output unit that outputs the prediction result of the prediction unit when the time length up to the timing predicted by the prediction unit becomes equal to or less than a preset time length.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium;

a transporting unit that transports a medium on which an image is to be formed;

an acquisition unit that acquires, from a transporting unit, an operation time during which the transporting unit is driving and a non-operation time during which the transporting unit is not driving, the transporting unit transporting a sheet-shaped medium and the transporting unit being roll-shaped or belt-shaped; and

a prediction unit that predicts a change of a transporting time, in the future, of the sheet-shaped medium in the transport unit, and predicts a life end of the transporting unit using a change of the transporting time, the life end being determined based on when a transporting time will be equal to or larger than a predetermined value based on both (i) a relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time and (ii) a relational expression between the non-operation time and the transporting time, the transporting time being a time in which the medium transported by the transporting unit passes through a preset interval.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a preset ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit up to the current point in time acquired by the acquisition unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising: an output unit that outputs the prediction result of the prediction unit when the time length up to the timing predicted by the prediction unit becomes equal to or less than a preset time length.

15. A medium transporter comprising:

a transporting unit that transports a medium on which an image is to be formed;

an acquisition unit that acquires, from a transporting unit, an operation time that the transporting unit is driving and a non-operation time that the transporting unit is not driving, the transporting unit transporting a sheet-shaped medium and the transporting unit being roll-shaped or belt-shaped; and

a prediction unit that predicts a change of a transporting time, in the future, of the sheet-shaped medium in the transport unit, and predicts a life end of the transporting unit using a change of the transporting time, the life end being determined based on when a transporting time will be equal to or larger than a predetermined value based on both (i) a relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time and (ii) a relational expression between the non-operation time and the transporting time, the transporting time being a time in which the medium transported by the transporting unit passes through a preset interval.

16. The medium transporter according to claim 15 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a preset ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

17. The medium transporter according to claim 15 , wherein the prediction unit assumes that a ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting unit up to the current point in time acquired by the acquisition unit is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting unit, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting unit arrives at the predetermined value.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer readable program executable by a computer for causing a computer to execute a process for predicting a timing, the process comprising:

acquiring, from a transporting unit, an operation time during which the transporting unit is driving and a non-operation time that the transporting unit is not driving, the transporting unit transporting a sheet-shaped medium and the transporting unit being roll-shaped or belt-shaped; and

predicting a change of a transporting time, in the future, of the sheet-shaped medium in the transport unit, and predicts a life end of the transporting unit using a change of the transporting time, the life end being determined based on when a transporting time will be equal to or larger than a predetermined value based on both (i) a relational expression between the operation time and the transporting time and (ii) a relational expression between the non-operation time and the transporting time, the transporting time being a time in which the medium transported by the transporting unit passes through a preset interval.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the predicting assumes that a preset ratio between the operation time and non-operation time of the transporting is a ratio between a future operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting arrives at the predetermined value.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 18 , wherein the predicting assumes that a ratio between the operation time and the non-operation time of the transporting up to the current point in time acquired by the acquiring is a ratio between a future operation time and non-operation time of the transporting, and predicts a timing at which the transporting capability value of the transporting arrives at the predetermined value.