Patent ID: 7013410

Claim:
A user support method of providing online support for operation of a printing device coupled to a client system, comprising steps of: (a) connecting the client system to a user support server system configured to provide online support for operation of the printing device; (b) transmitting device information indicative of a device model and environment information indicative of an operation environment of the printing device, from the client system to the user support server system; (c) generating device support information using the device information and the environment information transmitted to the user support server system, the device support information being configured to be used for supporting operation of the printing device; (d) transmitting the device support information from the user support server system to the client system; and (e) displaying the device support information on the client system, wherein the step (b) includes a step of generating device malfunction information by the client system, used to diagnose malfunction of the printing device, and wherein the malfunction information includes information relating to printing done in the past by the printing device, and wherein step (c) includes generating a repair plan for solving malfunction of the printing device, the repair plan comprising at least one repair method; and step (e) includes making proposals in sequence from the repair method that causes the least burden to a user of the printing device, when multiple diagnosis results and multiple repair methods are obtained in step (c).