Patent ID: 7127185

Claim:
In a system with operator replaceable component devices and identifiable error conditions, a method of determining a replacement need for each operator replaceable component device, said method comprising the steps of: tracking a system use using a predetermined parameter; providing a predetermined life expectancy for each said operator replaceable component device, in terms of said predetermined parameter; tracking an accumulated life for each said operator replaceable component device, using said predetermined parameter; tracking an occurrence frequency of each identifiable error condition; cross-referencing each said operator replaceable component device to each said error condition with a probability factor, each said probability factor being a predetermined probability, expressed as a %, that said replaceable component could contribute to the cause of said error condition; for each said operator replaceable component device, tracking an error weighting, said error weighting being the sum, for all said error conditions, of the result of multiplying each said probability factor for each said error condition times said occurrence frequency for each said error condition; for each said operator replaceable component device, comparing a predetermined combination of said accumulated life and said error weighting with a predetermined threshold; and reporting to the system operator the result of the comparing step, for all said operator replaceable component devices, on a periodic basis, said periodic basis being a predetermined amount of said system use.