Patent application EP21179860A (EP), filed 2021-06-16
Publication number: EP3929721A1
Title: PRINT SYSTEM
Abstract: A print system 10 includes a printer 20 including an ink head 22 from which ink is discharged onto a recording medium 5, and a management computer 70 communicably connected to the printer 20. The management computer 70 includes a receiver 83 to receive operating condition information of the printer 20 from the printer 20, a predictor 84 to predict whether maintenance work of the printer 20 is necessary or not based on the operating condition information received by the receiver 83, and a notifier 85 to notify at least one of a user US of the printer 20, a service engineer SE, and a call center CC if the predictor 84 predicts that the maintenance work is necessary.
IPC codes: G06F   3/    12            A I
G06N   3/    02            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A print system (10) comprising:
number: 2
text: The print system (10) according to claim 1, wherein
in a case where the maintenance work includes replacement of a first part of the printer (20), a replacement condition of the first part is set in advance, and the first part is replaceable by the user (US);
the management computer (70) includes a memory (81) to store the replacement condition;
the predictor (84) predicts whether replacement of the first part is necessary or not, based on the operating condition information received by the receiver (83) and the replacement condition; and
the notifier (85) notifies at least the user (US) that replacement of the first part is necessary, if the predictor (84) predicts that replacement of the first part is necessary.
number: 3
text: The print system (10) according to claim 2, wherein the first part is usable to clean the ink head (22).
number: 4
text: The print system (10) according to claim 1, wherein
in a case where the maintenance work includes replacement of a second part of the printer (20) and a replacement condition of the second part is not set in advance or in a case where the maintenance work is replacement of the second part and the second part is replaceable by the service engineer (SE);
the management computer (70) includes a memory (81) to store a learning model to predict a failure of the second part;
the predictor (84) predicts that replacement of the second part is necessary if the operating condition information received by the receiver (83) is input to the learning model, a probability of a failure of the second part is output from the learning model, and the probability is higher than a predetermined threshold; and
the notifier (85) notifies at least one of the user (US), the service engineer (SE), and the call center (CC) that replacement of the second part is necessary if the predictor (84) predicts that replacement of the second part is necessary.
number: 5
text: The print system (10) according to claim 4, wherein the second part includes the ink head (22).
number: 6
text: The print system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
in a case where the maintenance work includes cleaning of the ink head (22);
the management computer (70) includes a determiner (86) to determine whether cleaning of the ink head (22) is necessary or not, based on the operating condition information received by the receiver (83) and cleaning result information of the ink head (22); and
the notifier (85) notifies at least the user (US) that cleaning of the ink head (22) is necessary if the determiner (86) determines that cleaning is necessary.
Office action: search_report, dated 2021-12-29
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: JP2019166792A
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: JP2010010825A
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: EP3537282A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: GB2371129A
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: GB2371129
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: JP2010010825
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: EP3537282
ref_type: patent
severity: background
Final disposition: pending (2021-12-29)