The invention backups job data, and detects and predicts the occurrence of trouble in a storage device. A gateway registers job data registered in a HDD and vibration-detection information of a vibration-detection sensor received from a user terminal in a memory, and then transmits the job data to a MFP. The MFP registers the job data in a HDD, and according to a request from the gateway, transmits the job data registered in the HDD and vibration-detection information of a vibration-detection sensor to the gateway. The gateway compares the data amount of when the job data is registered in the memory and the data amount of the job data from the gateway, and when there is a difference, registers trouble information related to the HDD in the memory.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a method, system, and computer program for increasing the success of a facsimile transmission. In an embodiment of the invention, the method includes monitoring an incoming facsimile number transmitting a fax image by a carrier and on the condition that a threshold failure rate is met or exceeded for the carrier transmitting the fax image on the incoming facsimile number, adjusting the carrier to a new carrier.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a first reader/writer device, a second reader/writer device, and a control unit. The first reader/writer device executes a wireless read/write operation on a wireless tag and is positioned in a sheet conveying path upstream of the image forming unit. The second reader/writer device executes a wireless read/write operation on a wireless tag and is positioned in the sheet conveying path downstream of the image forming unit. The control unit controls the image forming unit, the first reader/writer device, and the second reader/writer device. The control unit controls the second reader/writer device to perform an operation to detect a defect in a wireless tag that is included in a sheet as the sheet is conveyed along the sheet conveying path past the location of the second reader/writer device.

Printer systems and associated ink cartridges can have specialized inksets and alternative fluids for use in printing. In such systems and cartridges, the inkset of a unique cartridge may be deliberately limited relative to traditional inksets that seek to have a wide color gamut such that chemistries having greater durability may be employed. Still further, such cartridges may include one or more functional inks that have a purpose other than merely coloration. Particularly in compact printers, for which space is limited, the system can be designed to accept various unique cartridges based on the intended printing application and print based on the characteristics of the received cartridge. Beyond this, the system may advise the user when a different cartridge is necessary and/or may be beneficially used for a particular application.

A billing system includes an operation unit, a determination unit, an extraction unit, a first calculator, and a second calculator. The operation unit receives an operation for executing a function provided by one device of a plurality of devices. The determination unit determines whether the one device is available for the function associated with the operation received by the operation unit. The extraction unit extracts another device that is available for the function as a substitute for the one device when the determination unit determines that the one device is not available for the function. The first calculator calculates a fee for the function to be executed by the other device. The second calculator calculates a total billed amount based on the fee calculated by the first calculator and content executed by the other device when the function is executed by the other device.

The invention backups job data, and detects and predicts the occurrence of trouble in a storage device. A gateway registers job data registered in a HDD and vibration-detection information of a vibration-detection sensor received from a user terminal in a memory, and then transmits the job data to a MFP. The MFP registers the job data in a HDD, and according to a request from the gateway, transmits the job data registered in the HDD and vibration-detection information of a vibration-detection sensor to the gateway. The gateway compares the data amount of when the job data is registered in the memory and the data amount of the job data from the gateway, and when there is a difference, registers trouble information related to the HDD in the memory.

A distributed computing system for managing solutions for print device support requests includes a solution data store and a solution processing system. The system receives a support request via the user interface that includes input data and search terms that pertain to an issue with a print device. The system uses the input data and the search terms to generate a search query, and queries the solution data store using the search query to identify a list of possible solutions for the support request. The system receives a selection of the possible solutions. For each selection, the system generates a session record for the support request, correlates the possible solution associated with the selection with the input data and search terms, generates factors based on the correlation, and uses the generated factors to update fields of a solution index in the data store for the possible solution.

A distributed computing system for managing solutions for print device support requests includes a print device having a user interface, a solution data store, and a solution processing system in communication with the print device. The system receives a support request from the print device that includes print device data pertaining to an issue with the print device. The system uses the print device data to generate a search query, and queries the solution data store to identify a list of possible solutions for the support request. For each selection, the system receives, from the print device, an indication of an exit status for the support request. The system correlates the possible solution associated with the selection with the print device data, generates factors based on the correlation, and uses the generated factors to update fields of a solution index in the data store for the possible solution.

An image forming apparatus includes a displayer capable of displaying an operation guide for the image forming apparatus; a first communicator that performs communication for acquiring the operation guide from an external device via a network; a second communicator that performs short-range wireless communication with a terminal of a user operating the image forming apparatus; and a controller that performs control of notifying, from the second communicator, the terminal of access information of accessing the external device for acquiring the operation guide, in a case where a failure has occurred in communication by the first communicator.

Provided is an image forming apparatus including a controller, a communicator that communicates with a management server, and an image former that forms an image. The communicator includes a first communicator and a second communicator. The controller transmits usage information of the image forming apparatus and state information of the image forming apparatus to the management server via the first communicator, and if an abnormality occurs in the first communicator, the controller transmits the usage information of the image forming apparatus or the state information of the image forming apparatus to the management server via the second communicator.