System and method for remote monitoring of print systems

Abstract

A system and method for remotely monitoring and servicing user's print system including the ability to diagnose a problem with a user's print system based on properties monitored from such system and creating a query that predicts the source of the problem based on past history for this print system and other user's print systems.

1 . A computer implemented method for monitoring a print system, the print system comprising a printing device, color reading device and processor, the method comprising the steps of:
 reading data related to a property from a proof generated by the printing device using the color reading device;   translating the data read by the color reading device into a pre-determined format on the processor;   validating the proof by comparing the translated data with a set value to generate a first comparison value;   generating a positive indicator at the processor when the first comparison value matches a certain pre-defined value;   generating a negative indicator at the processor when the first comparison value does not match a certain pre-defined value;   communicating the translated data to a remote server system that comprises one or more databases using a communication channel; and   storing the translated data in at least one of the databases.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 comparing the first comparison value with a plurality of stored comparison values to generate a second comparison value;   proposing a solution using the communication channel via a chat interface to the user of the print system based on the second comparison value.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 aggregating the translated data with other data previously read by the color reading device.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the property is a color property. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the property is an environmental property. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the property is a measurement of fluids. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the positive indicator is audible or visual. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the negative indicator is audible or visual. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 calculating the number of data points read by the color reading device at the processor;   generating a negative indicator at the processor when the number of data points read by the color reading device does not conform to the number of data points associated with the color reading device.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 generating a positive indicator at the remote server system when the first comparison value matches a certain pre-defined value;   generating a negative indicator at the remote server system when the first comparison value does not match a certain pre-defined value.   
   
   
       11 . A computer implemented method for monitoring a first print system, comprising a printing device, a plate reading device and a processor, the method comprising the steps of:
 monitoring a color property set from a printing plate on the printing device, using the plate reading device;   translating the monitored data into a pre-determined format on the processor;   generating a negative indicator at the processor if at least one of the plurality of properties of the color property set is indicative of an error condition;   generating a positive indicator at the processor if none of the plurality of properties of the color property set are indicative of an error condition.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of:
 searching stored error conditions to locate an analogous error condition experienced on a second print system; communicating a solution to the error condition directly to the processor based upon the results of the search.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of:
 aggregating the translated data with other data previously monitored by the plate reading device.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of:
 calculating the number of data points read by the plate reading device at the processor;   generating a negative indicator where the calculated number of data points does not equal a pre-defined valve.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of:
 generating a negative indicator at a remote server system if at least one of the plurality of properties of the color property set is indicative of an error condition;   generating a positive indicator at a remote server system if none of the plurality of properties of the color property set are indicative of an error condition.   
   
   
       16 . A computer readable medium comprising computer code for instructing one or more processors to:
 receive data related to a properly from a proof generated by a printing device using a color reading device;   translate the data read by the color reading device into a pre-determined format;   validate the proof by comparing the translated data with a set value to generate a first comparison value;   generate on a display associated with at least one of the processors a positive indicator when the first comparison value matches a certain pre-defined value;   generate on the display a negative indicator when the first comparison value does not match a certain pre-defined value;   communicate the translated data to a remote server system that comprises one or more databases.   
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising computer code for instructing one or more processors to:
 store the number of data points associated with the color reading device;   receive from the color reading device data indicating the number of data points read in a particular scan;   generate a negative indicator when the number of data points received from the color reading device does not conform to the number of stored data points.