Importance

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Abstract

In a service system, a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a control unit for remote-controlling them are connected by a communication line. A plurality of terminal units are located at respective service stations and also connected to the control unit. The image forming apparatuses each sends, when an event indicative of or predictive of an error occurs therein, information representative of the event to the control unit. The control unit received the information analyzes it and then selectively sends information relating to maintenance or repair to the image forming apparatuses to the terminal units. The control unit has a store for sequentially storing the information received from the image forming apparatuses, an analyzer for analyzing the information stored in the store, a predictor for predicting, based on the result of analysis of the analyzer, the occurrence of an error and whether or not a serviceman's visit is necessary, and a transmitter for transmitting the result of prediction of the predictor to the service station in charge of the image forming apparatus in which an error has occurred or which needs a serviceman's visit.

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First Claim