US Patent 7421371 Automated performance analysis and failure remediation

A service diagnosis tool for performance analysis and failure remediation of electromechanical devices, e.g. printers or copiers. The tool communicates with an actual device of a specific type, and accesses data from a knowledge data set containing knowledge relating to properties of devices of the specific type, a device data set and a history data set. The device data set contains parameters of the actual device, including actual error data indicating errors that occurred in an actual period. The historical data includes historical error data of the actual device relating to errors, performance and/or remediation that occurred before the actual period. The tool has a calculation unit for analyzing and combining data from the data sets for generating a prioritized item list indicative of remedial steps to be executed. The items in the list relate to performance and/or failure of the actual device, and are organized according to priority rules.