Medium conveying apparatus to notify user of cleaning instruction or replacement instruction of feed roller

Abstract

A medium conveying apparatus includes a storage device, a feed roller to feed a medium, and a processor to determine whether a conveyance abnormality of the medium fed by the feed roller has occurred, store in the storage device that the conveyance abnormality has occurred and stop feeding of the medium when the processor determines that the conveyance abnormality has occurred, and notify a user of a cleaning instruction or a replacement instruction of the feed roller based on an occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality for a plurality of media fed by the feed roller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medium conveying apparatus comprising:
 a storage device;   a feed roller to feed a medium; and   a processor to
 determine whether a conveyance abnormality of the medium fed by the feed roller has occurred, 
 store in the storage device that the conveyance abnormality has occurred and stop feeding of the medium when the processor determines that the conveyance abnormality has occurred, and 
 notify a user of a cleaning instruction or a replacement instruction of the feed roller based on an occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality for a plurality of media fed by the feed roller. 
   
     
     
         2 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality is the number of media fed from when the conveyance abnormality last occurred to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred, or an occurrence rate of the conveyance abnormality with respect to the number of fed media. 
     
     
         3 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor notifies the user of the cleaning instruction of the feed roller when the number of the media fed from when the conveyance abnormality last occurred to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, and notifies the user of the replacement instruction of the feed roller when the number of media fed from when the cleaning instruction was notified to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred is equal to or less than a second predetermined value. 
     
     
         4 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor
 calculates a slip rate between the feed roller and the medium fed by the feed roller, and 
 notifies the user of the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller further based on the slip rate. 
   
     
     
         5 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the processor
 calculates a moving average value of the slip rate in a predetermined number of media fed by the feed roller, and 
 notifies the user of the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller based on the moving average value. 
   
     
     
         6 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the processor does not notify the user of the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller when the moving average value calculated from when the conveyance abnormality occurred last time to when the conveyance abnormality occurred this time, is equal to or less than a threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a motor to drive the feed roller; and   a sensor to detect a movement distance of the medium fed by the feed roller, wherein   the processor calculates the slip rate based on a drive amount of the motor and the movement distance.   
     
     
         8 . The medium conveying apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a motor to drive the feed roller; and   two sensors spaced apart in a medium conveying direction, wherein   the processor calculates the slip rate based on a drive amount of the motor and time for which the medium fed by the feed roller passes between the two sensors.   
     
     
         9 . A method for notifying a user, comprising:
 feeding a medium, by a feed roller;   determining whether a conveyance abnormality of the medium fed by the feed roller has occurred;   storing in a storage device that the conveyance abnormality has occurred and stopping feeding of the medium when it is determined that the conveyance abnormality has occurred; and   notifying a user of a cleaning instruction or a replacement instruction of the feed roller based on an occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality for a plurality of media fed by the feed roller.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality is the number of media fed from when the conveyance abnormality last occurred to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred, or an occurrence rate of the conveyance abnormality with respect to the number of fed media. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the cleaning instruction of the feed roller is notified to the user when the number of the media fed from when the conveyance abnormality last occurred to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, and the replacement instruction of the feed roller is notified to the user when the number of media fed from when the cleaning instruction was notified to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred is equal to or less than a second predetermined value. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 a slip rate between the feed roller and the medium fed by the feed roller is calculated, and wherein   the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller are notified to the user further based on the slip rate.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein
 a moving average value of the slip rate in a predetermined number of media fed by the feed roller is calculated, and wherein   the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller is notified to the user based on the moving average value.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller are not notified to the user when the moving average value calculated from when the conveyance abnormality occurred last time to when the conveyance abnormality occurred this time, is equal to or less than a threshold. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable, non-transitory medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program causes a medium conveying apparatus including a storage device, and a feed roller to feed a medium, to execute a process, the process comprising:
 determining whether a conveyance abnormality of the medium fed by the feed roller has occurred;   storing in the storage device that the conveyance abnormality has occurred and stopping feeding of the medium when it is determined that the conveyance abnormality has occurred; and   notifying a user of a cleaning instruction or a replacement instruction of the feed roller based on an occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality for a plurality of media fed by the feed roller.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the occurrence degree of the conveyance abnormality is the number of media fed from when the conveyance abnormality last occurred to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred, or an occurrence rate of the conveyance abnormality with respect to the number of fed media. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to  claim 15 , wherein the cleaning instruction of the feed roller is notified to the user when the number of the media fed from when the conveyance abnormality last occurred to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, and the replacement instruction of the feed roller is notified to the user when the number of media fed from when the cleaning instruction was notified to when the conveyance abnormality newly occurred is equal to or less than a second predetermined value. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to  claim 15 , wherein
 a slip rate between the feed roller and the medium fed by the feed roller is calculated, and wherein   the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller are notified to the user further based on the slip rate.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to  claim 18 , wherein
 a moving average value of the slip rate in a predetermined number of media fed by the feed roller is calculated, and wherein   the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller is notified to the user based on the moving average value.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the cleaning instruction or the replacement instruction of the feed roller are not notified to the user when the moving average value calculated from when the conveyance abnormality occurred last time to when the conveyance abnormality occurred this time, is equal to or less than a threshold.