Image forming apparatus

Abstract

The image forming apparatus sends its own operation history information and trouble information occurred to a management server. In a trouble cause analysis system of the management server, related information is extracted from the trouble information, and a trouble cause is analyzed with use of the operation history information of the image forming apparatus. Then, information on a coping method for coping with a trouble is sent to the image forming apparatus. On the image forming apparatus, the sent information on the coping method is displayed, and test printing is performed according to user's selection. In the case of having a good result of the test printing, a user performs operation for determining the coping method so as to change to a device setting corresponding to the determined coping method.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, to an image forming apparatus capable of extracting and presenting a countermeasure against a failure occurring in the image forming apparatus. Background technique [0002] With the complexization and networking of image forming apparatuses in recent years, the following so-called remote maintenance (remote maintenance) is performed: connecting a communication line such as a telephone line or an Internet line to an image forming apparatus configured as a multifunction machine, etc. A remote management server or the like performs maintenance of the image forming apparatus. [0003] In such remote maintenance, the image forming apparatus transmits its own operating status to the management server through the communication line. The management server instructs to change / adjust image forming conditions in order to obtain an optimal image based on the operating status tran...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, a reliable countermeasure cannot be presented when an image forming apparatus malfunctions.

In addition, in the technology of (Japanese) Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-241955, it is not assumed that a plurality of countermeasures are tried for failure of the image forming apparatus, and the user cannot select an arbitrary countermeasure from a plurality of countermeasures.

[0010] In addition, the technique disclosed in (Japanese) Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-152250 is not a technique for detecting a malfunction of an image forming apparatus, and does not assume analysis based on time-series information such as the operation history of the image forming apparatus.

Therefore, the situation at the time of the failure cannot be grasped, and a reliable countermeasure cannot be presented.

In addition, as a countermeasure, only parts replacement is prompted, so other countermeasures such as changing the settings of the image forming apparatus cannot be selected.

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