Information providing system and control method of the same

Abstract

To provide data capable of recognizing an action recommended for remote response.SOLUTION: An information providing system is provided with a repair location estimation unit 314 for estimating an action to be performed for an error occurring in a network device and determining whether the estimated action to be performed for the error occurring in the network device is an action that can be performed remotely by sending a command to the subject network device via a network, and a repair procedure display unit 317 for providing data for outputting information of candidates estimated as the action to be performed for the error occurring in the network device. When the action that can be performed remotely is included as a candidate, the data provided by the repair procedure display unit 317 includes data for outputting information indicating that a remote operation is recommended.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information providing system and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, device management systems have been developed to manage the information and status of devices such as printers (hereinafter, devices). When an error occurs in a device, the device notifies a device management apparatus of error information. The device management system can manage the occurrence of an error by receiving error information from the device. There is an information provision system that utilizes information collected from a device to provide error information to, for example, an engineer in charge of maintaining the device. When a manufacturer's maintenance engineer visits a customer's site, the time it takes to resolve the error can be shortened by checking the error information in advance. However, if it is difficult or time-consuming to visit the customer's site due to reasons such as geographical distance, the response to the customer will be delayed. Patent Document 1 discloses a maintenance support system that, when an error occurs in a device, acquires maintenance process information for similar errors in the past and displays the maintenance process remotely on the customer's computer screen to support the customer in resolving the error themselves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-202886 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 provides support for customers to resolve errors themselves, and since the customer must deal with the problem themselves, the scope of what can be done is limited and depends on the customer's skill level. Furthermore, if the customer is unable to resolve the problem themselves, a customer engineer will ultimately need to be dispatched. On the other hand, if the device is connected to a network, there are cases where the error can be resolved by remote operation by a remote engineer depending on the content of the procedure. If the error can be resolved by remote operation, there is no need to dispatch a customer engineer, and errors occurring at the customer's site can be resolved quickly.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide data that makes it possible to recognize actions that are recommended to be taken remotely. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the information providing system of the present invention is an information providing system that provides information on recommended actions to resolve an error occurring in a network device, and has an estimation means for estimating an action to be taken for an error occurring in the network device, a determination means for determining whether the action to be taken for the error occurring in the network device estimated by the estimation means is a remotely manageable action that can be implemented by remotely sending a command to the target network device via a network, and a providing means for providing data for outputting information on candidates estimated as actions to be taken for the error occurring in the network device, and if a remotely manageable action is included as one of the candidates, the data provided by the providing means includes data for outputting information indicating that remote work is recommended. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, data can be provided that allows for recognition of recommended remote actions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information providing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the information providing system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of the information providing system. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing a treatment estimation process. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing a remote support determination process in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing a remote support determination process in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a repair procedure display screen in the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing a remote support determination process in the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an information providing system. The information providing system is a system that collects device operation information, including error information, from network devices via a network, and provides information on recommended repair locations and measures. The information providing system has a repair location notification server 101, a printer 102, which is a network device, a PC (Personal Computer) 103, and a remote control server 104. These are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 100. The network 100 may be configured to be able to transmit and receive data, and any communication method may be used. For example, the network 100 may be configured as any one of a LAN, a WAN, a cellular network such as LTE or 5G, a wireless network, a telephone line, a dedicated digital line, and the like, or a combination of these.

[0010] The repair location notification server 101 provides the PC 103 used by the engineer with data for outputting information on a recommended measure to resolve an error occurring in a network device such as the printer 102. The repair location notification server 101 first receives error information indicating an error occurring in the printer 102 or the like from the network device, and estimates information on one or more repair parts to resolve the error. Furthermore, the repair location notification server 101 manages the track record of measures taken in the market for similar errors in the past as market track record, and determines the priority of measures based on the market track record. Note that in this embodiment, an example of estimating a measure to deal with an error based on market track record will be described, but this is not limited thereto. For example, an AI may be used to estimate a measure to deal with an error. The AI ​​collects information on the work performed by the serviceman and the replacement parts, and operates a trained model that has been machine-learned based on the information to estimate a measure.

[0011] The printer 102 is an example of a network device managed by the information providing system. The printer 102 is, for example, an image forming device such as an MFP having functions such as printing, faxing, copying, and scanning. When the printer 102 detects an error in its own device, it transmits error information including device information to the repair point notification server 101. Note that in this embodiment, the network device is an image forming device, but is not limited to this. For example, the network device may be a device that can communicate with a 3D printer, an information processing device such as a PC, an image processing device such as a camera, a smart home appliance, etc., can transmit error information of its own device, and can accept remote operations.

[0012] The PC 103 is an example of an information processing device. A specific OS is installed in the PC 103. A browser 331, which will be described later, is also installed in the PC 103. The PC 103 transmits a request to acquire repair part information for the printer 102 to the repair part notification server 101 via the browser 331, receives the repair part information from the repair part notification server 101 as a response, and displays it on a GUI. Similarly, the PC 103 transmits a request to acquire remote control information to the remote control server 104 via the browser 331, receives remote control information from the remote control server 104 as a response, and displays it on a GUI. That is, the PC 103 displays a screen provided by an information providing system via the browser 331, which is a Web browser. The PC 103 is used, for example, by a company that dispatches an engineer (serviceman) who is contracted to maintain the printer 102. The engineer can perform remote control operations on the printer 102 via a screen provided by the remote control server 104 and displayed on the browser 331 of the PC 103. The PC 103 may be a tablet, a smartphone, or the like, as long as it is a terminal capable of displaying a screen provided by the information providing system.

[0013] The remote control server 104 accepts a remote control operation for the printer 102 from the PC 103, and issues a remote control instruction to the printer 102 according to the operation content. In the remote control, for example, it is possible to issue an instruction to update firmware, applications, and other software installed in the printer 102, or to issue an instruction to change the setting value of the software. In this embodiment, the remote control server 104 and the repair location notification server 101 are configured separately, but the repair location notification server 101 may have the function of the remote control server 104 and be realized as an information providing system. In addition, the information providing system may be realized by one or more information processing devices, a virtual machine (cloud service) using resources provided by a data center including the information processing devices, or a combination of these. In addition, the information providing system can be implemented as a Web-based application, and can be used via a Web browser on the PC 103.

[0014] 2(A) is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of repair location notification server 101. Note that PC 103 and remote control server 104 also have the same configuration. Repair location notification server 101 has a CPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, HDD 204, input device 205, output device 206, and communication I / F 207. CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 controls the entire repair location notification server 101. CPU 201 reads out control programs stored in ROM 202 or HDD 204 and executes various control processes.

[0015] The ROM 202 (Read Only Memory) is a memory dedicated to reading data, and stores, for example, basic control programs of the information processing device, such as a Basic Input Output System (BIOS). The RAM (Random Access Memory) 203 is a memory from which data can be read and written. The RAM 203 functions, for example, as a work area for the CPU 201. The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204 stores various data and programs. Note that, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the repair point notification server 101 includes the HDD 204 as a storage device, but this is not limited thereto, and the repair point notification server 101 may include other storage devices, such as an SSD or a Disk Drive for loading external media.

[0016] The input device 205 accepts operations from a user. For example, a keyboard or a pointing device is connected to the input device 205. The output device 206 displays to the user. For example, a display such as an LCD screen is connected to the output device 206. The communication I / F 207 is an interface for connecting to the network 100. The repair location notification server 101 communicates with external devices such as the printer 102, the PC 103, and the remote control server 104 via the communication I / F 207 and the network 100.

[0017] After the repair part notification server 101 is started, the BIOS is executed by the CPU 201 and the OS is loaded from the HDD 204 to the RAM 203 in an executable manner. The CPU 201 loads various software modules, described below, from the HDD 204 to the RAM 203 as needed in an executable manner in accordance with the operation of the OS. The various software modules are executed and operated by the CPU 201 in cooperation with the above-mentioned devices. In addition, the communication I / F 207 is connected to the network 100, and is controlled by the CPU 201 in accordance with the operation of the OS to realize communication.

[0018] 2(B) is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printer 102. The printer 102 has a CPU 231, ROM 232, RAM 233, network controller 234, DKC 235, raster controller 237, print engine 238, operation unit 239, storage device 240, and device I / F. Of these, the parts excluding the print engine 238 are sometimes called a controller that manages the control system of the printer. Each of the hardware components is connected to a system bus.

[0019] The CPU 231 controls the entire printer 102 and centrally controls access to various devices connected to the system bus. The CPU 231 reads out a control program stored in a ROM 232 or a control program and resource data (resource information) stored in an external memory 236 connected via a disk controller (DKC 235) to execute various control processes.

[0020] The ROM 232 stores programs executed by the CPU 231. The RAM 233 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 231. The RAM 233 is configured so that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). The storage device 240 is a storage means that functions as a large-capacity memory. The storage device 240 stores image data, various programs, and various setting information.

[0021] The network controller 234 is a communication controller, for example, a network interface card (NIC). The CPU 231 exchanges data with external devices on the network 100 via the network controller 234. The DKC 235 controls access to storage devices such as an external memory 236. The external memory 236 records programs and resource data.

[0022] The operation unit 239 displays a screen and accepts user operation instructions via the screen. The operation unit 239 is, for example, a touch panel. By associating input coordinates on the touch panel with display coordinates, it is possible to configure a GUI that makes it appear as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the touch panel. In addition, the operation unit 239 may be provided with buttons for performing operations such as setting the operation mode of the printer 102, displaying the operation status of the printer 102, and specifying content data to be printed.

[0023] Raster controller 237 is a controller that converts print data described in, for example, a PDL language into image data. Print engine 238 uses known printing technology to form an image on a recording medium (for example, paper) based on image data input from raster controller 237. The printing method performed by print engine 238 can be, for example, an electrophotographic method (laser beam method), an inkjet method, a dye sublimation method (thermal transfer method), or the like, and is not limited to this method. Device I / F 241 is a connection I / F with an external device that can be connected via USB or the like.

[0024] 3 is a diagram showing the software configuration of the information provision system. This software configuration is realized by the CPU executing programs stored in the memory of each device. The repair location notification server 101 has an operation information receiving unit 311, an error determining unit 312, an error history managing unit 313, a repair location estimating unit 314, a market performance managing unit 315, an estimation result managing unit 316, a repair procedure display unit 317, and an external I / F 318.

[0025] The operation information receiving unit 311 receives operation information from the printer 102. The operation information received by the operation information receiving unit 311 includes information that identifies the device, error information (event information) based on the occurrence of an error, the number of printed sheets in the printer 102, the remaining amount of consumables, and other information indicating the operation status of the printer 102. The information that identifies the device included in the operation information includes, for example, a device ID that uniquely identifies the device and a model number that indicates the type of device. The error information is, for example, an error code for identifying the type of error. The error code is a unique character string code assigned to each type of error. If the operation information includes error information, the operation information receiving unit 311 transmits the operation information to the error determination unit 312.

[0026] When the error determination unit 312 receives operation information including error information from the operation information receiving unit 311, the error determination unit 312 acquires an error history indicating error information that has occurred in the printer that transmitted the error information from the error history management unit 313. Furthermore, the error determination unit 312 identifies one or more repair parts for eliminating the error based on the received error information. The error determination unit 312 treats the repair parts identified for eliminating the error as the error determination result. Then, the error determination unit 312 transmits the repair parts, which are the determination result, to the repair part estimation unit 314 together with the operation information. Note that, if the error determination unit 312 is unable to identify the error based on the received error information (error code) and is unable to identify the repair part, the determination result is "repair part cannot be identified". Then, the error determination unit 312 transmits the determination result "repair part cannot be identified" to the repair part estimation unit 314 together with the operation information. Furthermore, the error determination unit 312 stores the operation information including the error information received from the printer 102 as an error history in the error history management unit 313.

[0027] The error history management unit 313 saves and manages operation information, including error information received from the printer 102, as an error history. Table 1 is an example of an error history managed by the error history management unit 313. Note that the table schema and data described below are merely examples, and the table schema and the format of various data are not limited to these. [Table 1] The error history includes an error ID that uniquely identifies the error, a device ID that uniquely identifies the printer in which the error occurred, a model number that indicates the type of printer, an error code that indicates the type of error that occurred, a counter value that is the number of prints when the error occurred, and the date and time the error occurred.

[0028] The repair location estimation unit 314 estimates the action to be taken to resolve the error occurring in the device. The repair location estimation unit 314 also determines whether the estimated action is action that can be handled remotely. A remotely compatible action is a action that can be carried out by remotely sending a command to the target network device via the network 100. On the other hand, a action that cannot be handled remotely is a action that is handled by operating the network device at the installation site of the network device.

[0029] When the repair location estimation unit 314 receives the operation information including the error information and the judgment result from the error judgment unit 312, it acquires from the market performance management unit 315 the market performance in which the model number included in the operation information matches the error code. The repair location estimation unit 314 sets a priority by ranking the measures that are most likely to resolve the error in order of the number of measures in the market performance in which the repair part number matches the part number included in the judgment result. It is expected that the error that has occurred will be resolved by a user (e.g., a customer engineer) carrying out the estimated measures on the device. Then, the repair location estimation unit 314 judges whether the estimated process is a process that can be handled remotely. The repair location estimation unit 314 saves the estimated process, the priority of each process, and the judgment result of whether it can be handled remotely in the estimation result management unit 316 as an estimation result.

[0030] The repair location estimation unit 314 holds remote treatment information for judging whether the estimated treatment can be performed remotely. Table 2 is an example of the remote treatment information. [Table 2] The remote treatment information includes a model ID and a treatment content. Treatments defined as the remote treatment information shown in Table 2 are processes that can be handled remotely. Examples of treatments that can be handled remotely include software-related controls such as firmware updates, application updates, and updates to firmware and application setting values. If the treatment to be estimated is included in the remote treatment information, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines that the treatment to be estimated is remotely compatible, and if the treatment to be estimated is not included in the remote treatment information, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines that the treatment to be estimated is not remotely compatible.

[0031] Market performance management unit 315 manages, as market performance, performance information of all measures taken by customer engineers to resolve errors that have occurred in the past. Market performance management unit 315 collects performance information including measures for each model number, error code, and part number from customer engineers, tallying up the number of results for each measure, and retains and manages the tallying results. Table 3 is an example of market performance managed by market performance management unit 315 in the first embodiment. [Table 3] The market performance includes a model number indicating the type of device, an error code indicating the type of error that occurred, a part number indicating the part on which the error was addressed, a treatment content indicating the type of treatment that was performed, and a performance number indicating the number of times the treatment was performed in the market.

[0032] The estimation result management unit 316 stores and manages the estimation results of the measures estimated by the repair portion estimation unit 314. Table 4 is an example of the estimation results managed by the estimation result management unit 316. [Table 4] The estimation result includes the device ID, the error ID, the part number of the repair part for the error, a priority indicating the order of priority of the measures, whether remote support is possible, and remote performance. In this embodiment, the priority of the measures is determined in ascending order of the priority value. The remote support possibility indicates whether the measures can be handled remotely, and if it is "TRUE", it indicates that it can be handled remotely, and if it is "FALSE", it indicates that it cannot be handled remotely. The remote performance indicates the result of the remote support of the measures, and holds the value "Resolved" if the problem was solved by remote support, "Not possible" if the problem could not be solved, and "Not resolved" if the problem has not been solved. The calculation method of the priority and an example of the determination of whether remote support is possible will be described later in the treatment estimation process of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

[0033] The repair procedure display unit 317 provides data for outputting information on candidates estimated by the repair location estimation unit 314 as measures to be taken for an error occurring in a device. In this embodiment, when a remotely compatible measure is included as a candidate for a recommended measure, the data provided by the repair procedure display unit 317 includes data for outputting information indicating that remote work is recommended. In this embodiment, the repair procedure display unit 317 generates a repair procedure display screen in response to a repair procedure acquisition request received from the PC 103 and provides it to the PC 103. First, when the repair procedure display unit 317 receives a repair procedure acquisition request including a device ID and an error ID from the browser 331 of the PC 103, it acquires an error history in which the device ID and the error ID match from the error history management unit 313. Then, the repair procedure display unit 317 also acquires an estimation result in which the device ID and the error ID match from the estimation result management unit 316, generates a repair procedure display screen, and provides it to the PC 103 via the browser 331 to display it. The external I / F 318 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data and instructions to and from other services such as the remote control server 104. The external I / F 318 is defined as an API (Application Programming Interface) for external cooperation, and allows mutual communication through the API.

[0034] The printer 102 has an operation information transmission unit 321, a job execution unit 322, a control unit 323, and a remote control unit 324. The operation information transmission unit 321 transmits operation information, including error information generated in the printer 102 and collected by the control unit 323 (described later), to the repair point notification server 101. The job execution unit 322 executes a job submitted to the printer 102. For example, when a print job is submitted, the job execution unit 322 executes print processing based on the print job.

[0035] The control unit 323 detects errors that occur in the printer 102, collects error information, and transmits the error information to the repair location notification server 101 via the operation information transmission unit 321. The remote control unit 324 receives remote control instructions from the remote control server 104 and executes processing on the software of the printer 102. For example, the remote control unit 324 updates firmware and applications, changes setting values, etc. based on the remote control instructions. The remote control unit 324 also transmits information related to remote control, such as identification information of the firmware and applications of the printer 102 and software versions, to the remote control server 104.

[0036] The remote control server 104 has a remote control transmission / reception unit 341, a remote control unit 342, a printer information management unit 343, a software information management unit 344, a remote control display unit 345, and an external I / F 346. The remote control transmission / reception unit 341 transmits and receives information for remote control to the printer 102. Information transmitted by the remote control transmission / reception unit 341 to the printer 102 includes, for example, instructions to update firmware and applications installed in the printer 102 and instructions to change the settings of the software. In addition, the remote control transmission / reception unit 341 receives identification information for firmware and applications, software version information, and information on software settings from the printer 102.

[0037] The remote control unit 342 processes remote control information for the printer 102. Specifically, the remote control unit 342 determines whether remote control is possible and specifies software information to be transmitted to the printer 102 based on model information of the printer 102 and information on settings related to remote control managed by the printer information management unit 343. The remote control unit 342 also obtains the specified software information from the software information management unit 344 and instructs the remote control transmission / reception unit 341 to transmit the software information to the printer 102.

[0038] The printer information management unit 343 manages information related to the printer 102. Specifically, the printer information management unit 343 manages a device ID that identifies the printer 102, model information that indicates the model, and setting values ​​related to remote control of the printer 102. The setting values ​​related to remote control include, for example, information indicating whether remote control of the printer 102 is permitted, remote control information currently being instructed to the printer 102, and the like.

[0039] The software information management unit 344 manages software information of firmware and applications to be transmitted to the printer 102. Specifically, the software information management unit 344 manages software identification information and version information, module files constituting the software, software setting values, etc. The software information management unit 344 manages the software information in association with model information of the printer 102. In addition, the software information management unit 344 can instruct remote control of the printer 102 by transmitting remote control information to the printer 102 via the remote control transmission / reception unit 341.

[0040] The remote control display unit 345 provides remote control information for the printer 102 to be displayed on the browser 331 of the PC 103. Specifically, when the remote control display unit 345 receives a display request for a remote control screen from the PC 103, it acquires software information for the printer 102 via the remote control unit 342, generates a remote control display screen, and returns it to the browser 331. It also receives remote control instructions for the printer 102 through operations on the remote control display screen, and transmits them to the remote control unit 342. The external I / F 346 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data and instructions to other services such as the repair location notification server 101. The external I / F 346 is defined as an API for external cooperation, and mutual communication is possible through the API.

[0041] Next, a process of estimating a measure to eliminate an error in a network device and judging whether the measure can be performed remotely will be described. The result of this process is stored in the estimation result management unit 316, and when a display request is made from the PC 103, it is provided to an engineer or the like via the browser 331. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the measure estimation process. In the measure estimation process, the process executed by the printer 102 is realized by the CPU 231 of the printer 102 reading out a program and resource data stored in a memory (ROM 232, external memory 236, etc.) and executing the program. In the measure estimation process, the process executed by the repair location notification server 101 is realized by the CPU 201 of the repair location notification server 101 reading out a program and resource data stored in a memory (ROM 202, HDD 204, etc.) and executing the program.

[0042] In S401, the control unit 323 of the printer 102 detects whether an error has occurred in the printer 102. If the control unit 323 detects the occurrence of an error, it performs the process of S402. If the occurrence of an error is not detected, the control unit 323 repeats the process of S401. In S402, the operation information transmission unit 321 of the printer 102 transmits operation information including the error information of the error detected in S401 to the repair location notification server 101. The operation information including the error information transmitted by the operation information transmission unit 321 includes an error ID that uniquely identifies the error, a device ID and model number that are device information, an error code that indicates the error, a counter value that is the number of prints when the error occurred, and the date and time of the error occurrence. In other words, the operation information transmission unit 321 of the printer 102 transmits information that the error history management unit 313 of the repair location notification server 101 manages as an error history to the repair location notification server 101. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the counter value is included in the operation information, but for example, the counter value may be transmitted as counter information to repair point notifying server 101 as information separate from the operation information including the error information. When the counter information is transmitted separately from the operation information including the error information, repair point notifying server 101 associates the error information with the counter information.

[0043] In S403, the operation information receiving unit 311 of the repair location notification server 101 receives operation information including error information from the printer 102. In S404, the error determination unit 312 registers the operation information including the error information received from the printer 102 as an error history in the error history management unit 313. In S405, the error determination unit 312 acquires an error history received in the past from the printer that is the transmission source of the error information received in S403 from the error history managed by the error history management unit 313. Specifically, the error determination unit 312 acquires an error history that matches the device ID included in the operation information including the received error information. For example, if the device ID included in the error information is "DEV0000001", the error determination unit 312 acquires the records in the first and third rows of Table 1. Then, the error determination unit 312 sends the operation information including the error information received from the printer 102 and the error history of the printer 102 acquired in S405 to the repair location estimation unit 314.

[0044] In S406, the repair location estimation unit 314 estimates a measure to eliminate the error that occurred in the printer 102. In this embodiment, for example, a part to be treated is estimated as a measure to eliminate the error. Specifically, the repair location estimation unit 314 calculates a list of multiple part numbers indicating the repair parts to be treated to eliminate the error based on the error information received from the printer 102 and the error history acquired from the error history management unit 313 using a rule base. Note that in the estimation of the repair location in S406, the repair location estimation unit 314 may not be able to identify the repair parts to be treated. For example, this is the case of an error that has no rule in the rule base. When the repair parts cannot be identified, that is, when the measure to eliminate the error cannot be estimated, the error determination unit 312 outputs a list of empty part numbers indicating that the determination could not be made. In this embodiment, the error determination unit 312 has described a method using a rule base based on the received error information and the error history that has occurred in the same device in the past, but the identification of the repair parts is not limited to this. For example, estimation may be performed using machine learning including deep learning.

[0045] In S407, the repair location estimation unit 314 acquires the field treatment results that match the model number and error code of the error information from the field performance management unit 315. For example, when the model number and error code included in the error information are "Model-001" and "E001-0001", respectively, the repair location estimation unit 314 acquires the records in the first to fifth rows of Table 3.

[0046] In S408, the repair part estimation unit 314 checks whether a remedy has been identified. In this embodiment, the repair part estimation unit 314 checks whether a part to be repaired has been identified as a remedy. Whether a part to be repaired has been identified is determined based on whether the part number list has part numbers or is empty. Specifically, if an empty part number list is output in S406, it is determined that the part has not been identified, and the process of S410 is executed. On the other hand, if the part number list is not empty, it is determined that the part has been identified, and the process of S409 is executed.

[0047] In S409, the repair location estimation unit 314 ranks the estimated treatments and sets the priority. Specifically, for each part number included in the list of part numbers calculated in S406, the repair location estimation unit 314 acquires the number of treatment records for which the part number matches from the market performance acquired in S407. Then, based on the number of treatment records, the repair location estimation unit 314 ranks the part numbers (treatments) and sets the priority. The repair location estimation unit 314 associates the priority with the part number as "(number of treatment records for repair part / total number of treatment records for all parts treated for errors) x 100". In other words, the priority is calculated for each part so that the total of the priorities of all parts treated for an error code occurring in a certain model is 100%. In this embodiment, the priority is calculated as the ratio of the number of treatment records for the repair part to the total number of treatment records for all repair parts to be treated, but the method of calculating the priority is not limited to the method of this embodiment and may be any method. For example, suppose the list of part numbers is [Part1-111, Part2-222, Part3-333, Part4-444, Part5-555], and the market performance obtained in S407 is the first to fifth rows of Table 3. In this case, the total number of all parts in the treatment performance is 1000, which is the sum of the treatment numbers in the market performance. The priority of part number "Part1-111" is "(880 / 1000) x 100 = 88.0". Similarly, the priorities of other part numbers "Part2-222", "Part3-333", and "Part4-444" are "9.6", "1.4", "0.7", and "0.3", respectively.

[0048] In S410, the repair part estimation unit 314 calculates priorities for all part numbers (records) of the market performance acquired in S407 in the same manner as in S409 described above. For example, assume that the market performance acquired in S407 is the first to fifth rows of Table 3. In this case, priorities are calculated for the five part numbers "Part1-111", "Part2-222", "Part3-333", "Part4-444", and "Part5-555" included in the market performance, and the part numbers and priorities are associated with each other as estimation results.

[0049] Next, in S411, the repair location estimation unit 314 judges whether the treatment can be performed remotely based on the estimation result calculated in S409 or S410. Details of the remote compatibility determination process in S411 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the remote compatibility determination process in the first embodiment. The remote compatibility determination process is realized by the CPU 201 of the repair location notification server 101 reading out programs and resource data stored in memory (ROM 202, HDD 204, etc.) and executing the programs.

[0050] In S421, the repair location estimation unit 314 acquires one of the treatments calculated as an estimation result. In S422, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines whether the treatment acquired in S421 is remotely compatible. Specifically, it determines whether a treatment that can be identified by the model ID and treatment content of the treatment calculated as an estimation result exists in the remote treatment information shown in Table 2. If it exists in the remote treatment information, it is determined that it is remotely compatible (TRUE) and processing of S423 is performed. In S423, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines that the treatment acquired in S421 is remotely compatible. On the other hand, if it does not exist in the remote treatment information, it is determined that it is not remotely compatible (FALSE) and processing of S424 is performed. In S424, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines that the treatment acquired in S421 is not remotely compatible.

[0051] In S425, it is determined whether the remote compatibility determination process has been performed for all the procedures calculated as the estimated results. If the remote compatibility determination process has been performed for all the procedures calculated as the estimated results, the remote compatibility determination process is terminated and the process of S412 in Fig. 4 is performed. On the other hand, if the remote compatibility determination process has not been performed for all the procedures calculated as the estimated results, the process returns to S421.

[0052] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 4, in S412, repair location estimation unit 314 registers the estimation result of the treatment for the error, including the result of the remote support determination process in S411, in estimation result management unit 316. Specifically, repair location estimation unit 314 registers the determination result of whether remote support is possible, along with the part number and priority, the device ID and error ID of the error information, in estimation result management unit 316 as the estimation result. For example, examples of the estimation results for the part number and priority and whether remote support is possible calculated in the processes of S409 to S411 are shown in the first to fifth rows of Table 4. As described above, in response to an error that has occurred in printer 102, repair location notification server 101 can estimate the treatment (repair part), set the priority of the treatment, and determine whether remote support is possible.

[0053] When an engineer or the like in charge of maintaining the printer 102 checks the recommended measures for the printer 102 error, the repair part display screen provided by the repair part notification server 101 is displayed on the browser 331 of the PC 103. Specifically, the repair procedure display unit 317 of the repair part notification server 101 accepts a repair procedure acquisition request including a device ID and an error ID via the browser 331 of the PC 103. The repair procedure display unit 317 acquires the estimation result registered in the estimation result management unit 316 in S412 based on the repair procedure acquisition request, generates a repair part display screen according to the estimation result, and provides it to the PC 103. The repair part notification server 101 displays the repair procedure for solving the error on an error-by-error basis. The CPU of the PC 103 displays the repair part display screen provided by the repair part notification server 101 via the browser 331 on the display of the PC 103.

[0054] 6 to 10 are diagrams showing an example of a repair procedure display screen displayed on the browser 331. The repair procedure display screen 500 shown in FIG. 6 displays the error history and the estimation result managed by the repair location notification server 101. The error information 501 displays information on an error specified by an error ID specified via the browser 331 of the PC 103. For example, the error information 501 includes an error ID, an error content, the date and time of the error occurrence, and a reception date and time when the repair location notification server 101 received the occurrence of the error from the printer 102. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the error code E000-0001 and the error content "Y bottle rotation abnormality detected" are displayed as the error information. This indicates a state in which the printer 102 detects that the bottle rotation of the toner bottle (Y) is abnormal and thus an error is generated.

[0055] Message 502 is a message about a repair procedure. If the estimated treatment includes a treatment that can be handled remotely, a message recommending remote handling is displayed in message 502. Repair procedure display unit 317 refers to the estimation results registered by estimation result management unit 316, and displays a message recommending remote handling if the estimation result indicates that remote handling is possible.

[0056] The treatment information 503 and the treatment information 504 indicate parts that may be the cause of the error and treatments for eliminating the error. The repair procedure display unit 317 displays the treatment information 503 and the treatment information 504 by referring to the estimation results registered by the estimation result management unit 316. The treatment information 503 indicates a treatment that can be performed remotely, and the treatment information 504 indicates a treatment that cannot be performed remotely. The treatment information 503 indicates a state in which the "toner bottle (Y)" is presented with a failure cause probability of "88%" and "adjustment" as a necessary treatment, and also indicates that remote support is possible by the remote support possible icon 505. The remote support possible icon 505 is an example of a recommended display of remote support. For example, assume that an error that is considered to be abnormal occurs when the rotation speed of the mounted toner bottle (Y) matches a threshold value that is considered to be "Y bottle rotation abnormality detection" in a specific version of firmware in a printer of the same model as the printer 102, and is registered in the market performance. Regarding the Y bottle rotation abnormality detection error that occurred in the printer 102, the repair location notification server 101 assumes that the error can be resolved by updating the firmware version to an appropriate version, and presents treatment information 503. As shown on the repair procedure display screen 500, in this embodiment, both or either of a message recommending remote handling and a remote handling recommendation display (icon) for the target treatment are displayed on the repair procedure display screen 500. Therefore, the data provided by the repair procedure display unit 317 includes data for outputting both or either of a message recommending remote handling and a remote handling recommendation display as data for outputting information indicating that remote work is recommended.

[0057] The treatment information 504 indicates that the "bottle drive unit" has a "9.6%" probability of being the cause of failure, and that the necessary treatments are "replacement" and "cleaning." Here, replacement is displayed with an "A" and cleaning with a "B," indicating the priority of treatments for the same part. The priority order is A>B>C. Also, since this treatment cannot be performed remotely, the remote support icon 505 is not displayed. Button 506 is for transitioning to a treatment list display corresponding to each treatment information. Executing button 506 allows transition to the treatment list display (FIGS. 7 and 8) described below.

[0058] The repair procedure display screen 510 shown in Fig. 7 shows a state in which a list of measures recommended for remote handling is displayed. Tab 511 is a "Processing List (remote recommended)" tab, and displays only measures recommended for remote handling. Message 512 is a message for the measure list. For example, if the engineer who will handle the error is a remote engineer (remote engineer), the remote engineer will work while displaying tab 511 which displays only measures recommended for remote handling.

[0059] A message 512 indicates that only remotely compatible measures are displayed in the list. Measure information 513 indicates measures that can be performed remotely. Measure information 513 displays the measure "adjustment" for toner bottle (Y), the estimated time for the work, an icon 514 indicating that remote support is possible, a button 515 for confirming the adjustment procedure, a button 516 for removing the remote recommendation, and a measure completion button 517. Pressing button 515 allows transition to an adjustment procedure confirmation screen (not shown) that displays specific steps for the "adjustment" work. In addition, the adjustment procedure confirmation screen displays a button for remote control, and pressing this button allows the remote control display screen (FIG. 10) of the remote control server 104 to be displayed.

[0060] The Remove Remote Recommendation button 516 is a button for removing the remote recommendation of the estimated treatment. By executing the Remove Remote Recommendation button 516, the recommendation of remote treatment can be removed. For example, if an engineer attempts remote treatment and finds that an error cannot be resolved, the Remove Remote Recommendation button 516 is executed to remove the recommendation of remote treatment. The screen after remote cancellation is shown in FIG. 9, which will be described later. The Complete Treatment button 517 is a button that is executed when the treatment can be completed by the estimated treatment. By executing the Complete Treatment button 517, feedback information such as the fact that the treatment was completed by the estimated treatment and the time required for the treatment is entered to complete the treatment. The feedback information is saved and managed as market treatment performance information by the market performance management unit 315 of the repair location notification server 101.

[0061] The repair procedure display screen 520 shown in FIG. 8 shows a state in which all treatment lists are displayed. Whereas the repair procedure display screen 510 displays only treatments recommended for remote handling, the repair procedure display screen 520 displays all treatments including treatments recommended for remote handling. The tab 521 is a "treatment list (all)" tab, and displays all treatments obtained as estimated results, including treatments recommended for remote handling and treatments not recommended for remote handling. For example, a remote engineer works while displaying the tab 511 that displays only treatments recommended for remote handling, whereas engineers other than the remote engineer work while displaying the tab 521 that displays all treatments. Also, for example, the tab 521 that displays all treatments is assumed to be checked by a dispatcher who checks the error content and treatments for the error and requests the remote engineer or a customer engineer who visits the customer's site to work.

[0062] Message 522 is a message for the action list. In tab 521 that displays all actions, in addition to remotely compatible action information 513, remotely incompatible action information 523 is displayed. Note that in this embodiment, the contents that can be confirmed are changed by switching the screen using tabs (tabs 511 and 521), but the method of changing the display is not limited to this. For example, the actions to be displayed may be held as user role information or user setting value information, and the display may be switched depending on the value.

[0063] A repair procedure display screen 530 shown in Fig. 9 shows a state in which the remote recommendation has been removed from the remote recommended treatments in a state in which all treatment lists are displayed. Treatment information 531 on the repair procedure display screen 520 shows a state in which the remote recommendation in the treatment information 513 has been removed by executing the button 516 to remove the remote recommendation on the repair procedure display screen 510 shown in Fig. 8. A display 532 indicating that the result of the remote treatment was not possible is added to the treatment information 531, and a button 533 for confirming the recovery procedure for returning the remote treatment to the original state is displayed in place of the button 516 to remove the remote recommendation. When it is necessary to return the treatment performed by the remote treatment to the state before it was performed, detailed procedures for returning the treatment performed by the remote treatment to the state before it was performed can be confirmed by executing the button 533.

[0064] 10 shows a remote control display screen. The remote control display screen is a screen for remote control that is displayed when a button 515 for displaying the procedure for remote treatment of treatment information 513 for which remote support is recommended is executed. The remote control display screen is a screen for reserving delivery instructions for firmware updates, setting value updates, and the like, which are remote treatment contents, for the printer 102, and is displayed by the remote control display unit 345 of the remote control server 104.

[0065] 10 shows an example of a setting screen for performing firmware update as a remote response measure. Repair procedure display screen 540 displays a screen for instructing firmware distribution to printer 102 that is displaying an error on repair procedure display screen 500. Firmware information 541 displays information for identifying firmware to be distributed to printer 102. The firmware to be distributed, displayed in firmware information 541, can be changed by selecting the target firmware on a firmware selection screen (not shown) that is displayed by executing search button 542.

[0066] The device information 543 displays information on the device to which the firmware is to be delivered. In the example shown in FIG. 10, information indicating the printer 102 that is the target of the error display on the repair procedure display screen 500 is displayed as the delivery destination to which the firmware update instruction is to be delivered. The device information 543 displays information such as a device ID 544 that uniquely identifies the device, version information of the current firmware delivered to the device, a delivery update that indicates the designation of the delivery method, and a delivery date and time that specifies the delivery date and time. The reservation registration button 545 is a button for reserving a delivery instruction of the contents set on the repair procedure display screen 540. By executing the reservation registration button 545, a delivery instruction is reserved for the printer 102. When the remote control display unit 345 accepts the execution of the reservation registration button 545, the remote control display unit 345 transmits information specified on the repair procedure display screen 540 to the remote control unit 342. The reservation deletion button 546 is a button for closing the repair procedure display screen 540, which is a firmware delivery instruction screen. The remote control unit 342 generates remote control information based on the information received from the remote control display unit 345, and transmits it to the printer 102. This makes it possible to instruct the printer 102 to update firmware or settings, and to take measures against errors remotely.

[0067] In this embodiment, the parts to be repaired are identified (S406), the priority is calculated (S409, S410), and remote support is determined (S411-S415) at the timing when error information is received from the printer 102, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only the parts to be repaired may be identified at the timing when error information is received, and the priority and remote support is determined at the timing when a repair procedure acquisition request is received from the browser 331 of the PC 103.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the estimation results registered by the estimation result management unit 316 are referred to, and a display recommending remote handling is performed for all estimation results that are remotely compatible has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the accuracy of the estimation result is low, the configuration may be such that the recommendation for remote handling is not displayed. Therefore, the repair procedure display unit 317 refers to the estimation result, and only when the value of the failure cause probability corresponding to the estimation result is equal to or greater than a threshold, the recommendation for remote handling is displayed. This makes it possible to display the recommendation for remote handling only when the possibility that the error will be resolved by remote treatment is higher than a predetermined accuracy.

[0069] As described above, according to this embodiment, error information is received from a device, the cause of the error is estimated from the error information, the repair location is estimated, whether the remedial action can be performed remotely or not, and if so, data recommending remote action is provided. This allows an engineer to recognize the remedial action recommended to be performed remotely.

[0070] Second embodiment In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the processing content recorded as the market performance was a single unit, but there may be cases in which multiple procedures are required, such as both "part replacement" and "firmware update". In addition, when multiple procedures are required, there may be restrictions on the order of the work procedure, such as the need for "firmware update" after "part replacement". In this way, when multiple procedures are required, it is not possible to simply determine whether remote support is possible based on whether the estimated procedure content exists in the remote treatment information shown in Table 2 as in the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a procedure for eliminating an error includes multiple items, whether each procedure is remotely possible and whether there are restrictions on the work order of the procedures are considered to determine whether remote support is possible. In the following, the same configurations and processes as those in the first embodiment are given the same numbers and their explanations are omitted, and only the differences from the first embodiment are explained.

[0071] Table 5 is an example of market performance managed by market performance management unit 315 in the second embodiment. The market performance (Table 3) explained in the first embodiment showed an example of a configuration in which the action content is a single action content, but the market performance (Table 5) of this embodiment includes multiple action contents as the action content, as in the records on the sixth and seventh lines. In addition to the model number, error code, part number, action content, and number of results, the market performance of this embodiment includes an order constraint that indicates a constraint on the work order of the action content. The order constraint stores information indicating whether there is a constraint on the work order of the action content when multiple action contents are included.

[0072] For example, the records in rows 6 and 7 of Table 5 include multiple action contents. This indicates that multiple tasks are required to deal with the error. The record in row 6 has two action contents, "Replacement_Part Replacement" and "Adjustment_Firmware Update", and the order constraint is "None". This indicates that the order of the tasks in performing the two actions, "Replacement_Part Replacement" and "Adjustment_Firmware Update", does not have to be in the order listed. On the other hand, the record in row 7 has two action contents, "Replacement_Part Replacement" and "Adjustment_Firmware Update", and the order constraint is "Yes". This indicates that when performing the two actions, "Replacement_Part Replacement" and "Adjustment_Firmware Update", there is an order constraint, such as performing the action "Adjustment_Firmware Update" after performing "Replacement_Part Replacement". [Table 5]

[0073] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the remote support determination process in the second embodiment. This process is executed in S411 of the treatment estimation process (Fig. 4). In the remote support determination process in the second embodiment, the treatment content includes a plurality of treatments, and the process takes into consideration the case where there are restrictions on the order of the work. The remote support determination process is realized by the CPU 201 of the repair point notification server 101 reading out programs and resource data stored in memory (ROM 202, HDD 204, etc.) and executing the programs.

[0074] In S411, the repair location estimation unit 314 acquires one of the treatments calculated as an estimation result. In S1101, the repair location estimation unit 314 judges whether the treatment acquired in S411 has multiple processing contents. For example, a case including multiple treatment contents as in the sixth and seventh rows of Table 5 is regarded as multiple. If there is multiple, the process of S1102 is performed. On the other hand, if there is a single processing content, the process of S422 is performed.

[0075] In S1102, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines whether a remotely compatible treatment is included in advance. When there is a remotely compatible treatment and there is no restriction on the processing order, and when there is a remotely compatible treatment and there is a restriction on the processing order but the remotely compatible treatment is the treatment that should be executed first, it is determined that a remotely compatible treatment is included in advance. On the other hand, when there is no remotely compatible treatment and when there is a remotely compatible treatment but the remotely compatible treatment cannot be executed first due to the restriction on the processing order, it is determined that a remotely compatible treatment is not included in advance. The repair location estimation unit 314 first determines whether the multiple treatment contents that are the estimation results acquired in S421 include a remotely compatible treatment. Specifically, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines whether each treatment that can be identified by the model ID and treatment contents of the estimation result exists in the remote treatment information shown in Table 2. When a remotely compatible treatment is included, the repair location estimation unit 314 determines whether the remotely compatible treatment can be performed in advance by taking into account the work order of the treatment. When the order constraint in Table 5 is "absent", the repair location estimation unit 314 determines that the remotely compatible treatment is possible in advance. When the order constraint is "present", the repair location estimation unit 314 determines that the remotely compatible treatment is possible only if there is no remotely compatible treatment before the remotely compatible treatment in the list order of the processing contents in Table 5. Otherwise, it determines that the remotely compatible treatment is not possible. When it is determined that the remotely compatible treatment is included in advance, the process of S1103 is performed. In S1103, the repair location estimation unit 314 sets the estimation result to remotely compatible (TRUE). On the other hand, when it is determined that the remotely compatible treatment is not included in advance, the process of S1104 is performed. In S1104, the repair location estimation unit 314 sets the estimation result to remotely not compatible (FALSE). When the process of S1103 or S1104 is completed, the process of S425 is performed. By the processing of S1101 to S1104, when there are multiple treatment contents, it is possible to determine whether the treatment contents include a treatment that can be handled remotely and whether the remotely compatible treatment can be handled in advance, taking into account the order constraints of the treatments.

[0076] 12 and 13 are diagrams showing an example of a repair procedure display screen in the second embodiment. The display shows a case where multiple treatment contents are included as in the sixth and seventh rows of Table 5. The repair procedure display screen 1200 shown in FIG. 12 is an example of a screen displaying only treatments recommended for remote handling. This is an example of a screen display when it is determined in S1103 that remote handling is possible as a result of the judgment in the remote handling judgment process, and the treatment shown in the treatment information 1201 is displayed as remote recommended. The repair procedure display screen 1200 has a tab 1202 that displays all treatments obtained as an estimation result, and a tab 1203 that displays only treatments recommended for remote handling, and it is possible to switch the display of the treatment list by selecting the tab. On the other hand, the repair procedure display screen 1200 shown in FIG. 13 is an example of a screen displaying all treatments. This is an example of a screen display when it is determined in S1104 that remote handling is not possible as a result of the judgment in the remote handling judgment process, and treatment information 1211 displays treatments that cannot be remotely handled.

[0077] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the procedure obtained as the estimated result includes multiple procedures, a determination is made as to whether remote support is possible taking into account constraints on the work procedure, etc., and a display recommending remote support is displayed only when it is determined that remote support is possible.

[0078] Third embodiment In the first and second embodiments, an example was shown in which the remote supportability of the treatment contents was judged only based on whether the treatment contents existed in the remote treatment information (Table 2). While there are treatments for which the remote supportability can be determined only based on the remote treatment information, there are also cases where the remote supportability cannot be determined due to restrictions on the printer 102 side even if the remote treatment information indicates that the remote supportability is possible. For example, when performing remote control such as firmware update, some printers 102 may not permit remote control. In this case, even if remote control information instructing a firmware update is sent to the printer 102 via the remote control server 104, the update is not performed. Therefore, in this embodiment, a configuration is described in which the repair location notification server 101 further queries the remote control server 104 to determine whether the treatment is remotely supportable for a treatment that has been determined to be remotely supportable. In the following, the same configurations and processes as those in the first embodiment are given the same numbers and their explanations are omitted, and only the differences from the first embodiment are described.

[0079] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing remote compatibility determination processing in the third embodiment. This processing is executed in S411 of the treatment estimation processing (Fig. 4). In the remote compatibility determination processing in the third embodiment, a further inquiry is made to the remote control server 104 for a treatment determined to be remote compatible, and a process is performed to determine whether the treatment determined to be remote compatible in the previous processing is remotely controllable for the target printer 102. The remote compatibility determination processing is realized by the CPU 201 of the repair point notification server 101 reading out programs and resource data stored in memory (ROM 202, HDD 204, etc.) and executing the programs.

[0080] In S801, the repair location estimation unit 314 acquires one remotely compatible treatment from the estimation results (i.e., a record including a treatment content for which remote compatibility is "TRUE" in Table 4). In S802, the repair location estimation unit 314 inquires of the remote control server 104 via the external I / F 318 whether remote control of the printer 102 is possible. Specifically, the API of the remote control server 104 is called with parameters of a device ID for identifying the printer 102 and a type of remote control corresponding to the treatment content. The type of remote control is a value obtained by converting the treatment content into the definition of the remote control server 104. For example, in the case of "adjustment_firmware update", the type of remote control is "firmware update" in the definition of the remote control server 104, and in the case of "adjustment_setting value change", the type of remote control is "setting value change" of the remote control server 104.

[0081] The remote control server 104 receives the API request of S1402 from the repair location notification server 101 via the external I / F 346, and the remote control unit 342 refers to the information of the printer information management unit 343. It refers to the printer information that matches the device ID specified in the API request and determines whether the remote control specified in the API request is possible. For example, in the case of a firmware update, it refers to a flag in the printer information that indicates whether firmware update is permitted and makes a determination. The remote control server 104 then returns the reference result to the repair location notification server 101 via the external I / F 346.

[0082] In S1403, the repair location estimation unit 314 receives an API response from the remote control server 104 via the external I / F 318, and judges whether remote control is possible by referring to the response information. The API response returned from the remote control server 104 includes, for example, flag information indicating whether remote control is possible, and the repair location estimation unit 314 judges whether the treatment is remotely compatible by referring to the value. Note that the response result to the inquiry in S1402 returned from the remote control server 104 is not limited to flag information indicating whether remote control is possible, and may be configured to be judged by other values. If it is judged that remote control is not possible, the process of S1404 is performed. On the other hand, if it is judged that remote control is possible, the process of S1405 is performed.

[0083] In S1404, the repair location estimation unit 314 instructs the estimation result management unit 316 to change the remote supportability of the estimation result to not possible (FALSE). In S1405, the repair location estimation unit 314 judges whether an inquiry has been made to the remote control server 104 for all remote supportable treatments. If all remote supportable treatments have been processed, the process of S412 in FIG. 4 is performed. On the other hand, if there is an unprocessed remote supportable treatment, the process returns to S1401. Note that the third embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined, in which case the processes of the second embodiment (S1101 to S1104) are added between S421 and S425 shown in FIG. 14.

[0084] As described above, according to this embodiment, even in cases where the availability of remote control varies depending on the settings of the printer 102, it is possible to determine whether remote control is possible while taking into consideration the settings of the printer 102 by inquiring of the remote control server 104. This makes it possible to provide data on whether remote control is recommended after confirming whether the printer 102 accepts remote operations.

[0085] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration of an information providing system. (Configuration 1) An information providing system for providing information on recommended measures to resolve an error occurring in a network device, an estimation means for estimating a measure to be taken in response to an error occurring in a network device; a determination means for determining whether a measure to be taken in response to an error occurring in the network device estimated by the estimation means is a measure that can be remotely handled by sending a command to a target network device via a network; providing means for providing data for outputting information on candidates estimated as measures to be taken in response to an error occurring in the network device; An information providing system characterized in that, when a treatment that can be performed remotely is included as one of the candidates, the data provided by the providing means includes data for outputting information indicating that remote work is recommended. (Configuration 2) The information providing system according to configuration 1, characterized in that the data for outputting information indicating that remote work is recommended is data for outputting both or either a message recommending remote work and a display recommending remote work for the target procedure. (Configuration 3) 3. The information providing system according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein information on the estimated candidates is output on a Web browser based on the data. (Configuration 4) The information providing system of any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the determination means determines whether the action to be taken for the estimated error occurring in the network device is a action that can be handled remotely, based on remote action information indicating whether each action can be handled remotely. (Configuration 5) The information providing system of configuration 4, wherein the determination means, for a procedure that is determined to be a procedure that can be handled remotely based on the remote procedure information, checks whether the network device accepts the procedure from remotely, and determines whether the procedure is a procedure that can be handled remotely. (Configuration 6) An information providing system as described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that when a remotely manageable treatment is included as the candidate, and the probability of an estimated error cause corresponding to the remotely manageable treatment is equal to or greater than a threshold, the data provided by the providing means includes data for outputting information indicating that remote work is recommended. (Configuration 7) An information provision system as described in any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that when multiple actions are recommended to resolve a single error, and the order in which the multiple actions, including actions that can be handled remotely, are performed is not determined, and when the first action to be performed among the multiple actions is an action that can be handled remotely, information indicating that remote work is recommended is output to the data provided by the provision means. (Configuration 8) 8. The information providing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the procedure that cannot be performed remotely is a procedure that is performed by operating a network device at a site where the network device is installed.

[0086] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

[0087] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. An information provision system that provides information on recommended actions to resolve errors occurring in network devices, An estimation means for estimating the actions that should be taken in response to errors occurring in network devices, A determination means for determining whether the action to be taken in response to the error occurring in the network device estimated by the estimation means is a remote action that can be taken by sending a command to the target network device remotely via the network, The system includes a means for providing data to output information on candidate actions that should be taken in response to an error occurring in the network device, An information provision system characterized in that, if a remotely performable procedure is included as a candidate, the data provided by the providing means includes data that outputs information indicating that remote work is recommended.

2. The information provision system according to claim 1, characterized in that the data on which information indicating the recommendation of remote work is output is data that outputs both or either a message recommending remote work and a display recommending remote work for the target action.

3. The information provision system according to claim 1, characterized in that, based on the aforementioned data, information on the estimated candidates is output to a web browser.

4. The information provision system according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines whether the action to be taken in response to the estimated error occurring in the network device is an action that can be taken remotely, based on remote action information indicating whether or not remote action is possible for each action.

5. The information provision system according to claim 4, characterized in that the determination means checks whether the network device has received a remote request for a procedure that has been determined to be a procedure that can be handled remotely based on the remote procedure information, and determines whether the procedure is a procedure that can be handled remotely.

6. The information provision system according to claim 1, characterized in that, when a remotely manageable procedure is included as a candidate, and the estimated probability of the cause of the error corresponding to the remotely manageable procedure is greater than or equal to a threshold, the data provided by the providing means includes data that outputs information indicating that remote work is recommended.

7. The information provision system according to claim 1, characterized in that, when multiple actions are recommended to resolve a single error, and the order in which the multiple actions, including actions that can be performed remotely, are not specified, and when the first action to be performed among the multiple actions is an action that can be performed remotely, the data provided by the providing means includes data that outputs information indicating that remote work is recommended.

8. The information provision system according to claim 1, characterized in that the actions that cannot be handled remotely are actions that are handled by operating the network device at the site where the network device is installed.

9. A control method for an information provision system that provides information on recommended actions to resolve errors occurring in network devices, A process to estimate the actions to be taken in response to an error occurring in a network device, A step of determining whether the action to be taken in response to the error that is presumed to have occurred in the aforementioned network device is a remote action that can be performed by sending a command to the target network device remotely via the network, The process includes providing data for outputting information on candidate actions to be taken in response to an error occurring in the network device, A control method for an information provision system, characterized in that, if a remotely performable procedure is included as one of the candidates, the provided data includes data that outputs information indicating that remote work is recommended.

Images