Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To perform guidance at a customer window contacted by a user even when it is difficult to acquire information necessary for performing guidance for solution from the user.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 100 includes a reception unit 31 that receives abnormality information indicating that an operation of the image forming apparatus 100 is abnormal, a related log extraction unit 33 that extracts related log information determined in advance to be highly related to the abnormality information received by the reception unit 31 from log information included in the image forming apparatus 100, a feature extraction unit 34 that extracts a feature by performing pattern matching on the related log information extracted by the related log extraction unit 33, and an output unit 36 that outputs a log summary generated from the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a log information providing device that includes a log accumulation means for accumulating logs that are generated when an event to be recorded occurs and that include at least an identification code that identifies the event; an identification code information storage means for storing identification code information in which the identification codes of one or more events are specified; an extraction means for extracting from the log accumulation means a log that includes an identification code specified in the identification code information stored in the identification code information storage means in response to a sent log acquisition request; and a transmission means for transmitting the extracted log to the sender of the log acquisition request. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-253564 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a user contacts a customer service center because an image forming device is not operating normally, the customer service center obtains the information necessary for the response from the user and provides guidance for a solution. However, if the customer service center is unable to obtain the information necessary for the response, it is difficult for the customer service center to provide guidance for a solution from the image forming device log itself, and the customer service center will instead request a technical representative to handle the problem. Even if the information necessary for a response cannot be obtained from the user, if the customer service center that receives the user's call can provide guidance for a solution, the burden on the technical staff can be reduced. An object of the present invention is to enable the customer service center contacted by the user to provide guidance for a solution even when it is difficult to obtain the information necessary to provide guidance for a solution from the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is an image forming device having a reception unit that receives abnormality information indicating that its own operation is abnormal; a related log extraction unit that extracts related log information from its own log information that is predetermined to be highly relevant to the abnormality information received by the reception unit; a feature extraction unit that extracts features by pattern matching the related log information extracted by the related log extraction unit; and an output means that outputs a log summary generated from the features extracted by the feature extraction unit. A second aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the receiving unit receives the abnormality information by voice. The invention described in claim 3 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 2, characterized in that the voice reception is performed by inputting the voice together with a predetermined signal. A fourth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the output unit outputs the log summary by voice. The invention described in claim 5 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving unit is configured to include a display device that can receive the abnormality information by selecting predetermined items. A sixth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect, wherein the display device constitutes a part of the output means that outputs the log summary on a display. The invention described in claim 7 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving unit receives the abnormality information without communicating with the outside, and the output means outputs the log summary without communicating with the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, the efficiency of maintenance work can be improved compared to when a configuration is not adopted in which parts that may be used for the maintenance of multiple predetermined devices are predicted and the person in charge brings the parts according to the prediction results. According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to accept orders over the telephone. According to the invention of claim 3, the occurrence of erroneous voice input can be reduced compared to when a configuration is not adopted in which voice acceptance is performed by inputting voice together with a predetermined signal. According to the invention of claim 4, the output means can more easily identify the cause of the operational abnormality than when the configuration of outputting the log summary by voice is not adopted. According to the invention of claim 5, the receiving unit can receive abnormality information more reliably than when a configuration including a display device that can receive abnormality information by selecting predetermined items is not adopted. According to the invention of claim 6, the display device can reduce the number of parts compared to a case where a configuration that configures a part of the output means that outputs the log summary on display is not adopted. According to the invention of claim 7, the efficiency of maintenance work can be improved compared to when a configuration is not adopted in which parts that may be used for the maintenance of multiple predetermined devices are predicted and the person in charge brings the parts according to the prediction results. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus to which the present embodiment is applied; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in the image forming apparatus. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart for explaining application examples of the processing example of FIG. 4, where (a) is a first application example, (b) is a second application example, (c) is a third application example, and (d) is a fourth application example. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first specific example of an image forming apparatus to which the first application example is applied. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first specific example of an image forming apparatus to which the first application example is applied. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a first specific example of an image forming apparatus to which the first application example is applied. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a second specific example of an image forming device to which the second application example is applied, in which (a) is a screen for selecting the content of the trouble on the operation panel, and (b), (c), and (d) are screens for specifying the details of the selected content of the trouble. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 1, image forming apparatus 100 includes document reading device 110 that reads information from a document G, and image forming section 120 that forms an image on recording paper S based on the information (read image) from the document read by document reading device 110. Image forming apparatus 100 also includes paper feeding section 130 that feeds recording paper S to be supplied to image forming section 120. In this image forming apparatus 100, image forming section 120 and paper feeding section 130 are housed inside main body 101, while document reading device 110 is disposed above main body 101. Main body 101 has, on its top surface, discharge and storage section 102 that discharges and stores recording paper S on which an image has been formed.

[0009] The document reading device 110 has a housing 103. The document reading device 110 also has a light-transmitting document table 105 on the top surface of the housing 103, on which a document G is placed. The document reading device 110 also has a document cover 106 that covers the document table 105 and can be opened and closed relative to the housing 103. The document cover 106 is provided with an automatic document feeder 107 that feeds the document G to a reading position and discharges the document G after reading. The document cover 106 also has a document tray 108 that holds the document G sent by the automatic document feeder 107. The document cover 106 also has a storage unit 109 that stores the document G discharged from the automatic document feeder 107.

[0010] Image forming section 120 includes image forming units 121 that form toner images of the respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) by, for example, electrophotography. Image forming section 120 includes intermediate transfer unit 126 that transports the toner images formed by image forming units 121 until they are transferred onto recording paper S. Image forming section 120 also includes fixing unit 127 that fixes the toner images transferred from intermediate transfer unit 126 onto recording paper S. The image forming unit 121 includes photosensitive units 140, each of which corresponds to a different color and is shown by a broken line. Each of the photosensitive units 140 is detachable from the main body 101, and the user can attach or detach the photosensitive units 140.

[0011] The paper feed unit 130 has a drawer-type container 131 that can hold multiple sheets of recording paper S of a predetermined size, type, etc., and a feed device 132 that feeds the recording paper S stored in the container 131 to a conveying path one sheet at a time. Between the paper feed unit 130 and the image forming unit 120, a supply conveying path 128 is arranged that conveys the recording paper S sent out from the paper feed unit 130 to the secondary transfer position.

[0012] [Hardware Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 100] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a processor 21, a RAM 22, a ROM 23, an HDD 24, an operation panel 25, an image forming unit 26, a communication I / F 27, and a call I / F 28.

[0013] The processor 21 loads various programs stored in the ROM 23 or the like into the RAM 22 and executes them to realize processing for printing in the image forming unit 26.

[0014] The RAM 22 is a memory used as a working memory for the processor 21. The ROM 23 is a memory that stores various programs executed by the processor 21. The HDD 24 is, for example, a magnetic disk device that stores data used in image formation in the image forming unit 26.

[0015] The operation panel 25 is, for example, a touch panel that displays various information and accepts operation inputs from the user, and is a UI (User Interface) device. Here, the operation panel 25 is composed of a display that displays various information and a position detection sheet that detects a position indicated by an indication means such as a finger or a stylus pen. Alternatively, a display and a keyboard may be used instead of the touch panel. The operation panel 25 is an example of a display device.

[0016] The image forming unit 26 prints an image on a recording medium such as paper. Here, the image forming unit 26 is, for example, a printer, and uses an electrophotographic method in which toner attached to a photosensitive member is transferred to the recording medium to form an image. The communication I / F 27 transmits and receives various information to and from, for example, a server via a communication line. The call I / F 28 enables calls between, for example, a user and a customer service center via a telephone line.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functions of the image forming apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a reception unit 31, a log generation unit 32, a related log extraction unit 33, a feature extraction unit 34, a log summary generation unit 35, an output unit 36, and a conversation mode control unit 37.

[0018] The reception unit 31 receives abnormality information indicating that its own operation is abnormal. The reception of such abnormality information is performed by input from the outside, for example, in the form of spoken words via the call I / F 28 (see FIG. 2) or in the form of operation details via the operation panel 25. Note that it is also possible to receive abnormality information by acquiring information via the communication I / F 27 (see FIG. 2). The reception unit 31 can be configured to include the operation panel 25 (see FIG. 2).

[0019] The abnormality information here refers to the content of the trouble that the user is having with the image forming apparatus 100, and is information indicating the content of the trouble that is currently occurring. For example, the abnormality information may include information indicating that a phenomenon in which the recording paper S (see FIG. 1) is jammed in the supply conveyance path 128, i.e., a paper jam has occurred.

[0020] The log generating unit 32 generates log information indicating its own operating status. Such log information includes various log information of the processor 21, the operation panel 25, the image forming unit 26 (see FIG. 2), etc. The generated log information is stored, for example, in the HDD 24 (see FIG. 2). It should be noted that the various log information mentioned here cannot necessarily be classified into one of the processor 21, the operation panel 25, the image forming unit 26, etc., but an example of classification will be described below.

[0021] Examples of the log information of the processor 21 include information indicating the time when the power was turned on / off or when power saving was enabled, and information on the content and time of jobs such as copy mode and print mode. In the case of print mode, the log information of the processor 21 may include, for example, information indicating the paper size and type of recording paper S (see FIG. 1) and information indicating whether double-sided printing is enabled. The information indicating the type here refers to information indicating whether the paper is plain paper or thick paper. Furthermore, the log information of the processor 21 may include information on the error code and time when a failure occurs.

[0022] The log information of the operation panel 25 may include information on the operation content and time of the operation of the operation panel 25. For example, in the case of copy mode, the log information of the operation panel 25 may include information on the paper size and type, and information on whether double-sided printing is enabled. The information on the type here refers to information on whether the paper is plain paper or thick paper. If the user operating the operation panel 25 can be identified, information indicating such a user may be included in the log information.

[0023] Examples of the log information of the image forming unit 26 include information on the content and time of parts replacement due to maintenance, and information on the content and time of replacement of consumables such as developers. Also, examples of the log information of the image forming unit 26 include information on the replenishment of paper in the container 131 (see FIG. 1) of the paper feed unit 130 and the time.

[0024] The related log extraction unit 33 extracts, from the log information generated by the log generation unit 32, related log information that is predetermined to be highly relevant to the abnormality information received by the reception unit 31. That is, the related log extraction unit 33 identifies log information related to each predetermined trouble. Then, the related log extraction unit 33 finds out the conditions under which the trouble occurred and extracts only log information related to a category that matches the conditions.

[0025] There are various possible extraction methods. In the case of a rule-based extraction method, the related log extraction unit 33 categorizes jobs and machine states and determines rules for log information related to each category. For example, possible categorizations include print / copy / scan for jobs, startup / power saving / authentication for states, and error code / image quality / abnormal noise / paper jam for phenomena.

[0026] In addition, in the case of data mining and machine learning, which are other extraction methods, log information that occurs at the same time as each trouble occurs is identified and associated based on past trouble information and log information. When a trouble actually occurs, only the associated log information is extracted. The data mining techniques referred to here use Apriori / FP-Growth / Eclat etc. to extract data correlations. Data is also clustered to create similar data groups. This allows identification of which cluster each trouble belongs to. Furthermore, machine learning such as CNN / SVM / RandomForest is used to extract highly relevant logs for each trouble.

[0027] The feature extraction unit 34 extracts features by pattern matching the related log information extracted by the related log extraction unit 33. That is, the feature extraction unit 34 performs pattern matching on the extracted logs that are highly related to the trouble.

[0028] There are various types of pattern matching that can be considered. For example, by focusing on error codes, it is possible to detect patterns in which a frequent error code occurs or a specific error code occurs after a specific log. In addition, we focus on detecting specific patterns, and detect specific patterns of specific operations or states when a problem occurs, such as when a certain pattern of processing is repeated. Furthermore, by focusing on pattern coordination, deviations in sensor values ​​and settings when a problem occurs are detected.

[0029] The log summary generation unit 35 generates a log summary from the features extracted by the feature extraction unit 34. Such a log summary may be a written summary of the features, or may be a list of the features.

[0030] The output unit 36 ​​outputs the log summary generated by the log summary generation unit 35. As a form of output, the log summary may be read aloud or displayed. When outputting by voice, the log summary may be output by conversation over the call I / F 28 or by a speaker (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus 100. The output unit 36 ​​is an example of an output means. The output unit 36 ​​can be configured to include the operation panel 25.

[0031] The conversation mode control unit 37 starts or ends control of the conversation mode when predetermined conditions are met. For example, the conversation mode control unit 37 starts control of the conversation mode when it receives a detection signal through the call I / F 28. Furthermore, the conversation mode control unit 37 ends control of the conversation mode when it detects a voice input such as "Please take over from the customer." The voice input can be detected by voice recognition. The conversation mode here refers to a mode in which information can be input and output using voice, and in this embodiment, instructions can be given to image forming device 100 in spoken language via telephone conversation from call I / F 28, and responses can be received from image forming device 100 via automated voice.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure in the image forming apparatus 100. In the processing example shown in Fig. 4, when the reception unit 31 (see Fig. 3) receives trouble information (step 101), the related log extraction unit 33 extracts related log information that is highly relevant to the trouble information from the log information (step 102). Such log information is generated by the log generation unit 32 (see Fig. 3). The trouble information is an example of abnormality information indicating that the device's own operation is abnormal.

[0033] Then, the feature extraction unit 34 (see FIG. 3) performs pattern matching on the related log information to extract features (step 103). For example, if there is a specific pattern or regularity in the log information when an error occurs, this is extracted as a feature. The log summary generator 35 generates a log summary using the extracted features (step 104). The generated log summary is output as information about the trouble information.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining application examples that apply the processing example of Fig. 4, where (a) is the first application example, (b) is the second application example, (c) is the third application example, and (d) is the fourth application example. Note that (a) to (d) include processes corresponding to steps 101 to 104 of Fig. 4, and therefore their explanation may be omitted. 5(a), the content of the trouble is identified by performing voice recognition (step 201) on the content of the conversation over the call I / F 28. The voice recognition is performed by the reception unit 31 (see FIG. 3).

[0035] By using this voice recognition, the content of human speech is analyzed and converted into text, thereby identifying the content of the trouble. This allows the reception unit 31 (see FIG. 3) to receive trouble information (step 202). The reception unit 31 receives the trouble information by voice. Note that the voice recognition can use well-known or commonly used technology for converting voice into text. Steps 202 to 205 in the first application example shown in FIG. 5(a) correspond to steps 101 to 104 in FIG. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] Once the log summary is generated (step 205), it is read out (step 206). The log summary is read out to the other party via the call I / F 28 (see FIG. 2). That is, the log summary is read out over the phone. This allows the other party to obtain additional information for troubleshooting, making it easier to identify the cause of the trouble. A first application example is when the call I / F 28 (see FIG. 2) is used as the output unit 36 ​​(see FIG. 3). In the first application example, even if the image forming device 100 is not connected to a network, the log summary can be listened to by telephone, making it possible to accommodate a wide range of installation environments for the image forming device 100 at the user's location.

[0037] In the first application example, the log summary is transmitted to the other party from the call I / F 28 (see Figure 2), but this is not limited to this, and the log summary may also be transmitted to the other party from the communication I / F 27 (see Figure 2).

[0038] In the second application example shown in Fig. 5(b), trouble options are displayed on the operation panel 25 (see Fig. 2) (step 301). The display of the trouble options is performed by the reception unit 31 (see Fig. 3).

[0039] The user operates the operation panel 25 (see FIG. 2) while viewing the displayed trouble options to input the trouble details that the user recognizes, which causes the reception unit 31 (see FIG. 3) to receive the trouble information (step 302). Steps 302 to 305 in the second application example shown in FIG. 5(b) correspond to steps 101 to 104 in FIG. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0040] Once the log summary is generated (step 305), it is displayed on the operation panel 25 (see FIG. 2) (step 306), allowing the user to check it. This allows the user to obtain additional information for troubleshooting, making it easier to identify the cause of the problem. In addition to the case where the user inputs the details of the problem on the operation panel 25 (see FIG. 2) and checks the displayed log summary, it is also conceivable that a technician in charge of maintenance work on the image forming apparatus 100 (see FIG. 1) will visit the user's site and perform the work. The technician in this case is a technical specialist. The second application example is a case where the operation panel 25 (see FIG. 2) is used as the output unit 36 ​​(see FIG. 3). That is, the operation panel 25 outputs a log summary on the display.

[0041] In the second application example, the trouble content is input from the operation panel 25 (see Figure 2), but this is not limited to this, and the trouble content may also be input from the communication I / F 27 (see Figure 2).

[0042] In a third application example shown in Fig. 5(c), speech recognition (step 401) is performed on the content of a call conversation via the call I / F 28, and the content of the trouble is input. Then, when a log summary is generated (step 405), the log summary is displayed on the operation panel 25 (see Fig. 2) (step 406). Steps 402 to 405 correspond to steps 101 to 104 in Fig. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The third application example is a case where the operation panel 25 (see FIG. 2) is used as the output unit 36 ​​(see FIG. 3).

[0043] In the fourth application example shown in Fig. 5(d), trouble options are displayed on the operation panel 25 (see Fig. 2) (step 501), and the trouble content is entered. Then, a log summary is generated (step 505), and the log summary is read aloud over the telephone (step 506). Steps 502 to 505 correspond to steps 101 to 104 in Fig. 4, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The fourth application example is a case where the call I / F 28 (see FIG. 2) is used as the output unit 36 ​​(see FIG. 3).

[0044] Next, a specific example of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the above-mentioned application example will be described. 6, 7, and 8 are diagrams illustrating a first specific example of an image forming apparatus 100 to which the first application example is applied. FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 show the first specific example in order, with the left side of each diagram representing the image forming apparatus where a problem has occurred and the right side representing the customer center that handles the problem. Each diagram is shown in chronological order from top to bottom. The customer center referred to here is a customer service desk. 6, in the first specific example, a user 41 calls a customer center using a handset 29 of the image forming apparatus 100, and the user 41 says, "There's a problem with the multifunction device" (c11), and conveys the first report to an operator 42 at the customer center. The handset 29 corresponds to the call I / F 28 (see FIG. 2).

[0045] In response to this, the operator 42 responds through the headset 43, "Please tell me the details" (c12), and tries to understand what kind of troubleshooting is required. The user 41 explains that "paper jams frequently occur during printing" (c13) and provides specific details of the problem. The above-described exchange (c11 to c13) shown in FIG. 6 is a typical conversation (c10) between a user 41 and an operator 42 when a call is made to a customer center.

[0046] 7, the operator 42 asks the user 41 to "hand over the phone, please" through the headset 43 (c21). The user 41 hears this through the receiver 29. In this way, the operator 42 informs the user 41 that the call with the user 41 will be temporarily ended in order to give direct instructions to the image forming apparatus 100.

[0047] Then, the operator 42 transmits a detection signal from the telephone (c22). This detection signal is used to transition the image forming apparatus 100 to conversation mode. When the image forming apparatus 100 receives the detection signal via the call I / F 28, the conversation mode control unit 37 (see FIG. 3) starts control of the conversation mode. This enables the customer center to collect information to identify the problem (c20). The conversation mode may be terminated when a signal for terminating the conversation mode is received.

[0048] The operator 42 says over the phone, "There have been frequent paper jams during printing," superimposed on the instruction signal (c23). This causes the image forming apparatus 100 to accept trouble information through voice recognition (see steps 201 and 202 in FIG. 5(a)). Note that the instruction signal referred to here is for the image forming apparatus 100 to converse with the operator 42. This causes the image forming apparatus 100 to respond to conversations with the operator 42, but not to the voice of the user 41 to whom no instruction signal is sent. When abnormality information is received by voice in image forming apparatus 100, the voice is input together with an instruction signal. The instruction signal here is an example of a predetermined signal.

[0049] The image forming apparatus 100 reads out the generated log summary (see step 206 in FIG. 5(a)). That is, it reads out the following content (c24): "The log summary regarding paper jams is as follows. The most recent occurrence date and time was xx day, xx hours, xx minutes. The same error code has occurred 10 times in one week. In 8 cases, paper was added immediately before the occurrence. This only occurred when printing on thick paper, and not with other types of paper." In this way, the log summary is outputted aloud.

[0050] In response, the operator 42 further asks, "Is there any difference depending on the paper size?" by superimposing an instruction signal (c25), and the image forming apparatus 100 replies, "There is no difference depending on the paper size" (c26). The operator 42 can narrow down the cause of the problem by communicating with the image forming apparatus 100 over the phone. Furthermore, additional information can be obtained in addition to the information from the user 41. Therefore, when visiting the location of the image forming apparatus 100, it becomes possible to bring with them maintenance parts that are likely to be needed to solve the problem. This makes it possible to avoid having to visit the user 41 again, thereby reducing the man-hours of the maintenance worker. It also becomes possible to reduce the burden on the user 41 of explaining the details of the problem.

[0051] Then, the operator 42 instructs the image forming apparatus 100 to "please take over for the customer" by superimposing an instruction signal (c27). In the above example, the conversation mode is started and ended by a signal from the operator 42, but this is not limited to this. For example, in the image forming apparatus 100, when the spoken phrase "Please hand over the phone" (c21) is voice-recognized via the call I / F 28, the conversation mode control unit 37 (see FIG. 3) starts control of the conversation mode. Also, when the spoken phrase "Please hand over the phone to the customer" (c27) is voice-recognized, the conversation mode control unit 37 (see FIG. 3) ends control of the conversation mode.

[0052] Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the customer center operator 42 informs the user 41 of the results of the cause identification or the dispatch of a maintenance worker (c30). That is, the operator 42 explains to the user 41, "It appears that the cause is that the tray was not set properly when adding paper. We will show you the correct setting method" (c31). If the user 41 performs the setting method that was explained to them, it is expected that the trouble will be resolved at the time of the call. Furthermore, if the user 41 requests the dispatch of a maintenance worker, the operator 42 will arrange for the maintenance worker to be dispatched. In this way, troubleshooting of the image forming apparatus 100 proceeds.

[0053] 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating a second specific example of the image forming apparatus 100 to which the second application example is applied, in which (a) is a screen for selecting a problem on the operation panel 25, and (b), (c), and (d) are screens for specifying details of the selected problem. The trouble selection options displayed on the operation panel 25 (see step 301 or step 501 in FIG. 5) are shown. In addition, the operation panel 25 may be a touch panel that has the function of detecting the position touched by the user, or it may include a display panel consisting of an LCD display or the like and physical keys that are pressed by the user to select an item on the display panel.

[0054] 9, the screen 251 shown in (a) of the same figure displays "Please select the problem content" and includes the items "Job," "Status," and "Phenomenon" as options. When any of the items is selected on the screen 251, the screen transitions to the next screen.

[0055] 9(b) is the screen to which the user transitions when "Job" is selected on screen 251. Screen 252 displays "Please specify details of the selected job" and includes three options: "Print," "Copy," and "Scan." By selecting any of the items on screen 252, the user can notify image forming apparatus 100 of the details of the problem.

[0056] 9(c) is the screen to which the user transitions when "Status" is selected on screen 251. Screen 253 displays "Please specify details of the selected status" and includes three items: "At startup," "At power saving," and "At authentication."

[0057] 9(d) is the screen to which the user transitions when "Symptom" is selected on screen 251. Screen 254 displays the message "Please specify details of the selected condition" and includes four items: "Error code," "Image quality," "Abnormal noise," and "Paper jam."

[0058] In this way, trouble information is also accepted in the image forming apparatus 100 by displaying options for the trouble content on the operation panel 25 (see step 301 or step 501 in FIG. 5). The operation panel 25 is capable of accepting trouble information by selecting from predetermined options. The accepting unit 31 is configured to include the operation panel 25. The displayed options include a plurality of main categories (see FIG. 9(a)) and a plurality of sub-categories branching off from each main category (see FIG. 9(b) to (d)).

[0059] Image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment receives trouble information and outputs a log summary without communicating with the outside. This makes it possible to obtain information necessary for maintenance even from image forming apparatus 100 that is not connected to a network. Furthermore, additional information necessary for maintenance is obtained by operating image forming apparatus 100 in response to instructions from the customer center. Furthermore, obtaining information from image forming apparatus 100 in the form of a log summary increases the likelihood of identifying the cause with minimal communication.

[0060] <Additional Notes> (((1))) a reception unit that receives abnormality information indicating that the device itself is operating abnormally; a related log extraction unit that extracts related log information that is predetermined to be highly related to the anomaly information received by the reception unit from the log information that the related log extraction unit has; a feature extraction unit that extracts features by pattern matching the related log information extracted by the related log extraction unit; an output means for outputting a log summary generated from the features extracted by the feature extraction unit; An image forming apparatus having the same. (((2))) The receiving unit receives the abnormality information by voice. The image forming apparatus according to (((1))) is characterized in that (((3))) The voice reception is performed by inputting the voice together with a predetermined signal. The image forming apparatus according to (((2))) is characterized in that (((4))) the output means outputs the log summary by voice. The image forming apparatus according to any one of (((1))) to (((3))) is characterized in that: (((5))) the receiving unit is configured to include a display device capable of receiving the anomaly information by selecting a predetermined item. The image forming apparatus according to (((1))) is characterized in that (((6))) The display device constitutes a part of the output means for outputting the log summary on a display. The image forming apparatus according to (((5))) is characterized in that (((7))) the receiving unit receives the anomaly information without communicating with an external device, the output means outputs the log summary without communicating with an external device. The image forming apparatus according to any one of (((1))) to (((6))) is characterized in that:

[0061] According to the invention of (((1))), it is possible to improve the efficiency of maintenance work compared to a case where a configuration is not adopted in which parts that may be used in the maintenance of a predetermined number of devices are predicted and a person in charge brings parts according to the prediction results. According to the invention (((2))), it is possible to accept orders over the phone. According to the invention of (((3))), the occurrence of erroneous voice input can be reduced compared to when a configuration is not adopted in which voice input is performed by inputting voice together with a predetermined signal. According to the invention (((4))), the output means can more easily identify the cause of the operational abnormality than when the output means does not employ a configuration that outputs the log summary by voice. According to the invention (((5))), the receiving unit can receive abnormality information more reliably than when a configuration including a display device that can receive abnormality information by selecting predetermined items is not adopted. According to the invention (((6))), the display device can reduce the number of parts compared to a case where a configuration that forms part of the output means that outputs the log summary on display is not adopted. According to the invention of (((7))), it is possible to improve the efficiency of maintenance work compared to a case where a configuration is not adopted in which parts that may be used in the maintenance of a predetermined number of devices are predicted and the person in charge brings the parts according to the prediction results. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 31... Reception unit, 32... Log generation unit, 33... Related log extraction unit, 34... Feature extraction unit, 35... Log summary generation unit, 36... Output unit, 100... Image forming apparatus

Claims

1. a reception unit that receives abnormality information indicating that the device itself is operating abnormally; a related log extraction unit that extracts related log information that is predetermined to be highly related to the anomaly information received by the reception unit from the log information that the related log extraction unit has; a feature extraction unit that extracts features by pattern matching the related log information extracted by the related log extraction unit; an output means for outputting a log summary generated from the features extracted by the feature extraction unit; An image forming apparatus having the same.

2. The receiving unit receives the abnormality information by voice.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. The voice reception is performed by inputting the voice together with a predetermined signal.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. the output means outputs the log summary by voice.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

5. the receiving unit is configured to include a display device capable of receiving the anomaly information by selecting a predetermined item.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. The display device constitutes a part of the output means for outputting the log summary on a display.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

7. the receiving unit receives the anomaly information without communicating with an external device, the output means outputs the log summary without communicating with an external device.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

Images