System and method

Abstract

To make a service man recognize an occurrence and contents of an abnormal state by diagnosing the contents of the abnormal state in the case that a device becomes the abnormal state.SOLUTION: A system includes an information provision system, and an information processing device, the information provision system manages operation information collected from an image processing device, manages error information transmitted from the image processing device, executes diagnosis processing in accordance with the error information in the case of receiving a request for execution of the diagnosis processing for diagnosing treatment necessary for the image processing device on the basis of the operation information, and provides the information processing device with data showing operation state created from the operation information, and the information processing device receives the data from the information provision system, and transmits a request to execute the diagnosis processing about the image processing device to the information provision system according to operation from a user about a prescribed symptom through a display of the operation state based on the data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology has been proposed that provides a means for collecting operation information of an image forming device and checking whether the image forming device is operating without problems. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method for collecting numerical information on specific elements such as the number of printed sheets and the amount of ink, and displaying the operation information for each element as a graph. Patent Document 1 also proposes a method for determining whether the collected numerical information is an abnormal value, and a method for analyzing the cause of the abnormal state by displaying predefined analysis actions for each specific element as analysis candidates when it is determined that the value is an abnormal value.

[0003] In recent years, web applications that run on web browsers (hereafter referred to as web apps) have been able to implement more complex graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This is due to the increasing performance of computers and the development of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), JavaScript, and other technologies that make up web browsers and web apps.

[0004] In developing a Web application with such a complex GUI, implementing a complex GUI from scratch requires a great deal of work, so libraries, frameworks, and the like are provided for Web application development to easily implement the GUI. In addition, by using a technology called Web components, it is possible to create custom components that can be easily incorporated into a Web application and are reusable. By incorporating the provided Web components into a Web application, Web application developers can simplify the implementation of the GUI and the implementation of communication processes for acquiring information that constitutes the GUI. In the following explanation, user interface technologies that can be incorporated into Web applications, including Web components, and have the above-mentioned characteristics and can reduce the burden on Web application developers, are collectively referred to as user interface components (hereinafter referred to as UI components). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-005372 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 proposes a means for analyzing the cause of an abnormal state that is currently occurring from various angles, but the purpose is to assist in the analysis and not to lead to any action. Even if an abnormal state occurs and is recovered by an operation such as rebooting, a serviceman may not be able to notice the problem and deal with it, which may lead to a serious error or unexpected downtime. Furthermore, even if only a procedure that a serviceman can handle remotely is required, a serviceman may be dispatched to the site to carry out the procedure.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system and method that can diagnose the content of an abnormal state when a device goes into an abnormal state and enable a service technician to recognize the occurrence and content of the abnormal state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the system of the present invention is a system including an information providing system and an information processing device, wherein the information providing system comprises an operation information management means for managing operation information collected from the image processing device, an error information management means for managing error information transmitted from the image processing device, a diagnostic means for executing a diagnostic process in response to the error information when a request for executing a diagnostic process to diagnose a treatment required for the image processing device based on the operation information is received from the information processing device, and a providing means for providing data indicating an operation status created from the operation information to the information processing device, and the information processing device comprises a data receiving means for receiving the data from the information providing system, and a request means for transmitting a request for executing the diagnostic process for the image processing device to the information providing system in response to a user's operation regarding a specified symptom via a display of the operation status based on the data. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, when a device goes into an abnormal state, the contents of the abnormal state are diagnosed, and a service person can be made aware of the occurrence and contents of the abnormal state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an error diagnosis process according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an error diagnosis process according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an administrator dashboard screen according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of user interface components according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of user interface components according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of user interface components according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of user interface components according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A system according to an embodiment includes an information providing system and an information processing device. The information providing system includes an operation information management means, an error information management means, a diagnosis means, and a providing means. The operation information management means manages operation information collected from the image processing device. The error information management means manages error information transmitted from the image processing device. When the diagnosis means receives a request from the information processing device to execute a diagnosis process for diagnosing a treatment required for the image processing device based on the operation information, the diagnosis means executes the diagnosis process in response to the error information. The providing means provides data indicating an operation status created from the operation information to the information processing device. The information processing device includes a data receiving means and a requesting means. The data receiving means receives data from the information providing system. The requesting means transmits a request to execute a diagnosis process for the image processing device to the information providing system in response to an operation from a user regarding a predetermined symptom via a display of the operation status based on the data.

[0012] In the system according to the embodiment, the diagnosing unit executes a diagnosing process for estimating parts that are targets of treatment required for the image processing device.

[0013] In the system according to the embodiment, the providing unit outputs the result of the diagnostic process to a serviceman in charge of the image processing device.

[0014] In addition, in the system of the embodiment, the request means sends a request to the information providing system to execute a diagnostic process for the image processing device in response to operation of a user interface component for checking information regarding at least one of past work and dispatch history.

[0015] In addition, in the system of the embodiment, the request means sends a request to the information providing system to execute a diagnostic process for the image processing device in response to operation of a user interface component for checking the diagnostic results of an image forming device in which an abnormality equal to or greater than a threshold has been detected.

[0016] A method according to an embodiment is a method executed by an information providing system and an information processing device. The information providing system executes a diagnostic process and a providing process. The diagnostic process is a process of executing the diagnostic process in response to error information transmitted from the image processing device when a request for execution of a diagnostic process for diagnosing a treatment required for the image processing device based on operation information of the image processing device is received from the information processing device. The providing process is a process of providing data indicating an operation status created from the operation information to the information processing device. The information processing device executes a data receiving process and a requesting process. The data receiving process is a process of receiving data from the information providing system. The requesting process is a process of transmitting a request for execution of a diagnostic process for the image processing device to the information providing system in response to an operation from a user regarding a specified symptom via a display of the operation status based on the data.

[0017] Specific examples of the above-mentioned system and method will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. FIG 1 includes a cloud server 101, a customer network environment 110, and a distributor network environment 120.

[0019] Cloud server 101 is a server that collects and records operation information of image forming devices, and is capable of communicating with various devices via Internet 102. Note that, in Fig. 1, image forming device 112, information processing device 111, and information processing device 121 are each connected to the network, but at least one of these may be connected to the network in multiple units.

[0020] The customer network environment 110 is a network environment of a customer who has purchased an image forming apparatus 112. In the customer network environment 110, the image forming apparatus 112 and an information processing apparatus 111 are connected via a LAN (Local Area Network) 113. The LAN 113 can be connected to the Internet 102.

[0021] The distributor network environment 120 is a network environment used for managing the status of the image forming apparatus and for performing remote maintenance. The distributor network environment 120 is managed by the sales company that sold the image processing apparatus 112. In the distributor network environment 120, an information processing apparatus 121 and a customer information management server 122 are connected via a LAN 123. The LAN 123 can be connected to the Internet 102.

[0022] 1, there is only one dealer network environment 120, but there may be multiple dealer network environments 120 for each region, such as Japan, Europe, etc. Furthermore, the customer information management server 122 manages the image forming apparatuses 112 under the control of each of the multiple customer network environments 110.

[0023] Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams showing an example of the hardware configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. Specifically, Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus in a customer network environment according to an embodiment. Also, Figure 3 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a cloud server, an information processing apparatus in a customer network environment, an information processing apparatus in a dealer network environment, and an information management server according to an embodiment.

[0024] 2, the image forming apparatus 112 includes an original feeding unit 201, an image reader 202, an image forming unit 203, a paper feeding unit 204, a network interface 205, a sensor 206, and a CPU 207. Also, as shown in FIG 2, the image forming apparatus 112 includes a hard disk 208, a non-volatile memory 209, a volatile memory 210, a display unit 211, an operation unit 212, and a system bus 213.

[0025] An original feeding unit 201 automatically feeds an original to be read to an image reader 202. The image reader 202 is, for example, a scanner, and reads the fed original. An image forming unit 203 converts the read original and received data into a print image and prints it. A paper feeding unit 204 feeds paper for printing. A network interface 205 connects to the LAN 113 and the Internet 102 via a network, and exchanges information with the outside. A sensor 206 detects the status of each part of the image forming device 112. A CPU 207 controls each process on the image forming device 112.

[0026] The hard disk 208 stores programs and data related to each process of the image forming apparatus 112. The nonvolatile memory 209 is a rewritable memory that can retain memory even when power is not supplied. The nonvolatile memory 209 is, for example, FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) (registered trademark). The volatile memory 210 is a rewritable memory that can electrically store temporary data related to each process of the image forming apparatus 112. The display unit 211 displays information related to the operating status of the image forming apparatus 112 and operations on the operation unit 212. The operation unit 212 accepts input of instructions to the image forming apparatus 112.

[0027] The system bus 213 connects the document feeding unit 201, image reader 202, image forming unit 203, paper feeding unit 204, network interface 205, sensor 206, CPU 207, hard disk 208, non-volatile memory 209, volatile memory 210, display unit 211 and operation unit 212 in a manner that allows them to communicate with each other.

[0028] The cloud server 101, the information processing device 111, the information processing device 121, and the customer information management server 122 according to the embodiment include the components shown in Fig. 3. That is, they include a display unit 221, an operation unit 222, a CPU 223, a hard disk 224, a volatile memory 225, a network interface 226, and a system bus 227.

[0029] The display unit 221 displays windows, icons, messages, menus, and other user interface information. The operation unit 222 accepts content input by an end user using a keyboard, mouse, etc. The CPU 223 controls each process of the cloud server 101, the information processing device 111, the information processing device 121, or the customer information management server 122. The hard disk 224 stores programs and data related to each process of the cloud server 101, the information processing device 111, the information processing device 121, or the customer information management server 122.

[0030] The volatile memory 225 is a rewritable memory capable of electrically storing temporary data related to each process of the cloud server 101, the information processing device 111, the information processing device 121, and the customer information management server 122. The network interface 226 is connected to the LAN 113 and the Internet 102 via a network, and exchanges information with the outside. The system bus 227 connects the document feed unit 201, the image reader 202, the image forming unit 203, the paper feed unit 204, the network interface 205, the sensor 206, and the CPU 207 in a manner that allows them to communicate with each other.

[0031] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing an example of a software configuration of a remote management system according to an embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 4 shows a software configuration 301 of the cloud server 101. Fig. 5 shows a software configuration 302 of the image forming apparatus 112.

[0032] Each unit of the software configuration 301 shown in FIG. 4 is executed by the CPU 223 in the cloud server 101 by loading a program stored in the hard disk 224 onto the volatile memory 225.

[0033] The error history storage unit 311 is a unit that stores an error history table that stores error information received from the image forming apparatus 112 in the hard disk 224 of the cloud server 101. Table 1 is an example of the error history table stored in the error history storage unit 311.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] The error history table shown in Table 1 includes an error ID column, a device ID column, a model number, an error code column, and an occurrence date and time column. The error ID column is a column that stores an identifier that uniquely identifies an error in the error history table. The device ID column is a column that stores a device ID that is an identifier that uniquely identifies image forming device 112. The model number column is a column that stores the model of image forming device 112. The error code column is a column that stores an error code received from image forming device 112. The occurrence date and time column is a column that stores the date and time when an error was received from image forming device 112. Each record in the error history table is called an error history record, and the error history records are added by processing of operation information recording control unit 322, which will be described later.

[0036] The abnormality detection count storage unit 312 is a unit that stores an abnormality detection count table, which stores operation information received from the image forming apparatus 112, in the hard disk 224 of the cloud server 101. Table 2 is an example of the abnormality detection count table stored in the abnormality detection count storage unit 312.

[0037] [Table 2]

[0038] The abnormality detection count table shown in Table 2 includes a tenant identifier column, a device ID column, an occurrence date and time column, an update date and time column, an abnormality detection count column, and a work attendance column. The tenant identifier column is a column that stores a tenant identifier that uniquely identifies a customer who manages the image forming device 112. The device ID column is a column that stores a device ID that is an identifier that uniquely identifies the image forming device 112.

[0039] The occurrence date and time column is a column that stores the date and time when the abnormality detection count record is registered. The update date and time column is a column that stores the date and time when the abnormality detection count is updated. The abnormality detection count column is a column that stores the number of times an abnormality is detected. The attendance column is a column that indicates whether or not the employee is present at work. Note that, although the purpose of this embodiment is to manage the abnormality detection count of the image forming apparatus 112 on a monthly basis, this is not limited to monthly units. Also, each record in the abnormality detection count table is called an abnormality detection count record, and is registered and updated each time an error history record is registered. The abnormality detection count record is added and updated by processing of the operation information recording control unit 322, which will be described later.

[0040] The market performance holding unit 313 is a means for holding the market performance table in the hard disk 224 of the cloud server 101. The market performance table manages the model number indicating the type of device, the error code indicating the type of error that occurred, the part number indicating the part that was replaced due to the error, and the number of replacements indicating the number of part replacements that have been performed. Table 3 is an example of an error history table stored in the market performance holding unit 313.

[0041] [Table 3]

[0042] The market performance table shown in Table 3 includes a model number column, an error code column, a part number column, and a number of replacements column. The model number column is a column that stores the model number. The error code column is a column that stores the error code that occurred when a part was replaced. The part number column is a column that stores the part number of the part to be replaced. The number of replacements column is a column that stores the number of replacements that have been performed with the same combination of model number, error code, and part number. Each record in the market performance table is called a market performance record, and is a record that is registered and updated when a part replacement is performed in the market in response to an error.

[0043] The diagnostic result storage unit 314 is a means for storing a diagnostic result table that manages device IDs, error IDs, part numbers of parts to be repaired for each error, and priorities indicating the order of the parts to be repaired, in the hard disk 224 of the cloud server 101. Table 4 is an example of a diagnostic result table stored in the diagnostic result storage unit 314.

[0044] [Table 4]

[0045] The diagnosis result table shown in Table 4 includes a device ID column, an error ID column, a part number column, and a priority column. The device ID column is a column that stores a device ID that is an identifier that uniquely identifies the image forming device 112. The error ID column is a column that stores the error ID of the error history record that is the subject of judgment. The part number column is a column that stores the part number that is the subject of replacement in the flowcharts shown in Figures 6 and 7 described below. The priority column is a column that stores the priority of the part number in the part number column. Furthermore, each record in the diagnosis result table is called a diagnosis result record, and is a record that is registered in the processing of step S411 in the flowcharts shown in Figures 6 and 7 described below.

[0046] The dispatch information storage unit 315 is a unit that stores, in the hard disk 224 of the cloud server 101, a dispatch information table that stores dispatch information for maintenance of the image forming apparatus 112. Table 5 shows an example of the dispatch information table stored in the dispatch information storage unit 315.

[0047] [Table 5]

[0048] The dispatch information table shown in Table 5 includes a tenant identifier column, a device ID column, an abnormality detection date and time, a number of abnormality detection count columns, a status column, a work instruction date and time column, a work attendance date and time column, a work time column, a work content column, and a work person column.

[0049] The tenant identifier column is a column that stores a tenant identifier that uniquely identifies a customer that manages the image forming apparatus 112. The device ID column is a column that stores a device ID that is an identifier that uniquely identifies the image forming apparatus 112. The abnormality detection date and time column is a column that stores the date and time when an abnormality in the image forming apparatus 112 is detected. This date and time is the date and time when the abnormal state detection unit 324, which will be described later, determines that an abnormal state exists. The number of abnormality detections column is a column that stores the number of abnormalities detected by the abnormal state detection unit 324. The status column is a column that stores the status of the dispatch information record. The dispatch instruction date and time column is a column that stores the date and time when a dispatch instruction request is made from the diagnosis result UI component 541, which will be described later.

[0050] The dispatch date and time column is a column that stores the date and time of dispatch, and is recorded at the time of dispatch. The work time column is a column that stores the work time, and is recorded at the time of dispatch. The work content column is a column that stores the work content, and is recorded at the time of dispatch. The worker column is a column that stores the worker at the time of dispatch. The dispatch information table shown in Table 5 may include a post-detection abnormality column that stores "abnormality detection" indicating that an abnormality has been detected, "dispatch instruction" indicating an instruction to dispatch, or "work completion" indicating that the work has been completed. Each record in the dispatch information table is called a dispatch information record, and is registered or updated when the abnormality state detection unit 324 detects an abnormality, and is updated when a dispatch instruction is given from the diagnosis result UI part 541 and when the dispatch is completed.

[0051] The event receiving unit 321 is a function that is executed by receiving an event of the image forming apparatus 112 from the network interface 226 provided in the cloud server 101. The received event includes at least a device ID that uniquely identifies the image forming apparatus 112, a tenant identifier that identifies the customer that manages the image forming apparatus 112, and event information. Only when the received event information is operation information, the event receiving unit 321 requests an operation information recording control unit 322 (described later) to determine whether the operation information should be recorded, updated, or deleted. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the determination of whether the received event information is an event related to operation information is made based on the event name included in the event information, but this is not limited to this.

[0052] The operation information recording control unit 322 is a function that is executed by receiving a request to record or update operation information from the event receiving unit 321. The operation information recording control unit 322 determines whether the operation information received from the event receiving unit 321 is operation information indicating that the image forming apparatus 112 is in a normal state or operation information indicating that the image forming apparatus 112 is in an abnormal state.

[0053] If the operation information recording control unit 322 determines that there is an abnormal state, it registers an error history record in the error history table shown in Table 1. Furthermore, if the error registered in the error history record is error information not accompanied by a report, the operation information recording control unit 322 checks whether there is a record in the abnormality detection count table shown in Table 2 that matches the image forming device 112 and has been registered in the same month. Furthermore, if there is no record, the operation information recording control unit 322 registers an abnormality detection count record, and if there is, it updates the abnormality detection count and update date and time of that record.

[0054] The error diagnosis unit 323 is a function that is executed every time the operation information recording control unit 322 registers an error history record. Details of this function will be described later with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0055] The abnormal state detection unit 324 is a function that is executed every time the operation information recording control unit 322 updates the abnormality detection count record. The abnormal state detection unit 324 determines that an abnormal state exists when the abnormality detection count in the abnormality detection count table shown in Table 2 exceeds a predefined abnormality detection count.

[0056] The UI widget display control unit 325 is a function for providing a dashboard for a CE (Customer Engineer) administrator. The UI widget display control unit 325 is a function that is realized by receiving a dashboard display request from a UI widget that is a base in a web browser of the information processing device 111. Details of this function will be described later with reference to Figs. 13 and 14.

[0057] When the abnormal state detection unit 324 determines that the image forming apparatus 112 is in an abnormal state, the abnormal state notification unit 326 notifies a predefined email address of the abnormal state. Details of this process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0058] Each unit of the software configuration 302 shown in FIG. 5 is executed by the CPU 207 in the image forming apparatus 112 by loading a program stored in the hard disk 208 onto the volatile memory 210 .

[0059] The device information storage unit 331 is a function that stores a device information table in the hard disk 208 of the image forming apparatus 112. The device information table stores at least a device ID for uniquely identifying the image forming apparatus 112 and a tenant identifier for uniquely identifying a customer who manages the image forming apparatus 112.

[0060] The operation information holding unit 332 has a function of holding an abnormality detection count table in the hard disk 208 of the image forming apparatus 112. The abnormality detection count table holds operation information created by an operation information recording unit 341, which will be described later. Each record in the abnormality detection count table is called an abnormality detection count record, and is added by the operation information recording unit 341, which will be described later, recording the operation information.

[0061] The operation information recording unit 341 is a function that records operation information in the operation information holding unit 332 when an event related to the operation of the image forming apparatus occurs on the image forming apparatus 112. In this embodiment, it is assumed that an error, a jam, a paper shortage, a low toner level, etc. are detected, but the present invention is not limited to this. When recording operation information, the operation information recording unit 341 also records the date and time of occurrence and additional information.

[0062] The operation information transmission unit 342 is a function that transmits operation information together with its own device ID and tenant identifier from the network interface 205 provided in the image forming apparatus 112 to the cloud server 101. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 112 is set to transmit all operation information to the cloud server 101, but control may be executed to limit the type of operation information to be transmitted.

[0063] The operation information transmitted by the operation information transmission unit 342 is an abnormality detection count record recorded in the operation information storage unit 332. The abnormality detection count record is transmitted every time the operation information recording unit 341 adds a new abnormality detection count record.

[0064] 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing an example of an error diagnosis process according to the embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 6 and the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 are connected by connectors A, B, and C.

[0065] In step S401, an arbitrary event related to operation information occurs in the image forming apparatus 112.

[0066] In step S402, the operation information transmission unit 342 transmits to the cloud server 101 the event information that occurred in step S401, and its own device ID and tenant identifier that are held in the device information holding unit 331.

[0067] In step S403, the operation information recording control unit 322 checks whether the operation information received in step S402 is information related to an error. If the operation information is information related to an error, the operation information recording control unit 322 proceeds to step S404. On the other hand, if the operation information is not information related to an error, the operation information recording control unit 322 ends the process.

[0068] In step S404, the operation information recording control unit 322 records the error information received by the event receiving unit 321 in step S403. Specifically, the operation information recording control unit 322 registers a record in the error history table shown in Table 1. Note that the processes from step S401 to step S402 are repeated every time an event occurs in the image forming apparatus 112.

[0069] In step S405, the error diagnosis unit 323 acquires an error history record whose device ID matches the device ID of the error information received in step S402. Specifically, the value of the device ID column is a record whose device ID matches the device ID of the error history record registered in step S404.

[0070] In step S406, the error diagnosis unit 323 uses the error information received in step S402 and the error history identified in step S405 to calculate a list of multiple part numbers indicating parts to be repaired to eliminate the error based on the rule base. For example, if there is no rule in the rule base, it may not be possible to identify parts to be repaired. In this case, an empty number list is output.

[0071] In this embodiment, the error diagnosis unit 323 uses a rule-based method based on the received error information and error history, but the method for identifying the repair part is not limited to this. For example, estimation using supervised machine learning including deep learning may be performed.

[0072] In step S407, the error diagnosis unit 323 obtains from the market performance table shown in Table 3 a market exchange performance that matches the model number and error code of the error history record recorded in step S404.

[0073] In step S408, the error diagnosis unit 323 checks whether the repair part has been identified in the process of step S406. Specifically, if an empty list of part numbers is output in step S406, the error diagnosis unit 323 determines that the repair part has not been identified and proceeds to step S410. On the other hand, if the list of part numbers is not empty in step S406, the error diagnosis unit 323 determines that the repair part has been identified and proceeds to step S409.

[0074] In step S409, the error diagnosis unit 323 obtains the number of replacements that match the part number from the market performance obtained in step S407 for each part number included in the part number list calculated in step S406. The error diagnosis unit 323 also associates a priority with the part number as "(number of replacements of repair parts / total number of replacements of all parts replaced due to errors)×100".

[0075] In this embodiment, the priority is calculated as the ratio of the number of replacements of the repair parts to the total number of replacements of all the repair parts to be treated, but the method of calculating the priority is not limited thereto.

[0076] In step S410, the error diagnosis unit 323 calculates priorities for all parts based on the market performance acquired in step S407, and associates the priorities with the part numbers.

[0077] In step S411, the error diagnosis unit 323 registers the part number calculated in steps S409 and S410 together with the device ID and error ID of the error history record registered in step S404 as a diagnosis result in the diagnosis result table shown in Table 4. Also in step S411, the error diagnosis unit 323 registers the priority calculated in steps S409 and S410 together with the device ID and error ID of the error history record registered in step S404 as a diagnosis result in the diagnosis result table shown in Table 4.

[0078] In step S412, the operation information recording control unit 322 checks whether the error information received in step S402 is error information accompanied by a report. If the error information is error information not accompanied by a report, the process proceeds to step S413. If the error information is error information accompanied by a report, the process ends.

[0079] In step S413, the operation information recording control unit 322 registers and updates a record in the abnormality detection count table shown in Table 2. Specifically, the operation information recording control unit 322 obtains a record that has the same device ID and month of the date and time of receipt of the error information received in step S402. If a corresponding abnormality detection count record does not exist, the operation information recording control unit 322 registers a new record, and if a corresponding abnormality detection count record exists, it updates the abnormality detection count and the update date and time.

[0080] As described above, by the processing described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is possible to estimate repair parts for image forming apparatus 112 from error information received from the image forming apparatus, and to manage the number of occurrences of errors not accompanied by a report.

[0081] 8 to 12 show examples of a CE administrator dashboard screen provided by the cloud server 101. The CE administrator dashboard screen 501 is composed of UI widgets provided by the UI widget display control unit 325. The CE administrator dashboard screen 501 shows an example of a screen that is displayed in response to a display request for the CE administrator dashboard screen from a base UI widget.

[0082] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a manager dashboard screen according to the embodiment. The manager dashboard screen 501 shown in FIG. 8 is composed of various UI parts. Although detailed description is omitted, the manager dashboard screen 501 makes it possible to check the total number of devices, number of customers, device status, worker performance, and inventory status managed by the sales company to which the operator belongs on one screen. In this embodiment, the purpose is to identify an image forming device 112 in an abnormal state from among the image forming devices 112 managed by the operator and to lead to action. The UI part 502 that expresses the transition of the number of abnormality detections is a graph that expresses the number of abnormalities per month for each image forming device 112. The UI part 503 and the UI part 504 are icons for displaying a UI part 521 for displaying work / dispatch history and a UI part 541 for checking diagnosis results, which will be described later. They are displayed when it is determined that display is necessary in the flowcharts shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, which will be described later. The UI part 503 and the UI part 504 hold information for identifying the target image forming device 112 and date and time information.

[0083] A UI widget 505 that displays a list of abnormal devices is a UI widget that displays information about the image forming apparatuses 112 in descending order of the number of times that an abnormality has been detected. A mouse cursor 506 is used to operate the UI widget.

[0084] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface component according to an embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 9 shows a UI component 511 that is displayed when mouse cursor 506 is focused on UI component 503. UI component 511 is a UI component for checking information on past work and dispatch history.

[0085] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface component according to the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 10 shows a UI component 521 for displaying work / dispatch history information. The UI component 521 identifies and displays a target record from the dispatch information table shown in Table 5 based on information identifying the image forming apparatus 112 held by the UI component 503 and date and time information.

[0086] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface component according to the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 11 shows a UI component 531 that is displayed when a mouse cursor 506 is focused on a UI component 504. The UI component 531 is a UI component for confirming a diagnosis result of an image forming apparatus 112 that has detected an abnormality equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0087] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface component according to the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 12 shows a UI component 541 for checking the diagnosis result of the image forming apparatus 112. The UI component 541 is made up of information 542 about the target image forming apparatus 112, diagnosis result 543 of the target image forming apparatus 112, and a pull-down menu 547 for selecting a person in charge of the request destination when issuing a dispatch instruction.

[0088] Diagnosis result 543 identifies records related to the image forming apparatus 112 from the diagnosis result table shown in Table 4, and displays them in descending order of priority. Part number 544 is the part number of the diagnosis result record. Failure cause probability 545 displays the priority of the diagnosis result record. If the user only wants to confirm the contents and does not want to instruct a dispatch, he or she can instruct a dispatch by pressing cancel button 548. On the other hand, if a dispatch is to be instructed, the user can instruct a dispatch by pressing dispatch request button 549. The dispatch instruction request includes the part number checked in check box 546 of diagnosis result 543. When dispatch request button 549 is pressed, the target record in the dispatch information table shown in Table 5 is updated.

[0089] Next, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 are flowcharts showing an example of processing according to the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 13 and the flowchart shown in Fig. 14 are connected by connectors D, E, and F.

[0090] Step S601 is the process shown in FIGS.

[0091] In step S602, the abnormal state detection unit 324 checks the number of abnormality detections in the abnormality detection number record updated in step S412.

[0092] In step S603, the abnormal state detection unit 324 determines whether the number of abnormality detections confirmed in step S602 exceeds a threshold. If the abnormal state detection unit 324 determines that the number of abnormality detections confirmed in step S602 exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step S604. Note that, although a detailed description is omitted, it is assumed that the threshold is managed in advance.

[0093] In step S604, the abnormal condition detection unit 324 registers a new record in the dispatch information table shown in Table 5. Alternatively, in step S604, the abnormal condition detection unit 324 updates the record in the dispatch information table shown in Table 5. If there is a record with the same device ID and a status other than "Work completed", the abnormal condition detection unit 324 overwrites and updates the number of abnormality detections confirmed in step S602. On the other hand, if the target record does not exist, the abnormal condition detection unit 324 registers a new dispatch information record.

[0094] In step S605, the CE administrator transmits a login request to the cloud server 101 via a web browser on the information processing device 111. The login request includes ID and password information that uniquely identifies the user. Although a detailed description is omitted, the user ID and password are managed separately, and it is assumed that the tenant identifier to which the user of the user ID belongs can be uniquely specified.

[0095] In step S606, the cloud server 101 issues authorization information and returns it to the web browser.

[0096] In step S607, the web browser transmits a display request for a dashboard for a CE administrator from the base UI widget together with the authorization information to the cloud server 101.

[0097] In step S608, the cloud server 101, which has received the request to display the dashboard for the CE administrator from the base UI widget, identifies the customer tenant managed by the sales company identified by the tenant identifier included in the authorization information.

[0098] In step S609, the UI widget display control unit 325 identifies the UI widgets that make up the CE manager dashboard 501 shown in FIG.

[0099] In step S610, the UI widget display control unit 325 identifies a record that requires notification to an administrator from the dispatch information managed by the customer tenant identified in step S608 from the dispatch information table shown in Table 5. Specifically, this record is a record in which the tenant identifier column of the dispatch information table shown in Table 5 is the identifier of the customer tenant identified in step S608 and the status is "abnormality detected" or "dispatch instruction." If a record that satisfies the condition exists, the UI widget display control unit 325 advances the process to step S611. On the other hand, if a record that satisfies the condition does not exist, the UI widget display control unit 325 advances the process to step S612.

[0100] In step S611, the UI widget display control unit 325 adds UI widgets 504 to the UI widgets to be returned for the number of dispatch information records identified in step S610. The UI widgets 504 include information for identifying the target image forming apparatus 112 and date and time information.

[0101] In step S612, the UI widget display control unit 325 identifies a record of a dispatched item from the dispatch information managed by the customer tenant identified in step S608 from the dispatch information table shown in Table 5. Specifically, this record is a record in which the tenant identifier column of the dispatch information table shown in Table 5 is the identifier of the customer tenant identified in step S608 and the status is "Work Completed." The search range is the display period of the graph display of the UI widget 502. If a record that satisfies the conditions is present, the UI widget display control unit 325 advances the process to step S613. On the other hand, if a record that satisfies the conditions is not present, the UI widget display control unit 325 advances the process to step S614.

[0102] In step S613, the UI widget display control unit 325 adds UI widgets 503 to the UI widgets to be returned for the number of dispatch information records identified in step S612. The UI widgets 503 include information for identifying the target image forming apparatus 112 and date and time information.

[0103] In step S614, the UI widget display control unit 325 returns the UI widgets identified in steps S609, S611, and S613 to the base UI widget.

[0104] In step S615, the base UI widget incorporates the UI widget received from the UI widget display control unit 325 into the dashboard screen.

[0105] In step S616, the base UI widget displays a dashboard screen for the CE administrator including the UI widget incorporated in step S615, and the process ends.

[0106] 13 and 14, it is possible to determine whether the image forming apparatus 112 is in an abnormal state from the operation information received from the image forming apparatus. The CE administrator can detect the abnormal state via the administrator dashboard, check the diagnosis results, and take action immediately. In addition, the CE administrator can simultaneously check the dispatch status when an abnormal state was detected in the past.

[0107] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of processing according to the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, a method for checking an abnormal state of the image forming apparatus 112 via a dashboard for a CE administrator has been described. In the second embodiment, a method for notifying a detected abnormal state by a notification means such as email, rather than by the dashboard for the CE administrator, will be described.

[0108] The processing from step S601 to step S604 is the same as the processing in the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] In step S701, the abnormal condition notification unit 326 checks whether the dispatch information record registered or updated in step S604 is the one that was registered. If the abnormal condition notification unit 326 checks that the dispatch information record registered or updated in step S604 is the one that was registered, the process proceeds to step S702. On the other hand, if the abnormal condition notification unit 326 checks that the dispatch information record registered or updated in step S604 is not the one that was registered, the process ends.

[0110] In step S702, the abnormal state notification unit 326 identifies the customer who uses the image forming apparatus 112, and identifies the CE administrator who manages the identified customer. Although detailed description is omitted, it is assumed that information about the CE administrator is managed separately.

[0111] In step S703, the abnormal state notification section 326 executes an e-mail notification to the CE administrator identified in step S702.

[0112] In step S704, the abnormal condition notifying unit 326 updates the status of the dispatch information record registered in step S604 to "notified", and ends the process.

[0113] As described above, by the process described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, it is possible to notify the CE administrator by email when an abnormality in the image forming apparatus 112 is detected, which can lead to the CE administrator taking action.

[0114] The present invention includes the following inventions that appropriately combine the above-mentioned features.

[0115] (Configuration 1) A system including an information providing system and an information processing device, wherein the information providing system comprises an operation information management means for managing operation information collected from an image processing device, an error information management means for managing error information transmitted from the image processing device, a diagnostic means for executing a diagnostic process in response to the error information when a request for executing a diagnostic process to diagnose a treatment required for the image processing device based on the operation information is received from the information processing device, and a providing means for providing data indicating an operation status created from the operation information to the information processing device, wherein the information processing device comprises a data receiving means for receiving the data from the information providing system, and a request means for transmitting a request for executing the diagnostic process for the image processing device to the information providing system in response to a user's operation regarding a specified symptom via a display of the operation status based on the data.

[0116] (Configuration 2) 2. The system according to configuration 1, wherein the diagnostic means executes the diagnostic process to estimate parts that are targets of necessary treatment for the image processing device.

[0117] (Configuration 3) 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the providing means outputs a result of the diagnostic process to a serviceman in charge of the image processing device.

[0118] (Configuration 4) The system described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the request means transmits a request to the information providing system to execute the diagnostic processing for the image processing device in response to an operation of a user interface component for checking information regarding at least one of past work and dispatch history.

[0119] (Configuration 5) The system described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that the request means transmits a request to the information providing system to execute the diagnostic processing for the image processing device in response to an operation of a user interface component for checking a diagnostic result of the image forming device in which an abnormality equal to or greater than a threshold has been detected.

[0120] (Method 1) A method executed by an information providing system and an information processing device, characterized in that, when the information providing system receives a request from the information processing device to execute a diagnostic process that diagnoses the necessary treatment for the image processing device based on operation information of the image processing device, the information providing system executes a diagnostic process in response to error information sent from the image processing device, and a providing process that provides data indicating an operation status created from the operation information to the information processing device, and the information processing device executes a data receiving process that receives the data from the information providing system, and a requesting process that sends a request to the information providing system to execute the diagnostic process for the image processing device in response to a user's operation regarding a specified symptom via a display of the operation status based on the data.

[0121] <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 recording 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 for implementing one or more of the functions, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0122] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In other words, the present invention includes embodiments in which various modifications have been made based on the gist of the present invention, and these embodiments are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 101 Cloud Server 110 Customer Network Environment 111 Information processing equipment for customer network environment 112 Image forming device in customer network environment 120 Sales company network environment 121 Information processing equipment in distributor network environment 122 Customer information management server

Claims

1. A system including an information providing system and an information processing device, The information providing system includes: an operation information management means for managing operation information collected from the image processing device; an error information management unit for managing error information transmitted from the image processing device; a diagnostic unit that, when receiving a request from the information processing device to execute a diagnostic process for diagnosing a treatment required for the image processing device based on the operation information, executes the diagnostic process in response to the error information; providing means for providing data indicating an operational status created from the operational information to the information processing device; Equipped with The information processing device includes: a data receiving means for receiving the data from the information providing system; a request means for transmitting a request for execution of the diagnostic process for the image processing device to the information providing system in response to an operation by a user regarding a predetermined symptom via the display of the operational status based on the data; A system comprising:

2. the diagnostic means executes the diagnostic process to estimate parts that are to be treated in the image processing device; 2. The system of claim 1 .

3. the providing means outputs a result of the diagnostic processing to a serviceman in charge of the image processing device.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the request means transmits to the information providing system a request for execution of the diagnostic process for the image processing device in response to an operation of a user interface component for checking information regarding at least one of past work and dispatch history.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the request means transmits to the information providing system a request for execution of the diagnostic process for the image forming apparatus in response to an operation of a user interface component for confirming a diagnostic result of the image forming apparatus in which an abnormality equal to or greater than a threshold has been detected.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. A method executed by an information providing system and an information processing device, comprising: The information providing system comprises: a diagnostic step of, when receiving a request from the information processing device to execute a diagnostic process for diagnosing a necessary measure for the image processing device based on operation information of the image processing device, executing the diagnostic process in response to error information transmitted from the image processing device; providing data indicating an operational status created from the operational information to the information processing device; Run The information processing device includes: a data receiving step of receiving the data from the information providing system; a request step of transmitting a request for execution of the diagnostic process for the image processing device to the information providing system in response to an operation by a user regarding a predetermined symptom via a display of the operational status based on the data; A method comprising:

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