Information providing system and method

Abstract

To provide an information providing technique for improving visibility of information on repair of a device.SOLUTION: An information providing system includes: an error history management unit 303 which manages error information as error history; and a market performance management unit 305 which manages performance information indicating actual performance of error handling. The information providing system is configured to detect, based on the error information and the performance information, common parts information corresponding to multiple different error codes managed by the error history management unit 303, out of parts information managed by the market performance management unit 305, and provide screen information that highlights the common parts information corresponding to the multiple different error codes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for providing information in device management. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, systems have been developed to manage the various information and status of printers (hereafter referred to as devices) etc. In this system, when a malfunction occurs in a device, the server receives a malfunction notification sent from the device, and it is possible to manage the circumstances of the malfunction (when, which device, and what error occurred).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that keeps a database of past repair records, and based on that database, selects parts that need to be repaired for a problem that is identified, and visually presents information such as candidates for the selected parts to the worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-231666 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When estimating the location of a device's failure, for example, if the status of multiple sensors changes, multiple error codes may be issued. Currently, even if a part is commonly estimated for multiple error codes, a list of replacement candidate parts is displayed on the details screen for each error code, so repair technicians cannot simultaneously compare the commonly estimated parts. Therefore, even if a part estimated for one error code is commonly estimated for other error codes, repair technicians may not notice this, or even if they do, it takes a lot of time to discover it.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an information provision technique that improves the visibility of information relating to device repairs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information providing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first management means for managing error information that corresponds device information identifying a device with an error code indicating an error occurring in the device, a second management means for managing the error code as corresponding part information identifying a part for which treatment has been performed in response to the error as performance information indicating the performance of the treatment, a detection means for detecting common part information that corresponds to a plurality of different error codes among the part information corresponding to the device information based on the error information and the performance information, and a provision means for providing screen information that highlights that the common part information corresponds to the plurality of different error codes. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the visibility of information regarding device repairs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a repair location notification server or a PC according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a printer according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the repair location notification system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a recommended action estimation process according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5]6A is a flowchart showing an example of a process for aggregating market exchange results according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing an example of a process for aggregating results by market procedure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a list screen of errors that occur in the printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a repair part display screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a part replacement record display screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a common estimation unit detection process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a parts replacement performance display screen (displaying the number of parts replaced per dispatch) according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of displaying a child part replacement response rate according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an automatic expansion display of part replacement results according to the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of display of a set replacement part pattern according to the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a set replacement parts total matrix at the time of error history scanning according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of input processing to a set replacement parts total matrix according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of folding and copying a set replacement parts total matrix according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring a set replacement parts list according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] First, a comparative technique that can be compared with the present disclosure will be described. In estimating the location of a fault, if the status of multiple sensors changes, multiple error codes may be issued. A system is provided in which a repair technician deals with multiple errors individually in order, and in this system, even if there is a part that is assumed to be common to multiple errors, the estimated part candidates are displayed on the details screen for each error code. Therefore, the repair technician cannot compare them at the same time, and even if the common part is the cause, he or she will notice that the error has been resolved by moving on to the next error code after dealing with one error. Furthermore, the parts that are displayed as suspected faults by the error sensor are unit parts (composed of multiple parts) that handle various functions. More experienced repair technicians tend not to replace the entire unit assembly, but rather to replace the sub-parts that have become particularly worn out and caused the failure. However, the sensor's failure estimation only covers unit parts (assembly parts made up of a group of sub-parts), and in many cases the sub-parts are not identified, so replacing the sub-parts places a heavy burden on the repair technician.

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, elements having the same configuration or function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted. The configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations shown in the drawings.

[0012] [First embodiment] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device management system according to the first embodiment. The device management system includes a repair location notification server 101, a printer 102, and a PC (Personal Computer) (or a smartphone) 103. The repair location notification server 101, the printer 102, and the PC 103 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a network 100.

[0013] Network 100 is a so-called communications network that can be realized by, for example, the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, a telephone line, or a combination of these, and can be any network that is capable of sending and receiving data. In Fig. 1, 100-2 (LAN) and 100-1 (WAN) are separated, but as long as PC 103 and printer 102 are arranged so as to be accessible to repair location notification server 101, the configuration within 100-2 (LAN) is not important.

[0014] The repair point notification server 101 receives error information indicating an error that has occurred in the printer 102 from the printer 102, and estimates information on one or more repair parts to resolve the error. Furthermore, the repair point notification server 101 manages the track record of part replacements carried out in the market in response to similar errors in the past as market track record, and determines the priority of repair parts to be treated taking this market track record into account.

[0015] The repair location notification server 101 uses cloud computing technology on the Internet. The processes executed by the repair location notification server 101 in the embodiment may be realized by multiple servers (functions) implemented by multiple virtual machines. As an example of a method of realization, a configuration in which a server that executes a reception service that mainly receives information from the printer 102 and a server that executes processing based on error information received by the reception service can be separated is possible. Furthermore, this device management system may be configured as an on-premise system that uses a physical server. The repair location notification server 101 is an example of an information provision system.

[0016] The printer 102 is an example of an image forming apparatus (device) such as a printer or MFP, and an MFP has functions such as printing, faxing, copying, and scanning. When the printer 102 detects an internal error, it transmits error information according to the location of the sensor or controller that detected the error and the detection situation (high temperature, insufficient rotation, shading adjustment amount exceeded, etc.) to the repair point notification server 101. Note that a configuration may be made up of multiple printers 102.

[0017] The PC 103 is an example of an information processing device, and has a predetermined OS (not shown) installed. The PC 103 transmits a request to acquire repair part information for the printer 102 to the repair part notification server 101 via the browser 331 , and receives the repair part information from the repair part notification server 101 . The PC 103 has a browser 331. The browser 331 may be installed in the PC 103, or the PC 103 may be configured to connect to a browser in an external device. The browser 331 has a GUI (Graphical User Interface), and a user (mainly a repair technician) can operate the browser 331 by using the GUI.

[0018] Instead of a PC, a smartphone, tablet, or other mobile terminal may be used. Also, for example, instead of a general-purpose browser, a dedicated application may be used.

[0019] <Hardware configuration> FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the repair location notification server 101 or the PC 103 according to the first embodiment. The CPU 201 controls each device connected to the internal bus, and executes a program for implementing each process of this embodiment. The ROM 202 stores the BIOS. The RAM 203 is a direct storage device of the CPU 201, and is used as a work area for the CPU 201 and as temporary storage for loading software modules for implementing the present invention. A hard disk drive (HDD) 204 is an indirect storage device that stores the OS, which is the basic software, and software modules. The input device 205 is, for example, a keyboard or a pointing device. To the output device 206, for example, a display may be connected. The I / F 207 is an interface for connecting to the network 100 .

[0020] In these hardware, after booting, the BIOS is executed by the CPU 201 and the OS is loaded from the HDD 204 to the RAM 203 in an executable manner. The CPU 201 loads various software modules, described below, from the HDD 204 to the RAM 203 as needed in an executable manner in accordance with the operation of the OS. The various software modules are executed and operated by the CPU 201 in cooperation with the above-mentioned devices. The I / F 207 is connected to the Internet 100-1 or the local network 100-2, and is controlled by the CPU 201 in accordance with the operation of the OS to realize communication by the above-mentioned communication means.

[0021] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the CPU 201, and may be implemented using a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). Alternatively, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) may be used. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the HDD 204, and may be implemented using other storage devices such as a flash memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), an optical recording device, or a magneto-optical recording device.

[0022] 2B is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the printer 102 according to the first embodiment. The components excluding the print engine 238 are sometimes called a controller that manages the control system of the printer. Each of the hardware components is connected to a system bus 230.

[0023] The CPU 231 controls the entire apparatus and generally controls access to various devices connected to the system bus 230. This control is based on a control program stored in a ROM 232 or a control program and resource data (resource information) stored in an external memory 236 connected via a disk controller (DKC 235). The RAM 233 functions as a main memory, a work area, etc. for the CPU 231. The RAM 233 is configured so that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). The storage device 240 is an external storage means that functions as a large-capacity memory.

[0024] The operation panel 239 displays a screen and accepts operation instructions from a repair technician via the screen. It also has buttons and a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel for performing operations such as setting the operation mode of the printer 102, displaying the operation status of the printer 102, and specifying content data to be printed. The network controller 234 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC), and exchanges data with external devices via the network controller 234 . The raster controller 237 is a controller that converts print data described in, for example, a PDL language into image data. The print engine 238 uses known printing technology to form an image on a sheet based on image data input from the raster controller 237. Suitable examples include print engines of an electrophotographic type (laser beam type), an inkjet type, a dye sublimation type (thermal transfer type), and the like. The device I / F 241 is a connection I / F for connecting to an external device that can be connected via a USB or the like.

[0025] <Software configuration> The software configuration of the repair location notification system is explained below. The functions and operations of this software are realized by the CPU executing the programs stored in the memory of each device. Note that the table schema and data described below are merely examples, and the table schema and various data formats are not limited to these.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the software configuration of the repair location notification system according to the first embodiment. The repair location notification server 101 has an operation information receiving unit 301, an error determination unit 302, an error history management unit 303, a priority determination unit 304, a market performance management unit 305, an aggregation filter unit 306, and a correct answer master management unit 307. The repair location notification server 101 also has an estimation result management unit 308, a common estimation unit detection unit 309, an error list display unit 311, a repair part display unit 312, and a replacement performance display unit 313.

[0027] An operation information receiving unit 301 receives operation information from the printer 102. The information received by the operation information receiving unit 301 includes error information, operation information of the printer 102, and the like.

[0028] When an error determination unit 302 receives error information from the operation information receiving unit 301, the error determination unit 302 acquires, from an error history management unit 303, an error history including information about errors that have occurred in the past in the printer in which the error occurred. The error determination unit 302 determines the level of one or more repair parts to eliminate the error and the probability of failure of the parts, together with the received error information. The result of this determination is sent to the priority determination unit 304, which will be described later, together with the error information. The error determination unit 302 saves the error information received from the printer 102 as an error history in the error history management unit 303, and updates the error history. The error history management unit 303 is an example of a first management means. Table A is an example of data of the determination result output by the error determination unit 302. (Table A) TIFF2025056695000002.tif53165

[0029] The determination result includes a part number that uniquely identifies the part that caused the error, and the possibility of failure of the part. The part number is an example of part information, but the part information may include not only the part number but also other information related to the part, such as the part name.

[0030] The error history management unit 303 saves and manages the error information received from the printer 102 as an error history. Table B shows an example of part of the error history managed by the error history management unit 303. (Table B) TIFF2025056695000003.tif41165

[0031] The error history (error information) includes the device serial number that uniquely identifies the printer where the error occurred, the model number that indicates the printer model, and the error code that identifies the type of error that occurred. The error history also includes the counter value, which is the number of prints when the error occurred, and the date and time when the error occurred. The device serial number is an example of device information. The device information may also include a model number that indicates the type of the printer, or other information related to the printer (device).

[0032] The priority determination unit 304 receives the determination result from the error determination unit 302, and performs an estimation process of a recommended measure to resolve the error based on the determination result and the market performance managed by the market performance management unit 305. In the process of this recommended measure estimation process, the priority determination unit 304 calculates the priority of the target, that is, ranks the target. More specifically, the priority determination unit 304 acquires targets whose model numbers and error codes match those of the error information included in the determination result from the market performance managed by the market performance management unit 305, via the aggregation filter unit 306 described below. The priority determination unit 304 ranks the acquired targets, and stores information on recommended actions including the ranking information in the estimation result management unit 308 as an estimation result (Table H described below). The recommended action estimation process performed by the priority determining unit 304 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 5(A), and FIG. 5(B).

[0033] Before describing the mechanism of ranking by the priority determination unit 304, the data managed by the market performance management unit 305 and the correct answer master management unit 307 will be described below.

[0034] The market performance management unit 305 holds and manages all the actions taken to resolve errors that occurred in the past, for example, as two types of aggregated data: market exchange performance and market action performance. These two types of aggregated data are examples of performance information that shows the performance of actions, and hereinafter they are collectively referred to as market performance. Market performance management unit 305 is an example of a second management means.

[0035] There are three types of measures to resolve an error: "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment." One of the two types of market performance data mentioned above is aggregated data on the performance of "replacement," one of the three types of measures, and is the market replacement performance, as shown in Table C. Table C is data generated by the aggregation process of the market replacement performance in FIG. 5(A), which will be described later. (Table C) TIFF2025056695000004.tif68165

[0036] The market replacement record includes the model number, error code, part number of the part replaced for the error, and the number of replacements (number of replacements). The number of replacements is the number of parts replaced for which the combination of error code and part number matches, in other words, the number of replacements of the same part for the same error. The data shown in Table C also includes, as additional information, the unit part number that identifies the unit to which the part belongs. Note that when the part number indicates the unit part itself, the unit part number and the part number match.

[0037] The other of the two types of market performance data is aggregated data on three types of treatment, "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment," and is the performance by market treatment, as shown in Table D. Table D is data generated by the aggregation process of the performance by market treatment in Fig. 5(B), which will be explained later. (Table D) TIFF2025056695000005.tif97165

[0038] The performance by market procedure includes the model number, error code, procedure, and the number of procedures performed for that procedure ("replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment").

[0039] Next, the data managed by the correct answer master management unit 307 will be described. The answer master is data indicating possible faulty parts and treatment methods based on an error code issued by a certain model of printer 102, and is shown in Table E. ◯ means that there is a possibility that the treatment can be used to repair the problem, and × means that the treatment is not recommended. (Table E) TIFF2025056695000006.tif53165

[0040] Specifically, looking at the third and fourth lines of Table E, when the error "E007-202" occurs from model "Model-001", there is a possibility that there is a problem with part numbers "FM1-A404" (third line) or "FM1-A377" (fourth line). It can be read that either of these can be dealt with simply by replacing the part. Conversely, when dealing with an error code for a given model, a part that is not listed in the correct answer master is not the cause of the error code.

[0041] The tallying filter unit 306 uses the correct answer master managed by the correct answer master management unit 307 to filter the market replacement record in Table C and the market treatment record in Table D. This eliminates inappropriate treatments for error codes. In this way, the priority order of repair parts is determined based on the market replacement record with noise removed and the judgment result of the error judgment unit 302.

[0042] There are two types of data as the estimation results by the processing of the priority determination unit 304. One of them is the estimation result of the priority of the repair part. Table F shows an example of the estimation result of the priority of the repair part. (Table F) TIFF2025056695000007.tif57165

[0043] The estimation results in Table F include the device serial number, error code, part number of the part to be repaired, and priority indicating the order in which the part should be repaired. The priority here is indicated by, for example, a number, and the smaller the number, the higher the priority. The data in Table C is used to calculate the priority in Table F. Details of this will be explained later in the recommended action estimation process shown in Figure 4.

[0044] Another type of data generated by the priority determination unit 304 is the result of estimating the priority of each action. Table G shows an example of the result of estimating the priority of each action. (Table G) TIFF2025056695000008.tif38165

[0045] The estimation results in Table G include the model number, error code, action, and priority of each action. The priority here is the ranking of each action, and indicates which action among the three actions has the highest (or lowest) priority. The priority is indicated by, for example, an alphabet, with A being the highest and C being the lowest. The data in Table D is used to calculate the priority of the actions. Details will be explained later in Figure 5(B).

[0046] Each estimated outcome for the repair parts in Table F and the procedures in Table G is managed as a single estimated outcome.

[0047] The estimation results managed by the estimation result management unit 308 are, as shown in Table H, a combination of the estimation results of Tables F and G estimated by the priority determination unit 304, and are managed as a single estimation result. (Table H) TIFF2025056695000009.tif57165

[0048] The estimation results in Table H include the priority of parts, device serial number, error code, part number, failure cause probability, and priority of each action. The calculation method of Table H will be explained later in the recommended action estimation process shown in Figure 4.

[0049] The common estimation unit detection unit 309 receives the estimation results of Table H, and detects a plurality of errors (a plurality of different error codes) that are generated almost simultaneously from one (same) device. More specifically, the common inferred unit detection unit 309 searches for different error codes issued by the device at approximately the same time from the data of the inference result (Table H) of the inference result management unit 308 and the error history of the error history management unit 303. If the common inferred unit detection unit 309 finds such an error code, it investigates whether the same part (common part information, for example, a common unit part here) has been estimated between different errors in the error history. If the common inferred unit detection unit 309 finds the same part, it returns it as a common inferred unit list as shown in Table I. This Table I is a list of an example where "FM1-A377" in the second and fourth rows of the inferred result (Table H) is found. This calculation method will be described later in the section <Common inferred unit detection process> and FIG. 9. The common estimation unit detection unit 309 is an example of a detection means that detects common part information corresponding to a plurality of different error codes. (Table I) TIFF2025056695000010.tif33165

[0050] In addition, the existence of a common part ("FM1-A377") corresponding to different error codes ("E007-0102", "E007-0202") can also be recognized from Table C.

[0051] The error list display unit 311 receives a display request including a device serial number from the browser 331 of the PC 103. Then, the error list display unit 311 obtains the error history related to that device serial number from the error history management unit 303, generates the error list display screen of Fig. 6, and transmits it to the browser 331. This will be described in detail in the section <GUI of repair part display screen>.

[0052] The repair part display unit 312 receives a repair part acquisition request including a device serial number and an error code from the browser 331 of the PC 103. In response, the repair part display unit 312 acquires an error history target whose device serial number and error code match from the error history management unit 303. The error list display unit 311 may also receive a repair part acquisition request. Furthermore, the repair part display unit 312 obtains an estimation result in which the device serial number and error code match from the estimation result management unit 308, generates a repair part display screen, and transmits it to the browser 331. This will be described in detail in the section <GUI of repair part display screen>.

[0053] The replacement history display unit 313 receives a replacement part history display request including the model number, error code, and unit part number from the browser 331 of the PC 103. The replacement history display unit 313 then obtains the market replacement history from the market history management unit 305, obtains the model number, error code, unit part number, and the history of their child parts, generates a suspected faulty parts list screen, and sends it to the browser 331. This will be described in detail in the section <GUI of repair part display screen>.

[0054] At least one of the error list display section 311, the repair part display section 312, and the replacement record display section 313 is an example of a providing means for providing one or more screen information and each piece of information contained therein.

[0055] The printer 102 includes a control information transmission unit 321 , a job execution unit 322 , and a control unit 323 .

[0056] The control information transmission unit 321 transmits to the repair location notification server 101 error information that has occurred in the printer 102 and that is collected by a control unit 323 (described later). The job execution unit 322 executes a job input to the printer 102. For example, when a print job is input, the job execution unit 322 executes a print process based on the print job. The control unit 323 detects an error that occurs in the printer 102 , collects error information, and transmits the error information to the repair location notification server 101 via the control information transmission unit 321 .

[0057] <Recommended action estimation process> 4 is a flowchart including a process for calculating table H in an example of a recommended action estimation process executed by the priority determination unit 304 according to the first embodiment. Note that in the following flowchart, S denotes a processing step.

[0058] In S401, the control unit 323 of the printer 102 determines whether an error has occurred in the printer 102. When the occurrence of an error is detected, in S402 the control information transmission unit 321 of the printer 102 transmits error information to the repair point notification server 101. When the error information is transmitted, processing of a service (repair point notification service) provided by a management system including the repair point notification server 101 is started.

[0059] In S403, the operation information receiving unit 301 of the repair location notification server 101 receives the error information. The transmitted error information includes the device serial number, model number, error code, counter value, and date and time of error occurrence, as shown in the error history of Table B. In this embodiment, the counter value is included in the error information as an example, but the operation information receiving unit 301 may receive counter information related to the counter value from the printer 102 as information separate from the error information and associate the counter information with the error information.

[0060] In S404, the error determination unit 302 registers the received error information in the error history management unit 303 as an error history.

[0061] In S405, the error determination unit 302 acquires from the error history a target that matches the device serial number included in the received error information. For example, if the device serial number included in the error information is "DEV0000001", the records in the first and third rows of the error history in Table B match, and these are acquired.

[0062] In S406, the error determination unit 302 uses the error information received in S403 and the error history acquired from the error history management unit 303 to output a list of part numbers of parts to be repaired to eliminate the error and their possible failures. In this embodiment, a rule-based method is described in S406 that uses the received error information and the history of errors that have occurred in the same device in the past. However, the method is not limited to the rule-based method, and for example, supervised machine learning including deep learning may be used.

[0063] In S407, priority determination unit 304 acquires targets that match the model number and error code of the error information received in S403 from the market replacement record (Table C) and the record by market action (Table D). For example, if the model number included in the error information is "Model-001" and the error code is "E007-0202", then in the case of market replacement record, the records in the fourth to seventh rows of Table C match, and in the case of market action record, the record in the third row of Table D matches. The method of calculating market replacement record and market action record will be described later.

[0064] In S408, the priority determination unit 304 obtains the number of replacements of targets that match the part numbers included in the list of failure possibilities determined in S406 from the market performance obtained in S407. The priority determination unit 304 then associates the failure cause probability with the part number as "(number of replacements of repair parts / total number of replacements of all parts replaced for errors) x 100". In other words, the failure cause probability is calculated for each part so that the sum of the failure cause probabilities of all parts replaced for an error code issued by a certain model of printer 102 is 100%.

[0065] In this embodiment, the failure cause probability 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 calculation method of the failure cause probability is not limited to this, and any method may be used. The failure cause probability is one of the indexes indicating the priority in the process in which the priority determination unit 304 determines the priority.

[0066] For example, if the market performance obtained in S407 is from the 4th to 7th rows of Table C, the total number of replacements for all parts that were replaced will be 497, which is the sum of the replacement numbers in the market performance. Since the failure cause probability is calculated for each unit part, for example, the number of unit part replacements is calculated as the total including child parts. In this case, the failure cause probability of unit part number "FM1-A404" is "(443 / 497) x 100 = 89.13". Similarly, the failure cause probability of another unit part number "FM1-A377" is "(15 + 39) / 497 x 100 = 10.87".

[0067] In S408, the priority determination unit 304 ranks the repair parts in terms of priority (priority in Table F). The priority here is a value determined by the list of failure possibilities (high or low in Table A) acquired in S406 and the failure cause probability. In other words, the failure possibility in Table A is also an index indicating the priority. The higher the failure cause probability is within one error code, the higher the priority is set. Note that the priority determination unit 304 ranks the parts by giving priority to the high or low failure possibility over the failure cause probability, but this is not important in this embodiment, so details will be omitted. It is assumed that all of the failure probabilities corresponding to the part numbers shown in Table F are "High," and the priorities in Table F are the result of ranking using the failure cause probability. For example, for the error code "E007-0202" in Table F, as described above, the failure cause probability of part number "FM1-A404" is "89.13," and that of part number "FM1-A377" is "10.87." Therefore, the priority of "FM1-A404" can be set higher than that of "FM1-A377." Mainly in S407 and S408, the priority determination unit 304 functions as a calculation unit that calculates a priority based on the number of replacements of each part having a plurality of part information.

[0068] In S409, for the repair parts ranked in the processes up to S408, the combination of the repair part and the treatment is verified, and the treatment that is not theoretically correct is deleted. Depending on the part, one of the treatments "replacement", "cleaning", or "adjustment" may not be suitable, and in that case, it is deleted in S410. For this purpose, the aggregation filter unit 306 uses a correct answer master that defines the theoretically correct treatment, performs filtering of treatments that cannot exist, and sets the priority of treatments that are determined to not exist to "-". In addition, for all treatments for repair parts that are determined to be unlikely by the error determination unit 302, "-" is set. Even if a treatment for the repair part exists, it is set to "-", but it is distinguished from cases where no treatment for the repair part exists by the method shown in the explanation of the UI display described later.

[0069] In S411, the priority determination unit 304 checks whether or not verification of all combinations of repair parts and measures has been completed, and if not, the process returns to S409, and if completed, the process proceeds to S412.

[0070] In S412, the priority determination unit 304 registers the priority of each measure calculated up to this point, together with the device serial number and error code of the error information, as an inference result in the inference result management unit 308. For example, an example of the inference result of the recommended measures calculated from the examples of Tables F and G is Table H.

[0071] In this way, a recommended solution for an error code that has occurred in the printer 102 can be estimated.

[0072] <Common estimation unit detection process> Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a common estimation unit detection process for calculating Table I, which is executed by the common estimation unit detection unit 309 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, in the description of Fig. 9, the common estimation unit detection unit 309 will be simply referred to as the "detection unit." The detection unit performs a search based on the estimation result (Table H) derived by the recommended action estimation process of the priority determination unit 304. First, the detection unit copies the list of error codes to the error list 900 without duplication.

[0073] In S901, the detection unit initializes a variable i for searching from the top of the error list for the error code errCode[i] to 0. In S902, the detection unit assigns the value of i+1 to a variable j to be compared with the error code stored immediately after i as the error code to be searched for.

[0074] In S903, the detection unit checks whether the error code to be searched for exceeds the error list. For example, if only one error code is initially stored in the error list, the condition "j>= number of error lists" is met, and the process ends. If an unsearched error code is registered in the error list, this condition is not met and the process proceeds to S904.

[0075] In S904, the detection unit obtains the occurrence times of the comparison source error code errCode[i] and the search target error code errCode[j] from the error history in Table B of the error history management unit 303 and compares them. In this embodiment, if the occurrence times are within a predetermined time difference, they are considered to have occurred almost simultaneously, and the process proceeds to S905 to register them in the report list. The predetermined time difference is, for example, 5 minutes, but is not limited to this.

[0076] In S905, the detection unit copies the error code stored in errCode[i], which was the source of the comparison, to "Error Code" in the common inferred unit list (Table I) as the extraction result, and also copies the part number to "Part Number" in Table I. The detection unit then copies the search target error code errCode[j] to "Error Code B" in Table I. Furthermore, to enable reverse lookup, the detection unit copies the search target error code errCode[j] to "Error Code" in Table I as the next record as the extraction result, and also copies the part number to "Part Number" in Table I. The detection unit then copies the comparison target errCode[i] to "Error Code B" in Table I.

[0077] In S906, the search variable j is incremented to search for the next error code.

[0078] In S907, the detection unit compares the search variable j with the number of error lists to check whether the error code to be searched for still remains in the list, and if j is smaller than the number of error lists, the process returns to S904 to continue the search. If j is equal to or larger than the number of error lists, the error lists have already been exceeded, so the search for the comparison source error code ends and the process proceeds to S908.

[0079] In S908, the detection unit increments the variable i to advance the comparison source error code to the next error, and proceeds to S902 to initialize the search variable j.

[0080] In this way, the detection unit searches through the error list to the end, finds multiple error codes that have been issued simultaneously, and outputs them in the format shown in Table I.

[0081] <Market performance aggregation processing> FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing an example of a process of tabulating market exchange results, including a process of calculating Table F, executed by the priority determination unit 304 in the first embodiment. In S501, the priority determination unit 304 acquires the market performance managed in the market performance management unit 305. The market performance acquired here includes at least the model number, the error code, and the information on the replacement part.

[0082] In S502, the priority determination unit 304 tally up the replacement parts and the number of replacements for each model number and error code. As a result of the tallying, the priority determination unit 304 obtains a tally of the market replacement performance, which is shown in part of Table C as an example.

[0083] In S503, the priority determination unit 304 deletes invalid combinations from the combinations of model numbers, error codes, and replacement parts. The priority determination unit 304 places a correct answer master that defines theoretically correct processing for failures in the correct answer master management unit 307, and the aggregation filter unit 306 filters the market replacement records held in the market record management unit 305.

[0084] In S504, the priority determination unit 304 registers the aggregated results of the market exchange performance calculated up to S503 in the market performance management unit 305. In this manner, the market performance management unit 305 holds the aggregated results of the market exchange performance.

[0085] FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing an example of a process of aggregating the results by market measures executed by the priority determination unit 304 when calculating table G in the first embodiment. In S505, the priority determination unit 304 acquires the market performance managed by the market performance management unit 305. The market performance acquired here includes at least the model number, the error code, and information on the action taken. Table D is an example of the information acquired here.

[0086] In S506, the priority determination unit 304 counts the number of actions taken (number of actions taken) for each model number and error code.

[0087] In S507, the priority determination unit 304 determines the priority of each treatment based on the results of the treatment in the market acquired in S506. Here, the treatments that can be acquired as market results are classified into three types, "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment," and then tallied.

[0088] Specifically, the priority determination unit 304 calculates the number of each action for each model number and error code, and calculates the ratio of each action as a percentage. The action with the highest calculated ratio is given priority "A". Furthermore, the ratio of the action with the highest ratio is set as a reference value, and if the difference from the reference value is within 5%, for example, it is set as "A", if the difference is between 5% and 20%, it is set as "B", and if the difference is more than 20%, it is set as "C". For example, if the ratio of "replacement" is 50%, the ratio of "cleaning" is 35%, and the ratio of "adjustment" is 15%, then "replacement" will have priority "A", "cleaning" will have priority "B", and "adjustment" will have priority "C". Table G shows the estimated results of the recommended actions using the example data in Table D. In S507, the priority determination unit 304 functions as a calculation unit that calculates the priority of each of a plurality of different actions to be taken against an error, based on the number of actions taken in each case.

[0089] In S508, the priority determination unit 304 registers the aggregated results of the performance by market action calculated in S507 to the market performance management unit 305. In this way, the market performance management unit 305 holds the aggregated results of the performance by market action.

[0090] <GUI for repair part display screen> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a list screen of errors occurring in the printer 102, displayed on the browser 331 in the first embodiment. When the error list display unit 311 receives a repair part acquisition request including the device serial number and the error code from the browser 331 of the PC 103 , the error list screen 600 is displayed on the browser 331 .

[0091] On the error list screen 600, a device serial number 601 is the device serial number of the device specified in the repair part acquisition request.

[0092] In the error information display area 606, information on one or more errors is displayed on each line. If multiple error codes with a matching device serial number are found in the error history, the error information is added in list format. In the example shown in the figure, error information corresponding to each of the three error codes "E007-0101", "E007-0102", and "E007-0202" is displayed. In cases like this where multiple errors have occurred, the repair technician will take action to resolve (disappear) all of the errors.

[0093] In the error information display area 606, the error code 602 is an error code that matches the device serial number extracted from the error history managed by the error history management unit 303. Furthermore, when the error code 602 is clicked by a repair technician, the screen transitions to the repair parts display screen 700 of Fig. 7 based on the clicked error code and the device serial number 601. The error code corresponding to the repair parts display screen 700 in the example shown in Fig. 7 is "E007-0202", and this is the screen that is displayed when "E007-0202" is clicked out of the three error codes 602 in Fig. 6.

[0094] The occurrence date and time 603 is the time when the error code was issued from the error history.

[0095] In the error information display area 606, the common part number 604 is a common part number corresponding to multiple error codes that can be detected by the common estimation unit detection unit 309. In this way, when a common part according to Table I exists, the common part number 604 is additionally displayed in the error information display area 606. In the example shown in the figure, the common part number is displayed after the character string "replacement recommended parts:". When the common part number 604 is clicked, the screen transitions to the part replacement record display screen 800 of FIG. 8.

[0096] This common part number 604 is highlighted. In other words, it is highlighted that the common part number 604 corresponds to a plurality of different error codes. Highlighting can be achieved, for example, by making the size of the text or image to be highlighted larger than those of the others, by changing the color, by changing the shape (e.g., font, etc.), or by a combination of at least two of these. Alternatively, the subject of highlighting can be displayed by animation. In this embodiment, the character string of the common part number 604 is, for example, red (other character strings are black, etc.), and the character size is larger than the other character strings.

[0097] For example, in FIG. 6, the error list display unit 311 functions as a providing unit that further provides information on a list of a plurality of errors in the error information, including a plurality of different error codes.

[0098] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a repair part display screen 700 displayed on the browser 331 in the first embodiment. The repair part display screen 700 displays repair parts (parts scheduled for repair) for solving errors, for each device (printer 102) and for each error that has occurred. The repair part display unit 312 displays a repair part display screen 700 on the browser 331 by accepting a repair part acquisition request including a device serial number and an error code from the browser 331 of the PC 103 .

[0099] The repair part display screen 700 displays the error history and estimation results managed by the repair part notification server 101. The device serial number 601 is the device serial number of the error history managed by the error history management unit 303, whose error code matches the error code specified in the repair part acquisition request.

[0100] An error code 702 is an error code in the error history managed by the error history management unit 303 that matches the error code specified in the repair part acquisition request.

[0101] The occurrence date and time 703 is the date and time of an error occurrence in the error history where the error code specified in the repair part acquisition request matches the error code in the error history managed by the error history management unit 303 .

[0102] The repair parts list 710 is an area that displays part information of one or more repair parts (replacement parts in Table H) that correspond to the error code 702. The repair parts list 710 displays the repair parts obtained as the estimation results managed by the estimation result management unit 308 and their order of priority (display order here). As part information of the repair parts, for example, a part name 704 and a part number 705 are displayed. The repair part display unit 312 displays the repair parts in descending order of priority from the top. The repair technician can easily know which part among multiple parts he should check first and which part he should treat first.

[0103] In addition, in the case of a part that is determined by the error determination unit 302 to have a low probability of failure, the part is displayed lower in accordance with the calculated priority and is grayed out (not shown in FIG. 7).

[0104] Furthermore, the repair part display unit 312 checks whether this part number 705 has also been estimated in other errors that occurred during the same time period by referring to the common estimated unit list (Table I) which is the output result of the common estimated unit detection unit 309. If such a part number is not found, only the part number is displayed, such as part number 705 for the higher-ranked part "FM1-A404" in the repair part list 710. On the other hand, if such a part number is found, the repair part display unit 312 displays, after the part number 705, information indicating that a common part number has also been estimated in the other error code 709 ("E007-0102") that was found.

[0105] Furthermore, the repair part display section 312 highlights both the part number 705 and the error code 709. Alternatively, either the part number 705 or the error code 709 may be highlighted. That is, in Fig. 7 as well, the fact that the common part information (part number 705) corresponds to a plurality of different error codes (error codes 702, 709) is highlighted. Here, in the repair part display screen 700 showing one error code 702, the other error code 709 is highlighted to emphasize that the common part information corresponds to a plurality of different error codes.

[0106] For example, if the other character strings are black, the common part number 705 and / or error code 709 are displayed in red. The method of highlighting is not limited to this, and is as described above. By highlighting the common part number 705 and / or error code 709, it is possible to alert the repair technician that another error "E007-0102" has been generated at the same time. It is also possible to alert the repair technician that he or she should also pay attention to the possibility of a malfunction of the part "FM1-A377".

[0107] For example, in FIG. 7, the repair part display unit 312 functions as a providing unit that provides screen information that highlights that common part information corresponds to a plurality of different error codes. Furthermore, the repair part display unit 312 functions as a providing means for further providing at least one of a plurality of different error codes and a list of a plurality of part information including common part information corresponding to the one error code.

[0108] In this embodiment, the process by the common estimation unit detection unit 309 only highlights the target part without affecting the estimation result of the priority order for each error code. However, the repair part display unit 312 may change the display order of the target part to be highlighted to the top to alert the repair technician. That is, the priority of the target part to be highlighted may be set higher than the estimation result by the priority determination unit 304. Alternatively, the part with the highest priority estimated by the priority determination unit 304 and the target part to be highlighted may be set to the same priority, and information indicating this may be displayed.

[0109] The failure cause probability display area 706 displays the failure cause probability of the repair part managed by the estimation result management unit 308. Furthermore, for a part that has been determined to have a low failure probability by the error determination unit 302, "low probability" is displayed in the failure cause probability display area 706 (not displayed in FIG. 7). Note that the failure cause probability display area 706 displays "repair performance ratio" as an item name, which, in terms of calculation, has the same meaning as the failure cause probability.

[0110] The recommended action display area 707 displays the priority of each action as "A", "B", or "C" based on the inference results of the recommended actions managed by the inference result management unit 308. Depending on the component, a certain action may not exist. In this case, as managed by the inference result management unit 308, an icon, image, or text 707a such as "-" is displayed to indicate that no action exists.

[0111] As described above, in this embodiment, the repair technician can easily visually understand on one screen that the common part information corresponds to multiple error codes, improving the visibility of the repair information. In addition, since there is no need for a search or other operation to check whether the common part information corresponds to other error codes, the workload of the repair technician can be reduced.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, repair parts for resolving an error that has occurred in the printer 102 are ranked in order of likelihood of resolving the error, and recommended actions are also displayed ranked by priority. This allows the repair technician to easily understand the repair procedure, and allows the technician to perform the work based on objective judgment rather than subjective judgment, improving work efficiency.

[0113] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a part replacement record display screen 800 displayed on the browser 331 according to the first embodiment. The replacement record display section 313 displays a part replacement record display screen 800 when the common part number 604 ("E007-0202") in FIG. 6 or the part number 705 ("FM1-A377") in FIG. When the device serial number 601 of the device currently being displayed is clicked, the screen returns to the screen 600 listing errors issued for this device serial number.

[0114] The part number 802 indicates the part number of the unit currently being displayed. In the row of the part name display area 803, in addition to the part name of the unit part, the part number and market replacement record (number of replacements) are displayed.

[0115] The child parts list 804 is a list of child parts included in this unit part. The child parts list 804 displays target parts that match the model number, error code, and unit part number of the device being displayed, based on the market replacement record (Table C) managed by the market record management unit 305. Further, the child parts list 804 has a display column 7 for part numbers and a display column 806 for the number of replacements, similar to the part name display area 803 described above.

[0116] Furthermore, a display column 807 that displays the number of common part replacements in other error codes is displayed in the rightmost column of the part name display area 803 and the child part list 804. The other error code is the error code "E007-0102" that corresponds to the currently displayed error code "E007-0202" and that can be extracted from Table I. In this way, the number of common part replacements between different error codes that correspond to common part information is displayed side by side. This makes it easy for the repair technician to compare the number of replacements, and supports the repair technician in determining which parts to repair.

[0117] In this embodiment, the other error codes 807a in the display column 807 are highlighted in a color (for example, red) different from the others. The method of highlighting is not limited to this, and is as described above.

[0118] The replacement record display unit 313 functions as a providing means for further providing information in which the number of replacements of parts having common part information in the record information is written in association with each of a plurality of different error codes.

[0119] The star mark 808 is displayed as a marker for part numbers that have particularly significant interchange numbers (eg, first and second digits).

[0120] In this way, when the treatment of the unit part is estimated, the list 804 of child parts included in the unit part is also displayed, and further the number of records is also displayed. Therefore, the repair technician can easily identify the child parts, and the work burden on the repair technician can be reduced.

[0121] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the description of the same configurations and functions as those in the first embodiment will be omitted. In this embodiment, another example of the part recommended action estimation process shown in FIG. 4 will be described.

[0122] For example, the processing unit of the recommended action estimation process performs the process of estimating the recommended action for a part using the following criteria: One determination criterion (first determination criterion) is as follows: First, the processing unit acquires the currently estimated target part number for an error that has occurred in the printer 102, based on Tables C, F, etc. Here, the process of acquiring the currently estimated target part number can be executed by, for example, S403 to S407 in FIG.

[0123] The processing unit determines whether the target part corresponds to a plurality of different error codes. If the target part corresponds to a plurality of different error codes, the processing unit calculates the failure cause probability of the part for each of the plurality of error codes. The failure cause probability is calculated as "(number of replacements of repair parts / total number of replacements of all parts replaced for errors) x 100" as described above. If the failure cause probability of the part for each of the plurality of error codes is equal to or greater than a threshold, the processing unit recommends replacement of this part. The threshold may be set to, for example, 30%, but is not limited to this.

[0124] If the first criterion is not satisfied, the processor performs a recommended action estimation process using the following second criterion. In the second criterion, if the failure cause probability of a part (unit part) corresponding to any one of the different error codes is equal to or greater than a threshold for that one error code (other error codes are less than the threshold), the processor recommends replacing that unit part. The threshold can be set to, for example, 30%, but is not limited to this.

[0125] Alternatively, if the first criterion is not satisfied, processing is performed using the following criterion as a different second criterion. The processing unit judges whether the failure cause probability of a part corresponding to any one of a plurality of different error codes is equal to or greater than a first threshold for one error code, and equal to or greater than a second threshold lower than the first threshold for the other error code. The first threshold is set to, for example, 30%, and the second threshold is set to, for example, 5%, but is not limited to these. If this judgment result is true, the processing unit recommends replacing this part.

[0126] If none of the above criteria is met (if the failure cause probability does not meet each of the above thresholds), the processing unit recommends replacing the unit part corresponding to the generated error code.

[0127] For example, the replacement record display unit 313 displays information indicating that the target part to be displayed is a part recommended for replacement. Examples of information indicating that the part is a part recommended for replacement include text indicating that, a mark additionally displayed so as to correspond to the part information of the part (for example, a star mark 808 shown in FIG. 8), and the like.

[0128] As examples of highlighting in Figures 6 and 7, examples of changing the color, shape, size, etc. of text or images, or displaying them with animation, as described above, have been given. However, highlighting also includes a form in which information indicating that common part information corresponds to multiple different error codes is displayed on a pop-up screen or a separate screen that is forcibly inserted.

[0129] In the repair parts list 710 shown in Fig. 7, an example is shown in which the part information of the repair parts is displayed from the top in descending order of priority. However, for example, the part information of the parts with higher priority may be displayed larger, or the color may be set to become darker (or lighter) in stages (gradation) in order of priority. Also, although the number of different error codes is two in the above embodiment, it may be three or more.

[0130] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the same configurations and functions as those in the first and second embodiments will not be described. In this embodiment, another example of the part recommended action estimation process shown in FIG. 4 will be described.

[0131] In the embodiment described above, the aim was to reduce repair costs and environmental impact by having repair technicians replace minor parts rather than units. However, accurate replacement of minor parts places a large burden on the repair technician in determining the appropriate part replacement, and this has been supported.

[0132] In unit replacement, the unit with the problem is replaced in its entirety, but if only minor parts are replaced, it is often not enough to replace just the minor parts individually. For example, instead of replacing a worn-out gear, you must replace it together with the other gear that is meshing with it, otherwise the problem will occur again in the near future.

[0133] The embodiment described below supports accurate replacement of child parts by presenting to an engineer parts for which set replacement is recommended.

[0134] Fig. 10 shows a screen in which the display has been improved to allow engineers to be aware of set replacement on the parts replacement record display screen in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a parts replacement record display screen (displaying the number of parts replaced per call) according to the third embodiment. Since an example is taken of a part that is actually replaced in large numbers as a set, an example is shown in which a fixed part with part number FM1-0123 has been selected.

[0135] The following describes the differences from the part replacement record screen 800. The total number of replaced parts 1001 is the number of replaced parts including the number of replaced child parts shown in the replacement part breakdown 1002 and 1003 of the fixing unit FM1-0123.

[0136] In the explanation of 803 above, only unit parts were displayed because there were no child parts other than common parts to display. However, the first line of replacement part details 1002 in Fig. 10 displays the number of replacements of the fixing unit FM1-0123, which is the parent unit, and the second and subsequent lines display the part names indented to indicate that they are child parts that make up the unit parts.

[0137] The number of replacements for each part is displayed in 1006. Common parts 1003 displays the parts included in the parent unit that are also used in other units. These are parts that are also used in other units, and although this is the number that was replaced during repairs when the error occurred, they are displayed separately from normal child parts because it is possible that parts used in other units were replaced.

[0138] The number of replacement calls 1004 is the number of times that a repair technician actually went out for repairs and replaced parts, and coincides with the data generated by the tabulation process of the results by market procedure in FIG. 5(B) described above. It displays the number of replacements that match a specified model and error code. That is, the providing means according to this embodiment displays the relationship between the number of replacement calls and the number of replacements.

[0139] By comparing the number of dispatches and the number of parts replaced, the repair worker can see that the number of dispatches is smaller than the number of parts replaced, and can read that the repair is being carried out by replacing multiple parts at the same time.In addition, the total number of parts replaced (204) / number of replacement dispatches (107) can be calculated and displayed as "Number of parts replaced per dispatch: 1.9 parts."

[0140] The item "Number of replacements / number of dispatches ratio" 1005 displays the ratio of the result obtained by dividing the number of replacements of the part displayed in the "Number of replacements" 1006 by the number of replacement dispatches. In other words, by showing the part replacement ratio per dispatch, it clearly shows the parts that are likely to be replaced due to this error.

[0141] Furthermore, by using this value to sort and display the list in descending order, parts with a high part replacement rate per dispatch are displayed at the top, which increases the attention it attracts. In other words, the providing means may sort and display the list according to the ratio of the number of replacements to the number of replacement dispatches.

[0142] Furthermore, parts with a ratio of replacement count to number of dispatches exceeding a threshold of 30% may be displayed in bold. In other words, when the ratio of replacement count to number of dispatches for replacement is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a specified highlighting may be performed. This makes it possible to emphasize that repair workers should not forget to carry replacement parts by looking at this screen before dispatching.

[0143] The means for highlighting may be another means such as coloring, and the threshold for highlighting may be set to an arbitrary value. As for the number of replacements 1006 for each part, the number of replacements in Table C may be obtained from a row that matches the model, error code, and part number to be displayed, as in the explanation of FIG. 8 above.

[0144] The method introduced in Figures 10 and 8 aims to encourage repair technicians to replace child parts instead of units by devising a child parts list. However, in this system, when a part number 705 is clicked from the repair part display screen 700 in Figure 7, the screen transitions to the part replacement record display screen in Figure 8 or Figure 10, so that the status of the child part replacement is not known at the stage in Figure 7, and there is a possibility that the unit will be replaced.

[0145] Therefore, in the third embodiment, in cases where the problem is usually solved by replacing minor parts, a function is added to display the minor part replacement response rate on the screen of FIG. 7 and to prompt the user to confirm the details.

[0146] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of displaying a child part replacement response rate according to the third embodiment. Reference numeral 1100 denotes a screen in which a display of a child part replacement response rate is added to the repair part display screen 700 in Fig. 7. Reference numerals 1101 and 1102 indicate a highlight icon and the child part replacement response rate.

[0147] The child part replacement response rate can be calculated by subtracting the number of unit replacements in the first row of 1002 from the sum of the numbers of child part replacements shown in the replacement part breakdown 1002 and 1003 described above in the description of Figure 10, and calculating the percentage of the ratio obtained by subtracting the number of unit replacements in the first row of 1002 from the denominator.

[0148] The display of this child part replacement response rate is controlled so that, for example, if it exceeds 90%, it is displayed in red text, 70% to 90% is displayed in orange text, and less than 50% is not displayed. However, this threshold value can be any value. The repair worker who is prompted by this display can click on the part number in 1103 or the icon that resembles an associated plus sign to check the part replacement status, thereby moving to the part replacement record screen in FIG. 10 or FIG. 8.

[0149] Furthermore, for unit parts with a child part replacement response rate exceeding a threshold of 90%, the effect of emphasizing the fact that the part has been repaired by replacing child parts can be enhanced by displaying the part replacement history screen from the initial display state without clicking.

[0150] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an automatically expanded display of part replacement records according to the third embodiment. In order to clearly explain the mixed example, an example is shown in which units with a high child part replacement rate and units with frequent unit replacements are mixed.

[0151] In Fig. 12, only units with a high child part replacement rate of 94% are expanded from the initial display to a part replacement record display state as shown in 1201. As a result, parts with a high replacement record are highlighted and displayed at the top, so that the actual situation of child part replacement is directly conveyed to the repair worker.

[0152] In the case of sub-part replacement, since multiple parts are often replaced to resolve the issue, by displaying the set replacement pattern and actual percentage of parts that are likely to be replaced as a set when replacing parts when the error occurs, it is possible to suggest related parts to the repair worker.

[0153] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a set replacement part pattern according to the third embodiment, and shows an example in which a set replacement pattern display has been added to the part replacement record screen. An example of a set replacement pattern for each part is shown in 1301. For example, the main thermistor unit is displayed on the first line, and as a set replacement pattern, the part number of the sub thermistor is displayed in parentheses () as a percentage.

[0154] This percentage indicates the probability that when the main thermistor unit is replaced to deal with the error of the same model, the sub-thermistor is replaced at the same time. The calculation method will be explained below.

[0155] First, information about which parts were replaced as a set is required. This information is used because the repair worker adds the work date and time item and the list item of the replaced parts to the error information (Table B) managed by the error history management unit 303 when the repair is completed.

[0156] Table J shows items necessary for calculating the set replacement rate extracted from the error information managed by the error history management unit 303 after the repair work is completed. (Table J) TIFF2025056695000011.tif45165

[0157] One method of calculating the market replacement performance (Table C) is to scan Table J from the beginning and count the number of parts that match the combination of model, error, and part number in the replacement parts list. At this time, if there are multiple parts in the replacement parts list, this is a set replacement part, and these are tallied.

[0158] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a set replacement parts tally matrix when scanning an error history according to the third embodiment. First, for each combination of model and error, a set replacement parts tally matrix in a brute-force table format as shown in 1401 in Fig. 14 is created, and set parts found during scanning are counted up.

[0159] For example, if parts C and D are on the replacement parts list, 1 is added to the value in row C, column D of the set replacement parts total matrix 1401 for that model and error code. After scanning all the data in Table J, the number of set replacements can be extracted from this set replacement parts total matrix 1401.

[0160] In Figure 14, the number of set replacements of part A with part B is 5. Regarding the set replacement rate, the set replacement rate of part B when part A is replaced is calculated by dividing the set replacement number by the number of part replacements of part A in the model-error combination and multiplying the result by 100. Conversely, by dividing by the number of part replacements of part B, the replacement rate of part A when part B is replaced is obtained.

[0161] Flowcharts for carrying out this with a computer program are shown in Figures 15 to 17. When using Python as a programming language, for example, to realize the replacement parts total matrix of 1401, a two-dimensional dictionary format can be used, and Figure 15 shows a flow for inputting data into this two-dimensional dictionary. Figure 15 is a flow chart showing an example of input processing into a set replacement parts total matrix according to the third embodiment. Parts to be registered as a set are input as arguments (S1500).

[0162] In S1501, the part numbers of the input parts are compared, and the processing is switched so that the matrix is ​​specified in ascending order. This realizes that the lower left corner of 1401 becomes - without any input.

[0163] If part number A is greater than part number B, the process proceeds to S1502, where the order is swapped and the two-dimensional matrix is ​​accessed as [B][A]. If a value already exists in the two-dimensional matrix, the process proceeds to S1503, where the value of the two-dimensional matrix [B][A] that counts the number of set exchanges is incremented. If the value does not exist, the process proceeds to S1504, where the two-dimensional matrix [B][A] is initialized to 1.

[0164] In S1501, when part number A is smaller than part number B, the process proceeds to S1505, where the two-dimensional matrix is ​​formatted as [A][B] without changing the order. The process of S1506 is the same as S1503, and the process of S1507 is the same as S1504, except that the order of the front-to-back designations in the matrix is ​​changed, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0165] Next, when scanning of Table J is completed, the completed S1500 matrix is ​​copied line-symmetrically with respect to the (n,n) axis. This is to make it possible to easily extract, in an array, the set of set replacement parts for the part with the part number at the beginning of the row by extracting values ​​row by row from the virtual matrix in the two-dimensional dictionary format.

[0166] 16 is a copy flowchart showing an example of the process of folding a set replacement parts total matrix according to the third embodiment. In S1601, the part number at the beginning of the row is set to the variable N. Next, in S1602, a list of the total results of the number of set replacements of parts replaced as a set with part number N is obtained.

[0167] Since the matrix 1401 only has input in the ascending order part of the part number, copying is performed in the following steps so that the same value can be obtained even when descending order is specified. In S1603, the first part number in the list obtained in S1602 is set to variable M. In S1604, the values ​​specified in ascending order in the matrix are copied (mirror transferred) so that they can be extracted when descending order is specified. In other words, Matrix[M][N]=Matrix[N][M].

[0168] In S1605, it is determined whether the next part number in the list obtained in S1602 has been obtained and set in M, and if Yes, the process returns to S1604. If the next value cannot be obtained from the end of the list, the result in S1605 is No, and the process proceeds to S1606.

[0169] In S1606, it is determined whether the part number of the next row of the matrix 1401 has been obtained and set to variable N, and if Yes, the process returns to S1602 and the next row is processed. If the next value cannot be obtained at the end of the row, the result is No in S1606 and copying of all values ​​has been completed, so the process in Fig. 16 ends. As a result, the transfer of the set replacement parts total matrix has been completed, as shown in 1402.

[0170] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring a list of set replacement parts according to the third embodiment. In S1701, a set part number list is acquired using Matrix[X]. That is, a list of desired X parts is acquired from a matrix recorded in a two-dimensional dictionary format.

[0171] The process in Figure 16 has completed the folding and copying of the set replacement parts summary matrix, so by specifying matrix [X] and obtaining a row, you can obtain in list format the summary results of the number of set replacements of parts that were replaced as a set with part number X.

[0172] In S1702, the list of set replacement numbers of replacement parts in the acquired set is sorted in descending order of the number of replacements. This is done because the specifications of this system are such that the set replacement pattern display area 1301 on the part replacement record screen (FIG. 13) displays the five parts in descending order of the number of set replacements. This concludes the explanation of the compilation of the parts list acquired in the set replacement pattern.

[0173] As described above, according to the third embodiment, by presenting to the technician the parts etc. for which set replacement is recommended, it is possible to support accurate replacement of minor parts. Note that parts of the first to third embodiments may be combined as appropriate, and the disclosure of the above first to third embodiments includes the following configurations and methods.

[0174] (Configuration 1) an information providing system comprising: a first management means for managing error information that associates device information identifying a device with an error code indicating an error occurring in the device; a second management means for managing the error code as performance information indicating the performance of the treatment by associating the error code with part information identifying a part for which treatment has been performed in response to the error; a detection means for detecting common part information that corresponds to a plurality of different error codes among the part information corresponding to the device information based on the error information and the performance information; and a provision means for providing screen information that highlights that the common part information corresponds to the plurality of different error codes.

[0175] (Configuration 2) The information providing system according to configuration 1, wherein the providing means further provides information of a list of a plurality of errors in the error information, including the plurality of different error codes, and the common part information is displayed corresponding to each of the error codes in the list.

[0176] (Configuration 3) The information providing system according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the providing means further provides at least one of the different plurality of error codes and a list of a plurality of parts information corresponding to the one error code and including the common part information, and the plurality of parts information are displayed in the list in order of priority, or information indicating the priority of the plurality of parts information is displayed.

[0177] (Configuration 4) 4. The information providing system according to configuration 3, further comprising a calculation means for calculating the priority level based on the number of replacements of each of the parts having the plurality of parts information in the performance information.

[0178] (Configuration 5) The information providing system according to configuration 4, wherein the calculation means calculates a failure cause probability, which is one of the indicators indicating the priority, based on the number of replacements of each of the parts and the sum of the number of replacements.

[0179] (Configuration 6) The information providing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, further comprising a calculation means for calculating a priority for each of a plurality of different actions for the error based on the number of actions taken in response to the error, and the providing means further provides information indicating the priority for each of the actions.

[0180] (Configuration 7) The information providing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the providing means further provides information in which the number of replacements of parts having the common part information in the performance information is written in association with each of the different error codes.

[0181] (Configuration 8) 8. The information providing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the providing means highlights at least one of the different plurality of error codes or the common part information.

[0182] (Configuration 9) The information providing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the error information includes an occurrence time of the error associated with the error code, and the detection means detects the common part information based on the occurrence times of each of a plurality of different errors.

[0183] (Configuration 10) 10. The information providing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the providing means displays the relationship between the number of replacement calls and the number of replacements.

[0184] (Configuration 11) 11. The information providing system according to configuration 10, wherein the providing means performs a predetermined highlighting when a ratio of the number of replacements to the number of replacement dispatches is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0185] (Configuration 12) 12. The information providing system according to configuration 10 or 11, wherein the providing means sorts and displays the information according to the ratio of the number of replacements to the number of replacement dispatches.

[0186] (method) a step of managing error information that corresponds device information that identifies a device with an error code that indicates an error occurring in the device; a step of corresponding the error code with part information that identifies a part for which treatment has been performed in response to the error, and managing the error information as performance information that indicates the performance of the treatment; a step of detecting common part information that corresponds to a plurality of different error codes among the part information corresponding to the device information based on the error information and the performance information; and a step of providing screen information that highlights that the common part information corresponds to the plurality of different error codes.

[0187] The present disclosure has been described above in detail based on preferred embodiments thereof, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible based on the gist of the present disclosure, and these modifications are not excluded from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0188] In order to realize a part or all of the control in the above-mentioned embodiment, a computer program that realizes the functions of the above-mentioned embodiment may be supplied to an information providing system or the like via a network or various storage media. Then, a computer (or a CPU, MPU, or the like) in the information providing system or the like may read and execute the program. In this case, the program and the storage medium storing the program constitute the present invention.

Claims

1. a first management means for managing error information that associates device information for identifying a device with an error code indicating an error occurring in the device; a second management means for managing the error code and part information for identifying a part on which a correction has been made to the error as corresponding information on the results of the correction; a detection means for detecting common part information corresponding to a plurality of different error codes from among the part information corresponding to the device information, based on the error information and the performance information; providing means for providing screen information that highlights that the common part information corresponds to the different plurality of error codes; An information providing system comprising:

2. The providing means further provides information of a list of a plurality of errors in the error information, the list including the plurality of different error codes; The common part information is displayed corresponding to each of the error codes in the list.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

3. the providing means further provides at least one of the different error codes and a list of a plurality of pieces of part information corresponding to the one error code, the list including the common part information; In the list, a plurality of pieces of part information are displayed in order of priority, or information indicating the priority of the plurality of pieces of part information is displayed.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

4. The method further includes a calculation unit that calculates the priority based on the number of replacements of each part having the plurality of part information in the performance information.

4. The information providing system according to claim 3.

5. The calculation means calculates a failure cause probability, which is one of the indices indicating the priority, based on the number of replacements of each of the parts and the sum of the number of replacements.

5. The information providing system according to claim 4.

6. The method further includes a calculation unit that calculates a priority of each of a plurality of different actions for the error based on the number of actions taken, The providing means further provides information indicating a priority of each of the procedures.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

7. The providing means further provides information in which the number of replacements of the parts having the common part information in the performance information is written in association with each of the different error codes.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

8. The providing means highlights at least one of the different error codes or the common part information.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

9. the error information includes a time when the error occurred, which is associated with the error code; The detection means detects the common part information based on occurrence times of each of a plurality of different errors.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

10. The providing means displays the relationship between the number of replacement calls and the number of replacements.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1 .

11. The providing means performs a predetermined highlighting when the ratio of the number of replacements to the number of replacement dispatches is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

11. The information providing system according to claim 10.

12. The providing means sorts and displays the information according to the ratio of the number of replacements to the number of replacement dispatches.

11. The information providing system according to claim 10.

13. managing error information that associates device information for identifying a device with an error code indicating an error occurring in the device; a step of associating the error code with part information for identifying a part on which a fix has been performed for the error, and managing the error code as performance information indicating the performance of the fix; detecting common part information corresponding to a plurality of different error codes from among the part information corresponding to the device information based on the error information and the performance information; providing screen information that highlights that the common part information corresponds to the different plurality of error codes; A method comprising:

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