Printer server, abnormality determination method, and program

Abstract

To detect an abnormality in an AC power supply to which a device is connected.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a print server that communicates with multiple devices via a wired LAN or wireless LAN. The print server includes: a communication unit configured to receive, from the multiple devices, characteristic values related to an AC power supply to which the multiple devices are connected; an analysis unit configured to treat the multiple devices connected to the same wired LAN or wireless LAN as the print server as one group and analyze the characteristic values for each group; and an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply based on analysis results by the analysis unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer server, an abnormality determination method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for detecting abnormalities in devices such as image forming apparatuses are known. There are various types of device abnormalities. For example, when an abnormality occurs in an image forming apparatus, problems such as inability to print may occur.

[0003] Techniques for statistically processing information acquired from devices to identify devices with abnormalities are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a plurality of printers are classified into a plurality of groups, print amount information is acquired from the plurality of printers, a reference value for the print amount is calculated for each group, printers with a small print amount are extracted based on the reference value, and for each of the extracted printers, it is determined whether or not the printer has an abnormality based on the error history information of the printer.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conventional technology has a problem that it does not determine whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply to which the device is connected. If the state of the AC power supply is not good, for example, noise is superimposed on the AC power supply that supplies power to the device, the device may malfunction.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a technique capable of detecting an abnormality in the AC power supply to which a device is connected.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention is a print server that communicates with a plurality of devices via a wired LAN or a wireless LAN, and includes a communication unit that receives characteristic values related to an AC power supply to which the plurality of devices are connected from the plurality of devices, and the plurality of devices connected to the same wired LAN or wireless LAN as the print server are grouped into one group, and an analysis unit that analyzes the characteristic values for each group, and an abnormality determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply based on the analysis result by the analysis unit.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present invention can provide a technique for detecting an abnormality in an AC power supply to which a device is connected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, as an example of embodiments for carrying out the present invention, a device communication system and an abnormality determination method performed by the device communication system will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Regarding the AC power supply in the installation environment and its abnormality> First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a method for detecting an abnormality in the AC power supply of the installation environment will be supplemented. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of an abnormal AC power supply. FIG. 1(a) shows a normal AC power supply, and FIG. 1(b) shows an abnormal AC power supply with noise 201 superimposed. In the installation environment of the image forming apparatus, if the state of the AC power supply is not good, for example, noise 201 is superimposed on the AC power supply, the image forming apparatus 20 may malfunction. Therefore, a method for detecting an abnormality in the AC power supply has been devised. As one method for detecting an abnormality in the AC power supply as shown in FIG. 1(b), a method of judging by the number of communication retries is known. This will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining that the AC power supply affects the communication between the main control PCB 211 (Printed Wiring Board) and the ADF control PCB 212. The number of communication retries is, for example, the number of times recorded when communication between the main control PCB 211 (an example of the first component) of the image forming apparatus 20 and the ADF control PCB 212 (an example of the second component) succeeds on the nth retry when communication fails. Communication retry means repeating the attempt to communicate between the same devices again when an error occurs in the communication between the devices and communication cannot be established. Normally, the number of communication retries is 0 times, and it is generally recorded as 1 time, 2 times, etc. when the retry is executed. It is known that when noise 201 is superimposed on the AC power supply, the number of communication failures between the main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212 also increases. This is presumably because noise 201 generates electromagnetic noise and distorts the signals between the main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212, but it is not necessary that the causal relationship be clear.

[0012] Since the state of the AC power supply affects various communications in this way, the degree of deterioration of the AC power supply can be indirectly measured by the number of communication retries. The method of measuring the state of the AC power supply using this number of communication retries has the advantage of not being costly although the accuracy is lower than the method using a dedicated device for measuring the state of the AC power supply.

[0013] If it is possible to detect that the state of the AC power supply is poor, the manufacturer or distributor of the image forming apparatus 20 can take measures such as proposing to the customer to install a filter for removing the noise 201 of the AC power supply.

[0014] However, in reality, "there are also image forming apparatuses in the market that have a large number of communication retry times due to other factors regardless of the state of the AC power supply", so it is difficult for the manufacturer or distributor to grasp the state of the AC power supply. The communication retry itself, regardless of the factor, has a small frequency and number of times, but it also occurs due to abnormalities in the main control PCB 211 or the ADF control PCB 212, or electrical contact failures, etc., regardless of the state of the AC power supply. The communication retry caused by the state of the AC power supply also often occurs at the same frequency and number of times as abnormalities in the main control PCB 211 or the ADF control PCB 212, or electrical contact failures, etc., and it was not easy to distinguish between the two.

[0015] Therefore, a method of detecting an abnormality in the AC power supply is considered by regarding not a single image forming apparatus 20 but a plurality of image forming apparatuses as a group and analyzing the tendency of the group. When there is an abnormality in the AC power supply, all the image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same AC power supply system are affected by the abnormal AC power supply. For example, when there is an abnormality in the AC power supply system 1 (for example, the AC power supply system on the 5th floor of Building α of X Office of Company A), all the image forming apparatuses 20 installed on that floor are affected. For this reason, as a method of setting the group, it is often defined by the proximity of the installation environment, and it can be expected that the analysis accuracy of the AC power supply abnormality will be improved.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method of determining the state of the AC power supply 9 by regarding a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 as a group and analyzing the tendency of the group by a cloud server. In FIG. 3, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are communicably connected to a cloud server 301 via the Internet 203. Each image forming apparatus 20 is connected to a LAN laid at the installation location.

[0017] The number of communication retries per day, for example, of each image forming apparatus 20 is transmitted to the cloud server 301 via the LAN and the Internet 203. The cloud server 301 queries the identification information of the image forming apparatus 20 transmitted together with the number of communication retries and, for example, the name of the company or business operator where it is installed recorded at the time of delivery, etc., and determines which group the image forming apparatus 20 belongs to. That is, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 with the same company name, business operator name, building, floor (number of floors), etc. are determined to be in the same group. In FIG. 3, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are treated as a group, such as "Group of 10 units delivered to the Shinjuku Office of Company A".

[0018] The cloud server 301 calculates statistical values (for example, average and variance) of the number of communication retries for a certain period (for example, one day) for each group. The cloud server 301 compares the preset threshold value with the statistical value to detect an abnormality in the AC power supply 9. The threshold value is determined by measuring how many communication retries occur in an environment where the AC power supply 9 has been confirmed to be normal during the development of the image forming apparatus 20. If a significantly larger number of communication retries than the number of communication retries in the environment where the AC power supply 9 has been confirmed to be normal is measured, there may be an abnormality in the AC power supply 9.

[0019] When the threshold value is set to an average of 0.3 times or more and a variance of 0.02 or more, in FIG. 3, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 to which the "Group of 15 units delivered to the Yotsuya Office of Company A" is connected. This is because when the state of the AC power supply 9 is poor, the number of retries of the image forming apparatuses 20 in the group increases (judged by the average), and also varies between devices whether to retry communication or not (judged by the variance).

[0020] However, a method of determining the state of the AC power supply 9 by regarding a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 as a group and analyzing the tendency of the group cannot be realized unless the customer's image forming apparatus 20 provides the number of communication retries to the cloud server 301. On the other hand, depending on the customer, due to security policies or the like, the image forming apparatus 20 may be set not to provide the number of communication retries to the cloud server 301, or the connection to an external network may be restricted, or the situation may occur where it is only connected to the LAN 209. When the image forming apparatus 20 is installed for such a customer, there is a disadvantage that the cloud server 301 cannot know the state of the AC power supply 9.

[0021] In addition, when determining which group the image forming apparatus 20 belongs to based on the customer information at the time of delivery registered in the cloud server 301 (which image forming apparatus 20 was delivered to which company name, business office, building, floor, etc.), there is also a disadvantage that the determination of the group on the cloud server 301 side and the determination of whether or not they are connected to the same AC power supply 9 do not necessarily match. In the example of FIG. 3, whether or not all the image forming apparatuses 20 determined to be in the group of "10 units delivered to the Shinjuku office of Company A" are actually connected to the "AC power supply on the 5th floor of Building α of the Shinjuku office of Company A" cannot be determined only by the customer information.

[0022] [First Embodiment] <Method for Detecting Abnormality of AC Power Supply in this Embodiment> Therefore, in this embodiment, by considering a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same network as the print server as image forming apparatuses connected to the same AC power supply, the disadvantage of the abnormality is eliminated.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a method for detecting an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the print server 50 is delivered together with the image forming apparatus 20, or in an installation environment, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are often connected to the print server 50. That is, as a simple method, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 that communicate with the print server 50 are determined to be one group. As will be described later, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 that communicate with the print server 50 can also be regarded as "connected to the same LAN". That is, it is also possible to make a group determination by utilizing the fact that image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same local area network (LAN) are likely to be connected to the same AC power supply 9.

[0024] The print server 50 determines an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 to which the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are connected based on a statistical value of the number of communication retries received from the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the print server 50A and the image forming apparatuses 20A-1 to 20A-n are installed on the 9th floor of the Atsugi Office of Company A. The print server 50B and the image forming apparatuses 20B-1 to 20B-n are installed on the 10th floor of the Atsugi Office of Company A. Neither of the two print servers 50A and 50B is connected to the Internet 203. In such an installation environment, the print servers 50A and 50B detect an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 by the following processing.

[0025] 1. A threshold value of the statistical value regarded as an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 is determined in advance at a time such as at the start of mass production of the image forming apparatus 20. The manufacturer sets the threshold value in the print servers 50A and 50B and then ships them to the customer. Example of threshold value: average of 0.1 times or more and variance of 0.01 or more 2. The print server 50A calculates a statistical value of the number of communication retries of the image forming apparatuses 20A-1 to 20A-n that communicate with the own device. The print server 50B calculates a statistical value of the number of communication retries of the image forming apparatuses 20B-1 to 20B-n that communicate with the own device.

[0026] 3. When the statistical value exceeds the threshold value set to 1, the print servers 50A and 50B determine that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 to which the image forming apparatus 20 is connected. In the example of FIG. 4, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 of "A Company, Atsugi Office, 9th Floor".

[0027] As described above, the print server 50 of the present embodiment determines that image forming apparatuses 20 that transmit the communication retry count belong to the same group, and can compare the statistical value with the threshold value. Therefore, even if the image forming apparatus 20 is not connected to the Internet, the print server 50 can determine the state of the AC power supply 9 to which the image forming apparatus 20 is connected.

[0028] <Regarding Terms> LAN refers to a network that can be connected in a certain limited area. As an example of a LAN, devices that communicate using an Ethernet card (registered trademark) are known. In addition, LANs include wired LANs and wireless LANs. One form of wireless LAN is Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0029] The AC power supply 9 is called an Alternating Current power supply, and is a power supply that outputs a current whose direction reverses at regular intervals. The AC power supply is sometimes called a commercial power supply. Although the voltage of the AC power supply 9 varies, for example, 100 to 240 [V] is often used.

[0030] The characteristic value regarding the AC power supply 9 may be any value that represents a characteristic of the AC power supply 9 that can detect an abnormality in the AC power supply 9. In the present embodiment, the characteristic value regarding the AC power supply 9 is described using the term "communication retry count".

[0031] A group refers to a state in which many similar things or many similar things are gathered. In the present embodiment, a group refers to a plurality of devices that are connected to or regarded as being connected to the same AC power supply. The plurality of devices belonging to the group may have different models and model numbers. Further, the plurality of devices belonging to the group may be a mixture of different types of devices such as an image forming apparatus, a projector, an electronic blackboard, a digital signage, or a video conference terminal.

[0032] The analysis result is information in which characteristic values are analyzed for each group, and any information that can determine the presence or absence of an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 may be used. The analysis result is, for example, a statistical value (average, variance, etc.) of the number of communication retries, or an integrated value of the number of communication retries calculated in time series.

[0033] <System Configuration Example> FIG. 5 is an example of a configuration diagram of a device communication system 100. The device communication system 100 includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C, and a print server 50 that communicates with the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C. Each of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C is connected to the AC power supply 9. In FIG. 5, the number of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C is three, but the number of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C may be plural. Hereinafter, any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C is referred to as an "image forming apparatus 20".

[0034] The image forming apparatus 20 is a printer that prints an image on paper, but may have a plurality of functions such as copying, scanning, and facsimile transmission / reception in addition to the printing function. Such a device having a plurality of functions may be referred to as a multifunction device or an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral). Further, the image forming apparatus 20 may be referred to as a printer, an image processing apparatus, a printing apparatus, or the like. As a method of printing by the image forming apparatus 20, any method such as an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, a thermal transfer method, or a stencil printing method may be used. Further, the image forming apparatus 20 may be a 3D printer. A 3D printer is a device that manufactures a three-dimensional model by stacking sliced two-dimensional layers one by one based on 3D CAD design data (STL data).

[0035] Also, the image forming apparatus 20 may not have a printing function. The device of the present embodiment may be, for example, a scanner alone or a facsimile machine alone. Further, the device may be an electronic blackboard, a projector, a digital signage, a video conferencing terminal, a HUD (Head Up Display) device, an industrial machine, an imaging device, a sound collecting device, a medical device, a network home appliance, a PC, a game machine, or the like. That is, the device only needs to be driven by an AC power supply and be able to be connected to a LAN.

[0036] The print server 50 is a computer for sharing the image forming apparatus 20 connected to itself via a LAN with a PC on the network. The print server 50 spools the print jobs transmitted from the PC and sequentially inputs the print jobs to the image forming apparatus 20. After each PC transmits the print job to the print server 50, it is released from the processing related to printing, so the burden on the PC can be reduced. Currently, many image forming apparatuses 20 have the function of the print server 50. However, by introducing the print server 50, there are merits such as controlling access rights from the PC, centrally managing the settings of the image forming apparatus 20, and automatically distributing printer drivers.

[0037] The print server 50 of the present embodiment further receives the number of communication retries from the image forming apparatus 20 and calculates the statistical value thereof. The print server 50 detects an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 by comparing the statistical value with a threshold value.

[0038] The LAN 209 to which a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are connected is preferably a LAN with the same network address. When the image forming apparatus 20 is connected to a LAN having the same network address as the print server 50, the accuracy of group determination is improved. That is, the print server 50 can more accurately identify the image forming apparatuses 20 belonging to the group by determining the network address, rather than simply regarding the image forming apparatuses 20 that communicate with the print server 50 as a group.

[0039] A network address is an IP address in which all the bits in the host part are 0, and it represents the network itself. The network address is obtained by the logical AND operation of the IP address of the print server 50 or the image forming apparatus 20 and the subnet mask. IP address 192.168.1.1 Subnet mask 255.255.0.0 In this case, the network address is "192.168.0.0".

[0040] In the present embodiment, for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 20, which is treated as a group, is set with the same subnet mask as the print server 50 at the time of delivery. Note that the same network when the image forming apparatus 20 is connected to a wireless LAN will be described later.

[0041] The print server 50 communicates by transmitting and receiving Ethernet frames within the LAN. The Ethernet frame contains the source and destination IP addresses. The print server 50 calculates the logical AND operation of the subnet mask set in its own device and the IP address of the image forming apparatus 20, and identifies the image forming apparatus 20 connected to the same network (LAN209 in FIG. 5) among the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20.

[0042] <Hardware configuration example> <<Hardware configuration example of print server>> FIG. 6 is a hardware configuration diagram of the print server 50. As shown in FIG. 6, the print server 50 is constructed by a computer 500. The computer 500 includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, an HD 504, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I / F (Interface) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, an optical drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0043] Among these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire computer 500. The ROM 502 stores programs used for driving the CPU 501 such as the IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data to / from the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, menu, window, characters, or images. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. External devices in this case are, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a printer, and the like. The network I / F 509 is an interface for performing data communication using the network N. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, etc. for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 6.

[0044] Also, the keyboard 511 is a type of input means having a plurality of keys used for inputting characters, numerical values, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The optical drive 514 controls the reading or writing of various data to / from the optical storage medium 513 as an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the optical storage medium may be a CD, DVD, Blu-Ray (registered trademark), etc. The media I / F 516 controls the reading or writing (storage) of data to / from the recording medium 515 such as a flash memory.

[0045] <<Example of Hardware Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>> FIG. 7 is a hardware configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the image forming apparatus 20 includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950.

[0046] Among these, the controller 910 corresponds to the main control PCB 211. The controller 910 includes a CPU 901 which is the main component of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907 which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909 which is a storage unit. It is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0047] Among these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the multifunction device 30A or the facsimile apparatus. The NB 903 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 901, the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and has a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, and a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master and an AGP target.

[0048] The MEM-P 902 consists of a ROM 902a which is a memory for storing programs and data for realizing the functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b which is used as a memory for developing programs and data and for drawing during memory printing. Note that the programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided in an installable or executable format as files recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or a DVD.

[0049] SB904 is a bridge for connecting NB903 with the PC30I device and peripheral devices. ASIC906 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing, and serves as a bridge for connecting the AGP bus 921, the PC30I bus 922, the HDD controller 908, and the MEM-C907 respectively. This ASIC906 consists of a PC30I target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C907, a plurality of DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform operations such as rotation of image data by means of hardware logic, etc., and a PC30I unit that transfers data via the PC30I bus 922 between the scanner unit 931 and the printer unit 932. Note that the ASIC906 may be connected with an interface of USB (Universal Serial Bus) or an interface of IEEE1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394).

[0050] MEM-C907 is a local memory used as a copy image buffer and a code buffer. HD909 is a storage for accumulating image data, font data used at the time of printing, and forms. HD909 controls the reading or writing of data to / from HD909 according to the control of the CPU901. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed for accelerating graphic processing, and can speed up the graphics accelerator card by directly accessing the MEM-P902 with high throughput.

[0051] Also, the short-distance communication circuit 920 is provided with an antenna 920a of the short-distance communication circuit. The short-distance communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0052] Furthermore, the engine control unit 930 is composed of a scanner unit 931 and a printer unit 932. Also, the operation panel 940 displays the current set values, selection screens, etc. The operation panel 940 includes a panel display unit 940a such as a touch panel that receives inputs from the operator, and a hard key 940b including a numeric keypad that receives set values of conditions related to image formation such as density setting conditions and a start key that receives a copy start instruction. The operation panel 940 also includes a storage medium mounting unit 940c for mounting a storage medium. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus 20, for example, controls drawing, communication, inputs from the operation panel 940, etc. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 includes an image processing part such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

[0053] Note that the image forming apparatus 20 can sequentially switch and select the document box function, copy function, print function, and facsimile function by the application switching key of the operation panel 940. The multifunction machine 30A or the facsimile apparatus becomes the document box mode when the document box function is selected, the copy mode when the copy function is selected, the printer mode when the print function is selected, and the facsimile mode when the facsimile mode is selected.

[0054] Also, the network I / F 950 is an interface for data communication using the network N. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I / F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via the PC30I bus 922.

[0055] <Regarding functions> FIG. 8 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the image forming apparatus 20 and the print server 50 in a block form.

[0056] <<Image forming apparatus>> First, the functions of the image forming apparatus 20 will be described. The image forming apparatus 20 includes a communication unit 21, a retry count unit 22, a display control unit 23, and a device information storage unit 29. These functions of the image forming apparatus 20 are functions or means realized by the CPU 901 of the image forming apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 7 executing a program stored in the HD 909 or the like to control the hardware of the image forming apparatus 20. Further, the device information storage unit 29 is constructed in the HD 909 or the RAM 902b shown in FIG. 7.

[0057] The communication unit 21 communicates with the print server 50 via the LAN 209. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 21 transmits the communication retry count for a predetermined period (for example, one day) to the print server 50, and receives an AC power supply abnormality notification from the print server 50 when an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 is detected.

[0058] The retry count unit 22 records, in the device information storage unit 29, the communication retry count indicating which retry was successful when communication fails between the main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212. The main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212 communicate because communication between the two is required for scanning using the ADF. For example, the main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212 communicate at the timing when the AC power supply 9 of the image forming apparatus 20 is turned on or when resuming from sleep. Also, when the user causes the image forming apparatus 20 to scan a document or during double-sided detection, the main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212 communicate.

[0059] Therefore, the main control PCB 211 may communicate with the ADF control PCB 212 multiple times a day. Each time communication is performed, a communication retry may occur, but the frequency is low, and in many cases, the communication retry count is 0. The retry count unit 22 counts and records the retry count when the main control PCB 211 communicates with the ADF control PCB 212.

[0060] The retry count unit 22 may count the number of communication retries other than between the main control PCB 211 and the ADF control PCB 212. For example, the retry count unit 22 may count the number of communication retries when the main control PCB 211 communicates with the operation panel 940. The main control PCB 211 and the operation panel 940 communicate, for example, at the timing when the AC power supply 9 of the image forming apparatus 20 is turned on, when resuming from sleep, and when the user operates the operation panel 940. Further, the retry count unit 22 may count the number of communication retries when the main control PCB 211 communicates with the IC chip of the toner cartridge. The main control PCB 211 and the IC chip of the toner cartridge communicate, for example, at the timing when the AC power supply 9 of the image forming apparatus 20 is turned on, when resuming from sleep, every time one sheet of paper is printed, and every time one job is completed (to notify the toner remaining amount).

[0061] When the display control unit 23 receives an AC power supply abnormality notification from the print server 50, it displays on the panel display unit 940a that an abnormality has been detected in the AC power supply 9. Even if the print server 50 cannot communicate with the outside, the customer can notice the abnormality of the AC power supply 9 and contact the manufacturer or the like.

[0062] FIG. 9 shows an example of the device information stored in the device information storage unit 29. The device information has a communication retry count associated with the device ID. The device ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the image forming apparatus 20. The device ID may be any number or alphabet, or may be a MAC address, an IP address, or the like.

[0063] Scenes where the main control PCB 211 communicates with the ADF control PCB 212 include the following. · Power-on of the image forming apparatus 20, resuming from sleep · Immediately before the user uses the ADF. For example, the user starts the scanner application or sets paper in the ADF. · Periodic life and death confirmation. Therefore, for example, the number of times the main control PCB 211 communicates with the ADF control PCB 212 per day varies depending on the image forming apparatus 20.

[0064] In FIG. 9, the communication retry count of device information is associated with, for example, the date. On September 1st, since the main control PCB 211 communicated with the ADF control PCB 212 three times, three communication retry counts (all 0) and the cumulative value "0" are stored. The cumulative value is the sum of the communication retry counts in each communication performed in a day. On September 2nd, since the main control PCB 211 communicated with the ADF control PCB 212 twice (the second time being 1), two communication retry counts and the cumulative value "1" are stored. On September 31st, since the main control PCB 211 communicated with the ADF control PCB 212 only once, one communication retry count and the cumulative value "1" are stored.

[0065] In FIG. 9, the communication retry count is recorded for each number of communications performed, but this is for explanatory purposes, and each image forming apparatus 20 only needs to hold the cumulative value per day. The cumulative value may be cleared (reset to 0) when transmitted to the print server 50.

[0066] The communication unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits the communication retry count of the previous day to the print server 50, for example, at a fixed time of day or when the AC power supply 9 is turned on. Whether it has been transmitted or not is recorded in the device information, and the communication unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits all the communication retry counts that have not been transmitted, together with the date, to the print server 50.

[0067] Note that the communication unit 21 transmitting the communication retry count for one day to the print server 50 is just an example, and the communication retry count may be transmitted to the print server 50 every hour, for each period such as morning / afternoon, one week, one month, etc.

[0068] <<Print Server>> Returning to FIG. 8, the description will be given. The print server 50 includes a communication unit 51, a group identification unit 52, an analysis unit 53, an abnormality determination unit 55, a notification unit 56, and a count storage unit 59. These functions of the print server 50 are functions or means realized by the CPU 501 of the print server 50 shown in FIG. 6 executing a program stored in the HD 504 or the like and controlling the hardware of the print server 50. Further, the count storage unit 59 is constructed in the HD 504 or the RAM 503 shown in FIG. 6.

[0069] The communication unit 51 communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 via the LAN 209. In the present embodiment, the communication unit 51 receives the communication retry count from the image forming apparatus 20 and stores it in the count storage unit 59. When an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 is detected, the communication unit 51 transmits an AC power supply abnormality notification to the image forming apparatus 20.

[0070] The analysis unit 53 analyzes the communication retry count for each group of the image forming apparatuses 20. In the present embodiment, the analysis unit 53 includes a statistical processing unit 54. The statistical processing unit 54 calculates a statistical value of the communication retry counts of a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 determined to be in the same group based on the communication retry counts of each image forming apparatus 20 stored in the count storage unit 59. The statistical value is at least one of, for example, an average and a variance (or a standard deviation).

[0071] The abnormality determination unit 55 compares a preset threshold value with the statistical value and determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 to which a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 determined to be in the same group are connected.

[0072] When the abnormality determination unit 55 detects an abnormality of the AC power supply 9, the notification unit 56 generates an AC power supply abnormality notification and notifies the image forming apparatus 20 via the communication unit 51.

[0073] FIG. 10 shows an example of communication retry count information stored in the retry count storage unit 59. The communication retry count information has a communication retry count associated with a device ID for each date. The device IDs stored in the retry count storage unit 59 are those of the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group. For example, the communication retry count (the above cumulative value) of the image forming apparatus 20 with the device ID K0001 on September 1st is 0 times, and the communication retry count of the image forming apparatus 20 with the device ID K0002 on September 1st is 2 times, and they are recorded in this way. The statistical processing unit 54 calculates, for example, a statistical value of the communication retry count for one day.

[0074] <Method for Detecting Abnormality of AC Power Supply in the Present Embodiment> FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method for detecting an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 in the present embodiment. Generally, an environment in which the image forming apparatus 20 and the user's PC are connected in a one-to-one ad-hoc manner (such as a USB cable) is rare. In many environments, the image forming apparatus 20 and a PC that requests the execution of a print job are connected to the LAN 209. Also, it is common to install a print server 50 to manage a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20. The IP address of the print server 50 is set as a communication destination in the image forming apparatus 20. Also, the IP addresses of a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 may be set in the print server 50.

[0075]

[0076] In this embodiment, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same LAN 209 as the print server 50 are regarded as one group. Further, the print server 50 assumes that the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same LAN 209 are connected to the same system of AC power supply 9. That is, the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 communicating with the print server 50 are regarded as being in the same group and connected to the same AC power supply 9. The fact that the AC power supply 9 is the same or of the same system means that the electrical system downstream from the distribution board is the same. Therefore, there may be a case where a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to different outlets are regarded as one group. A typical example is that the image forming apparatuses 20 on the same floor are one group.

[0077] By the print server 50 receiving the number of communication retries and calculating a statistical value, the statistical value of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the print server 50 can be calculated. Further, since it is unlikely that the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same LAN are physically extremely far apart (there is a high possibility that they are connected to the same AC power supply 9), it is expected that an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 can be detected based on the statistical value of the number of communication retries transmitted by the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 belonging to the group.

[0078] In FIG. 11, the print server 50A and the image forming apparatuses 20A-1 to 20A-n are installed in "Floor 9, Atsugi Office, Company A". The print server 50B and the image forming apparatuses 20B-1 to 20B-n are installed in "Floor 10, Atsugi Office, Company A". Neither of the two print servers 50A and 50B is connected to the Internet. In the example of FIG. 11, since the statistical value of the number of communication retries on "Floor 9, Atsugi Office, Company A" exceeds the threshold value, the print server 50A can determine that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 to which the image forming apparatuses 20A-1 to 20A-n are connected.

[0079] In this way, since the print server 50 of the present embodiment determines a group of a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 that transmit the communication retry count, it is possible to determine the state of the AC power supply 9 to which the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are connected. Alternatively, since the print server 50 determines a group of a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 "connected to the same LAN" as the print server 50, it is possible to determine the state of the AC power supply 9 to which the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are connected.

[0080] In the present embodiment, it has been described that the print server 50 separate from the image forming apparatus 20 detects an abnormality in the AC power supply 9. However, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20, a predetermined image forming apparatus 20 may also serve as the print server 50. Even in such a case, the predetermined image forming apparatus 20 can detect an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 as a print server.

[0081] <Operation or process> FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart for explaining a process in which the print server 50 detects an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 connected to the image forming apparatus 20. Among the processes in FIG. 12, the process of the image forming apparatus 20 starts at the timing of transmitting the communication retry count, and the process of the print server 50 starts when, for example, it receives the communication retry count for one day from all the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same network as the print server 50.

[0082] The communication unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 connected to the LAN 209 transmits the cumulative value of the communication retry count for one day counted by the retry count counting unit 22 to the print server 50 (S11). The timing of transmission may be, for example, a fixed time every day or when the AC power is turned on. Also, the communication unit 21 may transmit the communication retry count to the print server 50 in response to a request from the print server 50, or may transmit the communication retry count without a request from the print server 50.

[0083] The communication unit 51 of the print server 50 receives the number of communication retries. The statistical processing unit 54 calculates statistical values (such as average and variance) of the number of communication retries per day received from the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group (S12). In the case of the premise that the image forming apparatuses 20 communicating with the print server 50 are connected to the same AC power supply 9, for example, it may be determined whether the print server 50 has received the number of communication retries from all the image forming apparatuses 20 registered with an IP address or the like as the image forming apparatuses in the same group. Alternatively, regardless of whether the number of communication retries has been received from all the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group, the statistical processing unit 54 may calculate the statistical values at a fixed time every day.

[0084] On the other hand, when the image forming apparatuses 20 communicating with the print server 50 are not necessarily connected to the same network as the print server 50, the statistical processing unit 54 identifies the image forming apparatuses 20 (image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same AC power supply 9) regarded as a group by the following method. · Identification information such as the IP address and MAC address of the image forming apparatuses 20 (image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same AC power supply 9) regarded as a group is registered in the print server 50. In this case, the print server 50 and the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 do not necessarily need to be actually connected to the same LAN 209. · The group identification unit 52 determines whether it is the same network as the print server 50 based on the network address of the image forming apparatus 20. The group identification unit 52 identifies the network address of the image forming apparatus 20 with the subnet mask set in the print server 50, and regards the image forming apparatus 20 with the same network address as the print server 50 as the same group (regards it as an image forming apparatus 20 connected to the same AC power supply 9).

[0085] Next, the abnormality determination unit 55 determines whether the statistical value exceeds a threshold for determining an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 (S13). If the determination in step S13 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S14. If the determination in step S13 is No, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0086] In step S14, the notification unit 56 generates an AC power supply abnormality notification, and the communication unit 51 transmits the AC power supply abnormality notification to all the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group (S14).

[0087] The communication unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives the AC power supply abnormality notification, and the display control unit 23 causes it to be displayed on the panel display unit 940a (S15). The AC power supply abnormality notification is information (notification) indicating that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply.

[0088] FIG. 13 shows an example of an AC power supply abnormality notification message 241 displayed on an arbitrary image forming apparatus 20. In FIG. 13, an AC power supply abnormality notification message 241 saying "Since there is an abnormality in the AC power supply, please contact the MFP manufacturer" is displayed. When a customer user contacts the manufacturer after seeing the AC power supply abnormality notification message 241, the manufacturer can take measures such as proposing to the customer to install a filter for removing the AC power supply noise 201. Also, the system of the image forming apparatus 20 may hold the AC power supply abnormality notification. In this case, when a customer system administrator logs in to the image forming apparatus 20, the AC power supply abnormality notification message 241 may be displayed.

[0089] Also, the notification unit 56 of the print server 50 may notify a customer system administrator or manufacturer customer support by e-mail, SNS, etc. Although the AC power supply abnormality notification message 241 displayed on the image forming apparatus 20 may not be seen by anyone, it is easier for the system administrator or customer support to notice it if it is an e-mail.

[0090] <Main effects> According to the present embodiment, even if the image forming apparatus 20 is not connected to the cloud server 301, the image forming apparatus 20 communicating with the print server 50 or the image forming apparatus 20 connected to the same network as the print server 50 is regarded as one group connected to the same AC power supply, and an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 can be detected.

[0091] [Second Embodiment] In this embodiment, a print server 50 that determines a group for calculating statistical values based on whether a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are connected to the same access point 8 will be described.

[0092] <System Configuration Example> FIG. 14 shows a configuration example of a device communication system 100 when the print server 50 communicates with the image forming apparatus 20 via a wireless LAN. Note that in FIG. 14, the differences from FIG. 5 will mainly be described. An access point 8 is installed in the device communication system 100. The access point 8 is a network device that constructs a local network and provides wireless communication between devices. The access point 8 is not connected to the Internet by itself. A device having a function of connecting to the Internet to the access point 8 is called a wireless LAN router. In this embodiment, the access point 8 may be a wireless LAN router. Note that a router is a network device that relays communication between different networks.

[0093] In order for the print server 50 and the image forming apparatus 20 to be connected to the access point 8, the SSID and password of the access point 8 are set in the print server 50 and the image forming apparatus 20. The print server 50 and the image forming apparatus 20 can be connected to the access point 8 by transmitting the SSID and password to the access point 8 and receiving authentication. The same network in the case of a wireless LAN refers to a range in which communication can be performed with the same SSID. Note that even if there are a plurality of access points 8, if the SSIDs are the same, they are the same network.

[0094] The print server 50 communicates within the LAN using frames of the wireless LAN (IEEE802.11), but these frames do not contain an SSID. Therefore, in this embodiment, each image forming apparatus 20 transmits the SSID to which it is connected to the print server 50. The print server 50 identifies a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 with the same SSID as image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same network (i.e., one group). Note that in this embodiment, the print server 50 and the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 do not necessarily have to be connected to the same network (access point 8 with the same SSID).

[0095] For example, three image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the access point 8 on the ceiling of "Floor 9, A Company, Atsugi Office" are regarded as one group. If there are characteristics in the number of retry attempts of the three image forming apparatuses 20, it can be determined that the state of the AC power supply 9 of "Floor 9, A Company, Atsugi Office" has deteriorated. In many cases, the distance range in which communication can be performed via the wireless LAN is narrower than the distance range of a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the wired LAN 209. For this reason, in this embodiment, there is an effect that the situation of determining image forming apparatuses 20 connected to different AC power supplies 9 as the same group occurs less frequently than in the case of the wired LAN.

[0096] <Regarding functions> In this embodiment, the hardware configuration diagrams of FIGS. 6 and 7 described in the first embodiment and the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 8 are used as references for explanation. However, the function of the group identification unit 52 is different. The group identification unit 52 of this embodiment identifies image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group (connected to the same AC power supply) based on the SSID transmitted from the image forming apparatus 20.

[0097] <Operation or process> FIG. 15 is an example of a flowchart for explaining the process in which the print server 50 detects an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 connected to the image forming apparatus 20. Note that in the description of FIG. 15, the differences from FIG. 12 may mainly be explained.

[0098] The communication unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 that communicates with the access point 8 transmits the communication retry count counted by the retry count counting unit 22 and the SSID of the access point 8 to the print server 50 (S21). The timing of transmission and the like may be the same as in step S11 of FIG. 12.

[0099] The communication unit 51 of the print server 50 receives the communication retry count and the SSID. The group identification unit 52 discriminates the image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same network based on the SSID as the same group, and stores the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatuses 20 determined to be the same group in the count storage unit 59 (S22). That is, the group identification unit 52 determines the image forming apparatuses 20 having the same SSID as the access point 8 to which the print server 50 is connected as the same group, or determines the image forming apparatuses 20 having the same SSID as the SSID preset in the group identification unit 52 as the same group.

[0100] The subsequent processing may be the same as in FIG. 12.

[0101] <Main effects> According to the present embodiment, the print server 50 determines the image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same access point 8 as the image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same network. The print server 50 can detect an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 by regarding the image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same network as one group connected to the same AC power supply. Further, in the present embodiment, since the group can be specified within a distance range narrower than that of the wired LAN, the accuracy of determining whether or not a plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 are connected to the same AC power supply can be improved.

[0102] [Third Embodiment] In the present embodiment, a print server 50 that detects an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 based on the integrated value of the time series of the communication retry count instead of the statistical value of the communication retry count will be described.

[0103] <Detection of abnormality of AC power supply based on integrated value of communication retry count> FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 based on the integrated value of the communication retry count. In FIG. 16, integrated values 251 to 253 with respect to the date of the communication retry count counted by each image forming apparatus 20 are shown in a graph. In FIG. 16, the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C belong to a group connected to the same AC power supply 9, and the image forming apparatus 20D belongs to another group connected to another AC power supply 9. The method of determining the group may be the same as that in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0104] In FIG. 16, it is assumed that each image forming apparatus 20 transmits the communication retry count to the print server 50 once a day, the horizontal axis represents the date, and the vertical axis represents the integrated value of the communication retry count. According to the integrated values 251 to 253, it can be seen that the integrated values of the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C increase on the same October 1st. Since the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C are connected to the same AC power supply 9, it is presumed that if there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9, the communication retry count will increase at the same timing. In FIG. 16, since the integrated values of the communication retry counts increase for all the image forming apparatuses in the same group on October 1st, it can be determined that an abnormality has occurred in the AC power supply 9 to which the image forming apparatuses 20 in that group are connected on October 1st.

[0105] Although the integrated value of the communication retry count of the image forming apparatus 20D also increases on October 1st, since it does not belong to the same group as the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C, it can be determined that it is highly likely that the integrated value of the communication retry count has increased by chance.

[0106] Alternatively, the print server 50 can also estimate that the image forming apparatus 20D belongs to the same group as the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C. For example, assume that there is an image forming apparatus 20D that is determined to be in a different group based on a network address or SSID depending on whether it is communicating with the print server 50. If the frequency at which the integrated values of the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C and the image forming apparatus 20D increase at the same timing is equal to or more than a certain level, the group specifying unit 52 discards the result of determining that the image forming apparatus 20D and the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C belong to different groups. For example, assume that the integrated values of the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C and the image forming apparatus 20D increase at the same timing twice in a row. In this case, the group specifying unit 52 can determine that the image forming apparatus 20D (an example of a device belonging to one group) and the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C (an example of devices belonging to the other group) belong to the same group. However, this method is effective when one print server 50 manages two or more groups of image forming apparatuses 20.

[0107] Conversely, if the integrated value of the communication retry count of any one of the image forming apparatuses 20A to 20C in the same group of image forming apparatuses 20 increases at a timing different from that of the other image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group, the print server 50 can determine that this is an increase in the communication retry count due to an abnormality in the PCB itself. For example, on September 28, the integrated value of the communication retry count of the image forming apparatus 20A is increasing, but the integrated values of the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatuses 20B and 20C are not increasing. On September 29, the integrated value of the communication retry count of the image forming apparatus 20C is increasing, but the integrated values of the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatuses 20A and 20B are not increasing. Therefore, based on the integrated value on September 28 and the integrated value on September 29, it can be estimated that an abnormality has occurred in the PCB itself.

[0108] Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is expected that the abnormality of the AC power supply 9 can be determined more accurately than by a determination based on statistical values (such as average and variance).

[0109] <Regarding the function> FIG. 17 is an example of a functional block diagram showing the functions of the image forming apparatus 20 and the print server 50 in block form. In the description of FIG. 17, the differences from FIG. 8 will mainly be described. In the present embodiment, the analysis unit 53 has an integration processing unit 27. The integration processing unit 27 records, for each image forming apparatus 20, the integrated value of the communication retry counts transmitted by the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group, for example, in association with the date (in time series). Further, the abnormality determination unit 55 determines whether or not the integrated values of the communication retry counts of a certain percentage or more of the image forming apparatuses 20 are increasing at the same timing (for example, date). If the increase is at the same timing, the abnormality determination unit 55 determines that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 to which the image forming apparatuses 20 belonging to the group are connected.

[0110] <Operation or process> FIG. 18 is an example of a flowchart for explaining the process in which the print server 50 detects an abnormality in the AC power supply 9 connected to the image forming apparatus 20. In the description of FIG. 18, the differences from FIGS. 12 and 15 may mainly be described. The group determination method may be either the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

[0111] The communication unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 connected to the LAN transmits the communication retry count counted by the retry count counting unit 22 to the print server 50 (S31).

[0112] The communication unit 51 of the print server 50 receives the communication retry count. The group specifying unit 52 may determine the image forming apparatus 20 that transmitted the communication retry count as a group. The group specifying unit 52 may discriminate the image forming apparatuses 20 connected to the same network as the same group based on the network address or SSID of the image forming apparatus 20.

[0113] The integration processing unit 27 calculates the integrated value of the communication retry counts of the image forming apparatus 20 (S32). The integration processing unit 27 obtains the integrated value of the communication retry counts in time series by adding the communication retry count for the current day to the integrated value up to the previous day and associating it with the date.

[0114] The abnormality determination unit 55 determines whether the integrated value of the communication retry counts of all the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group increases at the same timing (for example, date) (S33). Note that it is not always necessary to determine whether the integrated value of the communication retry counts of all the image forming apparatuses 20 in the same group increases on the same date. The abnormality determination unit 55 may determine whether the integrated value of the communication retry counts increases on the same date for, for example, a certain ratio or more (for example, 50 to 90% or more) of the plurality of image forming apparatuses 20 included in the group.

[0115] If the determination in step S33 is Yes, the process proceeds to step S34, and if the determination in step S33 is No, the process proceeds to step S31. The subsequent processing may be the same as that in FIG. 12.

[0116] <Main effects> According to the present embodiment, since it is determined whether the integrated value of the communication retry counts increases on the same date, it is possible to more accurately detect an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 than the determination based on the statistical value.

[0117] [Other application examples] The present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0118] For example, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the print server 50 detects an abnormality of the AC power supply 9, but any information processing apparatus (server) connected to the LAN 209 may detect an abnormality of the AC power supply 9.

[0119] Also, the communication retry count may be the retry count when the image forming apparatus 20 communicates with another apparatus on the LAN 209, rather than the communication between components inside the image forming apparatus 20.

[0120] Also, when an abnormality of the AC power supply 9 is detected, the print server 50 may presume that a communication error may also occur in the communication on the LAN 209.

[0121] Also, the configuration examples such as FIG. 8 are divided according to the main functions in order to facilitate the understanding of the processing by the print server 50. The present invention is not limited by the way of dividing the processing units or the names. The processing of the print server 50 can be further divided into more processing units according to the processing content. Also, it can be divided so that one processing unit includes more processing.

[0122] Each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the "processing circuit" in this specification means a processor programmed to execute each function by software like a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) designed to execute each function described above, a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or a device such as a conventional circuit module.

[0123] The device group described in the examples only shows one of a plurality of computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed in this specification. In one embodiment, the server 40 includes a plurality of computing devices such as a server cluster. The plurality of computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via an arbitrary type of communication link including a network or a shared memory, and implement the processing disclosed in this specification.

[0124] Furthermore, the print server 50 can also combine the disclosed processing steps in various ways. Each element of the print server 50 may be grouped into one device or divided into a plurality of devices.

[0125] <Appendix> [Appendix 1] A print server that communicates with a plurality of devices via a LAN, A communication unit that receives characteristic values related to an AC power supply to which the plurality of devices are connected, from the plurality of devices; An analysis unit that analyzes the characteristic values for each group, where the plurality of devices connected to the same LAN as the print server are regarded as one group; An abnormality determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply based on the analysis result by the analysis unit; A print server having the above components. [Appendix 2] The analysis unit calculates a statistical value of the characteristic values for each group; The print server according to Appendix 1, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply based on the statistical value. [Appendix 3] The analysis unit calculates an integrated value of the characteristic values received from the plurality of devices in time series; The print server according to Appendix 1, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply when the integrated values of the characteristic values of a certain ratio or more of the plurality of devices included in the group increase at the same timing. [Appendix 4] The print server according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, wherein the characteristic value is the number of communication retries performed between a first component and a second component of the device. [Appendix 5] The print server according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of devices are connected to the same system of AC power supply. [Appendix 6] When the network addresses of the print server and the plurality of devices are the same, The print server according to Appendix 5, having a group identification unit that identifies the plurality of devices as one group connected to the same system of AC power supply. [Appendix 7] The communication unit receives information related to an access point from the plurality of devices together with the characteristic values; The print server according to Supplementary Note 5, having a group identification unit that, when information regarding the access points of the plurality of devices is the same, identifies the plurality of devices as one group connected to the same system of AC power supply. [Supplementary Note 8] The print server according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, having a notification unit that, when the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply, notifies the plurality of devices that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply. [Supplementary Note 9] When the integrated value of the characteristic values of the devices belonging to one group is the same as the timing when the integrated value of the characteristic values of the plurality of devices belonging to the other group increases, The print server according to Supplementary Note 3, which determines that the devices belonging to the one group belong to the other group.

Explanation of Signs

[0126] 20 Image forming apparatus 50 Print server 100 Device communication system

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0127]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. A print server that communicates with a plurality of devices via a wired LAN or a wireless LAN, a communication unit that receives, from the plurality of devices, characteristic values related to an AC power supply to which the plurality of devices are connected; an analysis unit that analyzes the characteristic values for each group, where the plurality of devices connected to the same wired LAN or wireless LAN as the print server are regarded as one group; an abnormality determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply based on the analysis result by the analysis unit; A print server having the above components.

2. The analysis unit calculates a statistical value of the characteristic values for each group, and the abnormality determination unit determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power supply based on the statistical value. The print server according to Claim 1.

3. The analysis unit calculates an integrated value of the characteristic values received from the plurality of devices in time series, and the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply when the integrated values of the characteristic values of a certain proportion or more of the plurality of devices included in the group increase at the same timing. The print server according to Claim 1.

4. The characteristic value is the number of communication retry times performed between a first component and a second component of the device. The print server according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The plurality of devices are connected to the same system of the AC power supply. The print server according to Claim 1.

6. The communication unit communicates with the plurality of devices via the wired LAN. When the network addresses of the print server and the plurality of devices are the same, it has a group identification unit that identifies the plurality of devices as one group connected to the same system of the AC power supply. The print server according to Claim 5.

7. The communication unit communicates with the plurality of devices via an access point of the wireless LAN. The communication unit receives information about the access point from the plurality of devices together with the characteristic values. When the information about the access point of the plurality of devices is the same, it has a group identification unit that identifies the plurality of devices as one group connected to the same system of the AC power supply. The print server according to Claim 5.

8. When the abnormality determination unit determines that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply, it has a notification unit that notifies the plurality of devices that there is an abnormality in the AC power supply. The print server according to Claim 1.

9. When the integrated value of the characteristic values of the devices belonging to one group is the same as the timing when the integrated value of the characteristic values of the plurality of devices belonging to the other group increases, The print server according to claim 3, wherein the device belonging to the one group is determined to belong to the other group.

10. An abnormality determination method performed by a print server that communicates with a plurality of devices via a wired LAN or a wireless LAN, A process of receiving, from the plurality of devices, characteristic values related to an AC power source to which the plurality of devices are connected, A process of analyzing the characteristic values for each group, where the plurality of devices connected to the same wired LAN or wireless LAN as the print server are regarded as one group, A process of determining whether there is an abnormality in the AC power source based on the analysis result of the analysis process, An abnormality determination method for performing the above.

11. A print server that communicates with a plurality of devices via a wired LAN or a wireless LAN, A communication unit that receives, from the plurality of devices, characteristic values related to an AC power source to which the plurality of devices are connected, An analysis unit that analyzes the characteristic values for each group, where the plurality of devices connected to the same wired LAN or wireless LAN as the print server are regarded as one group, An abnormality determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the AC power source based on the analysis result by the analysis unit, A program for causing the above to function.

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