Device management system and method

Abstract

To provide a device management system and method for determining and displaying a remote treatment which is optimal for a user, on the basis of accessibility to treatment, whether an owner of a network device agrees or not, and whether the network device is supported by the treatment, and guiding to an optimal remote treatment.SOLUTION: A method includes: acquiring treatment information indicating information on a treatment on the basis of a diagnosis result, for each of a plurality of treatments; acquiring accessibility information indicating whether a user is able to access the treatment; acquiring supportability information indicating whether a network device is supported by a treatment; determining whether the treatment is implementable on the basis of at least one of the accessibility information and the supportability information; and displaying the treatment when it is determined that the treatment is implementable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device management system and method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, against the backdrop of the evolution of cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, systems for remotely diagnosing and repairing network devices have been increasing. The general process from the occurrence to the resolution of problems in network devices often proceeds in the order of problem detection, cause diagnosis, treatment based on the diagnosis result, and verification of whether recovery has been successful. Here, focusing on the treatment based on the diagnosis result, conventionally, as a technique for determining whether it is possible to remotely execute the treatment for recovery, for example, there is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1. This technique determines access permission based on network device status information and access right rules that are constantly updated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For the treatment to recover a network device from a problem, there may be multiple means that can be remotely executed. The optimal remote treatment for a user varies depending on factors such as the degree of familiarity, the desire to use, the availability of access to the treatment, whether it is compatible with the target network device, and whether the owner of the network device has consented to the execution of the remote treatment. Therefore, based on the above-described situation, it should be possible to determine and display the optimal remote treatment for the user and guide the user to the optimal remote treatment. However, conventionally, there has been no such technology.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device management system and method that can determine and display an optimal remote treatment for a user based on whether access to the treatment is possible, whether the owner of the network device agrees, whether the treatment supports the network device, etc., and guide the user to the optimal remote treatment.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems, a device management system according to the present invention is a device management system that diagnoses a problem related to the network device based on information acquired from the network device and displays a treatment for the problem based on the diagnosis result, and includes treatment information acquisition means for acquiring treatment information indicating information related to the treatment for each of a plurality of the treatments based on the diagnosis result, access availability information acquisition means for acquiring access availability information indicating whether or not a user can access the treatment, support availability information acquisition means for acquiring support availability information indicating whether or not the treatment supports the network device, treatment execution availability determination means for determining whether or not the treatment can be executed based on at least one of the access availability information and the support availability information, and display means for displaying the treatment when it is determined that the treatment can be executed.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine and display an optimal remote treatment for a user based on whether access to the treatment is possible, whether the owner of the network device agrees, whether the treatment supports the network device, etc., and guide the user to the optimal remote treatment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] The device management system according to the embodiment diagnoses problems related to network devices based on information acquired from the network devices, and displays measures for the problems based on the diagnosis results. Further, the device management system according to the embodiment includes a measure information acquisition means, an access permission information acquisition means, a support availability information acquisition means, a measure execution permission determination means, and a display means. The measure information acquisition means acquires measure information indicating information related to measures for each of a plurality of measures based on the diagnosis result. The access permission information acquisition means acquires access permission information indicating whether or not a user can access a measure. The support availability information acquisition means acquires support availability information indicating whether or not a measure supports a network device. The measure execution permission determination means determines whether or not it is possible to execute a measure based on at least one of the access permission information and the support availability information. The display means displays a measure when it is determined that the measure can be executed.

[0011] The device management system according to the embodiment may further include a usage consent presence / absence information acquisition means for acquiring usage consent presence / absence information indicating whether or not the owner of the network device has consented to the use of the measure. In this case, the measure execution permission determination means determines whether or not it is possible to execute a measure based on the usage consent presence / absence information.

[0012] The device management system according to the embodiment may further include a measure means for transmitting, via a network, at least one of an instruction for changing a device setting corresponding to a diagnosis result and restarting to a network device as one of a plurality of measures. Thereby, the measure means addresses problems related to the network device.

[0013] The device management system according to the embodiment may include remotely accessing an operation unit of a network device for one of a plurality of procedures. Thereby, the device management system addresses problems related to the network device.

[0014] The support availability information acquisition means may further acquire multi-device support availability information indicating whether it is possible to handle a plurality of network devices simultaneously by a procedure. In this case, the procedure execution determination means determines whether it is possible to execute the procedure based on the multi-device support availability information.

[0015] The display means determines whether the procedure has a means for verification after the execution of the procedure is completed. If it is determined that the procedure has a means for verification after the execution of the procedure is completed, the procedure may be preferentially displayed.

[0016] The display means determines whether the procedure has a means for verification after the execution of the procedure is completed. If it is determined that the procedure does not have a means for verification after the execution of the procedure is completed, the means for verification after the execution of the procedure may be displayed together with the procedure.

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] (Example 1) An example of the first embodiment of the device management system according to the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, a case where the device management system is realized by a web application operating on the cloud will be described as an example. Also, in the first embodiment, as an example of a network device to be diagnosed by the device management system, a multifunction peripheral (MFP) will be described as an example. Note that the network device may be a device other than a multifunction device such as a printer or a facsimile.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the device management system in Example 1 and Example 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the device management system includes an application server 100, a client computer 120, an application server 140, and an MFP 150 connected by a network 170. The application server 100 is realized by a general-purpose computer utilizing hardware resources supplied on demand by, for example, virtualization technology. The client computer 120 and the application server 140 are realized by general-purpose computers.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the application server 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, and a ROM (Read only Memory) 103. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the application server 100 includes a network I / F 104, a keyboard I / F 105, a display I / F 106, and an external memory I / F 107. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the application server 100 includes a keyboard 108, a display 109, and an external memory 110.

[0021] The CPU 101 executes processing based on an application program or the like stored in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. Further, the CPU 101 comprehensively controls each device connected to the system bus 111. Also, the CPU 101 opens various registered windows based on commands indicated by a mouse cursor (not shown) on the display 109 and executes various data processes.

[0022] The RAM 102 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 101. The ROM 103 is a read-only memory that functions as a storage area for basic I / O programs, etc. The operating system (OS) program, which is the control program of the CPU 101 (hereinafter referred to as the OS), etc. is stored in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. Further, files and other various data used during processing based on the above application programs, etc. are stored in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110.

[0023] The network I / F 104 connects the application server 100 to the network 170 to perform network communication. The keyboard I / F 105 controls the input from the keyboard 108 and a pointing device (not shown). The display I / F 106 controls the display of the display 109. The external memory I / F 107 controls the access to the external memory 110 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD).

[0024] The external memory 110 stores a boot program, various applications, user files, edited files, etc. The application server 100 operates while the CPU 101 is executing the basic I / O program and the OS written in the ROM 103 and the external memory 110. The basic I / O program is written in the ROM 103. The OS is written in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. Then, when the computer power is turned on, the OS is written from the ROM 103 or the external memory 110 to the RAM 102 by the initial program load function in the basic I / O program, and the operation of the OS is started.

[0025] The system bus 111 connects each device. Note that hardware resources such as the CPU 101, ROM 103, and external memory 110 that make up the application server 100 are supplied on demand by virtualization technology. By supplying these hardware resources on demand by virtualization technology, the application server 100 is configured as a virtual server in a cloud computing environment.

[0026] Regarding the hardware configurations of the client computer 120 and the application server 140, since they are the same as those of the application server 100, the description is omitted.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 150 includes a network I / F 151, a CPU 152, a RAM 153, and a ROM 154. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 150 includes an operation unit I / F 155, a printer I / F 157, a scanner I / F 159, and an external memory I / F 161. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 150 includes an operation unit 156, a printer 158, a scanner 160, and an external memory 162.

[0028] The network I / F 151 connects the MFP 150 to the network 170 for network communication. The CPU 152 outputs an image signal as output information to the printer 158 via the printer I / F 157 connected to the system bus 163 based on a control program or the like. Note that the control program is stored in the ROM 154, the external memory 162, or the like. The CPU 152 can perform communication processing with a computer via the network I / F 151 and is configured to be able to notify information in the MFP 150 to the application server 100 or the application server 140. Further, the CPU 152 executes processing based on an application program or the like stored in the ROM 154 or the external memory 162.

[0029] The RAM 153 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 152, and is configured such that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). Note that the RAM 153 is used for an output information expansion area, an environment data storage area, an NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM), etc. The control program of the CPU 152, application programs, font data used when generating the above output information, information used on the MFP 150, etc. are stored in the ROM 154 or the external memory 162. Also, the external memory 162 is, for example, an HDD.

[0030] The operation unit I / F 155 is an interface with the operation unit 156, and outputs image data to be displayed to the operation unit 156. Also, the operation unit I / F 155 receives information input by the user operating the operation unit 156. The operation unit 156 is, for example, an operation panel provided with switches for operations, LED (Light-Emitting Diode) displays, etc.

[0031] The printer I / F 157 outputs an image signal as output information to the printer 158 (printer engine). The scanner I / F 159 receives an image signal as input information from the scanner 160 (scanner engine). The external memory I / F 161 is a memory controller, and controls access to the external memory 162 such as an HDD or an IC card. Also, the external memory 162 is not limited to one, and at least one is provided, and may be configured such that a plurality of external memories can be connected. Furthermore, the external memory 162 may include an NVRAM (not shown) and store printer mode setting information from the operation unit 156. The system bus 163 connects each device.

[0032] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the software configuration in the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the application server 100 includes a network device diagnosis application 202, a network module 200, and a web server service module 201.

[0033] The network device diagnosis application 202 and each module included therein exist as files stored in the external memory 110. These are program modules that are loaded into the RAM 102 and executed by modules that utilize the OS and each module included in the network device diagnosis application 202 during execution. Also, the network device diagnosis application 202 can be added to the HDD or SSD of the external memory 110 that is supplied on demand by virtualization technology in a cloud computing environment.

[0034] The network module 200 performs network communication with the client computer 120 and the MFP 150 using any communication protocol. The web server service module 201 provides a service that responds with an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) response when it receives an HTTP request from the web browser 221 of the client computer 120. As an example of the HTTP response to be sent, the web server service module 201 may return web page data stored in the external memory 110. Alternatively, the web server service module 201 may request the user interface (UI) module 203 of the network device diagnosis application 202 to generate an HTTP response.

[0035] The network device diagnosis application 202 is an application that detects the occurrence of problems in the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 and the network 170, and performs diagnosis, treatment, and verification. The network device diagnosis application 202 is implemented as a program that executes processing in response to a request to a web page provided by the web server service module 201, for example. As described above, the network device diagnosis application 202, together with the web server service module 201, realizes a web application that detects the occurrence of problems in the MFP 150 and performs diagnosis, treatment, and verification.

[0036] The UI module 203 generates an HTTP response in response to a request from the web server service module 201. Also, the UI module 203 receives user input information sent from the web browser 221 of the client computer 120 and calls each module as necessary.

[0037] Examples of modules called from the UI module 203 include the device management module 204, the detection module 205, the diagnosis module 206, the treatment module 207, and the verification module 208. However, the UI module 203 may call other modules. The device management module 204 acquires device information and logs from the MFP 150 connected to the application server 100 and the network 170 via the network module 200. Note that the UI module 203 uses an arbitrary communication protocol to acquire device information and logs from the MFP 150.

[0038] As an example of the communication protocol used by the device management module 204, HTTPS can be cited. The device management module 204 stores the device information obtained from each module of the MFP 150 in the network device management table 300 and the log management table 301 of the database server service module 210 described later. Also, the device management module 204 retrieves information from the network device management table 300 and the log management table 301 of the device information as necessary.

[0039] The detection module 205 detects problems occurring in the MFP 150. The detection module 205 obtains device information and logs from the device management module 204 to detect problems. The diagnosis module 206 diagnoses the problems detected by the detection module 205 and displays the diagnosis results on the UI via the UI module 203. At this time, the diagnosis module 206 obtains information necessary for diagnosis from a plurality of tables on the database server service module 210 described later.

[0040] The treatment module 207 performs treatment based on the diagnosis results by the diagnosis module 206 and displays the treatment results on the UI via the UI module 203. The treatments performed by the treatment module 207 include device setting changes for the MFP 150, restart instructions, etc. The treatment module 207 instructs device setting changes and restarts using an arbitrary communication protocol for the MFP 150 connected by the network 170 and the application server 100 via the network module 200. As an example of the communication protocol used by the treatment module 207, HTTPS etc. can be cited. The verification module 208 verifies whether the problem has been solved by the treatment of the treatment module 207 and displays the verification results on the UI via the UI module 203.

[0041] The database server service module 210 manages data and stores and retrieves data in accordance with requests from other modules. The database server service module 210 may be on a device separate from the application server 100 as long as it is accessible from the network device diagnosis application 202. The database server service module 210 may be a database service on a cloud computing environment.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows an example of the table configuration within the database server service module 210. Note that the table configuration shown in FIG. 3 is merely an example. Therefore, the database server service module 210 may have a table configuration other than that shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a network device management table and a log management table in the first embodiment. The network device management table 300 is a table for managing device information regarding the MFP 150 managed by the network device diagnosis application 202. The information managed in the network device management table 300 is, for example, a network device identifier, device name, model name, IP address, serial number, and last update date and time. Also, in the network device management table 300, information such as the presence or absence of cloud service connection, the presence or absence of connection to the network device management application, the availability of remote access to the operation unit, and the availability of access to the built-in management application in the MFP is managed. Here, the network device identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the MFP 150. The last update date and time indicates the last update date and time when the record was updated based on the information obtained from the MFP 150.

[0044] The log management table 301 is a table for storing the logs acquired by the device management module 204 of the MFP 150. The information managed by the log management table 301 is, for example, network device identifier, job identifier, job type, job execution start date and time, job execution end date and time, job execution user name, job execution result, and job execution result error code. Here, a job is a processing operation such as printing, scan transmission, and fax that can be executed by a user on the MFP 150. Also, the job identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies a job.

[0045] Figure 3B is a diagram showing the diagnostic logic management table and the treatment logic management table in the first embodiment. The diagnostic logic management table 302 is a table for managing the diagnostic logic used by the diagnostic module 206 for diagnosing problems. The information managed by the diagnostic logic management table 302 is, for example, diagnostic logic identifier, job type, cause information, diagnostic rule, and treatment logic identifier. Here, the diagnostic logic identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the diagnostic logic. The treatment logic identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the treatment logic. The cause information is information indicating the content considered to be the cause of the problem as a result of the diagnosis. The diagnostic rule is information representing the logic used when performing the diagnosis. The diagnostic module 206 identifies the cause of the problem based on whether it matches the diagnostic rule.

[0046] The treatment logic management table 303 is a table for managing the treatment logic used when the diagnostic module 206 displays the diagnostic result of the problem on the UI and performs treatment according to the user's instructions. The information managed by the treatment logic management table 303 is, for example, treatment logic identifier, treatment type, treatment target, treatment content, and access authority.

[0047] Here, the treatment logic identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the treatment logic. The treatment type is information for classifying the treatment content, for example, equipment setting changes, restart, etc. are applicable. The treatment target is information regarding the target for which the treatment is to be performed, for example, MFP150, server, network equipment are applicable. The treatment content is information indicating the specific treatment content, for example, it includes path information of the settings when changing equipment settings and information on the values to be changed. The access right is user role information necessary for executing the treatment, for example, it includes user role information of customer managers, call center operators, service technicians.

[0048] Figure 3C is a diagram showing the treatment means management table and the treatment logic - treatment means association management table in Example 1. The treatment means management table 304 is a table for managing the treatment means used when the diagnosis module 206 displays the diagnosis result of the problem on the UI and performs treatment according to the user's instruction. The information managed by the treatment means management table 304 is, for example, treatment means identifier, treatment means name, information on whether consent for use is obtained. Here, the treatment means identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the treatment means. The information on whether consent for use is obtained is information indicating whether the use of the treatment means has been consented to by the user or the owner of the MFP150.

[0049] The treatment logic - treatment means association management table 305 is a table for managing the association information between the treatment logic and the treatment means used when the diagnosis module 206 displays the diagnosis result of the problem on the UI and performs treatment according to the user's instruction. The information managed by the treatment logic - treatment means association management table 305 is, for example, treatment logic identifier and treatment means identifier. Here, the treatment logic identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the treatment logic. The treatment means identifier is an identifier that uniquely identifies the treatment means.

[0050] FIG. 3D is a diagram showing the user management table in Embodiment 1. The user management table 306 is a table that manages user information used when the diagnosis module 206 displays the diagnosis result of a problem on the UI. The information managed in the user management table 306 is, for example, a user identifier, a user name, and role information. In addition, in the user management table 306, information such as whether cloud service can be used, whether network device management application can be used, whether operation unit remote access can be used, and whether access to the MFP built-in management application can be used is also managed.

[0051] Next, the software configuration of the client computer 120 will be described. Each module constituting the client computer 120 is a program module that exists as a file stored in the ROM 103 or the external memory 110. Then, each module constituting the client computer 120 is loaded into the RAM 102 and executed by a module that uses the OS and that module at the time of execution.

[0052] The network module 220 performs network communication with the application server 100, the application server 140, and the MFP 150 using an arbitrary communication protocol. The web browser 221 transmits an HTTP request message via the network module 220, receives an HTTP response message, and displays it. The web browser 221 executes access from the client computer 120 to the application server 100, the application server 140, and the MFP 150. The printer driver 222 creates a print job and transmits the print job to the MFP 150 via the network module 220. The printer driver 222 receives and displays the print job execution result of the MFP 150 via the network module 220.

[0053] Next, the software configuration of the application server 140 will be described. In the application server 140, the network device management application 232 and each module exist as files stored in the external memory 110. The network device management application 232 and each module are program modules that are loaded into the RAM 102 and executed by modules that utilize the OS and its modules at the time of execution. Also, the network device management application 232 can be added to the HDD or SSD of the external memory 110 via a CD-ROM (not shown) of the external memory 110 or the network 170. Note that the external memory 110 may be supplied on demand by virtualization technology in a cloud computing environment.

[0054] The network module 230 performs network communication with the client computer 120 and the MFP 150 using an arbitrary communication protocol.

[0055] The web server service module 231 provides a service that responds with an HTTP response when it receives an HTTP request from the web browser 221 of the client computer 120. Examples of the HTTP response to be returned include, for example, the return of web page data stored in the external memory 110. Also, the web server service module 231 may request the network device management application 232 to generate an HTTP response.

[0056] The network device management application 232 is an application that manages the MFP 150 connected via the application server 100 and the network 170. The network device management application 232 is implemented as a program that executes processing in response to a request to a web page provided by, for example, the web server service module 231. As described above, the network device management application 232, together with the web server service module 231, realizes a web application for managing the MFP 150.

[0057] Next, the software configuration of the MFP 150 will be described. In the MFP 150, various modules exist as files stored in the ROM 154 or the external memory 162, and are loaded into the RAM 153 at the time of execution and then executed.

[0058] The network module 240 performs network communication with the application server 100, the client computer 120, and the application server 140 using an arbitrary communication protocol.

[0059] The web server service module 241 provides a service that responds with an HTTP response when it receives an HTTP request from the web browser 221 of the client computer 120. Examples of the HTTP response to be returned include the return of web page data stored in the external memory 162. Further, the web server service module 241 may request the setting management module 247 and the power management module 248 to generate an HTTP response.

[0060] The operation unit remote access service module 242 receives an image transfer request from the browser 221 of the client computer 120 or an application (not shown). Then, when the operation unit remote access service module 242 receives an image transfer request, it provides a service for transferring the UI image displayed on the operation unit 156 by the UI module 250.

[0061] The print module 243 receives a print job transmitted from the printer driver 222 of the client computer 120 via the network module 240 and executes the print job. Also, the print module 243 creates a log of the print job execution result and transmits it to the log management module 246.

[0062] The scan transmission module 244 receives a scan instruction from the user via the UI module 250, and generates and executes a scan job and a transmission job for scan data. Here, for example, protocols such as email and SMB (Server Message Block) are used for transmitting the scan data. Also, the scan transmission module 244 creates a log of the scan job and transmission job execution results and transmits it to the log management module 246.

[0063] The fax module 245 receives a fax job transmitted from a fax device (not shown), an MFP, etc. via the network module 240. Here, the received fax reception job is either printed via the print module 243 or transferred to another fax device, MFP, etc. Further, the fax module 245 receives a fax transmission instruction from the user via the UI module 250, and generates and executes a fax transmission job. Also, the fax module 245 creates a log of the fax reception job execution result and a log of the fax transmission job execution result and transmits them to the log management module 246.

[0064] The log management module 246 receives a log acquisition request from the device management module 204 of the application server 100 via the network module 240 and returns the log of the job execution result.

[0065] The setting management module 247 is a module that manages the device settings of the MFP 150. The setting management module 247 receives setting confirmation and change instructions from the user via the UI module 250, and returns and changes the device settings of the MFP 150. Also, the setting management module 247 receives setting confirmation and change instructions from the processing module 207 of the application server 100 and the network device management application 232 of the application server 140 via the network module 240. Then, the setting management module 247 returns and changes the device settings of the MFP 150 in accordance with the received setting confirmation and change instructions.

[0066] The power management module 248 is a module that manages the power state of the MFP 150. The power management module 248 receives a power-off or restart instruction from the user via the UI module 250, and powers off or restarts the MFP 150. Also, the power management module 248 receives a power-off or restart instruction from the processing module 207 of the application server 100 and the network device management application 232 of the application server 140 via the network module 240. Then, the power management module 248 powers off or restarts the MFP 150 in accordance with the received power-off or restart instruction.

[0067] The MFP built-in management application 249 is composed of, for example, the setting management module 247 and the power management module 248. The MFP built-in management application 249 is implemented as a program that executes processing in response to a request to a web page provided by the web server service module 241. As described above, the MFP built-in management application 249, together with the web server service module 241, realizes a web application that is built into the MFP 150 and manages the MFP 150 itself.

[0068] The UI module 250 performs the drawing of the UI displayed on the operation unit 156 of the MFP 150 and receives user input values input by the user's UI operations on the operation unit 156.

[0069] Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation of the application server 100 when detecting and diagnosing problems occurring in the MFP 150 and displaying available treatment means based on the diagnosis results will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart at the time of remote treatment means determination and display in the first embodiment.

[0070] In step S400, the detection module 205 of the application server 100 acquires the log information of the MFP 150 from the log management table 301 of the database server service module 210 via the device management module 204. Then, the detection module 205 detects the problems occurring in the MFP 150 based on the acquired log information.

[0071] In step S401, the diagnosis module 206 acquires the diagnosis logic from the diagnosis logic management table 302 of the database server service module 210.

[0072] In step S402, the diagnosis module 206 performs a diagnosis on the problems detected by the detection module 205 in step S400 using the diagnosis logic acquired in step S401. For example, in the case of the first embodiment, the diagnosis module 206 can find that an error has occurred in scanning and email transmission from the log information of the MFP 150 and the error code is 999, and can diagnose that there is a problem with the TLS setting according to the diagnosis logic.

[0073] In step S403, the diagnosis module 206 displays the diagnosis result on the UI via the UI module 203. If the cause of the problem can be uniquely identified as the diagnosis result of the diagnosis module 206, only one cause is displayed. On the other hand, if the cause of the problem cannot be uniquely identified as the diagnosis result of the diagnosis module 206, multiple possible causes are displayed. For an example of the diagnosis result display screen, it will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.

[0074] In step S404, the diagnosis module 206 acquires the treatment logic from the treatment logic management table 303 of the database server service module 210.

[0075] In step S405, the diagnosis module 206 acquires the treatment means from the treatment means management table 304 of the database server service module 210. Here, the treatment means acquired by the diagnosis module 206 includes, for example, information on whether consent to use is obtained. The information on whether consent to use is obtained is information indicating whether the use of the treatment means has been consented to by the user or the owner of the MFP 150. Further, the information on whether consent to use is obtained is information in which the user selection result on the UI displayed by the UI module 203 of the network device diagnosis application 202 is reflected.

[0076] FIG. 5 is an example screen of the treatment means selection screen in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an example screen of the treatment means selection screen displayed by the UI module 203 of the network device diagnosis application 202. On the treatment means selection screen, the user can select or set whether to consent to the use of each treatment means.

[0077] The operation unit remote access availability selection unit 500 enables selection of whether to use the operation unit remote access service provided by the operation unit remote access service module 242 of the MFP 150 as a treatment means. The MFP built-in management application access availability selection unit 501 enables selection of whether to use the MFP built-in management application 249 of the MFP 150 as a treatment means. The network device management application access availability selection unit 502 enables selection of whether to use the network device management application 232 of the application server 140 as a treatment means.

[0078] When the save button 503 is clicked, the UI module 203 acquires the content selected on the UI and overwrites and updates the content of the treatment means management table 304 of the database server service module 210 via the diagnosis module 206. When the cancel button 504 is clicked, the content set on the UI is discarded and the user input is canceled.

[0079] Returning to FIG. 4, in step S406, the diagnosis module 206 acquires treatment logic-treatment means association information from the treatment logic-treatment means association management table 305 of the database server service module 210. The diagnosis module 206 identifies the treatment logic and the treatment means for realizing the treatment logic for each cause based on the diagnosis result of step S402. At this time, the diagnosis module 206 uses the treatment logic, treatment means, and treatment logic-treatment means association information acquired from step S404 to step S406.

[0080] In step S407, the diagnosis module 206 acquires user information from the user management table 306 of the database server service module 210.

[0081] In step S408, the diagnosis module 206 obtains network device information from the network device management table 300 of the database server service module 210 via the device management module 204. The network device information obtained by the diagnosis module 206 includes information such as whether there is a cloud service connection, whether there is a connection to the network device management application, whether remote access to the operation unit is possible, and whether access to the MFP built-in management application is possible.

[0082] Hereinafter, the processes from S409 to S413 are performed for each treatment means. In step S409, the diagnosis module 206 uses the user information obtained in S407 to determine whether the treatment means can be used with the role of the user logged in to the network device diagnosis application 202. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that it is available, the process proceeds to step S410. If it determines that it is not available, the process proceeds to step S413.

[0083] In step S410, the diagnosis module 206 uses the network device information obtained in step S408 to determine whether the treatment means is supported by the MFP 150. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that it is supported, the process proceeds to step S411. If it determines that it is not supported, the process proceeds to step S413.

[0084] In step S411, the diagnosis module 206 uses the information on whether consent to use is included in the treatment means obtained in step S405 to determine whether consent to use the treatment means has been obtained. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that consent to use has been obtained, the process proceeds to step S412. If it determines that there is no consent to use, the process proceeds to step S413.

[0085] In step S412, the diagnosis module 206 displays to the UI that the treatment means is available on the diagnosis result display screen via the UI module 203. On the other hand, in step S413, the diagnosis module 206 displays to the UI that the treatment means is unavailable on the diagnosis result display screen via the UI module 203.

[0086] Figures 6, 7, and 8 show example screens of the diagnosis result display screen that the diagnosis module 206 displays via the UI module 203.

[0087] Figure 6 is an example screen of the diagnosis result display screen (customer administrator) in the first embodiment. The example screen shown in Figure 6 is an example screen of the diagnosis result display screen when a user with the role of customer administrator logs in to the network device diagnosis application 202.

[0088] Figure 7 is an example screen of the diagnosis result display screen (call center operator) in the first embodiment. The example screen shown in Figure 7 is an example screen of the diagnosis result display screen when a user with the role of call center operator logs in to the network device diagnosis application 202.

[0089] Figure 8 is an example screen of the diagnosis result display screen (service technician) in the first embodiment. The example screen shown in Figure 8 is an example screen of the diagnosis result display screen when a user with the role of service technician logs in to the network device diagnosis application 202.

[0090] In the login user information display section 600, information of the user logged in to the network device diagnosis application 202 is displayed. In the diagnosis target display section 601, information of the MFP 150 to be diagnosed and the customer who owns the MFP 150 is displayed. In the diagnosis target job display section 602, the log information of the MFP 150 acquired and detected by the detection module 205 in step S400 is displayed as the diagnosis target job. In the diagnosis result display section 603, the result diagnosed by the diagnosis module 206 in step S402 is displayed.

[0091] In the diagnosis result cause and treatment display section 604, one or more sets of causes and treatments specified as the result of the diagnosis by the diagnosis module 206 in step S402 are displayed. In the diagnosis result cause and treatment display section 604, when the cause of the problem can be uniquely specified as the diagnosis result of the diagnosis module 206, only one set of cause and treatment is displayed. On the other hand, in the diagnosis result cause and treatment display section 604, when the cause of the problem cannot be uniquely specified, a plurality of sets of possible causes and treatments are displayed.

[0092] The screen examples shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are examples in which the cause of the problem can be uniquely specified and only one set of cause and treatment is displayed. FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 show a cloud service treatment button 605, an operation unit remote access treatment button 606, an MFP built-in management application treatment button 607, and a network device management application treatment button 608.

[0093] When these four buttons are clicked, the screen is transitioned to a screen for performing treatment using each means. Also, these four buttons are all enabled when the diagnosis module 206 determines in step S412 that the treatment means is available. On the other hand, these four buttons are all disabled when the diagnosis module 206 determines in step S413 that the treatment means is unavailable. Furthermore, whether each button is enabled or disabled changes depending on the role of the user logged in to the network device diagnosis application 202.

[0094] In the screen example shown in FIG. 6, the cloud service processing button 605, the MFP built-in management application processing button 607, and the network device management application processing button 608 are displayed as enabled, and the operation unit remote access processing button 606 is displayed as disabled. In the screen example shown in FIG. 7, the cloud service processing button 605 is displayed as enabled, and the operation unit remote access processing button 606, the MFP built-in management application processing button 607, and the network device management application processing button 608 are displayed as disabled. In the screen example shown in FIG. 8, all of the cloud service processing button 605, the operation unit remote access processing button 606, the MFP built-in management application processing button 607, and the network device management application processing button 608 are displayed as enabled.

[0095] Through the above processing, the application server 100 diagnoses the problems occurring in the MFP 150, and when displaying the available treatment means based on the diagnosis result, it executes confirmation of whether access to the treatment means is possible, the consent status of the device owner, the device support status of the treatment means, etc. Therefore, the application server 100 can determine and present the optimal remote treatment means for the user based on whether access to the treatment means is possible, the consent status of the device owner, the device support status of the treatment means, etc., and guide the user.

[0096] (Example 2) When performing a treatment to recover a network device from a problem, there may be a case where not only the network device but also other network devices are to be subjected to the same treatment. Examples of such cases include cases where the same problem occurs simultaneously in a plurality of network devices. Also, examples of such cases include cases where, although no problem has occurred yet in network devices other than the network device in question, there is a possibility that a problem may occur in the future, so treatment is performed as a preventive measure. In these cases, the user should be guided to treatment means that enable batch treatment for a plurality of network devices.

[0097] In addition, when verifying whether a problem has been solved after taking measures to recover a network device from a problem, if there are multiple treatment means, some treatment means have verification means after the treatment, while some do not. When a user selects a treatment means that has verification means, it is possible to smoothly proceed to verification after the treatment. However, when a user selects a treatment means that does not have verification means, it is necessary to execute verification means outside the treatment means to perform verification after the treatment. In this case, the user should be smoothly guided to the verification means outside the treatment means.

[0098] Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example will be described in which when taking measures to recover a network device from a problem, the feasibility of executing the treatment means is determined and displayed based on whether the treatment means can perform a batch treatment on a plurality of network devices. In addition, in the second embodiment, an example will also be described in which when the treatment means does not have verification means after the treatment, a display is made to guide to the verification means for the result of the treatment means.

[0099] Regarding the hardware configuration and software configuration of the network device diagnosis system according to the second embodiment, since they are the same as the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the first embodiment, the description will be omitted.

[0100] FIG. 9 shows an example of the table configuration in the database server service module 210 of the application server 100. Note that the table configuration shown in FIG. 9 is merely an example. Therefore, the database server service module 210 may have a table configuration other than the table configuration shown in FIG. 9.

[0101] FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a network device management table and a log management table in Example 2. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a diagnostic logic management table and a treatment logic management table in Example 2. FIG. 9C is a diagram showing a treatment means management table and a treatment logic - treatment means association management table in Example 2. FIG. 9D is a diagram showing a user management table in Example 2. The network device management table 300 and the log management table 301 shown in FIG. 9A, and the diagnostic logic management table 302 and the treatment logic management table 303 shown in FIG. 9B are the same as those described in Example 1. Also, the treatment logic - treatment means association management table 305 shown in FIG. 9C and the user management table 306 shown in FIG. 9D are the same as those described in Example 1. Therefore, in Example 2, the description of these tables is omitted.

[0102] The treatment means management table 900 is a table that manages treatment means used when the diagnosis module 206 displays the diagnosis result of a problem on the UI and performs treatment according to a user's instruction. The information managed by the treatment means management table 900 includes, for example, in addition to the treatment means identifier, treatment means name, and availability of use consent information described in the explanation of the treatment means management table 304 in Example 1, information on whether batch treatment of multiple devices is possible and information on whether verification means are available. Here, the information on whether batch treatment of multiple devices is possible is information indicating whether the treatment means supports batch treatment for a plurality of MFPs 150. Also, the information on whether verification means are available is information indicating whether the treatment means has verification means after treatment.

[0103] Next, with reference to FIG. 10, the operation of the application server 100 when the application server 100 detects and diagnoses a problem occurring in the MFP 150 and displays available treatment means based on the diagnosis result will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart at the time of remote treatment means determination and display in Example 2. Note that, since steps S400 to S410 and steps S411 to S413 shown in FIG. 10 are the same as the processes shown in FIG. 4, the description thereof is omitted.

[0104] In step S1000, the diagnosis module 206 of the application server 100 determines whether the user hopes for batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150. The diagnosis module 206 makes a determination as to whether the user hopes for batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150 based on, for example, the result selected by the user in a UI such as the multiple network device batch processing selection unit 1100 shown in FIG. 11 described below. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that the user hopes for batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150, the process proceeds to step S1001. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that the user does not hope for batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150, the process proceeds to step S1002.

[0105] In step S1001, the diagnosis module 206 uses the multiple device batch processing availability information included in the processing means acquired in step S405 to determine whether the processing means supports batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that the processing means supports batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150, the process proceeds to step S1002. If the processing means does not support batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150, the process proceeds to step S413.

[0106] In step S1002, the diagnosis module 206 uses the verification means availability information included in the processing means acquired in step S405 to determine whether the processing means has the verification means after the processing. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that the processing means has the verification means after the processing, the process proceeds to step S1003. If the diagnosis module 206 determines that the processing means does not have the verification means after the processing, the process proceeds to step S1004.

[0107] In step S1003, the diagnosis module 206 performs a process of increasing the relative display priority of the treatment means with respect to other treatment means when the UI of the treatment means is displayed. Here, the process of increasing the display priority is, for example, a process of displaying the treatment means having a verification means above other treatment means so that the user can easily select it preferentially. Also, the process of increasing the display priority is, for example, a process of displaying a mark indicating that it is preferably selected preferentially near the treatment means having a verification means. After finishing the process of step S1003, the diagnosis module 206 advances the process to step S411.

[0108] In step S1004, the diagnosis module 206 also displays a link to the verification means for displaying the treatment means on the UI. After finishing the process of step S1004, the diagnosis module 206 advances the process to step S411.

[0109] FIG. 11 is an example of a screen of a diagnosis result display screen (service technician) in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 shows an example of a screen of a diagnosis result display screen that the diagnosis module 206 displays on the UI via the UI module 203. Note that, since the components other than the multiple network device batch processing selection unit 1100, the cloud service processing verification button 1101, and the cloud service verification button 1102 shown in FIG. 11 are the same as the processes shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the description thereof is omitted.

[0110] The multiple network device batch processing selection unit 1100 enables the user to select whether or not to desire batch processing for a plurality of MFPs 150. Depending on the result of the selection using the multiple network device batch processing selection unit 1100, the determination result of the diagnosis module 206 in step S1000 described above changes.

[0111] When the cloud service processing verification button 1101 is clicked, it causes the screen to transition to a screen for batch processing of a plurality of MFPs 150 by the network device diagnosis application 202. A screen example of the screen for batch processing of a plurality of MFPs 150 is shown in FIG. 12 described later. In the second embodiment, the network device diagnosis application 202 has both a processing means and a verification means. Therefore, in this screen example, the display priority is increased by the diagnosis module 206 in step S1003 described above, and as a result, it is displayed at the top among the processing means.

[0112] When the cloud service verification button 1102 is clicked, it causes the screen to transition to a screen for performing verification by the network device diagnosis application 202. In the second embodiment, the network device management application 232 of the application server 140 does not have a verification means after processing. Therefore, in this screen example, the cloud service verification button 1102 is displayed beside the network device management application processing button 608.

[0113] FIG. 12 is a screen example of the device selection screen for processing in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 shows a screen example of the screen displayed after the cloud service processing verification button 1101 shown in FIG. 11 is clicked. Further, the screen example shown in FIG. 12 shows a screen example of the screen for batch processing of a plurality of MFPs 150 by the network device diagnosis application 202.

[0114] The login user information display section 1200 displays information of the user logged in to the network device diagnosis application 202. The multiple network device selection section 1201 displays a list of MFPs 150 managed by the network device diagnosis application 202. Also, the multiple network device selection section 1201 enables the user to select multiple MFPs 150 to be subject to batch processing using check boxes. When the Next button 1202 is clicked, the screen is transitioned to a screen for performing batch processing on the MFPs 150 selected by the multiple network device selection section 1201. When the Cancel button 1203 is clicked, the content set on the UI is discarded and the user input is canceled.

[0115] By the above processing, when performing a procedure for recovering a network device from a problem, it becomes possible to determine and display whether the execution of the treatment means is possible based on whether the treatment means can perform batch processing on a plurality of network devices. Also, when the treatment means does not have a verification means after the treatment, it is also possible to perform a display that guides to a verification means outside the treatment means.

[0116] Note that the present invention includes the following inventions in which the above-described contents are appropriately combined.

[0117] (Configuration 1) A device management system that diagnoses problems related to the network device based on information obtained from the network device and displays measures for the problems based on the diagnosis results, comprising: a measure information acquisition means for acquiring measure information indicating information related to the measure for each of a plurality of the measures based on the diagnosis results; an access permission information acquisition means for acquiring access permission information indicating whether or not a user can access the measure; a support permission information acquisition means for acquiring support permission information indicating whether or not the measure supports the network device; a measure execution permission determination means for determining whether or not it is possible to execute the measure based on at least one of the access permission information and the support permission information; and a display means for displaying the measure when it is determined that it is possible to execute the measure. A device management system characterized by comprising.

[0118] (Configuration 2) The device management system according to Configuration 1, further comprising a use consent presence / absence information acquisition means for acquiring use consent presence / absence information indicating whether or not the owner of the network device has consented to the use of the measure, wherein the measure execution permission determination means determines whether or not it is possible to execute the measure based on the use consent presence / absence information.

[0119] (Configuration 3) The device management system according to Configuration 1 or Configuration 2, further comprising a measure means for transmitting, via a network, at least one of an instruction for changing the device settings corresponding to the diagnosis result and restarting the network device to the network device in order to address the problem related to the network device as one of a plurality of the measures.

[0120] (Configuration 4) The device management system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein one of the plurality of measures includes remotely accessing the operation unit of the network device in order to address the problem related to the network device.

[0121] (Configuration 5) The supportability information acquisition means further acquires multi-device supportability information indicating whether it is possible to handle a plurality of the network devices simultaneously by the treatment, and the treatment execution determination means determines whether it is possible to execute the treatment based on the multi-device supportability information. The device management system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that.

[0122] (Configuration 6) The display means determines whether the treatment has a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, and when it is determined that the treatment has a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, the treatment is preferentially displayed. The device management system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that.

[0123] (Configuration 7) The display means determines whether the treatment has a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, and when it is determined that the treatment does not have a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, the means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed is displayed together with the treatment. The device management system according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that.

[0124] (Method 1) A method of diagnosing a problem related to a network device based on information acquired from the network device and displaying a treatment for the problem based on the diagnosis result, wherein treatment information indicating information related to the treatment is acquired for each of the plurality of treatments based on the diagnosis result, access availability information indicating whether a user can access the treatment is acquired, supportability information indicating whether the treatment supports the network device is acquired, and it is determined whether it is possible to execute the treatment based on at least one of the access availability information and the supportability information, and when it is determined that it is possible to execute the treatment, the treatment is displayed. Method.

[0125] <Other Embodiments> The present invention can also be implemented by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a recording medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus to read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit that realizes one or more functions, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0126] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. That is, the present invention includes embodiments in which various modifications are made based on the gist of the present invention, and these embodiments are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 100 Application Server 140 Application Server 150 MFP 202 Network Device Diagnosis Application (Application Server) 205 Detection Module (Application Server) 206 Diagnosis Module (Application Server) 207 Treatment Module (Application Server) 208 Verification Module (Application Server) 232 Network Device Management Application (Application Server) 242 Operation Unit Remote Access Service Module (MFP) 249 MFP Built-in Management Module (MFP)

Claims

1. A device management system that diagnoses problems related to the network device based on information obtained from the network device and displays measures for the problems based on the diagnosis result, a measure information acquisition means for acquiring measure information indicating information related to the measure for each of the plurality of measures based on the diagnosis result, an access permission information acquisition means for acquiring access permission information indicating whether or not a user can access the measure, a support permission information acquisition means for acquiring support permission information indicating whether or not the measure supports the network device, a measure execution permission determination means for determining whether or not it is possible to execute the measure based on at least one of the access permission information and the support permission information, a display means for displaying the measure when it is determined that the measure can be executed, A device management system characterized by comprising.

2. further comprising a use consent presence / absence information acquisition means for acquiring use consent presence / absence information indicating whether or not the owner of the network device has consented to the use of the measure, The measure execution permission determination means determines whether or not it is possible to execute the measure based on the use consent presence / absence information. The device management system according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. As one of the plurality of measures, in order to address problems related to the network device, further comprising a measure means for transmitting, via the network, at least one of an instruction for changing the device settings corresponding to the diagnosis result and restarting to the network device, The device management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

4. One of the plurality of measures includes remotely accessing the operation unit of the network device in order to address problems related to the network device. The device management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

5. The support permission information acquisition means further acquires multi-device support permission information indicating whether or not it is possible to handle a plurality of the network devices simultaneously by the measure, The measure execution permission determination means determines whether or not it is possible to execute the measure based on the multi-device support permission information. The device management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

6. The display means determines whether the treatment has a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, and when it is determined that the treatment has a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, the treatment is preferentially displayed. The device management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

7. The display means determines whether the treatment has a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, and when it is determined that the treatment does not have a means for verification after the execution of the treatment is completed, the means for verification after the execution of the treatment is displayed together with the treatment. The device management system according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that.

8. A method for diagnosing a problem related to the network device based on information acquired from the network device and displaying a treatment for the problem based on the diagnosis result, acquiring treatment information indicating information related to the treatment for each of the plurality of treatments based on the diagnosis result, acquiring access permission information indicating whether or not a user can access the treatment, acquiring support permission information indicating whether or not the treatment supports the network device, determining whether or not it is possible to execute the treatment based on at least one of the access permission information and the support permission information, and when it is determined that it is possible to execute the treatment, displaying the treatment. Method

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