Image processing apparatus, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide an image processing apparatus, a control method, and a program that can narrow down a solution that can solve an occurring error condition from possible solutions, and present a narrowed-down solution to a user.SOLUTION: In an MFP 100 executing functions such as SEND and fax according to a user operation, a CPU 101 displays menus 201-207 indicating error conditions for various functions that may occur in the MFP 100 on a display 111 in a user selectable manner, and when one of the menus 201-207 is selected, performs, for the MFP 100, diagnosis according to the error condition indicated in the menu selected by the user, and displays a solution based on a result of the diagnosis on the display 111.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device, a control method, and a program, and more particularly to an image processing device, a control method, and a program that present a solution according to an error symptom that is occurring. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, image processing devices (hereinafter simply referred to as MFPs) capable of performing multiple image processing functions (printing, image transmission, faxing, etc.) have sometimes encountered error symptoms, such as an error ending while performing these functions, or an error in the output being different from what was expected even after normal completion.

[0003] In such cases, even if the user checks the product manual to try to resolve the issue, they may not be able to solve the problem themselves, and may have to contact a call center, and if that does not resolve the issue, a service technician may have to be dispatched to resolve the error symptoms.

[0004] In order to reduce the number of inquiries to call centers and the need to dispatch service personnel, there is a demand for functions that allow users to resolve error symptoms themselves.

[0005] As a conventional technique, a method has been proposed in which an error symptom occurring in an MFP is associated with an adjustment item that may be able to resolve the error symptom, and the associated item is presented on a UI (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-39425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, with the method proposed in Patent Document 1, if there are multiple adjustment items presented on the UI, the user must try changing the setting (adjustment) values for each of the multiple adjustment items one by one, and resolve the issue through trial and error. Also, if the error symptom occurring in the MFP cannot be resolved by changing the setting (adjustment) values, the user will not be able to find a solution.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that can narrow down possible solutions that can solve the currently occurring error symptom and present them to the user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, the image processing device according to claim 1 of the present invention is an image processing device that executes various functions related to image processing in response to user operations, and is characterized by comprising: a first display means that displays a plurality of menus that can be selected by the user and indicate error symptoms of the various functions that may occur in the image processing device; a diagnostic means that, when one of the plurality of menus is selected by the user, performs a diagnosis on the image processing device in accordance with the error symptoms indicated in the user-selected menu; and a second display means that displays a solution based on the diagnosis results by the diagnostic means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to narrow down possible solutions to resolve the currently occurring error symptom and present them to the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an MFP as an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen that is displayed on the display in FIG. 1 and allows the user to instruct a diagnosis according to an error symptom. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a line type currently selected on the MFP. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a guidance display screen that is displayed on the display when a board malfunctions. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a guidance display screen displayed on a display when a line cable is disconnected. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a guidance display screen displayed on a display when the line types do not match. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a normal fax display screen displayed on a display. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a diagnostic process when a menu indicating an error symptom of "Fax transmission is completely impossible" is pressed on the top screen. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart of the board fault diagnosis process in step S800 of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of the line insertion / removal diagnosis process in step S803 of FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of the line type diagnosis process in step S806 of FIG. 8. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a diagnostic process when a menu indicating an error symptom of "Fax reception is completely impossible" is pressed on the top screen. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of IP address settings stored in the HDD appearing in FIG. 1. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen indicating that there is no abnormality in the network connection, which is displayed on the display. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a guidance display screen displayed on a display when a network connection abnormality occurs. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart of a network connection diagnostic process that is a diagnostic process when a menu indicating an error symptom "SEND Unable to send" is pressed on the top screen. [Figure 17]It is a diagram showing the association between the diagnostic ID that defines the content of the diagnosis implemented by pressing the menu shown in FIG. 2, and the functions shown in each menu and their error symptoms. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing the job history DB stored in the HDD. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing an example of a job history display screen displayed on the display. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing an example of a guidance display screen at the time of a fax communication error displayed on the display. [Figure 21] It is a flowchart of an end code diagnosis process, which is a diagnosis process when a menu showing the error symptom of "fax transmission ends with an error" is pressed on the top screen. [Figure 22] It is a diagram showing a list of end codes stored in the HDD in FIG. 1.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <Hardware Configuration of MFP100> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of MFP100 as an image processing apparatus of the present invention. [[ID=3l]]

[0014] In FIG. 1, MFP100 includes devices such as a CPU101, a ROM102, a RAM103, a network I / F107, an operation unit controller108, a disk controller112, a printer114, a scanner115, and a MODEM116. These devices are connected to each other via a system bus121.

[0015] The CPU 101 executes software stored in the ROM 102 or, for example, in a hard disk drive (HDD) 113 (described later) connected to the disk controller 112. The CPU 101 also performs overall control of the above-mentioned devices connected to the system bus 121. Note that the HDD 113 may also be used as a temporary storage location for images in some cases.

[0016] The RAM 103 functions as a main memory, a work area, etc. for the CPU 101. The operation unit controller 108 controls various buttons or an operation panel 109, a display 111, etc. provided on the MFP 100. The disk controller 112 controls the HDD 113.

[0017] The network I / F 107 exchanges data bidirectionally with other network devices or file servers (neither of which is shown in FIG. 1) via the network 120 .

[0018] The printer 114 is a unit that prints on paper using an electrophotographic method, although the printing method does not necessarily have to be an electrophotographic method.

[0019] The scanner 115 is an image reading unit for reading an image printed on paper. The scanner 115 may be optionally equipped with an ADF (automatic document feeder) (not shown), so that multiple pages of a document can be automatically read by the ADF.

[0020] The MODEM 116 is a device that demodulates modulated signals received from an external FAX machine (not shown) via the telephone network 118, and conversely, modulates signals generated by the MFP 100 and sends them to the telephone network 118. The NCU 117 is an interface that controls lines between the MODEM 116, the telephone network 118, and the telephone 119. Specifically, the NCU 117 detects signals coming from the telephone network 118 and transmits them to the MODEM 116 or the telephone 119, and transmits signals from the MODEM 116 to an external FAX machine (not shown) via the telephone network 118. The NCU 117 also transfers signals from the telephone 119 to the telephone network 118 and transmits them to the external telephone (not shown). Note that the public network (telephone network 118) does not have to be directly connected to the NCU 117, but may be connected to the NCU 117 via a TA (terminal adapter), an internal exchange, or the like.

[0021] <Example of the top screen for diagnostic operations> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen displayed on the display 111 (first display means) for the user to instruct a diagnosis according to an error symptom.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the top screen includes an error symptom list 200 that displays, in a user-selectable manner, menus 201 to 206 indicating error symptoms of various functions related to image processing that may occur in the MFP 100 and are executed in response to user operations.

[0023] Note that menus 201 to 206 are merely examples and are not limited to these. For example, while FIG. 2 illustrates print, send, and fax as examples of functions related to image processing of MFP 100, other functions such as copy may also be included. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the top screen of FIG. 2 is displayed on display 111 by CPU 101 when an error symptom occurs in a function being used while the user is using one of the above-mentioned various functions, but the timing of displaying the top screen of FIG. 2 is not limited to this. For example, CPU 101 may display the top screen of FIG. 2 on display 111 immediately after starting up MFP 100. This allows the user to check whether the various functions of MFP 100 can be used without any problems when starting up MFP 100.

[0024] <Linking to diagnosis> Fig. 17 is a diagram showing the association between the diagnostic ID, which defines the content of the diagnosis performed by pressing each of the menus 201 to 206 shown in Fig. 2, and the functions and error symptoms shown in each of the menus 201 to 206. In this way, the content of the diagnosis for each menu is determined in advance, making it possible to perform the optimal diagnosis for each error symptom.

[0025] <Example of fax diagnostic results display screen> 4 to 7, 19, and 20 are example screens that display the results of fax diagnosis. A diagnosis result display area 400 and a back button 401 for returning the screen display are displayed in common on each of the screens in FIGS. 4 to 7 and 20. In FIG. 19, a job history 1901 and a diagnosis button 1902 for selecting one job from the job history and instructing diagnosis are displayed. A detailed description of each of the screens in FIGS. 4 to 7, 19, and 20 will be given below.

[0026] <Example of fax diagnostic process flow> Next, the diagnostic process for the fax will be explained. First, the diagnostic process (diagnosis ID shown in FIG. 17 is ID3001) when menu 204 indicating the error symptom "Fax transmission is completely impossible" is pressed on the top screen (FIG. 2) will be explained using FIGS. 3 to 11.

[0027] 8 is a flowchart of the diagnostic process when menu 204, which indicates the error symptom "Fax transmission is completely impossible," is pressed. Note that this series of processes is performed by loading a program executable by MFP 100, which describes the following procedures, from ROM 102 onto RAM 103, and then executing the program by CPU 101 (diagnostic means).

[0028] First, in step S800, a board failure diagnosis process is performed to diagnose whether or not there is a failure in the fax board (hereinafter simply referred to as a board failure), as will be described later with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9. The diagnosis result (return value) obtained by this process is checked in step S801.

[0029] If it is determined in step S801 that the return value of step S800 is NG, it is determined that the board has failed (YES in step S801), and the process proceeds to step S802. In step S802, the CPU 101 displays a message notifying the user of the board failure on the display 111 (second display means) on a guidance display screen for when a board has failed, as shown in FIG.

[0030] On the other hand, if the return value of step S800 is determined to be OK in step S801, it is determined that there is no board failure (NO in step S801), and then line insertion / removal diagnosis processing is performed in step S803. Details of this processing will be described later using the flowchart in Fig. 10. The diagnosis result obtained by this processing is determined in step S804.

[0031] If it is determined in step S804 that the return value of step S803 is NG, it is determined that the line has been disconnected (YES in step S804), and the process proceeds to step S805. Then, CPU 101 displays a message notifying the user of the line disconnection on display 111 in a guidance display screen for when the line cable is disconnected, as shown in FIG.

[0032] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S804 that the return value of step S803 is OK, it is determined that the line is not disconnected (NO in step S804), and then line type diagnosis processing is performed in step S806. Details of this processing will be described later using the flowchart in Figure 11. The diagnosis result obtained by this processing is determined in step S807.

[0033] If it is determined in step S807 that the return value of step S806 is other than OK, it is determined that the line types do not match (NO in step S807), and the process proceeds to step S809.

[0034] In step S809, CPU 101 displays on display 111 a message (guidance) urging the user to change the line type on the guidance display screen for line type mismatch (FIG. 6). FIG. 6 illustrates a case where the return value of step S806 is "NG (pulse 10 PPS)," and a message urging the user to change the line type to pulse 10 PPS is displayed on display 111 on the guidance display screen for line type mismatch (FIG. 6) in step S809. If the return value of step S806 is "NG (pulse 20 PPS)," a message urging the user to change the line type to pulse 20 PPS is displayed on display 111 on the guidance display screen for line type mismatch (FIG. 6) in step S809 (not shown). If the return value of step S806 is "NG (tone)," a message urging the user to change the line type to tone is displayed on display 111 on the guidance display screen for line type mismatch (FIG. 6) in step S809 (not shown). Also, if the return value of step S806 is "diagnosis NG", in step S809, an error message indicating that the diagnosis of the line type could not be performed normally is displayed on the display 111 on the guidance display screen for line type mismatch (not shown).

[0035] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S807 that the return value of step S806 is "OK", it is determined that there is no abnormality in the fax (YES in step S807), and the process proceeds to step S808.

[0036] In step S808, the CPU 101 displays on the display 111 a guidance message indicating that no abnormality has been detected in the fax on the normal fax display screen as shown in FIG.

[0037] Next, the board fault diagnosis process in step S800 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0038] First, in step S901, the CPU 101 reads the hardware port indicating whether the modem 116 is connected and checks the connection. If the modem 116 connection cannot be detected due to a board failure or a faulty connection of the connector connecting the fax board (NO in step S901), the connection is determined to be NG, the return value is set to NG, and this processing ends. In this case, an error code indicating the connection is NG may be displayed on the guidance display screen (FIG. 4) for board failure in step S802.

[0039] On the other hand, if the connection of the modem 116 is detected, the connection is determined to be OK (YES in step S901), and the process proceeds to step S902, where the CPU 101 controls the reset port of the modem 116 to reset and release the reset of the modem 116. Then, in step S903, the CPU 101 sends a command to the modem 116 and checks communication with the modem 116 by receiving a response. If a normal response is not received, the process determines that communication is NG (NO in step S903), sets the return value to NG, and ends this process. In this case, an error code indicating communication NG may be displayed on the guidance display screen (FIG. 4) for board failure in step S802.

[0040] On the other hand, if the response was received normally, it is determined that the communication is OK (YES in step S903), and the process proceeds to step S904, where the CPU 101 checks the read / write value of the port IC register of the fax board and determines whether the register R / W is OK or NG. If the result of the determination is that the register R / W is OK (YES in step S904), the process proceeds to step S905, and if the register R / W is NG (NO in step S904), the return value is set to NG and this process ends.

[0041] Specifically, the method for checking the read / write of the value of the port IC register (hereinafter simply referred to as the register) of the fax board in step S904 is as follows: First, the CPU 101 writes a 1 to the port IC register, reads the register value, and determines whether a value of 1 can be obtained. If a value of 1 cannot be obtained, it is determined that the register R / W is NG. On the other hand, if a value of 1 can be obtained, it then writes a 0 to the register, and reads the register value again to determine whether a value of 0 can be obtained. If a value of 0 cannot be obtained, it is determined that the register R / W is NG. On the other hand, if a value of 0 can be obtained, it is determined that the register R / W is OK. Note that if it is determined in step S904 that the register R / W is NG, an error code indicating that the register R / W is NG may be displayed on the guidance display screen for board failure (FIG. 4) in step S802.

[0042] In step S905, CPU 101 transmits a command to acquire the chip revision to modem 116. When CPU 101 receives a response from modem 116, it checks the revision value and determines whether it matches a predetermined value. If it matches, it determines that the revision check is OK (YES in step S905), sets the return value to OK, and ends this process. On the other hand, if it does not match, it determines that the revision check is NG (NO in step S905), sets the return value to NG, and ends this process. In this case, an error code indicating that the revision check is NG may be displayed on the guidance display screen (FIG. 4) for when a board malfunctions in step S802.

[0043] The board fault diagnosis process in step S800 allows the user to easily check the connection and fault of the fax board.

[0044] Next, the line insertion / removal diagnostic process of step S803 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 10 . Normally, when the line cable is properly connected to the MFP 100 and the telephone network 118, a certain voltage is applied to the NCU 117. The CPU 101 can obtain the voltage value applied to the NCU 117 via the modem 116 and checks the voltage value. Note that when the NCU 117 receives an incoming call signal from the telephone network 118, the voltage applied to the NCU 117 becomes a sine wave centered on the voltage applied during standby. Therefore, even if the line cable is properly connected, if the CPU 101 checks the voltage value only once at a certain moment when receiving an incoming call signal, the resulting voltage value may be 0 V. For this reason, in the line insertion / removal diagnostic process of this embodiment, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 , the CPU 101 checks (verifies) the voltage value applied to the NCU 117 five times at regular intervals. Note that the number of times the voltage value is checked may be a maximum of n times (n>1), and is not limited to five times as illustrated in this embodiment.

[0045] 10, first, in step S1001, CPU 101 executes a loop process up to five times. In step S1002, the process executed in the loop involves CPU 101 sending a command to MODEM 116 to acquire the line-side voltage value of NCU 117, and acquiring the voltage value. Next, in step S1003, it is determined whether the voltage value acquired in step S1002 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the result of this determination is that the acquired voltage value is less than the threshold (NO in step S1003), the process proceeds to step S1004, waits 10 ms, and then returns to the beginning of the loop process. On the other hand, if the result of this determination is that the acquired voltage value is equal to or greater than the threshold (YES in step S1003), the process exits the loop, the return value is OK, and the process ends.

[0046] If the acquired voltage value is not determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold value in step S1003 even after the loop process from step S1001 is executed a maximum of five times, the return value is finally set as NG and this process is terminated.

[0047] The line insertion / removal diagnosis process in step S803 described above enables diagnosis of telephone line insertion / removal, that is, whether the line cable is correctly connected to MFP 100 and telephone network 118 or not.

[0048] Next, the line type diagnosis process in step S806 in FIG. 8 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0049] The line type 300 shown in FIG. 3 is the line type currently selected by the user as the line type to be used when sending a fax from the MFP 100. The line type 300 is data stored in the HDD 113 and is selected from tone, pulse 10 PPS, and pulse 20 PPS. If a fax is not sent to the telephone network 118 using a line type that is compatible with that network, the dial number selected by the user as the fax destination will not be correctly recognized by the network. Therefore, if the line type 300 is set incorrectly, faxes cannot be sent correctly from the MFP 100. When the modem 116 seizes a line on the telephone network 118, the telephone network 118 transmits a tone signal with a predetermined frequency and cadence, called a dial tone signal, to the MFP 100. This dial tone signal is transmitted for a certain period of time until the MFP 100 dials (sets the destination telephone number) using the correct line type. However, if the correct line type is not selected, the telephone network 118 continues to transmit the dial tone signal even when the dialing is performed. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the line type diagnosis process in step S806 in FIG. 8, it is determined whether the line type used for dialing is correct by checking whether the dial tone signal is stopped.

[0050] The details of the line type diagnosis process in step S806 in FIG. 8 will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0051] First, in step S1101, CPU 101 transmits a command to MODEM 116 to seize a line of telephone network 118. When MODEM 116 detects this command and seizes a line of telephone network 118 via NCU 117, telephone network 118 transmits a dial tone signal to MFP 100.

[0052] Next, proceeding to step S1102, CPU 101 determines whether MODEM 116 has detected a dial tone signal transmitted from telephone network 118 and returned a detection response (detection response) to telephone network 118. If a detection response has not been returned, it is determined that a dial tone has not been detected (NO in step S1102), and line type diagnosis cannot be performed correctly, so NG is returned. A case in which a detection response has not been returned here could be, for example, when NCU 117 is not directly connected to the public network (telephone network 118) but is connected to a TA or internal exchange, etc., and an unexpected dial tone is being emitted. On the other hand, if a detection response has been returned, it is determined that a dial tone has been detected (YES in step S1102), and proceeds to step S1103.

[0053] In step S1103, CPU 101 first obtains from HDD 113 the value of the currently selected line type 300, which is pulse 20 PPS. If the value of the currently selected line type 300 is pulse 10 PPS, CPU 101 obtains pulse 10 PPS in step S1103. If the value of the currently selected line type 300 is tone, CPU 101 obtains tone in step S1103. If pulse 20 PPS is obtained, CPU 101 specifies the line type method as pulse 20 PPS and sends a command to MODEM 116 to dial using a one-digit telephone number ("4" in this embodiment), and proceeds to step S1104. When MODEM 116 detects this command, it dials "4" using pulse 20 PPS.

[0054] In step S1104, CPU 101 determines whether a dial tone has been detected. The method of determination here is the same as that in step S1102, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. If CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is no longer detected (= the dial tone has stopped) after dialing in step S1103 (NO in step S1104), it sets the return value as OK and terminates this processing. In other words, CPU 101 determines that the value of the set line type 300 is appropriate for the connected telephone network 118. On the other hand, if CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is still detected after dialing in step S1103 (YES in step S1104), it proceeds to step S1105.

[0055] In step S1105, CPU 101 changes the line type to tone and sends a command to MODEM 116 to dial using a one-digit telephone number ("4" in this embodiment), and proceeds to step S1106. When MODEM 116 detects this command, it dials "4" using tone.

[0056] Next, in step S1106, CPU 101 again determines whether a dial tone has been detected. The method of determination here is the same as that in steps S1104 and S1102, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. If CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is no longer detected after changing the line type to tone in step S1105 (NO in step S1106), it sets the return value to NG (tone) and terminates this processing. On the other hand, if CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is still detected after changing the line type to tone in step S1105 (YES in step S1106), it proceeds to step S1107.

[0057] In step S1107, CPU 101 changes the line type to pulse (20 PPS) and sends a command to MODEM 116 to dial using a single-digit telephone number ("4" in this embodiment), and then proceeds to step S1108. When MODEM 116 detects this command, it dials "4" using pulse (20 PPS).

[0058] Next, in step S1108, CPU 101 again determines whether a dial tone has been detected. The method of determination here is the same as the method in step S1102, so description thereof will be omitted. If CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is no longer detected after changing the line type to pulse (20 PPS) in step S1107 (NO in step S1108), it sets the return value as NG (pulse 20 PPS) and terminates this processing. On the other hand, if CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is still detected after changing the line type to pulse (20 PPS) in step S1107 (YES in step S1108), it proceeds to step S1109.

[0059] In step S1109, CPU 101 changes the line type to pulse (10 PPS) and sends a command to MODEM 116 to dial using a single-digit telephone number ("4" in this embodiment), and then proceeds to step S1110. When MODEM 116 detects this command, it dials "4" using pulse (10 PPS).

[0060] Next, in step S1110, CPU 101 again determines whether a dial tone has been detected. The method of determination here is the same as the method in step S1102, so description thereof will be omitted. If CPU 101 determines that a dial tone is no longer detected after changing the line type to pulse (10 PPS) in step S1109 (NO in step S1110), it sets the return value to NG (pulse 10 PPS) and terminates this process. On the other hand, if a dial tone is still detected after changing the line type in step S1109 (YES in step S1110), CPU 101 determines that the line type diagnosis was not performed correctly, which is unexpected, and therefore sets the return value to diagnosis NG and terminates this process.

[0061] Next, the exit code diagnostic process, which is the diagnostic process (diagnosis ID is D3002) when the "Fax transmission ends in error" menu 205 on the top screen (FIG. 2) is pressed, will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0062] 21 is a flowchart of the exit code diagnostic process. Note that this series of processes is performed by loading a program executable by MFP 100, which describes the following procedures, from ROM 102 onto RAM 103, and then executing the program by CPU 101.

[0063] First, in step S2101, CPU 101 acquires a list of fax jobs that ended with an error from job history DB 1800 (FIG. 18) stored in HDD 113. Next, in step S2102, CPU 101 displays on display 111 a job history display screen (FIG. 19) including the list acquired in step S2101.

[0064] Next, in step S2103, when the diagnosis button 1902 is pressed while one job history is selected on the job history 1901 on the job history display screen (Figure 19), the CPU 101 determines that a job diagnosis request has been made by the user, and proceeds to step S2104.

[0065] In step S2104, CPU 101 performs an end code diagnosis to determine the end code value of the job whose history was selected in step S2103 according to the end code list (FIG. 22) stored in HDD 113. If the end code value is not "018" indicating an "automatic call transmission error" as a result of the determination (NO in step S2104), the process proceeds to step S2105. On the other hand, if the end code value is "018" (YES in step S2104), the diagnostic process shown in FIG. 8 described above is performed.

[0066] In step S2105, CPU 101 displays a guidance display screen for when a fax communication error occurs, as shown in Fig. 20, on display 111, notifies the user of guidance indicating a solution depending on the completion code, and then ends this process. Note that the guidance on the guidance display screen in Fig. 20 exemplifies guidance when the completion code value of the job whose history was selected in step S2103 is 033 (Fig. 18).

[0067] Next, the diagnostic process (diagnostic ID: D3003) when menu 206 indicating the error symptom of "unable to receive faxes at all" is pressed will be described using the flowchart in FIG. 12. In this diagnostic process, for fax reception, the dialing process is not relevant. Therefore, in the flowchart of FIG. 12, the line type diagnostic process (step S806) and related processes (steps S807, S809) in the flowchart of the diagnostic process of "unable to send faxes" (FIG. 8) are omitted. Since each step in FIG. 12 other than that is the same as the corresponding step in FIG. 8, the description here will be omitted.

[0068] As described above, among the fax diagnostics, by changing the diagnostic content according to the symptoms and displaying the results, it is possible to present the user with highly likely malfunction solution information. Also, the fax diagnostics are not limited to the content described here, and other diagnostic examples may be used.

[0069] <Example of the result display screen of SEND diagnosis> FIGS. 14 and 15 are examples of screens when the results of SEND diagnosis are displayed. Here, SEND is a general term for the transmission functions of Email, SMB, FTP, I-FAX, and WebDav. A diagnostic result display area 400 and a back button 401 for returning the screen display are commonly displayed on each screen. The detailed description of each screen will be given later.

[0070] <Example of the diagnostic process flow of SEND> Next, the network connection diagnostic process, which is the diagnostic process (diagnostic ID shown in FIG. 17: D201) when menu 203 indicating the error symptom of "unable to send SEND" is pressed on the top screen (FIG. 2), will be described using FIGS. 13 to 16. Here, SEND transmission refers to data transmission by any of the transmission methods of Email, SMB, FTP, I-FAX, and WebDav.

[0071] 16 is a flowchart of the network connection diagnostic process. Note that the series of processes are performed by loading a program executable by MFP 100, which describes the following procedures, from ROM 102 onto RAM 103, and then executing the program by CPU 101.

[0072] First, in step S1601, CPU 101 determines the method for obtaining an IP address, that is, whether the setting is for automatic or manual acquisition, by reading IP address setting 1301 in Fig. 13 stored in HDD 113. If the setting is for automatic acquisition (YES in step S1601), the process proceeds to step S1602, and if the setting is for manual acquisition (NO in step S1601), the process proceeds to step S1603.

[0073] In step S1602, CPU 101 determines via network I / F 107 whether an IP address has been acquired. If an IP address has been acquired (YES in step S1602), CPU 101 proceeds to step S1606, where it displays a message on display 111 on the network connection normal display screen (FIG. 14) indicating that the network connection is normal, and ends this process. On the other hand, if an IP address has not been acquired (NO in step S1602), it proceeds to step S1605. In step S1605, CPU 101 displays a message on display 111 on the network connection abnormality guidance display screen (FIG. 15) indicating that there is a problem with the network connection, and ends this process.

[0074] In step S1603, CPU 101 reads out IP address settings 1301 of Fig. 13 stored in HDD 113 and determines whether the IP address and other settings have been completed. Here, IP address and other settings refer to the settings of IP address 1302, subnet mask 1303, and default gateway 1304 included in IP address settings 1301. If it is determined that the IP address and other settings have all been completed (YES in step S1603), the process proceeds to step S1604. On the other hand, if it is determined that the IP address and other settings have not yet been completed (NO in step S1603), the process proceeds to step S1605 described above.

[0075] In step S1604, CPU 101 determines whether or not the link is up via network I / F 107. If the result of the determination is that the link is up (YES in step S1604), the process proceeds to step S1606 described above, and if the link is down (NO in step S1604), the process proceeds to step S1605 described above.

[0076] By performing the above diagnosis, it becomes possible to notify the user of the diagnosis result regarding the network connection when SEND transmission is not possible. Note that in this embodiment, the screens in Figures 14 and 15 are used as examples of SEND diagnosis results, but this is not limited to these and other diagnosis results may also be used.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the diagnosis of various error symptoms occurring in the MFP 100 is performed by the CPU 101 inside the MFP 100, but it may also be performed by an external server or AI connected to the MFP 100 for communication.

[0078] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0079] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention.

[0080] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0081] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration, method, and program. (Configuration 1) An image processing device that executes various functions related to image processing in response to user operations, characterized in that it comprises: a first display means that displays a plurality of menus that are user-selectable and indicate error symptoms of the various functions that may occur in the image processing device; a diagnostic means that, when one of the plurality of menus is selected by the user, performs a diagnosis on the image processing device in accordance with the error symptoms indicated in the user-selected menu; and a second display means that displays a solution based on the diagnosis results by the diagnostic means. (Configuration 2) The image processing device according to Configuration 1, characterized in that when a user selects a menu from the plurality of menus that indicates that fax transmission is completely impossible, the diagnostic means performs at least one of a board failure diagnosis, a line insertion / removal diagnosis, and a line type diagnosis as the diagnosis. (Configuration 3) The image processing device according to configuration 1, wherein when a menu item that causes fax transmission to end in an error is selected by the user from the plurality of menus, the diagnostic means performs an end code diagnosis as the diagnosis. (Configuration 4) The image processing device according to Configuration 3, characterized in that the exit code diagnosis acquires an exit code included in the job history of a fax job that ended in an error in the image processing device, and if the acquired exit code is a code indicating an automatic call transmission error, the diagnostic means performs at least one of a board failure diagnosis, a line insertion / removal diagnosis, and a line type diagnosis as the diagnosis, and if the acquired exit code is not a code indicating an automatic call transmission error, the diagnostic means does not perform a diagnosis, and the second display means displays a solution corresponding to the acquired exit code. (Configuration 5) The image processing device according to Configuration 1, characterized in that when a user selects from the plurality of menus a menu indicating that fax reception is completely impossible, the diagnostic means performs at least one of a board failure diagnosis and a line insertion / removal diagnosis as the diagnosis. (Configuration 6) An image processing device according to configuration 2 or 5, further comprising a fax board and a modem, wherein the board fault diagnosis includes at least one of a connection check, a communication check, a check of reading and writing values of port IC registers, and a revision check between the fax board and the modem. (Configuration 7) The image processing device according to configuration 6, characterized in that the MODEM is connected to a telephone network via a line cable and an NCU, and the line insertion / removal diagnosis checks the voltage value applied to the NCU side up to n times (n>1), and if the checked voltage value is equal to or greater than a threshold value, determines that the line cable is correctly connected. (Configuration 8) The image processing device according to Configuration 7, characterized in that the line type diagnosis includes at least one of detecting a dial tone sent from the telephone network, detecting the dial tone when dialing with a pre-stored line type, and detecting the dial tone when dialing with all line types selectable by the image processing device. (Configuration 9) The image processing device according to configuration 1, characterized in that when a user selects from the plurality of menus a menu indicating that any of Email, SMB, FTP, I-FAX, and WebDav cannot be sent, the diagnostic means performs a network connection diagnosis as the diagnosis. (Configuration 10) The image processing device described in Configuration 9, characterized in that the network connection diagnosis detects whether an IP address has been acquired if the IP address acquisition method is set to automatic acquisition based on the IP address setting previously set in the image processing device, and detects at least one of whether an IP address has been set and whether a link has been established if the IP address acquisition method is set to manual acquisition. (Configuration 11) An image processing device described in any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the first display means displays the plurality of menus when an error symptom occurs in a function being used by a user while the user is using one of the various functions. (Configuration 12) The image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the first display means displays the plurality of menus when the image processing device is started up. (Method 1) A control method for an image processing device that executes various functions related to image processing in response to user operations, the control method comprising: a first display step of displaying a plurality of menus that indicate error symptoms of the various functions that may occur in the image processing device in a user-selectable manner; a diagnosis step of performing a diagnosis on the image processing device according to the error symptoms indicated in the user-selected menu when one of the plurality of menus is selected by the user; and a second display step of displaying a solution based on the diagnosis results in the diagnosis step. (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to function as the image processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 12 by being read and executed by the computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 100 MFP 101 CPU 111 Display 113 HDD 116 MODEM 117 NCU 118 Telephone network 200 Error Symptoms 201~207 Menu

Claims

1. An image processing device that executes various functions related to image processing in response to user operations, a first display means for displaying a plurality of menus indicating error symptoms of the various functions that may occur in the image processing device in a user-selectable manner; a diagnostic means for, when a user selects one of the plurality of menus, performing a diagnosis on the image processing device according to an error symptom shown in the user-selected menu; a second display means for displaying a solution based on the diagnosis result by the diagnosis means; An image processing device comprising:

2. 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when a user selects from the plurality of menus a menu indicating that fax transmission is completely impossible, the diagnostic means performs at least one of a board failure diagnosis, a line insertion / removal diagnosis, and a line type diagnosis as the diagnosis.

3. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a menu item that causes fax transmission to end in an error is selected by the user from the plurality of menus, the diagnostic unit performs an end code diagnosis as the diagnosis.

4. The exit code diagnosis is acquiring an end code included in a job history of a job that has ended in a fax error in the image processing device; If the acquired end code is a code indicating an automatic call transmission error, the diagnostic means performs at least one of a board failure diagnosis, a line insertion / removal diagnosis, and a line type diagnosis as the diagnosis; 4. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein if the acquired termination code is not a code indicating an automatic call transmission error, the second display means displays a solution corresponding to the acquired termination code without performing a diagnosis by the diagnostic means.

5. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a menu indicating that fax reception is completely impossible is selected by the user from the plurality of menus, the diagnostic means performs at least one of a board failure diagnosis and a line insertion / removal diagnosis as the diagnosis.

6. Further provided with a fax board and a modem, 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the board failure diagnosis includes at least one of a connection check, a communication check, a check of reading and writing values of a port IC register, and a revision check between the fax board and the MODEM.

7. The MODEM is connected to a telephone network via a line cable and an NCU, The image processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the line insertion / removal diagnosis checks the voltage value applied to the NCU side up to n times (n>1), and if the checked voltage value is above a threshold value, determines that the line cable is correctly connected.

8. 8. The image processing device according to claim 7, wherein the line type diagnosis includes at least one of detecting a dial tone sent from the telephone network, detecting the dial tone when dialing a line type stored in advance, and detecting the dial tone when dialing all line types selectable by the image processing device.

9. 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein when a user selects from the plurality of menus a menu indicating that any of Email, SMB, FTP, I-FAX, and WebDav cannot be sent, the diagnostic means performs a network connection diagnosis as the diagnosis.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9, characterized in that the network connection diagnosis is based on the IP address setting previously set in the image processing device, and detects whether or not an IP address has been acquired if the IP address acquisition method is set to automatic acquisition, and detects at least one of whether or not an IP address has been set and whether or not a link has been established if the IP address acquisition method is set to manual acquisition.

11. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display means displays the plurality of menus when an error occurs in one of the functions that the user is using.

12. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display means displays the plurality of menus when the image processing apparatus is started up.

13. A control method for an image processing device that executes various functions related to image processing in response to user operations, comprising: a first display step of displaying a plurality of menus indicating error symptoms of the various functions that may occur in the image processing device in a user-selectable manner; a diagnostic step of, when a user selects one of the plurality of menus, performing a diagnosis on the image processing device according to an error symptom shown in the user-selected menu; a second display step of displaying a solution based on the diagnosis result in the diagnosis step; A control method comprising:

14. A program for causing a computer to function as the image processing device according to claim 1 by reading and executing the program into the computer.

Images