Information processing apparatus, method of controlling information processing apparatus, and program

Abstract

To suppress transmissions of data from an information processing apparatus to a server.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes: a sensing unit 408 which accumulates sensing data indicating a state of a component of a multifunction peripheral 300; and an event collection unit 410 which executes, in response to an occurrence of an event for notification, first control for collectively transmitting event data indicating the event and part of the accumulated sensing data related to the event, and second control for transmitting the accumulated sensing data not transmitted yet in a predetermined schedule. In the first control, at least a part of the accumulated sensing data not transmitted yet and not related to the event are also collectively transmitted. In the second control, it is determined whether to execute transmission in the predetermined schedule, based on the amount of accumulated sensing data which has not been transmitted yet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device that transmits information indicating the internal state of the information processing device to a server, a control method for the information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, information processing devices transmit event information, including fault information occurring during operation of the device and counter information indicating the operating status of each component of the device, to an external server. In addition, the information processing device can also sense the status of each component and transmit the sensing data to a management server. The server manages the information processing device based on the information collected from the information processing device, estimates the device's status, and determines the need for maintenance. For example, if an error occurs in the device, more accurate and prompt maintenance can be performed by immediately transmitting information indicating the location of the error, such as an error code, along with sensing data of the components related to that location to the server. Furthermore, even when no malfunction occurs, periodically transmitting sensing data from the information processing device and comparing it with trends in sensing data from other information processing devices managed by the server can help predict signs of a malfunction. When transmitting sensing data within a device, if the transmission timing and number of transmissions are not properly controlled, problems such as overloading the device's storage space or losing some of the sensing data before transmission can occur. On the other hand, there may be limitations on the amount of data that can be transmitted to the server in one transmission. Furthermore, transmitting data to a server more frequently than necessary increases communication costs. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the same event ID is set for multiple events detected in an image forming device within a predetermined period, and event-related information transmitted once is associated with the multiple events, thereby preventing the transmission of event-related information corresponding to all of the multiple events. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-178280 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the method of Patent Document 1 can suppress duplicate transmission of event-related information, which is incidental information, it cannot reduce the number of transmissions per event.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of times data is transmitted from an information processing device to a server. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the information processing device of the present invention has a sensing unit that accumulates sensing data indicating the status of components of the information processing device, a first control unit that executes a first control to transmit, in response to the occurrence of an event to be notified, event data indicating the event and some of the accumulated sensing data related to the event, all at once, and a second control unit that executes a second control to transmit the accumulated, untransmitted sensing data on a predetermined schedule, wherein the first control further executes control to transmit, in a batch, at least some of the accumulated, untransmitted sensing data that is not related to the event, and the second control determines whether to execute transmission on a predetermined schedule based on the amount of accumulated, untransmitted sensing data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of times data is transmitted from an information processing device to a server. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a data collection server. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a multifunction peripheral. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of the multifunction peripheral. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a sample of a JSON format of notification settings that specify a sending event and a sending timing. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an abnormal event event transmission process in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an abnormal event event transmission process in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a transmission process of a periodic transmission event in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a transmission process of a periodic transmission event in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an abnormal event event transmission process in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an abnormal event event transmission process in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system that collects and manages data from information processing devices to be managed. The system includes a data collection server 200 and a multifunction peripheral 300, which is an information processing device to be managed. The data collection server 200 is placed accessible as a node on the Internet, and is connected to multiple multifunction peripherals 300 via the network. The multifunction peripherals 300 are image processing devices managed by the data collection server 200.

[0010] The network 100 operates as a local network (LAN), and the multifunction peripheral 300 is connected to it. The network 100 is an intranet environment connected to the network 110, which is an internet environment, via a firewall. The network 110 is an internet environment. Note that each network may be configured to enable data transmission and reception, and any communication method may be used. For example, in addition to communication networks such as LANs and WANs, the network may be configured with any one or a combination of cellular networks such as LTE and 5G, wireless networks, telephone lines, dedicated digital lines, etc.

[0011] The multifunction peripheral 300 is an information processing device (network device) equipped with a communication function that notifies the data collection server 200 of events occurring within the device in the form of events. In this embodiment, a multifunction peripheral that realizes multiple functions, such as copying and faxing, is described as an example of an information processing device, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing device may be any network device that is connected to a network and equipped with a communication function that notifies the data collection server 200 of events occurring within the device in the form of events. Examples of the information processing device include PCs, tablets, smartphones, image processing devices, cameras, and smart home appliances. Examples of the image processing device include information processing devices with printing or scanning functions, such as printers, scanners, and 3D printers. The multifunction peripheral 300 notifies the data collection server 200 of a history of the execution of its functions as a multifunction peripheral, as well as a history of transitions to and returns from power-saving states and a history of transitions to and returns from abnormal states, such as error occurrences. The multifunction peripheral 300 also includes a plurality of sensors inside, and notifies the data collection server 200 of data (sensing data, condition data) obtained by sensing the state of each component in the multifunction peripheral.

[0012] The data collection server 200 collects events from the multifunction peripherals 300. The data collection server 200 has the functionality to store events notified from multiple multifunction peripherals 300 in storage. The information accumulated in the storage of the data collection server 200 is used for analyzing operation monitoring information, estimating fault locations, preparing for part replacement, predicting (signs of) future abnormalities, and the like. In this embodiment, the data collection server 200 is described as a general information processing device such as a computer that can have data storage, information processing calculation, and network communication functionality, but is not limited to this. The data collection server 200 may be realized by a server device, a virtual machine (cloud service) that uses resources provided by a data center including a server device, or an application.

[0013] 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the data collection server 200. The data collection server 200 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an HDD 204, an operation unit I / F 205, a display unit I / F 206, a network I / F 207, and a system clock 208. These components are connected to one another via a system bus 209. In addition, an operation unit 220 and a display unit 230 are connected to the data collection server 200.

[0014] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) controls the entire data collection server 200. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 202 is a memory for reading data only and stores the basic control program of the information processing device, etc. The RAM (Random Access Memory) 203 is a memory from which data can be read and written. The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204 stores application programs and data managed by the application programs. The data managed by the application programs includes application settings, history data received from the multifunction peripheral 300, etc. The CPU 201 starts the OS (Operating System) using a boot program stored in the ROM 202. The CPU 201 also executes application programs stored in the HDD 204 on the OS and performs various processes. The RAM 203 is used as a temporary work area for the CPU 201.

[0015] The operation unit 220 has a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, touchpad, touch panel, trackball, etc.), a keyboard, etc., and accepts operations from the user. The operation unit I / F 205 is an interface with the operation unit 220, and sends information input by the user via the operation unit 220 to the CPU 201. The display unit 230 has a display and displays various information to the user. The display unit I / F 206 outputs display screen data generated by the data collection server 200 to the display unit 230 for display. The network I / F 207 is connected to the network 110, and inputs and outputs information to and from the multifunction peripheral 300 via the network 110 and the network 100. The system clock 208 is referenced when processing related to the current time or timer notification is required to control an application program.

[0016] In this embodiment, the data collection server 200 stores, as a file in the HDD 204, notification settings used when the multifunction peripheral 300 sends an event notification to the data collection server 200. The data collection server 200 then reads the event notification setting file from the HDD 204 and transmits it to the multifunction peripheral 300 via the network I / F 207. The notification settings are used to control the timing of data transmission and batch transmission when the multifunction peripheral 300 sends an event notification to the data collection server 200. The notification settings are managed in the multifunction peripheral 300 as a notification setting file 500 (FIG. 5). When the multifunction peripheral 300 sends an event notification to the data collection server 200, the data collection server 200 receives the event via the network I / F 207 and saves it as a file in the HDD 204.

[0017] 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the multifunction device 300. The multifunction device 300 includes a multifunction device controller unit 310, an operation unit 360, a printer controller unit 320, a printer 340, a scanner controller unit 330, and a scanner 350. These components are connected to one another via a system bus 319. The multifunction device controller unit 310 controls the entire multifunction device 300. The multifunction device controller unit 310 is connected to the operation unit 360, the printer controller unit 320, and the scanner controller unit 330.

[0018] The multifunction device controller unit 310 includes a CPU 311, a ROM 312, a RAM 313, a HDD 314, a network I / F 315, an operation unit I / F 316, a system clock 317, and a device controller I / F 318. The CPU 311 controls the entire multifunction device 300. The ROM 312 is a read-only memory that stores the basic control program of the multifunction device 300, etc. The RAM 313 is a readable / writable memory. The HDD 314 stores application programs, data managed by the application programs, application settings, image data, history data within the multifunction device 300, etc. The CPU 311 starts the OS using a boot program stored in the ROM 312. The CPU 311 also executes application programs stored in the HDD 314 on the OS and performs various processes. The RAM 313 is used as a temporary work area for the CPU 311. The RAM 313 is also used as an image memory area for temporarily storing image data.

[0019] The network I / F 315 is connected to the network 100 and exchanges information with the data collection server 200 via the networks 100 and 110. The operation unit 360 displays screens to the user and accepts user operations. The operation unit 360 is, for example, a touch panel. By associating input coordinates on the touch panel with display coordinates, a GUI can be configured that makes it appear as if the user can directly operate the screen displayed on the touch panel. The touch panel displays settings such as the operation mode of the multifunction peripheral 300 and the operating status of the printer 340 and scanner 350, and may also display buttons for user operation. The operation unit 360 may also have hardware keys such as a button board. The operation unit I / F 316 is an interface with the operation unit 360, outputs image data to be displayed on the operation unit 360, and transmits information input by the user via the operation unit 360 to the CPU 311. The system clock 317 is referenced when processing related to the current time or timer notification is required for application program control.

[0020] The device controller unit 318 is connected to a printer controller unit 320 that controls a printer 340, which is an image output device, and a scanner controller unit 330 that controls a scanner 350, which is an image input device. The device controller I / F 318 performs input / output conversion of image data in accordance with instructions from a program running on the CPU 311. For example, the device controller unit 318 performs processes such as image rotation, image compression, resolution conversion, color space conversion, and gradation conversion on images output to the printer 340 and images input from the scanner 350.

[0021] The printer 340 is an image output device that forms an image according to a received print job and outputs it on paper, or outputs an image optically read by the scanner 350 on paper. The printer controller unit 320 is connected to the device controller I / F 318 and the printer 340, and controls the printer 340 based on instructions from the multifunction device controller unit 310. The scanner 350 is an image input device that optically reads an original image set in the scanner and generates image data. The scanner controller unit 330 is connected to the device controller I / F 318 and the scanner 350, and controls the scanner 350 based on instructions from the multifunction device controller unit 310.

[0022] The printer controller unit 320 also collects sensing data (condition data) from the printer 340 that indicates the status of the components that make up the printer 340. The sensing data collected from the printer 340 includes, for example, sensing data for the paper feed motor, sensing data for the transfer drum, sensing data for the fixing drum, sensing data for the paper discharge motor, and sensing data for each paper feed tray. The scanner controller unit 330 collects sensing data (condition data) from the scanner 350 that indicates the status of the components that make up the scanner 350. The multifunction peripheral controller unit 310 collects sensing data (condition data) that indicates the status of the components that make up the multifunction peripheral controller unit 310. Specific examples of sensing data include the voltage and current applied to the components, measured values ​​such as temperature and humidity, and time-series data and statistical values ​​that indicate changes in these values. These multiple values ​​are measured by sensors for each component that can be measured, and the collected data is used as sensing data.

[0023] 4 is a diagram showing the software configuration of the multifunction peripheral 300. Software that runs on the CPU 311 is stored in one of the storage means, ROM 312, RAM 313, or HDD 314, and is executed by the CPU 311. Software that realizes various functions such as scanning, printing, and using networks and storage runs on the multifunction peripheral 300. The following explanation provides an example of the operation of each software component when this software is executed by the CPU 311.

[0024] The multifunction peripheral 300 has a user interface 401, a function application 402, a job control unit 403, an error control unit 404, a history / settings storage unit 405, a counter management unit 406, a configuration information management unit 407, and a sensing unit 408. The multifunction peripheral 300 further has an event collection unit 410, a timer notification unit 440, a message buffer 420, an event sending unit 430, a network communication unit 431, a notification setting acquisition unit 432, a notification setting storage unit 421, and a shared area 433.

[0025] The user interface 401 displays a screen on the operation unit 360 for the user to operate, and provides a user interface function of transmitting operations accepted from the user to the CPU 311. The function application 402 is an application that provides various functions of the multifunction peripheral 300, such as copying, printing, and email transmission. The multifunction peripheral 300 has multiple applications. The function application 402 operates the application functions of the multifunction peripheral 300 when triggered by a user instruction via the operation unit 360 or by receiving data via the communication I / F 315.

[0026] The job control unit 403 receives instructions from the function application 402 and controls the printer controller unit 320 and scanner controller unit 330 to perform scanning and printing. The error control unit 404 receives notification of an abnormal state that occurs in the multifunction peripheral 300, such as the job control unit 403, printer controller unit 320, or scanner controller unit 330, and performs control such as issuing an instruction to perform a degenerate operation to stop all or part of the multifunction peripheral 300.

[0027] The history and setting storage unit 405 manages information within the multifunction device 300. For example, the history and setting storage unit 405 stores settings necessary for controlling the multifunction device 300 and jobs. The history and setting storage unit 405 also summarizes and stores user operation history, job execution results, error history, and the like. The history and setting storage unit 405 also stores log information that is kept for analysis and debugging purposes when a system malfunction occurs. The entity of the non-volatile data managed by the history and setting storage unit 405 is stored in the HDD 314.

[0028] The counter management unit 406 manages counts of the number of scans and prints generated within the multifunction device 300, counts measuring the degree of wear of each consumable part such as toner and paper, etc. The counter management unit 406 also manages information such as part lifespan calculated based on the counts. The entity of the non-volatile data managed by the counter management unit 406 is stored in the HDD 314.

[0029] The configuration information management unit 407 manages the hardware configuration of the multifunction peripheral 300, such as the configuration of external accessories that make up the multifunction peripheral 300, such as the paper feed device, paper feed tray, paper output tray, and finisher. Furthermore, the configuration information management unit 407 manages the software configuration of the multifunction peripheral 300, such as the firmware version and a list of installed applications. The sensing unit 408 collects and temporarily saves (accumulates) sensing data obtained by measuring the operating status of components that make up the units from the printer controller unit 320, scanner controller unit 330, and multifunction peripheral controller unit 310. The event data notified by the sensing data notification event is, for example, the sensing data of modules structured and recorded as event data for each engine operation.

[0030] The event collection unit 410 collects various types of information from modules (user interface 401 to sensing unit 408) that issue events within the multifunction peripheral 300. Then, in order to send the information within the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200 in accordance with the notification settings, the event collection unit 410 normalizes the collected information into the form of events and stores them in the message buffer 420. The message buffer 420 is a non-volatile storage area on the HDD 314. The message buffer 420 stores the events normalized by the event collection unit 410. For normalization, a general-purpose format such as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is used, for example.

[0031] The event collection unit 410 of this embodiment performs control (first control) for immediately transmitting an event when an accidental abnormal event such as an error or jam occurs, and control (second control) for periodically transmitting sensing data according to a predetermined schedule. In the first control, when the event collection unit 410 detects the occurrence of an event in a module that spontaneously issues events within the multifunction peripheral 300, it collects information (event data) pre-associated with the received event content from each module within the device. The modules that spontaneously issue events are the user interface 401 to the history / settings storage unit 405. For example, in the case of an error event, the event data includes the error code, the name of the component in which the error occurred, and the count value of the number of sheets passed up until the error occurred. Furthermore, the event collection unit 410 uses the event as a trigger to collect sensing data related to the event from the sensing data accumulated in the sensing unit 408. For example, when the error control unit 404 issues an error or jam event, the event collection unit 410 uses the event as a trigger to collect sensing data indicating the status of components within the device from the sensing unit 408. The event collection unit 410 then stores the event data indicating the event and some of the sensing data related to the event together in the message buffer 420.

[0032] In the second control, the event collection unit 410 requests the timer notification unit 440 to fire a timer after a specified time has elapsed. Upon receiving a notification from the timer notification unit 440, the event collection unit 410 collects an event to be periodically transmitted, triggered by the timer firing. Events to be collected as periodically transmitted events include, for example, counters, configuration information, and sensing data managed by the counter management unit 406, configuration information management unit 407, and sensing unit 408. The event collection unit 410 normalizes the events collected from the counter management unit 406, configuration information management unit 407, and sensing unit 408, and stores them in the message buffer 420. In this way, the event collection unit 410 functions as a first control unit and a second control unit.

[0033] When normalizing an event, the event collection unit 410 adds various additional information depending on the type of event in addition to basic information such as the event name, occurrence time, and serial number of the information processing device. The added information is collected by the event collection unit 410 by dynamically acquiring the status of each module in the device (user interface 401 to sensing unit 408) or by referring to the contents stored in a non-volatile area.

[0034] The event sending unit 430 notifies the data collection server 200 of an event issued by the multifunction peripheral 300. Specifically, when the event sending unit 430 detects that an event has been written to the message buffer 420, it reads information from the message buffer 420 and sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. The network communication unit 431 sends the event to the data collection server 200 by communicating with the data collection server 200 using the network I / F 315. The network communication unit 431 also receives event notification settings from the data collection server 200.

[0035] The notification setting acquisition unit 432 and the notification setting storage unit 421 function as a management unit that manages event notification settings. The notification setting acquisition unit 432 acquires notification settings from the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431 and stores them in the notification setting storage unit 421 on the HDD 314. The notification setting acquisition unit 432 stores the notification settings in the form of a file on the HDD 314. The event notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421 indicate which events, among those that occur in the multifunction peripheral 300 and can be turned into events, should be notified to the data collection server 200 and when. The event collection unit 410 operates in accordance with the event notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421 to normalize only those events designated to be notified to the data collection server 200 among the detected events, and store the normalized events in the message buffer 420.

[0036] Next, the notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421 will be described, along with an example of the operation when the software is executed by the CPU 311. Table 1 shows the relationship between the notification settings and events. Table 1 shows examples of events that occur in the multifunction device 300. [Table 1]

[0037] "Event" (hereinafter referred to as "event") is an example of an event that occurs in the multifunction device 300, and is a unit that names and normalizes state transitions and measurement data that occur within the multifunction device 300. An event is a unit that the event collection unit 410 writes to the message buffer 420. "Description" is a description of each event. For example, "ErrorOccured" is an event that means that some kind of abnormal state has occurred within the device. "ErrorDevDataReader" is an event that means sensing data that indicates the status of the components that make up the scanner 350.

[0038] A "Collection" (hereinafter referred to as "Collection") is a unit that groups multiple events based on the semantic unit of their behavior. In the notification settings, activation is set on a collection basis. The notification setting storage unit 421 stores a collection file in which notification settings for whether or not to notify the data collection server 200 of an event are set on a collection basis. For example, if the Error collection is specified as the notification target in the notification settings, an ErrorOccured event is saved in the message buffer 420. If the ErrorDevData collection is specified as the notification target in the notification settings, DevDataReader, DevDataPrinter, and DevDataController events are saved in the message buffer 420. When the event sending unit 430 detects that an event has been written to the message buffer 420, it sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431.

[0039] Events marked with a circle in the "Periodic Transmission" column are events that are intended to be sent periodically using a timer or on a predetermined schedule, such as when the device is started. When enabling periodic transmission collection in the notification settings of the notification settings storage unit 421, in addition to specifying the collection, it is possible to set the event transmission time or transmission interval. For example, when a Basic collection is specified in the notification settings, the multifunction device 300 periodically transmits a BasicInfoSnapshotted event, whose attributes include basic information such as the model name, installation location, and firmware version, at the specified transmission interval. When a DataDetailReader collection is specified in the notification settings, the multifunction device 300 periodically transmits a DevDataDetailReader (detailed sensing data for multiple components that make up the scanner 350).

[0040] Events marked with a circle in the "Abnormal Event" column are events that are expected to be sent when an abnormality occurs in the sensing data of components within the multifunction device 300 that causes the operation of the multifunction device 300 to stop. The sensing data sent as an "Abnormal Event" event (sensing data for abnormal events) can be used to analyze the cause of the equipment abnormal event. For example, "Error Occurred" is an event that means that some kind of abnormal state has occurred within the multifunction device 300.

[0041] Events marked with a circle in the "prediction" column are sensing data of parts within the multifunction device 300 that are expected to be sent periodically regardless of the operating status of the multifunction device 300. The sensing data sent as an "prediction" event (sensing data for prediction) reflects the degree of wear and deterioration of each part, and can be used for analysis to detect signs of malfunctions in the multifunction device 300 and predict the type and timing of the malfunction.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421. The event collection unit 410 normalizes events based on the notification settings and stores them in a message buffer. In this embodiment, the notification setting file 500 is shown as a sample in JSON format, but is not limited to this. For example, the notification setting file may be in any format that can be normalized in text, such as XML or CSV. Five types of event sending settings are described in the notification setting file 500. The five types of event sending settings are described in blocks 501, 502, 503, 504, and 505, respectively.

[0043] In block 501, the timing for sending events belonging to the Error and Jam collections is set as "fire":"realtime." "Realtime" means that the event is sent immediately when it occurs. Based on the event sending setting in block 501, when an error or jam occurs in the multifunction device 300, the event collection unit 410 determines that an event needs to be sent immediately and saves the event in the message buffer 420.

[0044] Blocks 502 and 503 define the event sending settings for sensing data related to an abnormal event. The event collection unit 410 performs first control based on block 501 and block 502 or block 503. The event sending settings for sensing data related to an abnormal event in this embodiment also include a setting for "bulk sending," which sends sensing data for predicting signs unrelated to the abnormal event together when sending sensing data related to the abnormal event. The setting for "bulk sending" specifies the upper limit of the amount of data that can be sent together, etc.

[0045] In block 502, the timing of sending events belonging to the ErrorDevData collection is set as "fire":"ErrorOccurred". In addition, in block 502, the control method for batch sending during sequential transmission is specified as "transmit_realtime_together_max_byte":10000000. "transmit_realtime_together_max_byte" specifies the reference amount (upper limit) of data to be sent in batch sending during real time transmission. The value is in bytes. The upper limit of the data amount to be sent in batch sending is set based on, for example, the reception limit of the amount of data that the data collection server 200 can receive at one time. For example, "transmit_realtime_together_max_byte":10000000 specifies that batch sending during real time transmission will be performed so that the total data amount does not exceed 10 MB. Based on the event sending setting in block 502, when an error event occurs, the event collection unit 410 stores in the message buffer 420 some or all of the events (sensing data related to the error) belonging to ErrorDevData.

[0046] In block 503, the timing for sending events belonging to the JamDevData collection is set as "fire":"JamOccurred". In addition, in block 503, the control method for batch sending during sequential transmission (real-time transmission) is specified as "transmit_realtime_together_max_byte":10000000. Based on the event sending setting in block 503, when a jam event occurs, the event collection unit 410 stores some or all of the events belonging to JamDevData (sensing data related to the jam) in the message buffer 420 in response to the occurrence of the jam event.

[0047] Blocks 504 and 505 are settings for periodic transmission events that transmit events according to a predetermined schedule. The sensing data of the printer unit specified in block 504 and the sensing data of the controller unit and scanner unit specified in block 505 are sensing data for symptom prediction. The event collection unit 410 performs second control based on block 504 or block 505. In setting the periodic transmission of sensing data for symptom prediction, conditions for skipping periodic transmission and conditions for not allowing skipping of periodic transmission are specified. In this embodiment, the data volume is specified as the condition for skipping periodic transmission, and elapsed time is specified as the condition for not allowing skipping of periodic transmission. Furthermore, in setting the periodic transmission of sensing data for symptom prediction, the priority of the sensing data may be specified.

[0048] In block 504, the timing for sending the DevDataDetailPrinter collection is set as "fire":"cron." "Cron" means that the transmission will be performed at a specified time or period. In the example (00 00) shown in Figure 5, the specified transmission time is 0:00 every day using the cron notation. The three "transmit~" settings specify the control method for transmission restrictions during periodic transmission. The control method for transmission restrictions during periodic transmission specifies the criteria for skipping periodic transmission and the priority of bulk transmission. "transmit_periodical_min_byte" specifies the minimum amount of data to be sent. For example, "transmit_periodical_min_byte":1000000 specifies that if the amount of data during periodic transmission is less than 1MB, it will not be sent. "transmit_periodical_max_silenthour" specifies the allowable time for no transmission. For example, "transmit_periodical_max_silenthour": 48 specifies that even if the amount of data is less than the reference amount, transmission will occur if the allowed time of 48 hours without transmission has been exceeded. "transmit_realtime_together_priority" specifies the priority for real-time bulk transmission. The priority is specified, for example, as 0.0 to 1.0. In block 504, the priority is specified as 0.8. The event collection unit 410 determines whether to transmit based on "transmit_periodical_min_byte" and "transmit_periodical_max_silenthour" every time midnight passes. If transmission is to be performed, the event collection unit 410 saves some or all of the sensing data of the printer unit (printer 340), which is an event belonging to the collection in block 504, in the message buffer 420 and causes it to be transmitted to the data collection server 200.

[0049] In block 505, the timing for sending the collections of DevDataDetailReader and DevDataDetailController is set as "fire":"cron." Similar to block 504, the three "transmit~" settings specify the control method for transmission restrictions during periodic transmission. The event collection unit 410 determines whether to transmit based on "transmit_periodical_min_byte" and "transmit_periodical_max_silenthour" every time midnight passes. In block 505, the allowable time for no transmission is specified as 96 hours. Thus, it is possible to specify a different allowable time for no transmission for each data type (collection). In block 505, the priority is specified as 0.2, which is lower than that of block 504. When transmission is to be performed, the event collection unit 410 saves some or all of the sensing data of the controller unit and scanner unit, which are events belonging to the collection in block 505, in the message buffer 420 and transmits them to the data collection server 200. The sensing data of the controller unit is sensing data of the multifunction peripheral controller unit 310 , and the sensing data of the scanner unit is sensing data of the scanner 350 .

[0050] Next, the process of transmitting an event from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200 will be described. The event collection unit 410 reads event data from each module (401 to 408) in the device according to the notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421, and stores the data in the message buffer 420. The event to be stored is selected according to the "collection" information, and the storage timing is determined according to the "fire" information. When the event sending unit 430 detects that an event has been written to the message buffer 420, it reads the information from the message buffer 420 and sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. Events can be sent from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200 in two ways: in real time when an abnormal event occurs, or periodically at a predetermined timing. The abnormal event event sending process (first control) will be described using FIGS. 6 and 7. The periodically sent event sending process (second control) will be described using FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0051] 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the abnormal event event transmission process in the first embodiment. In the abnormal event event transmission process, an abnormal event such as an error or jam is used as a trigger to send an event of sensing data related to the abnormal event to the data collection server 200. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when transmitting the abnormal event event, if there is sufficient data volume, a bulk transmission is performed in which sensing data for predicting signs that are not related to the abnormal event that is the subject of regular transmission is transmitted together with the sensing data related to the abnormal event. Each process shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is executed by the CPU 311 in accordance with a program stored in any one of the storage means, RAM 313, HDD 314, and ROM 312, of the multifunction peripheral 300.

[0052] This process starts when an accidental abnormal event, such as an error or jam, occurs in a situation where collection of abnormal events is specified in the notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421. In step S601, the event collection unit 410 checks the sensing data temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408. In step S602, the event collection unit 410 checks whether some of the sensing data temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408 contains sensing data corresponding to the triggered abnormal event. The sensing data related to the abnormal event (event) is defined in block 502 or block 503. For example, sensing data corresponding to an ErrorOccurred event is ErroDevData, and sensing data corresponding to a JamOccurred event is JamDevData. If there is no sensing data corresponding to the triggered abnormal event, the event collection unit 410 returns to step S601 and waits until sensing data corresponding to the triggered abnormal event is temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an event corresponding to the abnormal event that has become the trigger, the event collection unit 410 performs the process of step S603.

[0053] In step S603, the event collection unit 410 checks the data amount D1 of sensing data related to the triggered abnormal event among the events temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408. In step S604, the event collection unit 410 checks the data amount D2 of sensing data for symptom prediction that is not related to the abnormal event among the events temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408.

[0054] In step S605, the event collection unit 410 checks the upper limit of the data amount for sequentially transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event, which is set in the notification setting stored in the notification setting storage unit 421. In this embodiment, when sequentially transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event, it is possible to simultaneously transmit sensing data for symptom prediction, which is not related to the abnormal event to be notified, in a lump. By transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event and sensing data for symptom prediction, which is not related to an abnormal event, in a lump, it is possible to reduce the number of regular transmissions of sensing data for symptom prediction. The amount of data that can be transmitted in a lump is predetermined and specified in the notification setting. Specifically, in step S605, the event collection unit 410 checks the value of "transmit_realtime_together_max_byte" in the notification setting. "transmit_realtime_together_max_byte" specifies the upper limit D3 of the total data amount for simultaneously transmitting sensing data for symptom prediction in a lump when sequentially transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event. The value is in bytes. In the example shown in FIG. 5, in blocks 502 and 503, the upper limit D3 on the total data amount of sensing data for symptom prediction that can be transmitted together with sensing data related to errors and jams is specified as 10 MB.

[0055] In steps S606 and S609, the data amount upper limit D3 set in the notification settings confirmed in S605 is compared with the data amount (D1, D2) of each piece of sensing data confirmed in S603 and S604 to confirm whether collective sending is possible. First, in step S606, the event collection unit 410 compares the data amount D1 of sensing data related to the abnormal event with the data amount upper limit D3. If the data amount D1 of sensing data related to the abnormal event alone is equal to or greater than the data amount upper limit D3 (D1≧D3), the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the sensing data for symptom prediction cannot be sent together, and the process of step S607 is performed. On the other hand, if the data amount D1 of sensing data related to the abnormal event is less than the data amount upper limit D3, the process of step S609 is performed.

[0056] In step S609, the event collection unit 410 compares the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction with the data amount upper limit D3. If the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction is equal to or greater than the data amount upper limit D3 (D1+D2≧D3), bulk sending is not possible, and the process proceeds to step S607. On the other hand, if the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction is less than the data amount upper limit D3, bulk sending is possible, and the process proceeds to step S610.

[0057] If the amount of data to be sent in bulk is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of data that can be sent in bulk (upper data amount upper limit D3), the multifunction peripheral 300 does not send the data in bulk, and sends only the sensing data related to the abnormal event to the data collection server 200. In step S607, the event collection unit 410 reads only the sensing data event related to the abnormal event from the sensing unit 408, normalizes the data, and stores the data in the message buffer 420 as data to be sent. In step S608, the event sending unit 430 detects that an event has been written to the message buffer 420, and sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. The sensing data event sent in step S608 is only the sensing data event related to the abnormal event, and no sensing data event for symptom prediction is sent.

[0058] If the amount of data to be sent in a batch is less than the predetermined amount of data that can be sent in a batch (upper data amount D3), the multifunction peripheral 300 collectively transmits the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the sensing data for symptom prediction to the data collection server 200. In step S610, the event collection unit 410 collectively reads the events of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the sensing data for symptom prediction from the sensing unit 408, normalizes the data, and stores the data in the message buffer 420 as transmission data. That is, the event collection unit 410 collectively packs a portion of the accumulated sensing data related to the abnormal event and the sensing data for symptom prediction that is not related to the abnormal event into a file and stores the file in the message buffer 420. In step S611, the event transmission unit 430 detects that an event has been written to the message buffer 420 and transmits the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. According to this process, if there is sufficient data available when transmitting the sensing data related to the abnormal event, the accumulated sensing data for symptom prediction can also be transmitted collectively. This allows the accumulated sensing data for symptom prediction to be transmitted ahead of the scheduled periodic transmission, which may eliminate the need to transmit the next sensing data for symptom prediction, thereby reducing the number of times data is transmitted from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200.

[0059] In step S612, the event collection unit 410 obtains the current time from the system clock 317 and saves it as the time (t0) when the sensing data for sign prediction was transmitted in the HDD 314. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the allowable time for no transmission of sensing data from the printer unit is set to 48 hours in block 504, and the time saved in step S612 becomes the reference time point for measuring the time of no transmission.

[0060] 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the transmission process of a periodic transmission event in the first embodiment. In the transmission process of a periodic transmission event, unsent sensing data stored in a sensing unit designated as a periodic transmission event in the notification settings is sent to the data collection server 200. Each process shown in Fig. 8 and 9 is executed by the CPU 311 in accordance with a program stored in any one of the storage means, RAM 313, HDD 314, and ROM 312, of the multifunction peripheral 300.

[0061] In step S801, the event collection unit 410 selects one collection description (data type description) of sensing data for symptom prediction from the notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421. As an example, it is assumed that the event collection unit 410 selects block 504, which is a collection description of DevDataDetailPrinter (sensing data of the printer unit). In step S802, the event collection unit 410 checks the cron settings for scheduled transmission set in the selected collection of sensing data. In the cron settings of block 504, the designated time for transmission is 0:00 every day.

[0062] In step S803, the event collection unit 410 acquires the current time (t1) of the system clock 317. In step S804, it is confirmed whether the current time (t1) has reached the time set by cron. If the time set by cron has not been reached, the process proceeds to step S805. On the other hand, if the time set by cron has been reached, the process proceeds to step S806. In step S805, the event collection unit 410 waits for one minute and returns to step S803.

[0063] If the time set in cron has arrived, the event collection unit 410 determines whether to transmit the sensing data of the selected collection in the current periodic transmission based on the amount of sensing data and the time elapsed since the previous sensing data transmission. In step S806, the event collection unit 410 checks the amount of sensing data D4 related to one selected collection description from among the events temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408. If block 504 was selected in step S801, the event collection unit 410 checks the amount of sensing data of the printer unit.

[0064] In step S807, the event collection unit 410 acquires the data reference amount D5 for periodically transmitting sensing data for sign prediction set in the currently selected collection from the notification settings in the notification setting storage unit 421. The data reference amount D5 indicates the minimum amount of data at the time of transmission. If the data amount of the selected sensing data is less than the data reference amount D5, the multifunction peripheral 300 will not transmit the data at the time of periodic transmission. The data reference amount D5 is specified as the value of "transmit_periodical_min_byte" in the notification settings. The value is in bytes. "transmit_periodical_min_byte" in block 504 is specified as 1000000, which specifies that if the data amount at the time of periodic transmission is less than 1 MB, the data will not be transmitted.

[0065] In step S808, the event collection unit 410 determines whether to execute transmission according to a predetermined schedule based on the data amount of accumulated unsent sensing data. Specifically, the event collection unit 410 compares the data amount D4 of the sensing data of the selected collection temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408 with the data reference amount D5. If the data amount D4 of the selected sensing data exceeds the data reference amount D5 (D4>D5), the process of step S812 is performed to transmit the selected sensing data by periodic transmission. On the other hand, if the data amount D4 of the selected sensing data is equal to or less than the data reference amount D5, the process of step S809 is performed.

[0066] If the amount of sensing data is less than the predetermined amount and satisfies the condition regarding the amount of data to be transmitted, the MFP 300 next checks whether the condition regarding the passage of time is met. In step S809, the event collection unit 410 acquires the transmission time (t0) of the previous sensing data for symptom prediction, which was saved in the HDD 314 in step S612. In step S810, the event collection unit 410 acquires the allowable time without transmission (t2) set for the currently selected collection from the notification settings in the notification setting storage unit 421. The allowable time without transmission (t2) specifies the maximum allowable time during which sensing data for symptom prediction can be skipped without being periodically transmitted. Even if the data amount is less than the data reference amount D5, if the allowable time without transmission (t2) has been exceeded, the MFP 300 periodically transmits the sensing data. The allowable time without transmission (t2) is specified as the value of "transmit_periodical_max_silenthour" in the notification settings. The "transmit_periodical_max_silenthour" in block 504 is specified as 48, which specifies that transmission will be performed if the allowed period of 48 hours without transmission has elapsed.

[0067] In step S811, the event collection unit 410 checks whether the time elapsed since the previous periodic transmission to the present exceeds the maximum allowable time (predetermined time) for skipping periodic transmission. The event collection unit 410 checks whether the time elapsed since the previous periodic transmission (t1-t0), calculated from the previous transmission time (t0) and the current time (t1), is exceeded by the allowable time for no transmission (t2). If the time elapsed since the previous periodic transmission exceeds the allowable time for no transmission (t1-t0>t2), the event collection unit 410 performs the process of step S812. On the other hand, if the time elapsed since the previous periodic transmission is within the allowable time for no transmission (t1-t0≦t2), the event collection unit 410 performs the process of step S813.

[0068] In step S812, the event collection unit 410 determines that sensing data related to one selected collection description requires periodic transmission. For example, the event collection unit 410 sets a flag for executing periodic transmission for the selected sensing data so that the selected sensing data can be distinguished from sensing data determined not to require periodic transmission at this time. If block 504 is selected in step S801, the event collection unit 410 determines that sensing data of the printer unit requires periodic transmission.

[0069] In step S813, the event collection unit 410 checks whether there is a collection description (data type description) that has not yet been selected among the collection descriptions of the sensing data for sign prediction among the notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421. If there is a collection description that has not yet been selected, the event collection unit 410 proceeds to step S801, selects a collection description that has not yet been selected, and repeats the process of checking whether transmission is required (steps S802 to S813). If it is confirmed in step S813 that the collection descriptions of all sensing data for sign prediction have been selected and checked, the event collection unit 410 proceeds to step S814.

[0070] In step S814, the event collection unit 410 checks whether there is any sensing data related to the sign prediction that needs to be transmitted. If there is no data that needs to be transmitted, this process ends. On the other hand, if there is one or more data that needs to be transmitted, the event collection unit 410 performs the process of step S815.

[0071] In step S815, the event collection unit 410 reads the sensing data determined to be required to be transmitted in step S812 from the sensing unit 408, normalizes the data, and saves the data as transmission data in the message buffer 420. In step S816, upon detecting that an event has been written to the message buffer 420, the event sending unit 430 sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. In step S817, the event collection unit 410 obtains the current time from the system clock 317 and saves it in the HDD 314 as the time (t0) when the sensing data for sign prediction was transmitted.

[0072] This process can prevent (skip) periodic transmission of sensing data used for symptom prediction when the system is configured to periodically transmit the sensing data for symptom prediction, if the amount of data is equal to or less than a reference amount and the allowable time for non-transmission has not yet elapsed. This prevents the sensing data for symptom prediction, which is a collection of sensing data related to abnormal events, from being sent in the next periodic transmission. This reduces the number of times data is sent from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200 and the amount of data sent.

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible for an information processing device to transmit sensing data for predicting abnormal events at the same time as transmitting sensing data related to abnormal events, while reducing the number of times that sensing data for predicting abnormal events is transmitted on a regular basis.

[0074] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, to reduce the number of transmissions of symptom prediction sensing data, a batch transmission was performed during sequential transmission. Furthermore, a transmission data reference amount and a maximum allowable time were set to allow skipping transmission during periodic transmission. However, when the multifunction peripheral 300 has many components and the amount of sensing data is large, batch transmission of symptom prediction sensing data during sequential transmission may become impossible, resulting in fewer cases where batch transmission is possible. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a method for more effectively batch transmission during sequential transmission is demonstrated by additionally setting a transmission priority for each collection indicating the type of symptom prediction sensing data. In this embodiment, even if the amount of data to be batched exceeds the reference amount, at least a portion of the accumulated untransmitted sensing data that is not related to an event can be collectively transmitted based on the priority. The system configuration, hardware configuration, and software configuration of the multifunction peripheral 300 are similar to those of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the abnormal event event transmission process in the second embodiment. In the abnormal event event transmission process, an abnormal event such as an error or jam that occurs accidentally is used as a trigger to send a sensing data event from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200. The processes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are executed by the CPU 311 in accordance with a program stored in any one of the storage means, RAM 313, HDD 314, and ROM 312, of the multifunction peripheral 300.

[0076] The processes from step S1001 to step S1008 are the same as the processes from step S601 to step S608 (FIGS. 6 and 7). In step S1006, if the sensing data D1 related to the abnormal event does not exceed the data amount upper limit D3, the event collection unit 410 performs the process of step S1009.

[0077] In step S1009, the event collection unit 410 compares the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction with the data amount upper limit D3. If the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction is equal to or greater than the data amount upper limit D3 (D1+D2≧D3), the current data amount cannot be sent in bulk, and the process of step S1013 is performed. On the other hand, if the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction is less than the data amount upper limit D3, the current data amount can be sent in bulk, and the process of step S610 is performed.

[0078] In steps S1013 and S1014, the event collection unit 410 performs processing for determining, based on priority, the amount D2 of sensing data for symptom prediction to be sent together with sensing data related to an abnormal event. First, in step S1013, the event collection unit 410 checks the transmission priority corresponding to the sensing data to be periodically transmitted, i.e., the transmission priority set in the collection for which periodic transmission for symptom prediction is specified. Specifically, the event collection unit 410 acquires the value of "transmit_realtime_together_priority," which indicates the transmission priority set in all periodic transmission collections, from the notification settings stored in the notification setting storage unit 421. The value indicating the transmission priority is specified, for example, as a real number ranging from 0.0 to 1.0, with a larger value indicating a higher priority for simultaneous transmission.

[0079] In step S1014, the event collection unit 410 performs a process to reduce the amount of sensing data for symptom prediction to be transmitted in a batch transmission. The event collection unit 410 excludes sensing data designated as having a low transmission priority from the sensing data for symptom prediction temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408, and recalculates the data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction. The event collection unit 410 excludes sensing data with the lowest transmission priority from the data to be transmitted in a batch transmission. After the process of step S1014, the process of step S1009 is performed again, and the recalculated data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction is compared with the data amount upper limit. The event collection unit 410 repeats the processes of steps S1009, S1013, and S1014 until the sum of the data amount D1 of the sensing data related to the abnormal event and the recalculated data amount D2 of the sensing data for symptom prediction falls below the data amount upper limit D3. Then, the event collection unit 410 removes sensing data from targets for batch transmission in descending order of priority, and determines the remaining sensing data for sign prediction with higher priorities as targets for batch transmission. Note that in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the process of removing sensing data with the lowest transmission priority from targets for batch transmission and recalculating is repeated until the data amount falls below the data amount upper limit D3, but this is not limited to this. In step S1014, the event collection unit 410 may use the data amount exceeded in step S1009 as a criterion for the amount of data that needs to be reduced, and remove sensing data from targets for batch transmission in descending order of transmission priority so as to exceed this data amount.

[0080] In step S1010, the event collection unit 410 reads from the sensing unit 408 sensing data related to the abnormal event and events of sensing data for symptom prediction that remain to be targeted for batch transmission. If, in step S1014, low-priority sensing data for symptom prediction is removed from the targets for batch transmission and the amount of data that can be batch transmitted falls below the predetermined amount, the event collection unit 410 reads sensing data for symptom prediction that remains to be removed from the targets for batch transmission. The event collection unit 410 then normalizes (packs into a file) the read data and stores it in the message buffer 420 as transmission data (transmission events). That is, the event collection unit 410 packs into a file a portion of the accumulated sensing data related to the abnormal event and at least a portion of the sensing data for symptom prediction that is not related to the abnormal event, and stores the file in the message buffer 420.

[0081] In step S1011, the event sending unit 430 detects that an event has been written to the message buffer 420, and sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. In step S1012, the event sending unit 430 obtains the current time from the system clock 317 and saves it in the HDD 314 as the time (t0) when the sensing data for sign prediction was sent.

[0082] According to this process, if there is sufficient data volume when transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event, the accumulated sensing data for symptom prediction can also be transmitted in a batch. Furthermore, in this process, if the accumulated data volume for symptom prediction exceeds the upper limit of the data volume that can be transmitted in a batch, the sensing data for symptom prediction with a lower priority is excluded from the batch transmission. This makes it possible to transmit the sensing data for symptom prediction with a higher priority in a batch transmission when transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event. This allows the accumulated sensing data for symptom prediction to be transmitted ahead of the scheduled periodic transmission, which may eliminate the need for the next transmission of sensing data for symptom prediction. This reduces the number of data transmissions from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200.

[0083] A large amount of event data, etc., temporarily stored in the sensing unit 408 may accumulate before the regular transmission time. If the temporary storage area of ​​the sensing unit 408 does not have sufficient space, a temporary storage area may be provided in the message buffer 420, and the event may be written to the message buffer 420 without waiting for the transmission timing described in the "fire" information of the notification settings. If a regular transmission event is written to the message buffer 420 before the regular transmission time, the event sending unit 430 determines the sending conditions according to the description of the notification information. The event sending unit 430 determines based on the sending conditions described in the notification information, reads event information that meets the conditions from the temporary storage area in the message buffer 420, and sends the event to the data collection server 200 via the network communication unit 431. This allows the sensing data to be transferred to the message buffer 420 before the storage area of ​​the sensing unit 408 becomes insufficient and the sensing data can no longer be collected and stored. Furthermore, if the message buffer 420 is about to overflow, the event sending unit 430 may forcefully and immediately send the events stored in the message buffer 420 .

[0084] As described above, according to this embodiment, if there is sufficient data volume when transmitting sensing data related to an abnormal event, some of the sensing data for symptom prediction that is not related to the abnormal event and that is accumulated in the sensing unit can also be transmitted in a lump. Furthermore, if there is a limit to the amount of data that can be transmitted in a lump, sensing data for symptom prediction that has a high priority can be preferentially transmitted in a lump. This allows the accumulated sensing data for symptom prediction to be transmitted ahead of the scheduled periodic transmission, which may eliminate the need for the next transmission of sensing data for symptom prediction. This reduces the number of times data is transmitted from the multifunction peripheral 300 to the data collection server 200.

[0085] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration of an information processing device. (Configuration 1) a sensing unit that accumulates sensing data indicating the state of components of the information processing device; a first control unit that executes a first control for collectively transmitting, in response to an occurrence of an event to be notified, event data indicating the event and a portion of the accumulated sensing data related to the event; a second control unit that executes second control for transmitting the accumulated untransmitted sensing data according to a predetermined schedule; In the first control, a control is further executed so that at least a part of the accumulated untransmitted sensing data that is not related to the event is also transmitted collectively; The information processing apparatus is characterized in that in the second control, it is determined whether to execute transmission according to a predetermined schedule based on the amount of stored untransmitted sensing data. (Configuration 2) The information processing device described in configuration 1 is characterized in that, in the first control, when the total amount of data of a portion of the sensing data stored in association with the event and the amount of the stored sensing data that has not been transmitted but is not associated with the event is less than a predetermined data amount, control is executed to transmit the data together. (Configuration 3) a priority is set for each of the sensing data to be transmitted according to the predetermined schedule; The information processing device according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that in the first control, the sensing data not related to the event to be transmitted collectively based on the priority is determined so that the total data amount of the part of the sensing data stored in association with the event and the data amount of the stored sensing data that has not been transmitted but is not related to the event is less than a predetermined data amount. (Configuration 4) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that in the second control, if the amount of unsent stored sensing data is less than a predetermined amount of data in a predetermined schedule and a predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous transmission of the sensing data, no transmission is performed. (Configuration 5) 5. The information processing apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the event is an error or jam that occurs accidentally. (Configuration 6) 6. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the sensing data to be transmitted on the predetermined schedule is data used for analysis to predict malfunctions of the information processing device. (Configuration 7) The information processing device is an image processing device having at least one of a printer unit and a scanner unit and a plurality of sensors, 7. The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the sensing data to be transmitted according to the predetermined schedule includes sensing data of the printer unit or sensing data of the scanner unit.

[0086] (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.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0087] 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.

Claims

1. a sensing unit that accumulates sensing data indicating the state of components of the information processing device; a first control unit that executes a first control for collectively transmitting, in response to an occurrence of an event to be notified, event data indicating the event and a portion of the accumulated sensing data related to the event; a second control unit that executes second control for transmitting the accumulated untransmitted sensing data according to a predetermined schedule; In the first control, a control is further executed so that at least a part of the accumulated untransmitted sensing data that is not related to the event is also transmitted collectively; The information processing apparatus is characterized in that, in the second control, it is determined whether to execute transmission according to a predetermined schedule based on the amount of stored untransmitted sensing data.

2. The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that in the first control, when the total amount of data of a portion of the sensing data stored in association with the event and the amount of stored unsent sensing data that is not related to the event is less than a predetermined data amount, control is executed to transmit the data together.

3. a priority is set for each of the sensing data to be transmitted according to the predetermined schedule; The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that in the first control, the sensing data not related to the event to be transmitted collectively based on the priority is determined so that the total data amount of the part of the sensing data stored in relation to the event and the data amount of the stored sensing data that has not been transmitted but is not related to the event is less than a predetermined data amount.

4. The information processing device described in claim 1, characterized in that in the second control, transmission is not performed if, in a predetermined schedule, the amount of data of the accumulated untransmitted sensing data is less than a predetermined data amount and a predetermined time has not elapsed since the last transmission of the sensing data.

5. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the event is an error or a jam that occurs accidentally.

6. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing data to be transmitted according to the predetermined schedule is data used for analysis to predict a malfunction of the information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing device is an image processing device having at least one of a printer unit and a scanner unit and a plurality of sensors, 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing data to be transmitted according to the predetermined schedule includes sensing data from the printer unit or sensing data from the scanner unit.

8. A control method for an information processing device, comprising: accumulating sensing data indicating the status of components of the information processing device; a step of executing a first control for collectively transmitting, in response to an occurrence of an event to be notified, event data indicating the event and a portion of the accumulated sensing data related to the event; and executing a second control for transmitting the accumulated untransmitted sensing data according to a predetermined schedule, In the first control, a control is further executed so that at least a part of the accumulated untransmitted sensing data that is not related to the event is also transmitted collectively; The control method for an information processing apparatus, wherein the second control determines whether to execute transmission according to a predetermined schedule based on the amount of stored untransmitted sensing data.

9. A program that causes a computer of an information processing device to execute each step of the process according to claim 8.

Images