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

Abstract

To improve usability of an information processing apparatus so as to grasp the cause of an error occurring in a FAX job.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus performs FAX transmission and reception by using one or more lines of a plurality of lines, and has: setting means that sets, from among the plurality of lines, a line that is not used for FAX transmission; diagnosis means that diagnoses the state of connection of the plurality of lines; and display means that displays, for each of the lines, results of diagnosis of the state of connection of the plurality of lines diagnosed by the diagnosis means and the settings of the plurality of lines set by the setting means, in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device that performs device diagnosis. [Background technology]

[0002] When using an MFP to send a fax, there are cases where the fax cannot be sent or an error occurs. When this happens, the user will try to troubleshoot by checking the product manual, but they may not be able to solve the problem themselves. In such cases, the user will have to contact the call center, and if that does not solve the problem, a service technician will be dispatched to solve the problem.

[0003] In order to reduce the number of inquiries to call centers and the need to dispatch service personnel, it is necessary to provide functions that allow users to solve problems on their own.

[0004] As a conventional technique, a method has been proposed in which a malfunction symptom occurring in an MFP is associated with a setting (adjustment) item that may be able to solve the malfunction, and the associated setting (adjustment) item is displayed on a UI (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-39425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an information processing device that can use multiple fax lines, a line for sending or a line for receiving faxes can be set so that a single line is not congested with fax transmission and reception.

[0007] If a fax is sent with a dedicated send line and a dedicated receive line set up, and the cable used for the dedicated send line is unplugged, a transmission error will occur. A user who is aware that the dedicated send line and the dedicated receive line are set up will recognize that the error is due to a disconnected cable. However, a user who is not aware that the dedicated send line and the dedicated receive line are set up will see a transmission error even though the cable appears to be connected, and will not understand why a transmission error occurred due to a disconnected cable.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the usability of an information processing apparatus so that the cause of an error occurring in a FAX job can be grasped. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In view of the above problems, the information processing device of the present invention is an information processing device that sends and receives faxes using one or more lines from among a plurality of lines, and is characterized by having: a setting means that sets lines from among the plurality of lines that are not used for sending faxes; a diagnostic means that diagnoses the connection status of the plurality of lines; and a display means that displays, for each line, the diagnostic results of the connection status of the plurality of lines diagnosed by the diagnostic means and the settings of the plurality of lines set by the setting means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the cause of an error occurring in a FAX job can be grasped, thereby improving usability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an MFP 102. [Figure 2] 10 is an example of a screen for performing a diagnosis by a diagnostic means. [Figure 3] 10 is an example of setting values ​​for selecting a fax transmission line. [Figure 4] This is an example of a setting screen for selecting a transmission line for FAX. [Figure 5] This is an example of a screen for displaying a list of FAX line diagnosis results. [Figure 6] (a) This is an example of a screen for detailed display of FAX line diagnosis results (transmission prohibition setting). (b) This is an example of a screen for detailed display of FAX line diagnosis results (line dropout). [Figure 7] This is a flowchart of FAX line diagnosis. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of FAX line insertion / removal diagnosis processing. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing job data. [Figure 10] This is an example of a NG job history diagnosis screen. [Figure 11] This is an example of a screen for displaying NG job history diagnosis results. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of NG job history diagnosis. [Figure 13] This is a diagram of a list of end codes. [Figure 14] This is an example of a warning display when the transmission prohibition setting for all lines is enabled. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart for determining the warning display when the transmission prohibition setting for all lines is enabled.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] <Hardware Configuration of MFP102> FIG. 1 shows an example of the internal configuration of an MFP102 as an information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. Although the MFP102 is taken as an example, any information processing apparatus may be used.

[0013] In FIG. 1, an MFP102 which is an information processing apparatus includes a CPU201 that executes software stored in a ROM202 or, for example, an HDD (hard disk drive) 213. The CPU201 comprehensively controls each device connected to the system bus 221. Note that the HDD213 may be used as a temporary storage location for images in some cases.

[0014] The RAM 203 functions as a main memory, a work area, etc. for the CPU 201. The operation unit controller 208 controls various buttons or an operation panel 209, a display 211, etc. provided on the MFP 102. The disk controller 212 controls the HDD 213.

[0015] The network I / F 207 exchanges data bidirectionally with other network devices or file servers via a network 220 .

[0016] The printer 214 has a printing means. An image can be formed on paper by the printing means. The printing means in this embodiment is an electrophotographic system. The printing method does not have to be an electrophotographic system, and may be an inkjet system, as long as it is a printing means that can form an image on paper. The information processing apparatus of this embodiment is also an image forming apparatus that has the printer 214.

[0017] The scanner 215 functions as an image reading unit for reading images printed on paper. The scanner 215 is optionally equipped with an ADF (automatic document feeder) (not shown), which allows it to automatically read multiple pages of a document.

[0018] The MODEM 216 demodulates modulated signals received from the telephone network 218, and modulates signals from the device and sends them to the telephone network 218. The NCU 217 is the interface between the telephone network 218 and the FAX, and performs line control such as detecting signals coming from the telephone network 218 and transmitting them to the MODEM 216, and switching the telephone network 218 to the FAX or telephone 219. In some cases, the MFP 102 is configured to allow multiple FAX lines to be installed, in which case there are as many MODEMs 216 and NCUs 217 as there are FAX lines.

[0019] <Example of the top screen for diagnostic operations> Figure 2 is the top screen for instructing a diagnosis by the diagnostic means. Content list 2000 displays a list of diagnostic contents for diagnosis by the diagnostic means. Content list 2000 lists diagnostic contents prepared for each function and symptom. Diagnostic contents 2001, 2002, and 2003 are diagnostic contents related to each fax diagnosis. Diagnostic contents 2001 and 2002 are menus for displaying causes and countermeasures based on the history of jobs that ended in error. Details will be described later using the flow diagram in Figure 12. Diagnostic contents 2003 is a fax line diagnostic menu for diagnosing line settings and cable connection status. This will also be described later using Figures 7 and 8.

[0020] <Transmission line selection settings> Figure 3 shows an example of the setting values ​​for the "Selection of Transmission Line" in a four-line fax model (setting means). These setting values ​​can be set from the setting screen in Figure 4. It is possible to set whether or not each line will be a line that cannot be used for transmission. It is also possible to set one line that you would like to use preferentially for transmission. This setting means can be used when multiple lines are available. Furthermore, it is not possible to set all lines to be prohibited from transmission, and at least one line must be set to be allowed for transmission.

[0021] <Diagnosis result display screen> 5 is an example of a line diagnosis result list screen displayed by the display means after executing the diagnostic content 2003. The line number 5000 displays the number that identifies the FAX line, and the connection status 5001 indicates the cable connection status of each line. Also, the setting value 5002 displays the setting value of the "sending line selection setting" explained in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0022] If connection status 5001 is NG or transmission prohibition is set in transmission line setting value 5002, button 5003 for transitioning to a detailed display screen is displayed.

[0023] Pressing button 5003 displays a detailed display screen as shown in Fig. 6. Selecting line 1, which has a transmission prohibition setting, and pressing button 5003 displays a screen as shown in Fig. 6(a), which displays guidance indicating that a transmission prohibition setting has been set for that line. Also, selecting line 2, which has a cable connection status of NG, and pressing button 5003 displays a screen as shown in Fig. 6(b), which displays guidance indicating that the cable has been disconnected.

[0024] 7 is a flowchart showing the process of diagnosing a FAX line by the diagnostic unit. Note that this process is performed by loading a program executable by the MFP 102, which describes the following procedures, from the ROM 202 onto the RAM 203, and then executing the program by the CPU 201.

[0025] First, in step S7001, a line insertion / removal diagnosis is performed. This line insertion / removal diagnosis is performed according to the flow chart shown in FIG.

[0026] The flow of the line insertion / removal diagnosis in Figure 8 will be explained. Normally, when the line cable is properly connected to the MFP 102 and the telephone network 218, a certain voltage is applied to the NCU 217. The voltage value applied to the NCU 217 side can be obtained via the MODEM 216, so this voltage value is checked. Note that when an incoming call signal is received from the telephone network 218, a sine wave centered on the voltage applied during standby is sent to the NCU 217 side, so if a single determination is made at a certain moment, the voltage value may be read as 0V. For this reason, the diagnosis flow in Figure 8 is configured to check five times at regular intervals.

[0027] First, in S8001, loop processing is performed for the number of installed lines to perform insertion / removal determination for each of the installed lines, and processing in S8002 is executed. In S8002, loop processing is executed five times as described above. The processing executed in the loop is as follows. First, in S8003, the CPU 201 sends a command to the MODEM 216 to acquire the line-side voltage value of the NCU 217, and acquires the voltage value. Then, in S8004, it is determined whether the acquired voltage value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If it is less than the threshold, the process proceeds to S8005, waits 10 ms, and then returns to the beginning of the loop processing. If it is determined in S8004 that the voltage is equal to or greater than the threshold, the loop processing is exited, the line is determined to be connected, and this is saved in the RAM 203 (S8006).

[0028] If the voltage does not exceed the threshold value in S8004 even after the loop process in S8002 is executed five times, it is determined that the line is disconnected, and this fact is saved in the RAM 203 (S8007).

[0029] By using the processing flow shown in Figure 8, it is possible to perform insertion / removal diagnosis for the number of installed fax lines.

[0030] Returning to the explanation of Figure 7, in S7002, it is determined whether or not multiple FAX lines are present by detecting the number of installed modems 216. If multiple lines are present, the process proceeds to S7003, where the value of the transmission line selection setting shown in Figure 3 is read and acquired from the HDD 213 where it is saved. Then, in S7004, a diagnostic results list screen such as that shown in Figure 5 is displayed on the display 211. If the determination in S7002 is No (one line), the processing of S7003 is not performed, and only the results of the line insertion / removal diagnosis are displayed on the display 211 in S7004 (in this case, the setting value 5002 of the "transmission line selection setting" shown in Figure 5 is not displayed).

[0031] When the CPU 201 detects the pressing of the button 5003 for transitioning to the detailed display screen, the detailed result display screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display (S7005).

[0032] As described above, by using the processing flows shown in Figures 7 and 8, the connection status of the fax line and the line sending and receiving settings can be linked and displayed. This allows the user to check at a glance whether the cable is disconnected or if sending is prohibited, and identify the cause of a fax job error.

[0033] <Diagnosis of job history that ended with an error> The above-described FAX line diagnosis is performed not only when the diagnosis menu 2003 is selected, but also when the diagnosis contents 2001 and 2002 are selected. The following is a description of this.

[0034] 12 is a flowchart showing the diagnostic process for the error job history. Note that the series of processes is performed by loading a program executable by the MFP 102, which describes the following procedures, from the ROM 202 onto the RAM 203, and then executing the program by the CPU 201.

[0035] First, in S12001, the CPU 201 acquires the history of fax jobs that ended in an error and for which the communication result 9001 is NG from the job information stored as the job history DB 9000 (FIG. 9) in the HDD 213. The CPU 201 then determines the number of acquired error history cases (S12002), and if there is one or more, displays the job history display 10000 shown in FIG. 10 on the display 211 (S12003). The job history display 10000 is divided into items for each job. Job information is displayed in each divided item. If it is determined in S12002 that there are zero history cases, the job history cannot be diagnosed, so the process proceeds to S12006 and performs the fax line diagnosis described in FIG. 7.

[0036] When the CPU 201 detects that one piece of job information has been selected from the displayed job history display 10000 (S12004), it determines the value of the exit code 9002 for that job according to the exit code table in FIG. 13 (S12005). If the exit code is not an "automatic call transmission error," the process proceeds to S12007, where guidance corresponding to the exit code is displayed on the display 211. (The example in FIG. 11 is an example of a display when the exit code is 033.) Note that an "automatic call transmission error" is an error that occurs when no response is obtained from the other device during memory transmission. If the determination in S12005 indicates that the exit code is an "automatic call transmission error," the cause may be a disconnected line or the like, so the process proceeds to S12006, where the FAX line diagnosis flow in FIG. 7 described above is executed.

[0037] In this way, if there are no errors in the error history or if the history contains an automatic call transmission error that may be caused by a line disconnection, a fax line diagnosis is performed to show the user information on the connection status and transmission prohibition settings. Also, if there is one or more job information items in the error history and the job information is diagnosed, a message based on the error code is displayed by the display means. This allows for the presentation of solutions corresponding to the job, improving usability.

[0038] <Modification> <If transmission prohibition is set for all lines in "Select Transmission Line"> Next, an example in which it is possible to set transmission prohibition for all lines in the "Select Transmission Line" described in Figures 3 and 4 will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. In this case, it is better to issue a warning when transmission is attempted in the first place, rather than providing guidance from the diagnostic menu as described in Figure 2.

[0039] 15 is a processing flow diagram. Note that a series of processes are performed by loading a program executable by the MFP 102, which describes the following procedures, from the ROM 202 onto the RAM 203, and then executing the program by the CPU 201.

[0040] First, in S15000, when the CPU 201 detects an instruction to start fax transmission, in S15001 the CPU 201 reads the setting value for "Select transmission line" (Fig. 3) stored in the HDD 213. Then in S15002 it is determined whether transmission prohibition is set for all lines, and if the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to S15004, where a warning pop-up like that shown in Fig. 14 is displayed. If the determination is No in S15002, the process proceeds to S15003, where fax transmission processing is started.

[0041] By carrying out the above processing, if transmission prohibition is set for all lines, a warning to that effect can be displayed when the user starts transmission.

[0042] <Other embodiments> It may be a control program that can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. It may 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 may also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Claims

1. An information processing device that transmits and receives faxes using one or more lines among a plurality of lines, a setting means for setting a line not to be used for FAX transmission among the plurality of lines; a diagnostic means for diagnosing the connection status of the plurality of lines; a display means for displaying the diagnosis results of the connection states of the plurality of lines diagnosed by the diagnosis means and the settings of the plurality of lines set by the setting means in association with each other for each line; An information processing device comprising:

2. the diagnostic means diagnoses the connection state between the information processing device and a cable; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. the diagnostic means diagnoses the connection state based on a voltage value applied to the information processing device via the cable.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

4. the setting means sets at least one line among the plurality of lines as a line to be used for sending a facsimile; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

5. When the information processing device can use only one line, the setting means cannot set a line that is not used for sending a facsimile.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

6. The diagnostic means further selects one or more diagnostic contents from a plurality of diagnostic contents and one or more job information of job information of a FAX job executed by the information processing device, and performs a diagnosis on the selected job information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

7. when a diagnostic content relating to the connection state is selected from the plurality of diagnostic contents, the diagnostic means diagnoses the connection state without going through selection of the job information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

8. the diagnostic means, when the one or more diagnostic contents are selected without the job information being present, diagnoses the connection state without going through the selection of the job information; 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7,

9. The information processing device includes: a printing means for printing an image on paper; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

10. A control program that can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, which, when executed by a computer, An information processing device that transmits and receives faxes using one or more lines among a plurality of lines, a setting means for setting a line not to be used for FAX transmission among the plurality of lines; a diagnostic means for diagnosing the connection status of the plurality of lines; a display means for displaying the diagnosis results of the connection states of the plurality of lines diagnosed by the diagnosis means and the settings of the plurality of lines set by the setting means in association with each other for each line; A control program that causes the information processing device to function as an information processing device having the above-mentioned program.

11. A control program storable in a computer-readable storage medium, comprising: a setting step of setting lines that are not used for sending faxes among the plurality of lines; a diagnostic step of diagnosing the connection status of the plurality of lines; a display step of displaying the diagnosis results of the connection states of the plurality of lines diagnosed in the diagnosis step and the settings of the plurality of lines set in the setting step in association with each other for each line; A control program for causing a computer included in an information processing device to execute the above.

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