Apparatus, information processing system, program, and defect resolution method

Abstract

To provide an apparatus that sends the outside whether defect resolution information has been output.SOLUTION: The present invention is an apparatus 20 connected to an information processing device 40 via a network. The apparatus includes: an operation reception unit that receives input of defect information about defects; a communication unit that transmits the defect information to the information processing device and receives defect resolution information corresponding to the defect information; a defect resolution information output unit that outputs the defect resolution information; and a repair request unit that sends the outside a repair request for the defect by attaching the defect information and whether the defect resolution information has been output thereto.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device, an information processing system, a program, and a method for resolving a problem. [Background technology]

[0002] Users may use devices such as image forming devices to scan, copy, and print documents, but if a malfunction occurs, such as the device breaking down or running out of consumables, the user will be unable to use the device. When a malfunction occurs in the device, users will try to restore the device by referring to the manual, but this can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0003] A technology for displaying a video for resolving a malfunction has been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming device that, when a detection unit that detects the occurrence of a maintenance event in the image forming device detects the occurrence of a maintenance event, displays on a display unit a first maintenance screen including a video showing the details of the work required to resolve the maintenance event. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that the device does not transmit to the outside whether or not the trouble resolution information has been output. For example, if a user tries to solve the trouble by referring to the trouble resolution information but is unable to solve the trouble, the user calls the call center to request repair, but the user has to explain the details of the trouble to the call center operator again, which is cumbersome.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a device that transmits to an external device whether or not defect resolution information has been output. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention is an apparatus connected to an information processing device via a network, and is characterized by having an operation reception unit that receives input of malfunction information regarding a malfunction, a communication unit that transmits the malfunction information to the information processing device and receives malfunction resolution information corresponding to the malfunction information, a malfunction resolution information output unit that outputs the malfunction resolution information, and a repair request unit that attaches the malfunction information and whether or not the malfunction resolution information has been output to a request for repair of the malfunction and sends it to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] It is possible to provide a device that transmits to the outside whether or not the defect resolution information has been output. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 10 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a procedure in which a device transmits a repair request email to an information processing device in response to a user operation. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates a system configuration of an example of an information processing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a hardware configuration of an example of an information processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus, which is an example of a device. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an example of an information processing system. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of setting information stored in a setting information storage unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a defect resolution information determination table stored in a defect resolution information storage unit. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating screen transitions when a repair request application is started. [Figure 9] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating screen transitions when requesting repairs using a repair request app. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating screen transitions when setting information for a repair request application. [Figure 11]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a launch icon for a repair request application. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an application termination confirmation screen displayed immediately after the repair request application is launched. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting acquisition screen. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 illustrates an example no internet connection screen. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen showing a failure in obtaining a setting file. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a settings saving screen. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a setting save failure screen. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device information setting screen. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 illustrates an example regional settings window. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a customer information setting screen (part 1) and a customer information setting screen (part 2). [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an email CC setting screen (part 1). [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an email CC setting screen (part 2). [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a setting content confirmation screen. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a test mail sending screen. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a test email sending test result screen (success). [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a test email sending test result screen (failed). [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main menu screen. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a request overlap confirmation screen. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a repair request screen. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a request item setting screen. [Figure 31]10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a request item selection screen (part 1) and a request item selection screen (part 2). [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed after a request item is selected. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a self-solving method display permission screen. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an FAQ display screen. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a problem solving screen. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an abnormality display selection screen. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 illustrates an example contact settings screen. [Figure 38] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a repair request history screen. [Figure 39] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a repair request email content confirmation screen. [Figure 40] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen in which a repair request email is being sent. [Figure 41] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a repair request email transmission result screen (success). [Figure 42] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a repair request email transmission result screen (failed). [Figure 43] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen. [Figure 44] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a MIB community name setting screen. [Figure 45] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an access test result screen (success). [Figure 46] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an access test result screen (failed). [Figure 47] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a license information screen. [Figure 48] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a procedure in which a device transmits a repair request email. [Figure 49] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing an example of screen transitions of each screen that transitions in a repair request. [Figure 50] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of information included in a repair request email. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing system and a method for solving a problem performed by the information processing system will be described below as an example of an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Outline of operation> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a procedure in which the device 20 transmits a repair request email to the information processing device 40 in response to a user operation.

[0011] (1) A user is operating device 20 such as an image forming apparatus and encounters a problem such as a deterioration in image quality or a paper jam. The user launches a repair request app running on device 20. Following the instructions of the repair request app, the user indicates the type of problem (symptoms and situation) and sets the request items for requesting repairs.

[0012] (2) The repair request application transmits the requested items to the information processing device 40.

[0013] (3) The information processing device 40 transmits the trouble-solving information (video, still image, text, audio, etc.) corresponding to the requested item to the device 20.

[0014] (4) The repair request app outputs information on how to resolve the problem, and the user looks at the information and attempts to resolve the problem.

[0015] (5) If the user is unable to resolve the problem even after viewing the problem resolution information, the user inputs a repair request into the repair request app. The repair request app outputs the repair request to an external party, attaching the requested items and whether or not the problem resolution information should be output. Outputting the request to an external party may involve, for example, sending an email to customer support center 10.

[0016] In this manner, in this embodiment, when a malfunction occurs in the device 20, the malfunction resolution information is provided so that the user can solve the malfunction themselves as much as possible, thereby enabling the user to resolve the malfunction themselves. This reduces the frequency with which repair personnel travel to the site. Furthermore, even if the malfunction cannot be resolved even with the malfunction resolution information, the repair request is accompanied by the requested item and whether or not the malfunction resolution information has been output, so the repair personnel can determine that the malfunction is at least not related to the output malfunction resolution information and can therefore determine the content of the repair that should be performed.

[0017] <Terminology> A malfunction is a state in which a required function cannot be performed. It has a broad meaning of being in a bad condition or state. A malfunction may also be called a breakdown, abnormality, defect, error, etc.

[0018] The defect information is information indicating what kind of defect has occurred. In this embodiment, the defect information is explained using the term request item (category, subcategory).

[0019] The problem solution information is information for solving the problem, and includes a method for solving the problem, etc. The problem solution information can be provided in various forms, such as video, still images, text, and audio.

[0020] The external destination of the repair request may be any information processing device that allows a customer support staff member to receive the repair request, and in this embodiment, a mail server will be used as an example.

[0021] <System configuration example> The system configuration of the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0022] 2 includes an information processing device 40 and a device 20, which are communicably connected via a wide area network N such as the Internet. The information processing device 40 and the device 20 do not need to be connected to the network N at all times. In addition, a mail receiving device 50 is connected to the network N.

[0023] The device 20 is installed at the device installation location 9. The device installation location 9 is, for example, a company or local government office, a factory, a convenience store, a public facility, etc., but the device 20 may be installed anywhere.

[0024] Device 20 is any of various electronic devices used by a user. Device 20 may be, for example, an image forming device such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral), a projector, an electronic whiteboard, a video conference terminal, digital signage, a digital camera, a HUD (Head Up Display) device, industrial machinery, an imaging device, a sound collection device, a medical device, a network home appliance, a game console, a wearable PC, a desktop PC, etc. In addition, device 20 may have a function to run an OS and an application on the OS.

[0025] This application may also be a web browser. The device 20 can communicate with the information processing device 40 via the network N. The device 20 can also send e-mail to a pre-configured outgoing mail server. This allows the device 20 to send e-mail to any destination. In this embodiment, one of the destinations is the mail receiving device 50 of the customer support center 10.

[0026] The device 20 may be subject to a tenant contract. A tenant is an organization such as a company or local government that has entered into a contract to receive services from a service provider (such as a sales company for the device 20 in this embodiment). In this case, the device 20 is registered with the information processing device 40, and can receive dispatch services such as a customer engineer within the scope of the contract.

[0027] Furthermore, a mobile terminal 30 is present at the equipment installation location 9. The mobile terminal 30 is, for example, a smartphone carried by the user of the equipment 20. A common mobile terminal 30 may be used for each user. The mobile terminal 30 may be used to output troubleshooting information. Typically, the operation panel of the equipment 20 is located away from the door or paper tray that the user opens to resolve the malfunction, making it difficult for the user to resolve the malfunction while viewing the troubleshooting information. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 30 can display the troubleshooting information, making it possible to resolve the malfunction while viewing the troubleshooting information.

[0028] The information processing device 40 is realized by one or more computers, and provides the device 20 with a service related to resolving a problem via the network N. For example, the information processing device 40 transmits to the device 20 FAQs or problem resolution information corresponding to requests transmitted from the device 20. The information processing device 40 may transmit the content itself as the problem resolution information to the device 20, or may transmit the URL of the problem resolution information to the device 20. When a URL is transmitted, the information processing device 40 does not need to store the content of the problem resolution information; the content server may store the content.

[0029] The information processing device 40 may be realized by cloud computing, or may be realized by a single information processing device 40. Cloud computing refers to a form in which resources on a network are used without being aware of specific hardware resources. The information processing device 40 may exist on the Internet or on-premise.

[0030] A mail receiving device 50 is installed in the customer support center 10. Each customer engineer can carry the mail receiving device 50. The mail receiving device 50 connects to a pre-set incoming mail server and receives e-mails addressed to the device itself. In this embodiment, a repair request is written in this e-mail.

[0031] The mail receiving device 50 may be any general-purpose information processing device 40 on which mail receiving software runs. The mail receiving device 50 may be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like, as long as the mail receiving software runs on it.

[0032] <Hardware configuration example> The hardware configuration of the information processing device 40 and the device 20 included in the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0033] <<Information processing equipment>> 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 40 according to this embodiment. The hardware configuration of the mail receiving device 50 or the mobile terminal 30 may be the same as that shown in FIG. 3, or may be different, which will not hinder the explanation of this embodiment.

[0034] 3, the information processing device 40 is configured by a computer 500. The computer 500 includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a hard disk (HD) 504, a hard disk drive (HDD) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection interface (I / F) 508, a network I / F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a digital versatile disk rewritable (DVD-RW) drive 514, and a media I / F 516.

[0035] Of these, the CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the computer 500. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as an IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data, such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information, such as a cursor, menu, window, text, or image. The external device connection I / F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external devices are, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories or printers. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using the network N. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like, for electrically connecting the components, such as the CPU 501, shown in FIG. 3.

[0036] The keyboard 511 is a type of input means having multiple keys used to input characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, etc. The optical drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data from an optical storage medium 513, which is an example of a removable storage medium. The optical storage medium is a CD, a DVD, Blu-Ray (registered trademark), etc. The media I / F 516 controls reading and writing (storing) of data from a storage medium 515, such as a flash memory.

[0037] <<Equipment>> 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus, which is an example of device 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the image forming apparatus includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I / F 950.

[0038] Of these, the controller 910 has a CPU 901, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907, which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 908, and an HD 909, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

[0039] Of these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus. The NB 903 is a bridge that connects the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0040] The MEM-P 902 comprises a ROM 902a, which is memory for storing programs and data that realize the functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b, which is used for expanding the programs and data and as a drawing memory during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0041] The SB 904 is a bridge connecting the NB 903 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. The ASIC 906 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing and acts as a bridge connecting the AGP bus 921, PCI bus 922, HDD controller 908, and MEM-C 907. The ASIC 906 includes a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of the ASIC 906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C 907, multiple direct memory access controllers (DMACs) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between the scanner unit 931, printer unit 932, and facsimile unit via the PCI bus 922. The ASIC 906 may also have a universal serial bus (USB) interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) interface.

[0042] The MEM-C907 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. The HD909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD909 controls the reading and writing of data from and to the HD909 under the control of the CPU901. The AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing, and direct high-throughput access to the MEM-P902 enables the graphics accelerator card to operate at high speed.

[0043] Further, the short-range communication circuit 920 is provided with a short-range communication circuit antenna 920a. The short-range communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0044] The engine control unit 930 further includes a scanner unit 931, a printer unit 932, and a facsimile unit 933. The operation panel 940 includes a panel display unit 940a, such as a touch panel, that displays current setting values ​​and selection screens and receives input from the operator, as well as hard keys 940b including a numeric keypad that receives setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density settings and a start key that receives a command to start copying. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and input from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 or the printer unit 932 includes an image processing unit that performs error diffusion, gamma conversion, and the like.

[0045] The image forming apparatus allows the user to sequentially switch between the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. When the user selects the document box function, the image forming apparatus enters document box mode, when the user selects the copy function, the image forming apparatus enters copy mode, when the user selects the printer function, the image forming apparatus enters printer mode, and when the user selects the facsimile mode, the image forming apparatus enters facsimile mode.

[0046] The network I / F 950 is an interface for performing data communication using the network N. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I / F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via a PCI bus 922.

[0047] <About the function> Next, the functional configuration of the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0048] <<Equipment>> The device 20 has a first communication unit 21, a display control unit 22, an operation reception unit 23, a malfunction resolution information output unit 24, a repair request unit 25, a setting information storage unit 29a, and a repair request email storage unit 29b. Each of these functional units of the device 20 is a function or means realized by the CPU 901 shown in FIG. 4 executing instructions included in one or more programs (repair request applications 39) installed in the device 20.

[0049] The first communication unit 21 transmits and receives various information to and from the information processing device 40. In this embodiment, the first communication unit 21 requests requests related to malfunctions from the information processing device 40. In addition, the first communication unit 21 receives FAQs and malfunction resolution information corresponding to the requests from the information processing device 40.

[0050] The display control unit 22 arranges the information received from the information processing device 40 in display components stored in advance, and displays various screens, etc., described later, on the panel display unit 940a.

[0051] The operation reception unit 23 receives various operations from the user on various screens displayed on the panel display unit 940a.

[0052] The defect solution information output unit 24 outputs defect solution information. If the defect solution information is a video, it is played back as a streaming file, if it is a still image, it is displayed as an image, if it is text, it is displayed as characters, and if it is audio, it is played back from a speaker.

[0053] The repair request unit 25 sends a repair request to the mail server 60, along with an attachment indicating whether or not the defect resolution information has been output.

[0054] These functions of device 20 may be provided as a web application. A web application refers to software or its mechanism that runs on a web browser and operates through cooperation between a program written in a programming language (e.g., JavaScript (registered trademark)) that runs on a web browser and a program on the web server. These functions of device 20 may also be provided by a dedicated application (native app).

[0055] The setting information storage unit 29a and the repair request email storage unit 29b are constructed in the HD 909 shown in Fig. 4. The repair request email storage unit 29b stores repair request emails sent to the email server. An example of a repair request email is shown in Fig. 50.

[0056] 6 shows an example of setting information stored in setting information storage unit 29a. As will be described later, the user sets various setting information in repair request application 39. This setting information is saved in setting information storage unit 29a.

[0057] The model number is the model number (serial number, etc.) of the device 20.

[0058] The model name is the product name of the device 20.

[0059] The person in charge name is the name of the person in charge of the repair request app 39 (an employee of the system information department, etc.).

[0060] The phone number is the phone number of the person in charge.

[0061] The email address is the email address of the person in charge.

[0062] The company name is the name of the company or the like that owns the device 20.

[0063] The department name is the name of the department that uses the device 20.

[0064] The region indicates the location of the device 20 by the name of the country or region.

[0065] <<Information processing equipment>> Returning to Fig. 5, the information processing device 40 has a second communication unit 41, a defect resolution information determination unit 42, and a defect resolution information storage unit 43. Each of these functional units of the information processing device 40 is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 3 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the information processing device 40.

[0066] One or more of the functions of the information processing device 40 may be distributed among multiple information processing devices 40. Furthermore, the information processing device 40 may have a function as a content server that stores the content of the problem resolution information, or a content server may be provided separately.

[0067] The second communication unit 41 transmits and receives various information to and from the device 20. In this embodiment, the second communication unit 41 receives a request regarding a malfunction from the device 20. In addition, the second communication unit 41 transmits malfunction resolution information corresponding to the request to the device 20.

[0068] The defect resolution information determination unit 42 determines defect resolution information according to the request content. There are two main methods for determining defect resolution information. One is to prepare a table that associates the request items with defect resolution information. In this embodiment, the method using the table will be mainly described.

[0069] The other method is to prepare a classifier that has learned the relationship between requests and defect resolution information through machine learning, and the classifier determines the N defect resolution information items with the highest probability for each request. For example, in machine learning using deep learning, the request is input, the identification information for defect resolution information is output, and the identification information for appropriate defect resolution information is used as a training signal for the classifier to learn the weights between neurons. Through learning, the classifier outputs the probability of the identification information for each defect resolution information item for the request.

[0070] Machine learning is a technology that allows computers to acquire human-like learning capabilities, in which a computer autonomously generates algorithms necessary for judgments such as data classification from previously acquired training data, and applies these algorithms to new data to make predictions. The learning method for machine learning may be any of supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and deep learning, or may be a combination of these learning methods; the learning method for machine learning is not limited. Machine learning techniques include perceptrons, support vector machines, logistic regression, naive Bayes, decision trees, and random forests, and the learning method is not limited.

[0071] The problem resolution information storage unit 43 is constructed in the HD 504, RAM 503, etc. shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 shows an example of a problem resolution information determination table stored in the problem resolution information storage unit 43. The problem resolution information determination table is a table that holds URLs of problem resolution information corresponding to requested items. The problem resolution information determination table has the following fields: category ID, category name, subcategory ID, subcategory name, symptom code, FAQ, and URL.

[0072] The category ID is a major classification of the problem (symptoms or situation). The category name is a name that allows users to distinguish the category of the category ID.

[0073] The subcategory ID is a subcategory of the defect (symptoms or situation). The subcategory name is a name that allows users to distinguish the subcategory of the subcategory ID.

[0074] Requests are identified by classifying defects hierarchically, so dividing requests into major and minor categories like this makes it easier to organize them. For example, if the category is paper jams, the subcategory would be where in the machine the paper jam occurred.

[0075] The phenomenon code is information that combines the category ID and subcategory ID, and corresponds to the identification information of the request item. In Figure 7, there are two levels, but there may be one level or three or more levels.

[0076] FAQ refers to a collection of frequently asked questions and their answers. In this embodiment, a list of inquiries that may be useful in resolving a problem is preset. In FIG. 7, one problem code has one FAQ, but in many cases multiple FAQs are prepared. Also, while the FAQ in FIG. 7 only contains questions, answers are also prepared. These answers correspond to problem resolution information. One method of providing answers is to provide a URL.

[0077] The URL is the destination where the problem resolution information is saved. The URL may be a file path, etc. Also, the problem resolution information itself may be sent to the device 20 instead of a URL.

[0078] <<Email receiving device>> Returning to Fig. 5, the mail receiving device 50 has a third communication unit 51 and a mail display unit 52. Each of these functional units of the mail receiving device 50 is a function or means realized by the CPU 501 shown in Fig. 3 executing instructions contained in one or more programs installed in the information processing device 40.

[0079] The third communication unit 51 connects to the mail server 60 and receives e-mails addressed to a preset e-mail address of the device itself. The e-mail display unit 52 displays the e-mails on a display or the like.

[0080] <Screen transition example> Next, the overall flow of screen transitions of the repair request application 39 will be described using FIGS. 8 to 10, and then each screen will be described.

[0081] 8 is a diagram illustrating screen transitions when the repair request application 39 is started. When the repair request application 39 is started, a transition to a setting acquisition screen 110 occurs.

[0082] If there is no internet connection, the setting acquisition screen 110 transitions to a no internet connection screen 120.

[0083] If there is an Internet connection and initial settings have not been performed, the setting acquisition screen 110 transitions to a device information setting screen 130. The device information setting screen 130 transitions to a customer information setting screen 140. The customer information setting screen 140 transitions to an email CC setting screen 150. The email CC setting screen 150 transitions to a setting content confirmation screen 160. The email CC setting screen 150 transitions to an email sending test result screen (success) 170 and an email sending test result screen (failure) 180.

[0084] If there is an internet connection and the initial settings have been performed, the setting acquisition screen 110 transitions to a main menu screen 190. The email sending test result screen (success) 170 and the email sending test result screen (failure) 180 transition to the main menu screen 190. The main menu screen 190 is the starting screen for requesting repairs.

[0085] 9 is a diagram illustrating screen transitions when making a repair request using the repair request app 39. The main menu screen 190 transitions to a repair request screen 200. The repair request screen 200 transitions to a repair request history screen 240, a request item setting screen 250, and a contact setting screen 260.

[0086] The repair request screen 200 transitions to a self-solution method display permission screen 210, and the self-solution method display permission screen 210 transitions to an FAQ display screen 220 and a repair request email content confirmation screen 230. The repair request screen 200 and the FAQ display screen 220 transition to a repair request email content confirmation screen 230. The repair request email content confirmation screen 230 transitions to a repair request email transmission result screen (success) 280 and a repair request email transmission result screen (failure) 270.

[0087] The repair request email transmission result screen (success) 280 transitions to the repair request screen 200. The repair request email transmission result screen (failure) 270 transitions to the main menu screen 190.

[0088] 10 is a diagram illustrating screen transitions when setting information for the repair request application 39. The main menu screen 190 transitions to a setting screen 330.

[0089] The setting screen 330 transitions to the device information setting screen 130, the customer information setting screen 140, the email CC setting screen 150, the MIB community name setting screen 290, and the license information setting screen 300300.

[0090] The email CC setting screen 150 transitions to an email sending test result screen (success) 170 and an email sending test result screen (failure) 180. The MIB community name setting screen 290 transitions to an access test result screen (success) 310 and an access test result screen (failure) 320.

[0091] <<Repair Request App startup screen>> The person who operates the following screens is assumed to be a user of the company where the device 20 is installed, but the user may also include an administrator. Also, settings for the repair request app 39 may be performed by a customer engineer.

[0092] 11 shows an example of a launch icon for the repair request application 39. When the user presses this launch icon 450, the repair request application 39 is launched.

[0093] FIG. 12 is an example of an application termination confirmation screen 109 that is displayed immediately after the launch of the repair request application 39. After launch, the repair request application 39 determines whether or not initial settings have been made, and if the initial settings have not been completed, displays this application termination confirmation screen 109. The application termination confirmation screen 109 has a message 109a that reads "Settings are not complete. Do you want to close the application?", a cancel button 109b, and an OK button 109c. The cancel button is a button for continuing the initial settings, and the OK button is a button for closing the application termination confirmation screen 109. Pressing the cancel button 109b causes the application termination confirmation screen 109 to transition to a setting acquisition screen 110 in FIG. 13.

[0094] 13 is an example of the setting acquisition screen 110. The setting acquisition screen 110 is a screen that is displayed while the device 20 is reading (acquiring) setting contents from the HD 504 or the like. The setting acquisition screen 110 includes a message 111 that reads, "Settings are being acquired. Please wait a moment." Because the device 20 acquires setting contents from the HD 504, the time that the setting acquisition screen 110 is displayed depends on the startup time of the HD 504. The setting acquisition screen 110 transitions to a no internet connection screen 120, a device information setting screen 130, or a main menu screen 190.

[0095] 14 is an example of the no internet connection screen 120. The no internet connection screen 120 is a screen that is displayed when the device 20 cannot communicate with the information processing device 40. Communication with the information processing device 40 is not possible when, for example, the device 20 is not connected to the network N. The no internet connection screen 120 has a message 121 that reads "Unable to connect to the internet. Please check your settings" and an OK button 122. The repair request app 39 ends when the OK button 122 is pressed.

[0096] 15 is an example of a setting file acquisition failure screen 123. The setting file acquisition failure screen 123 is displayed when the device 20 is unable to acquire the setting contents from the HD 504. The setting file acquisition failure screen 123 has a message 124 saying "Failed to acquire setting file. If urgent..." and an OK button 125. The repair request application 39 is terminated by pressing the OK button 125.

[0097] 16 is an example of the setting saving screen 126. The setting saving screen 126 is displayed by transitioning from various setting screens. The setting saving screen 126 is displayed while the device 20 is saving the setting contents to the HD 504. The setting saving screen 126 has a message 126a that reads "Saving settings. Please wait." The setting saving screen 126 is automatically cleared when saving is complete.

[0098] 17 is an example of the setting save failure screen 127. The setting save failure screen 127 is displayed when the device 20 fails to save the setting contents to the HD 504. The setting save failure screen 127 has a message 128 saying "Failed to save settings. The application will now close" and an OK button 129. The repair request application 39 closes when the OK button 129 is pressed.

[0099] 18 is an example of the device information setting screen 130. The device information setting screen 130 is a screen on which the user initially sets information about the device 20 in the repair request application 39. The device information setting screen 130 has a model name field 131, a model number field 132, a region field 133, a forward button 134, and a back button 135. The information set on the device information setting screen 130 is saved in the setting information storage unit 29a.

[0100] The model name field 131 is a field for setting the product name, model name, brand name, etc. An initial value acquired by the device 20 from the HD 504 may be set here.

[0101] The machine number field 132 is a field in which a serial number, etc. is set. An initial value acquired by the device 20 from the HD 504 may be set.

[0102] The region column 133 is where the region (Japan, Asia, EU, North America, etc.) where the device 20 is installed is set.

[0103] The back button 135 at the top left of the screen is a button for canceling the device information setting screen 130 without setting these settings, and in this case, the repair request app 39 displays the app termination confirmation screen 109 shown in Fig. 12. The forward button 134 is a button for transitioning to the next setting screen.

[0104] FIG. 19 shows an example of the region setting window 136. The region setting window 136 is displayed as a pop-up when the region field 133 on the device information setting screen 130 is pressed. The region setting window 136 has a list of region names 136a, a cancel button 136b, and an OK button 136c. The user can scroll to display other regions. Pressing the cancel button 136b returns to the device information setting screen 130, and pressing the OK button 136c after selecting a region name displays the region in the region field 133 of FIG. 18.

[0105] FIG. 20(a) is an example of customer information setting screen (type 1) 140A. FIG. 20(b) is an example of customer information setting screen (type 2) 140B. Customer information setting screen (type 1) 140A and customer information setting screen (type 2) 140B are screens on which the user sets customer information, and are connected vertically. The information set on customer information setting screen (type 1) 140A and customer information setting screen (type 2) 140B is saved in setting information storage unit 29a.

[0106] The company name field 141 is a field where the customer's company name is entered.

[0107] The person in charge name field 142 is a field where information about the person in charge of the company where the device 20 is installed is entered.

[0108] The telephone number field 143 is a field where the telephone number of the person in charge is entered.

[0109] The email address field 144 is a field where the email address of the person in charge is entered.

[0110] The department name field 145 is a field where the name of the department of the person in charge is input. The person in charge name field 142, the telephone number field 143, the email address field 144, and the department name field 145 can be set for up to three people.

[0111] FIG. 21 is an example of the email CC setting screen (part 1) 150A. The email CC setting screen (part 1) 150A is a setting screen for the email address to which the email will be sent as a carbon copy. The email CC setting screen (part 1) 150A is displayed when the application is started for the first time. The email CC setting screen (part 1) 150A has a message 151 that reads, "Please set an email address in the CC field of the email. If you are happy with this, press the 'Next' button. *Note: If the person in charge wants to receive a copy of the email, please set the person in charge's email address in the CC field.", a sender email address field 152, and multiple CC address fields 153.

[0112] The sender email address in the sender email address field 152 is fixed to the email address of the repair request application 39 (the setting field is grayed out and cannot be changed).

[0113] When CC address field 153 is pressed, email CC setting screen (2) 150B in Fig. 22 is displayed. Email CC setting screen (2) 150B has email address field 154 and email address field (for confirmation) 155. If there is a difference between the values ​​entered in email address field 154 and email address field (for confirmation) 155, even if the user presses OK button 156, an error is displayed and the screen cannot be transitioned. Pressing Cancel button 157 returns to the initial values ​​and closes email CC setting screen (2) 150B.

[0114] FIG. 23 is an example of the setting content confirmation screen 160. The setting content confirmation screen 160 displays the setting content of device information and customer information. The setting content confirmation screen 160 is a screen that scrolls vertically. The setting content confirmation screen 160 has a message 161 saying "Please check the setting content. If there are no errors, press the OK button. Pressing the OK button will send a test email," and an OK button 162. The setting content confirmation screen 160 displays all the content set in the initial settings. Pressing the OK button 162 causes the device 20 to automatically send a test email.

[0115] 24 is an example of a test mail sending screen 164. The test mail sending screen 164 is displayed while the test mail is being sent. The test mail sending screen 164 has a message 165 that reads, "Test mail is being sent. Please wait a moment." If the test mail is sent successfully, the test mail sending screen 164 transitions to a test mail sending test result screen (success) 170. If the test mail sending fails, the test mail sending screen 164 transitions to a test mail sending test result screen (failure) 180.

[0116] 25 is an example of a test email sending test result screen (success) 170. The test email sending test result screen (success) 170 is displayed when the test email is successfully sent. The test email sending test result screen (success) 170 has a message 171 saying "The test email was sent successfully. If you have set an email address in CC, please check that the test email has been received," and a close button 172. Pressing the close button 172 on the test email sending test result screen (success) 170 transitions to the main menu screen 190.

[0117] 26 is an example of a test email sending test result screen (failure) 180. The test email sending test result screen (failure) 180 is displayed when the sending of the test email fails. The test email sending test result screen (failure) 180 has a message 181 saying "Sending of test email failed. Reason for failure: (detected reason for failure)" and a close button 182. Pressing the close button 182 on the test email sending test result screen (failure) 180 transitions to a main menu screen 190.

[0118] <<Screen when requesting repairs using the repair request app>> FIG. 27 is an example of a main menu screen 190. The main menu screen 190 is the home screen of the repair request application 39. The main menu screen 190 has a message 191 that reads, "Web help provides useful information on how to deal with error messages. Please refer to the web help before requesting service. You can refer to the web help by pressing the [?] icon in the upper right corner of the screen," as well as a repair request button 192 and a settings button 193. Pressing the settings button 193 causes the main menu screen 190 to transition to a settings screen 330.

[0119] Furthermore, when the repair request button 192 is pressed, the main menu screen 190 transitions to a repair request screen 200, but if the device 20 sends a repair request email within 24 hours (within a certain time period) since the previous repair request was sent, the screen transitions to a duplicate request confirmation screen 194 shown in Fig. 28. The sending date and time of the previous repair request may be the "request date and time" written in the repair request email, or may be the time when the send button 230a in Fig. 39 was pressed.

[0120] FIG. 28 is an example of a duplicate request confirmation screen 194. The duplicate request confirmation screen 194 is a screen for confirming duplicate repair requests. The duplicate request confirmation screen 194 has a message 195 saying, "Repair requests have been made with the following details within the last 24 hours. Please check that the request details are not duplicated and then press [Request repair]," as well as the contents 196 of the previous repair request email, a cancel button 197, and a "Request repair" button 198. Pressing the cancel button 197 on the duplicate request confirmation screen 194 transitions to the main menu screen 190. Pressing the "Request repair" button 198 transitions the duplicate request confirmation screen 194 to a repair request screen 200.

[0121] 29(a) to (c) are examples of the repair request screen 200. The repair request screen 200 is a screen on which the user inputs a repair request. The repair request screens 200 in FIGS. 29(a) to (c) are the same screen, and show the states before and after the setting. The detailed screen flow will be described later.

[0122] The requested repair item (category, subcategory, etc.) is set in the requested item field 201. Pressing the requested item field 201 displays a requested item setting screen 250. The requested item includes the type of abnormality that has occurred.

[0123] The person in charge name column 202 sets information about the person in charge who will be contacted regarding repairs.

[0124] 29(b) shows the repair request screen 200 with each item set. Pressing the request execution button 203 on the upper right displays the repair request email content confirmation screen 230. However, if there is a self-solution (FAQ information) for the item selected by the user, the self-solution display permission screen 210 is displayed.

[0125] 29(c) shows the repair request screen 200 after a repair request has been made. The contents 204 of the previous repair request (for one item) are displayed at the top of the screen. Pressing the details button 205 displays the repair request history screen 240. If no repair request has been made, this screen will not be displayed.

[0126] 30 is an example of the request item setting screen 250. The request item setting screen 250 is a screen on which the user inputs the request items.

[0127] A requested repair item is set in the repair item field 251. When the repair item field 251 is pressed, the repair request screen 200 transitions to a request item selection screen (first) 253A.

[0128] The remarks column 252 is where detailed explanations regarding the repair request are entered.

[0129] FIG. 31(a) is an example of the request item selection screen (part 1) 253A. FIG. 31(b) is an example of the request item selection screen (part 2) 253B. The request item selection screen (part 1) 253A displays a list of categories 254a, and the request item selection screen (part 2) 253B displays a list of subcategories 254b. The request item selection screen (part 1) 253A and the request item selection screen (part 2) 253B have a hierarchical structure, and the request item selection screen (part 2) 253B displays subcategories in a lower layer of the category selected on the request item selection screen (part 1) 253A.

[0130] By default, the item in the first row of the request item selection screen (type 1) 253A or the request item selection screen (type 2) 253B is selected. Pressing the Next button 255 transitions to the next level if there is one, and if there is no next level, the request item selection screen (type 2) 253B transitions to the post-request item selection screen 257. Pressing the Back button 241 returns the request item selection screen (type 2) 253B to the screen of the previous level. Pressing the Cancel button 256 resets the selected request item to its default value, and the request item selection screen (type 1) 253A or the request item selection screen (type 2) 253B closes.

[0131] The items displayed on the request item selection screen (part 1) 253A and the request item selection screen (part 2) 253B are determined based on information acquired from the information processing device 40. The options change depending on the region (the region is set by the user, etc.). The user may also input the request by voice. The user may also input the details of the problem in natural language. The user may freely speak the details of the problem, or may answer questions from the device by voice.

[0132] FIG. 32 is an example of the post-request item selection screen 257. The post-request item selection screen 257 is a screen for the user to confirm the request items selected. On the post-request item selection screen 257, the items displayed in the request item field 257a change depending on the request items set by the user on the request item selection screen (type 1) 253A and the request item selection screen (type 2) 253B. The remarks field 257b displays the text set in the remarks field 252 on the request item setting screen 250. Pressing the OK button 257c causes the post-request item selection screen 257 to transition to the self-solution method display permission screen 210.

[0133] The items displayed on the post-request item selection screen 257 are determined based on the information acquired from the information processing device 40. The options change depending on the region.

[0134] 33 is an example of the self-solving method display permission screen 210. The self-solving method display permission screen 210 is a screen for encouraging the user to solve the problem. The self-solving method display permission screen 210 has a message 211 saying, "The selected request may be solved by checking the frequently asked questions [FAQ]. If you want to request repairs without checking the FAQ, press [Skip].", a button 212 to return to request input, a button 213 to check the FAQ, and a skip button 214.

[0135] Pressing the skip button 214 causes the self-solving method display permission screen 210 to transition to a repair request email content confirmation screen 230. In this case, the device 20 can be requested for repair without displaying the FAQ. Pressing the confirm FAQ button 213 causes the self-solving method display permission screen 210 to transition to the FAQ display screen 220. Pressing the return to request input button 212 causes the self-solving method display permission screen 210 to return to the repair request screen 200.

[0136] 34 is an example of the FAQ display screen 220. The FAQ display screen 220 displays a list of FAQs 221 and a two-dimensional code display button 222. Furthermore, the FAQ display screen 220 has a request repair button 223, a close button 224, a back button 225, a forward button 226, and an update button 227. When the request repair button 223 is pressed, the device 20 displays a repair request email content confirmation screen 230.

[0137] Pressing the close button 224 transitions the FAQ display screen 220 to the repair request screen 200. If the FAQ spans multiple pages, pressing the back button 225 displays the previous FAQ display screen 220. Pressing the forward button 226 displays the next FAQ display screen 220. Pressing the update button 227 updates the FAQ display screen 220. Also, while the browser screen is loading, a progress bar is displayed in the center of the screen. When an FAQ is selected from the FAQ list 221, the FAQ display screen 220 transitions to a problem resolution screen 228A.

[0138] The two-dimensional code display button 222 is a button for displaying a two-dimensional code. This two-dimensional code includes a URL for displaying the FAQ display screen 220 of Fig. 34 on the mobile terminal 30. Therefore, by having the mobile terminal 30 take a picture of the two-dimensional code with its camera, the mobile terminal 30 can display the FAQ screen.

[0139] 35(a) and (b) are examples of the problem resolution screens 228A and 228B. The problem resolution screens 228A and 228B in FIG. 35 show a case where problem resolution information is provided in the form of a video. The problem resolution screens 228A and 228B display a video and also have a Request Repair button 229a and a Close button 229b. When the Request Repair button 229a is pressed, the problem resolution screens 228A and 228B transition to the repair request screen 200 in FIG. 29(b). When the Close button 229b is pressed, the problem resolution screens 228A and 228B return to the FAQ display screen 220.

[0140] FIG. 36 is an example of an abnormality display selection screen 340. The abnormality display selection screen 340 is displayed when a service call is selected on the request item selection screen 253A in FIG. 31(a). The abnormality display selection screen 340 is a screen on which the user inputs a system error code when the system error code is displayed. The abnormality display selection screen has a system error code input field 341 and a remarks field 342. Note that a system error code is a hardware error, and there is not much the user can do. For this reason, the user selects a service call as the category to display the abnormality display selection screen 340 and input the system error code. In this case, the request item (category and subcategory) may or may not be set. In the information processing device 40, an FAQ and a URL are associated with the system error code.

[0141] FIG. 37 is an example of the contact setting screen 260. The contact setting screen 260 is displayed when the person in charge name field 202 is pressed on the repair request screen 200(a) of FIG. 29(a). The contact setting screen 260 is a screen on which the user sets contact information related to the requested item. The contact setting screen 260 has a registered person in charge field 261 and a person in charge other than the registrant field 262. The user selects the registered person in charge field 261 or the person in charge other than the registrant field 262. When the person in charge other than the registrant field 262 is selected, the person in charge name field, phone number field, email address field, and department name field become available for setting.

[0142] Fig. 38 is an example of the repair request history screen 240. The repair request history screen 240 is displayed by pressing the details button 205 in Fig. 29(c). The repair request history screen 240 displays the details of one previous repair request. The detailed content is displayed exactly as it was in the email, so it is not dependent on the operating unit language.

[0143] FIG. 39 is an example of a repair request email content confirmation screen 230. The repair request email content confirmation screen 230 is displayed by pressing the Request Repair button 229a in FIGS. 35(a) and 35(b). The repair request email content confirmation screen 230 is a screen for confirming the contents of the repair request email. The repair request email content confirmation screen 230 displays a message 231 saying "The contents of the repair request email are confirmed below. If there are no problems, please press the 'Execute Request' button," and the contents 232 of the email to be sent. Because the text of the email is displayed as is, the repair request email content confirmation screen 230 does not depend on the language of the operation unit. Pressing the send button 230a causes the repair request email content confirmation screen 230 to transition to a repair request email sending screen 233.

[0144] 40 is an example of the repair request email sending screen 233. The repair request email sending screen 233 is a screen that is displayed while a repair request email is being sent. The repair request email sending screen 233 displays a message 233a saying "The request email is being sent. Please wait a moment." Upon completion of sending, the repair request email sending screen 233 transitions to a repair request email sending result screen (success) 280 or a repair request email sending result screen (failure) 270.

[0145] 41(a) and 41(b) are examples of repair request email transmission result screens (success) 280A and 280B. The repair request email transmission result screens (success) 280A and 280B are vertically scrolling screens. The repair request email transmission result screens (success) 280A and 280B are screens that are displayed when the repair request email is successfully transmitted. The repair request email transmission result screens (success) 280A and 280B include a message 281 saying "Repair request email has been sent," information 282 transmitted from the information processing device 40, and transmitted email information 283. The transmitted email information 283 is the content of the transmitted email (see FIG. 50). The text of the email is displayed as is, so it is independent of the operating unit language. The repair request email transmission result screens (success) 280A and 280B return to the main menu screen 190 by pressing the close button 284 in the upper right corner of the screen.

[0146] 42 is an example of a repair request email transmission result screen (failure) 270. The repair request email transmission result screen (failure) 270 is a screen that is displayed when the transmission of the repair request email fails. The repair request email transmission result screen (failure) 270 has a message 271 saying "Failed to send repair request email," a reason for failure 272, and an option for urgent action 273. When the close button 274 is pressed, the repair request email transmission result screen (failure) 270 returns to the repair request screen 200.

[0147] <<Screen when setting information for the repair request app>> Below, the screens used when setting information for the repair request application 39 will be explained, but screens already mentioned will be omitted.

[0148] 43 is an example of a settings screen 330. The settings screen 330 is a screen that serves as the starting point for various settings. The settings screen 330 has a device information button 331, a customer information button 332, an email CC setting button 333, an MIB community name button 334, and a license information button 335. Pressing the device information button 331, the customer information button 332, or the email CC setting button 333 causes the settings screen 330 to transition to the device information settings screen 130, the customer information settings screen 140, or the email CC settings screen 150, which have already been described.

[0149] 44 is an example of a MIB community name setting screen 290. The MIB community name setting screen 290 is a screen for setting a MIB, which is displayed when the MIB community name button 334 is pressed. The MIB community name setting screen 290 has a message 291 saying "Please check the SNMP MIB community name and change it if necessary," a community name setting field 292, and an access test button 293.

[0150] Pressing the access test button 293 causes the repair request app to run a test to see if it can access the MIB value using the set MIB community name. The MIB community name is a password required to access the MIB value using the SNMP protocol. During the access test, a progress bar is displayed in the center of the screen. If the access is successful, an access test result screen (success) 310 is displayed, and if it is unsuccessful, an access test result screen (failure) 320 is displayed.

[0151] 45 is an example of the access test result screen (success) 310. The access test result screen (success) 310 is a screen that is displayed when the access test to the MIB is successful. The access test result screen (success) 310 has a message 311 that reads "Access successful," and an OK button 312. When the OK button 312 is pressed, the access test result screen (success) 310 returns to the MIB community name setting screen 290.

[0152] FIG. 46 is an example of the access test result screen (failed) 320. The access test result screen (failed) 320 is a screen that is displayed when the access test to the MIB fails. The access test result screen (failed) 320 has a message 321 that reads "Access failed. Please check that the SNMP community name matches the value set in the "Network" section of the web tool," and an OK button 322. Pressing the OK button 322 returns to the MIB community name setting screen 290.

[0153] 47 shows an example of the license information screen 300. The license information screen 300 is a screen that displays license information and is displayed when the license information button 335 is pressed. When the OK button 301 is pressed, the license information screen 300 returns to the setting screen 330.

[0154] <Operation procedure> Next, the operation of device 20 when a user requests repair will be described with reference to Fig. 48. Fig. 48 is an example of a sequence diagram showing the procedure by which device 20 sends a repair request email. Fig. 48 omits the process by which device 20 communicates with information processing device 40 for screen display. Fig. 49 is a screen transition diagram of each screen transition when requesting repair. All of the screens in Fig. 49 have already been shown.

[0155] S1: A malfunction occurs in device 20.

[0156] S2: To resolve the problem, the user presses the start-up icon 450 to start the repair request application 39. The operation reception unit 23 of the device 20 receives the request to start the repair request application 39, and the repair request application 39 starts up.

[0157] S3: The user displays the repair request screen 200 of FIG. 29(a) from the main menu screen 190. The user sets a category on the repair request screen 200 and the request item selection screen (part 1) 253A of FIG. 31(a), and a subcategory on the request item selection screen (part 2) 253B of FIG. 31(b). The category and subcategory become the request items. The user also confirms the request items on the post-request item selection screen 257 of FIG. 32, and by pressing the OK button 257c, the self-solution method display permission screen 210 of FIG. 33 is displayed.

[0158] S4: The user presses the check FAQ button 213 to solve the problem by himself on the self-solution method display permission screen 210. The operation reception unit 23 of the device 20 receives the press.

[0159] S5: The first communication unit 21 of the device 20 requests the information processing device 40 for an FAQ by specifying the requested item.

[0160] S6: The second communication unit 41 of the information processing device 40 receives the FAQ request, and the defect resolution information determination unit 42 determines an FAQ corresponding to the requested item from the defect resolution information storage unit 43. The defect resolution information determination unit 42 may input the requested item into a classification device obtained by machine learning and determine an FAQ corresponding to the requested item. The defect resolution information determination unit 42 embeds a URL of a storage destination of the defect resolution information in the FAQ. The second communication unit 41 of the information processing device 40 transmits the FAQ to the device 20.

[0161] S7: The first communication unit 21 of the device 20 receives the FAQ, and the display control unit 22 displays the FAQ (FAQ display screen 220 in FIG. 34). Note that the information processing device 40 may send the troubleshooting information without sending the FAQ. For example, in a situation where one piece of troubleshooting information can be identified, such as when there is only one FAQ corresponding to the requested item, the information processing device 40 can send the troubleshooting information, thereby reducing the effort required for the user to select an FAQ.

[0162] S8: The user selects an FAQ that is useful for solving the problem that has occurred from the list of FAQs 221 displayed on the FAQ display screen 220. The operation reception unit 23 receives the selection.

[0163] S9: The first communication unit 21 of the device 20 requests acquisition of problem resolution information from the URL embedded in the FAQ. In Fig. 48, the URL indicates the information processing device 40, but it may also be a content server.

[0164] S10: The first communication unit 21 of the device 20 receives the trouble resolution information (video, still image, text, audio, etc.).

[0165] S11: The defect resolution information output unit 24 outputs defect resolution information (defect resolution screens 228A and 228B in FIG. 35). The defect resolution information output unit 24 stores information indicating that the defect resolution information has been output in association with the category, subcategory, and phenomenon code.

[0166] S12: The user checks the problem resolution information and attempts to resolve the problem. Here, we will explain a case where the problem cannot be resolved. The user presses the Request Repair button 229a on the problem resolution screen 228A, 228B of Figures 35(a) and (b). The operation acceptance unit 23 accepts the press. As a result, the display control unit 22 displays the repair request screen 200 of Figure 29(b). The user presses the Execute Request button 203 on the repair request screen 200. The operation acceptance unit 23 accepts the press. As a result, the display control unit 22 displays the repair request email content confirmation screen 230 of Figure 39. The user then presses the Send button 230a. The operation acceptance unit 23 accepts the press.

[0167] S13: The repair request unit 25 of the device 20 generates an email containing the requested items and whether or not to output the fault resolution information in the email body, and sends the repair request email to the mail server 60. The repair request unit 25 saves the date and time when the repair request email was sent. The requested items and whether or not to output the fault resolution information may be sent in a format other than email. For example, the repair request unit 25 may create a file, attach it to the email, and send it to the mail server 60. The repair request unit 25 may also send the requested items and whether or not to output the fault resolution information to the information processing device 40 or a specified storage server. The information can be stored in the information processing device 40 or a specified storage server, and a customer engineer at the customer support center 10 can download it to their terminal.

[0168] S14: The third communication unit 51 of the mail receiving device 50 receives the repair request mail from the mail server 60.

[0169] In this way, the device 20 attaches to the repair request whether or not the fault resolution information has been output, so the repair person can determine that the fault is not at least related to the fault resolution information that has been output, and can therefore determine the content of the repair that needs to be done.

[0170] <Contents of repair request email> FIG. 50 shows information contained in a repair request email.

[0171] The sender address 401 is an email address specific to the repair request application.

[0172] The destination address 402 is the call center reception email address for the "region" set in the repair request application 39 and the CC email address set by the customer.

[0173] Subject 403 is [Service Request], [serial number], [SC###], [Issue Category], [Issue Subcategory]. [Service Request] is a fixed term, [serial number] is the serial number of device 20, [SC###] is the system error code, [Issue Category] is the failure category, and [Issue Subcategory] is the failure subcategory.

[0174] The main text 404 includes a message 405 saying, "This is the technical center. We are contacting you to let you know that we have just received your request for repair as follows.", repair request application transmission content 406, customer information 407, and additional device information 408.

[0175] The repair request application transmission content 406 further includes the creation date and time, model number, model name, problem code, problem classification 1, problem classification 2, remarks, system error code, and whether or not the problem solution information is to be viewed.

[0176] The creation date and time is automatically generated to be the current date and time.

[0177] The device number and model name are set on the device information setting screen 130.

[0178] The incident code is the identification information of the request that combines the category ID and subcategory ID.

[0179] Phenomenon classifications 1 and 2 are requests (categories and subcategories) selected on the request selection screen (part 1) 253A and request selection screen (part 2) 253B in FIG.

[0180] The remarks are information set in the remarks field 252 on the request item setting screen 250 in FIG.

[0181] The SC number is a system error code. The SC number may not be set.

[0182] The output of the problem resolution information is set based on whether the user has confirmed (output) the problem resolution information. The output of the problem resolution information may not only be based on whether it has been output, but also on whether the user has actually viewed it. In the case of a video, the problem resolution screen periodically requests user operation, and will remain frozen if no operation is performed. In the case of a still image, the user can view the entire problem resolution information by turning the pages. When the video or still image is played to the end, it is recorded that the problem resolution information has been output (that the user has actually viewed it).

[0183] The customer information 407 includes the name of the person in charge, the phone number, the email address, the company name, the department name, and the region. These are set on the customer information setting screen (part 1) 140A in Fig. 20(a), the customer information setting screen (part 2) 140B in Fig. 20(b), and the contact setting screen 260 in Fig. 37.

[0184] The additional device information 408 is information that can be acquired from the device 20. The additional device information 408 includes, for example, counter information, printer status, copy status, scan status, and fax status.

[0185] <Major Effects> As described above, the device 20 of this embodiment provides trouble-solving information so that when a problem occurs in the device 20, the user can solve the problem themselves as much as possible. This reduces the frequency with which repair personnel must travel to the site. Furthermore, even if the problem cannot be solved even with the trouble-solving information, the repair request includes the requested items and whether or not the trouble-solving information has been output. This allows the repair personnel to determine the repair work that should be done, since they know that the problem is at least not related to the trouble-solving information that has been output.

[0186] <Other application examples> The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0187] For example, in this embodiment, whether or not the device 20 has outputted fault resolution information or whether or not the user has viewed the information is transmitted to the customer support center 10 via a repair request email. However, the repair request email may include one or more of whether or not the device 20 has requested an FAQ, whether or not the FAQ has been received, whether or not the FAQ has been viewed, or whether or not the fault resolution information has been requested.

[0188] 5 is an example, and multiple blocks may be realized as a single block, one block may be divided into multiple blocks, and / or some functions may be moved to another block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in time-sharing by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0189] Furthermore, the devices described in the examples are merely illustrative of one of several computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, information processing apparatus 40 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., and perform the processes disclosed herein.

[0190] Furthermore, the information processing device 40 can be configured to share the processing steps disclosed in this embodiment, for example, FIG. 48, in various combinations. For example, a process executed by a specific unit can be executed by multiple information processing devices included in the information processing device 40. Furthermore, the information processing device 40 may be integrated into one server device or may be divided into multiple devices.

[0191] Furthermore, each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to perform each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, as well as devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and conventional circuit modules designed to perform each of the above-described functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0192] 20 equipment 40 Information processing equipment 50 Email receiving device 100 Information Processing Systems [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0193] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-054742

Claims

1. A device connected to an information processing device via a network, an operation receiving unit that receives input of defect information related to the defect; a communication unit that transmits the defect information to the information processing device and receives defect resolution information corresponding to the defect information; a defect resolution information output unit that outputs the defect resolution information; a repair request unit that attaches the defect information and information on whether the defect resolution information has been output to a repair request for the defect and transmits the request to an external device; An apparatus characterized by having:

2. the communication unit transmits the defect information to the information processing device and receives from the information processing device a list of inquiries that may be useful in solving the defect information; The device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit receives the trouble-solving information from a URL embedded in the inquiry received by the operation reception unit.

3. a display control unit that displays a screen for accepting selection of one or more of the defect categories; the operation receiving unit receives a selection of one or more of the categories as the defect information; The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication unit receives the trouble-solving information corresponding to one or more of the categories.

4. The repair request unit stores the date and time when the repair request was sent to the external device, The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that if a request for repair of the defect is received within a certain period of time from the date and time, a screen is displayed inquiring whether the repair request is a duplicate.

5. Before the communication unit transmits the defect information to the information processing device, A screen is displayed to accept whether to display the inquiry list or skip it, and when the operation accepting unit accepts the skip, The communication unit does not request the problem resolution information from the information processing device, 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the repair request unit attaches the defect information and a message indicating that the defect resolution information has not been output to the request for repair of the defect and transmits the attached message to an external device.

6. displaying a two-dimensional code for displaying the inquiry list together with the inquiry list; The device according to claim 2, wherein a mobile terminal that captures an image of the two-dimensional code displays the inquiry list and displays the problem resolution information obtained from a URL embedded in a selected inquiry.

7. The device described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the repair request unit sends an email to a predetermined destination containing the defect information and whether the defect resolution information has been output.

8. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the defect resolution information is a video.

9. An information processing system in which an information processing device and a device can communicate with each other via a network, The device comprises: an operation receiving unit that receives input of defect information related to the defect; a communication unit that transmits the defect information to the information processing device and receives defect resolution information corresponding to the defect information; a defect resolution information output unit that outputs the defect resolution information; a repair request unit that attaches the defect information and information on whether the defect resolution information has been output to a repair request for the defect and transmits the request to an external device, The information processing device includes: an information processing system that transmits the problem resolution information corresponding to the problem information or a storage destination of the problem resolution information to the device;

10. The information processing device and the device connected via the network, an operation receiving unit that receives input of defect information related to the defect; a communication unit that transmits the defect information to the information processing device and receives defect resolution information corresponding to the defect information; a defect resolution information output unit that outputs the defect resolution information; a repair request unit that attaches the defect information and information on whether the defect resolution information has been output to a repair request for the defect and transmits the same to an external device; A program to function as a

11. A method for resolving a problem performed by a device connected to an information processing device via a network, comprising: an operation receiving unit receiving input of defect information relating to the defect; a communication unit transmitting the defect information to the information processing device and receiving defect resolution information corresponding to the defect information; a step in which a defect resolution information output unit outputs the defect resolution information; a repair request unit attaching the defect information and information on whether the defect resolution information has been output to a repair request for the defect and transmitting the same to an external device; A method for resolving a problem, comprising:

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