Program, information processing apparatus, maintenance support system, control method, and electronic manual update method

The maintenance support system addresses the challenge of limited time frames by integrating historical work data to rank solutions by work time, ensuring efficient maintenance task completion and reducing downtime through data-driven decision-making.

JP2025185551APending Publication Date: 2025-12-22CANON KK
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024093860
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-06-10
Publication Date
2025-12-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Maintenance technicians face challenges in completing repairs within limited time frames, leading to increased downtime and costs due to the inability to efficiently prioritize and select appropriate maintenance actions based on historical work data.

Method used

A maintenance support system that integrates historical work data to rank solutions by work time requirements, allowing technicians to select feasible methods considering available time, and updates service manuals with statistical information on work times and solution probabilities.

Benefits of technology

Enables technicians to efficiently plan and complete maintenance tasks within time constraints, reducing equipment downtime and operational costs by providing data-driven prioritization and resource allocation.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To facilitate selecting a countermeasure method in which a down time of a target device is short.SOLUTION: A terminal for maintenance service displays a list of errors and / or maintenance items of a device being an object of countermeasures. Further, the terminal for maintenance service displays a service manual corresponding to one selected from the errors and / or maintenance items displayed in the list. In the display of the service manual, a work time for each countermeasure contents which can be selected for the selected error or maintenance item is displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a program, an information processing device, a maintenance support system, a control method, and an electronic manual updating method, and more particularly to a maintenance support system for supporting the maintenance of an image forming device, a program, an information processing device, a control method, and an electronic manual updating method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the commercial printing industry, downtime of image forming equipment directly leads to reduced profits, so high availability is essential. When an error occurs or maintenance is required on an image forming device, a skilled operator on the customer's side is the first to respond. However, if the operator is unable to resolve the issue, a maintenance technician from the manufacturer or vendor is dispatched to the image forming device's installation site to troubleshoot. Both the operator and the maintenance technician are required to complete their work as quickly as possible to minimize downtime.

[0003] To make these tasks more efficient, there are maintenance support systems that support maintenance work by displaying a worklist of errors and maintenance items that operators and maintenance workers (hereafter collectively referred to as workers) need to address in order of priority.Workers refer to this worklist and perform tasks in order of priority.Workers can make this task more efficient by being able to check the service manual that describes the work procedures for the item selected from the worklist during the task.

[0004] In maintenance support systems that use such worklists to present solutions, there are cases where it is not possible to limit the solution to one. Since there is not necessarily only one possible cause for an error that has occurred, multiple solutions may be presented. In such cases, it is up to the worker to select which solution to choose from among the multiple solutions. Inexperienced workers have difficulty making the correct choice. For this reason, Patent Document 1 proposes that the dispatched worker communicate with a fault diagnosis server at the dispatch site and receive support from the fault diagnosis server. The fault diagnosis server estimates the cause of the failure from various device information, such as errors received from the image forming apparatus, narrowing down the multiple possible causes and presenting the results to the worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-199704 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even if the cause of the failure is identified, if there is a time limit for the work, it may not be possible to complete the work within that time. For example, a technician may not be able to visit the customer's site and begin work until late at night. This may occur, for example, when maintenance is performed after the customer's business hours have ended, or when an error occurs at night. In such cases, the technician's available time for repairs or maintenance is significantly limited compared to morning or daytime work. As a result, the technician may be sent home from the customer's site while repairs or maintenance are in progress, and the technician must adjust his or her schedule and visit the customer again. This not only increases the technician's workload, but also increases the downtime of the equipment being repaired, resulting in a loss of profits for the customer.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to enable an operator to select a feasible method of dealing with a malfunction or the like, taking into consideration the work time required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute a control method, the program comprising: The control method includes: a first display control step of displaying a list of errors and / or maintenance items of the device to be addressed; a second display control step of displaying a service manual corresponding to an item selected from the listed errors and / or maintenance items; In the second display control step, the work time for each selectable countermeasure for the selected error or maintenance item is displayed. A program characterized by the above is provided.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute a service manual updating method, the program comprising: The update method includes: Based on the information indicating the results of maintenance work, statistical information is created that links the work time of each selectable solution for the error or maintenance item of the target device to the solution. The statistical information is linked to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual, and the service manual is updated. A program characterized by the above is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, a worker can select a workable countermeasure for a malfunction or the like, taking into consideration the work time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an entire maintenance support system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram of an information processing device and a maintenance service terminal according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] Block diagram of a printing company system and a maintenance service terminal according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] Block diagram of a service manual management system and a service work performance management system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a work time information input section in the first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a database of a service work performance DB in the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of statistical information generated by a statistical information generating unit in the first embodiment; [Figure 8] Flowchart of the statistical information generating unit in the first embodiment [Figure 9] Flowchart of manual update in the first embodiment [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a work list screen of a service tool in the first embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a service manual screen in the first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a service manual screen in the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a work time information input section in the fourth embodiment; [Figure 14] Flowchart for changing display content in the fourth embodiment [Figure 15] Flowchart of display processing by maintenance service terminal DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0013] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall maintenance support system according to this embodiment. This maintenance support system incorporates past repair history data as statistical information, and ranks multiple presented solutions based on that statistical information. The ranking information and statistical information are then embedded in a service manual and downloaded to a maintenance service terminal used by the worker. The worker performs the work by referring to the service manual. The configuration of this embodiment will be described below.

[0014] ●Configuration of the maintenance support system The maintenance support system 1 is broadly divided into a service manual management system 101, a service work record management system 102, a printer system 103, and a maintenance service terminal 107, which are interconnected via the Internet 100. The printer system 103 and the maintenance service terminal 107 are connected by a local connection 108 such as a local network or a USB connection. Furthermore, the connection 105 between the information processing device 104 and the image forming device 106 may be a local connection such as a local network or a USB connection, or may be a connection via the Internet.

[0015] The image forming device 106 is controlled under the control of a group of programs running on the information processing device 104, processes print data in accordance with print settings, and produces a deliverable. The maintenance service terminal 107 acquires device status and operation information of the image forming device 106 by communicating with the printing company system 103. A service tool installed on the maintenance service terminal 107 uses this information to provide maintenance support services to maintenance workers. When displaying a service manual for maintenance workers, the maintenance service terminal 107 can download the service manual from the service manual management system 101 to the maintenance service terminal 107. The service work record management system 102 stores the work history of maintenance workers in the market, and is connected to the service manual management system 101 via the Internet 100.

[0016] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 104 and the maintenance service terminal 107. Note that with regard to the service manual management system 101 and the service work record management system 102, each of one or more computers for realizing them may have the configuration shown in FIG.

[0017] In FIG. 2, a CPU 201 executes an OS or general application program stored in a program ROM of a ROM 203 or loaded from a HDD 210 to a RAM 202. Here, the CPU is a central processing unit, also called a processor. ROM is an abbreviation for read-only memory, RAM is a random access memory, HDD is a hard disk drive, and OS is an abbreviation for operating system. The ROM 203 includes a font ROM and a data ROM. The RAM 202 functions as the CPU 201's main memory, work area, etc. The keyboard controller (KBC) 205 controls input from a keyboard (KB) 208 and a pointing device (not shown). The display controller (DC) 206 controls display on a display unit 209. The disk controller (DKC) 207 controls access to the HDD 210, which stores a boot program, various applications, font data, etc. The network controller (NIC) 211 is connected to a network and executes communication control processing with other devices connected to the network. The bus 204 connects the CPU 201 with the RAM 202, ROM 203, and various controllers, and transfers data signals and control signals.

[0018] 3 is a block diagram of the printing company system 103 and the maintenance service terminal 107 that constitute the maintenance support system according to this embodiment. First, the functional blocks installed in the information processing device 104 of the printing company system 103 will be described.

[0019] The image processing device 300 is an application for controlling the image forming device 106. It communicates with the image forming device 106 via the connection 105. When the image processing device 300 receives a print execution instruction for a print job, the image processing unit 301 converts the print data into image data and transfers the image data to the image forming device 106 together with a print execution command. The device information DB 302 holds device information and operation information of the image forming device 106, such as the history of print jobs performed by the image forming device 106 and the history of errors that have occurred.

[0020] Next, the functional blocks installed in the maintenance service terminal 107 will be described. A service tool 303 is installed in the maintenance service terminal 107. The service tool 303 is an application that provides a maintenance worker with information on functions and service manuals required for maintenance and inspection of the image forming apparatus 106, as well as information on recommended maintenance and inspection work. The service tool 303 can display a user interface (UI) for providing information to the worker on the display unit 209. In this embodiment, the maintenance service terminal 107 has the service tool 303, but the information processing device 104 may have the service tool 303, or the service tool 303 may be configured to be built into the image forming apparatus 106. The service tool 303 has a device information acquisition unit 304, a work list identification unit 305, a work list display unit 306, a service manual storage unit 307, and a service manual downloader 308.

[0021] The device information acquisition unit 304 communicates with the information processing device 104 and acquires the device information and operation information history stored in the device information DB 302 . The work list specifying unit 305 specifies errors and maintenance items that need to be addressed based on the information acquired by the device information acquiring unit 304 . The work list display unit 306 displays the errors and maintenance items to be addressed that have been identified by the work list identification unit 305 on the UI of the service tool 303. The work list display unit 306 also has a function of displaying a service manual corresponding to the errors and maintenance items to be addressed. The service manual displayed on the work list display unit 306 is a service manual downloaded to a service manual storage unit 307 in the maintenance service terminal 107.

[0022] The service manual downloader 308 acquires the service manual data from the service manual management system 101 via the Internet 100 and stores it in the service manual storage unit 307. The environment of the dispatched site may not always be able to use the Internet 100. For this reason, the maintenance worker connects the maintenance service terminal 107 to the Internet 100 in advance, downloads the service manual data using the service manual downloader 308, and then visits the dispatched site.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a service manual management system 101 and a service work record management system 102 that constitute the maintenance support system according to this embodiment.

[0024] First, the functional blocks installed in the service work performance management system 102 will be described. The service work performance management system 102 is composed of a service work performance DB 401, a statistical information generation unit 402, a statistical information storage unit 403, and a work time information input unit 411. The service work performance DB 401 stores information about maintenance work performed by maintenance personnel and their results. The maintenance personnel can input the information through the maintenance service terminal 107, or the information processing device 104 can automatically register the information via the Internet 100. The statistical information generation unit 402 generates statistical information about the performance of work performed for each model of image forming device 106 and for each error and maintenance inspection item that occurs in that model from the service work performance DB 401 at a fixed time (predetermined time) every day, for example, at 6:00 AM. The statistical information about the performance of work may include, for example, the adoption rate of each possible solution for each error and maintenance inspection item. The statistical information storage unit 403 stores the statistical information generated by the statistical information generation unit 402 by date at least once a day.

[0025] The work time information input unit 411 is an input unit for inputting information related to work time. The work time information is the work time for each method of dealing with errors and maintenance items. In addition to this, the planned work time that a worker can spend on each day working can also be input. The information input in the work time information input unit 411 is saved in the service work performance DB 401.

[0026] Next, the functional blocks installed in the service manual management system 101 will be described. The service manual content generation unit 407 collects content data including information on related parts and countermeasures for each model of the image forming apparatus 106 and for each error and maintenance inspection item that may occur in that model, and generates intermediate data for the service manual. Here, the countermeasures are sometimes referred to as countermeasure contents or maintenance methods. In addition to the original data for the service manual, this intermediate data for the service manual also includes a list of errors and maintenance items that may occur for each model. The generated intermediate data for the service manual is stored in the intermediate service manual content DB 408. The intermediate data is stored, for example, as data in XML format. The intermediate data for the service manual includes, for example, data representing the work procedures for each countermeasure (countermeasure contents) in text, images, etc., as the original data for the service manual.

[0027] The market performance information generation unit 406 converts the statistical information, for example, into XML format, so that the latest statistical information obtained from the statistical information storage unit 403 can be reflected in the manual, i.e., embedded. Then, from the service manual content intermediate DB 408, the intermediate data of the service manual into which the statistical information is to be embedded is obtained, and the statistical information converted into XML format is added to the content. The service manual update unit 409 reflects the XML-format statistical information generated by the market performance information generation unit 406 in the service manual content intermediate DB 408 and the service manual DB 410. That is, it generates intermediate data with statistical information by adding the XML-format statistical information to the XML-format intermediate data including a list of errors and maintenance items that may occur for each model. Then, the service manual content intermediate DB 408 and the service manual DB 410 are updated with the intermediate data with statistical information, and the intermediate data with statistical information is stored in each database.

[0028] The service manual downloader 308 in FIG. 3 retrieves the service manual stored in the service manual DB 410. Specifically, the service manual downloader 308 downloads the contents of the service manual, including a list of errors and maintenance items that may occur for each model, and statistical information on the work performed for each error and maintenance item that has occurred for each model. The downloaded content may be the entire service manual, or a portion related to the model of image forming device being serviced. It may also be a portion related to errors and maintenance items that have occurred for the model of image forming device being serviced. The downloaded service manual includes the work results for each model of error and maintenance item, including the countermeasures used, the rate at which they were used, and the work time for each. It may also include the estimated work time that a worker can spend on each day working on the service manual.

[0029] ● Registering work hours and scheduled work hours Fig. 5 is an example of a screen (UI) of the work time information input unit 411 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the service work performance DB 401 allows "work time registration" and "scheduled work time registration" to be performed independently of each other.

[0030] The "Work Time Registration" screen is used to register the actual work time required for each solution to an error or maintenance item. First, the solution is uniquely identified by selecting a model 501, work reason 502, part to be fixed 503, and solution 504 from the pull-down menus. For example, "Model A" is selected for model 503, "sensor A error" is selected for work reason 502, "sensor A" is selected for part to be fixed 503, and "replacement" is selected for solution 504. Next, the work time 505 required for this solution is selected from the pull-down menu. For example, the work time can be selected in predetermined time increments, such as 5 minutes. For example, "20 minutes" is selected. After entering a value in work time 505, the user presses the "Work Time Registration" button 506. This registers the actual work performance value as the work time in the service work performance DB 401. Alternatively, the work results may be registered using the UI of the work time information input unit 411 shown in FIG. 5.

[0031] "Register scheduled work time" is a screen for inputting the scheduled work time that the worker can spend on the day they work. In scheduled work time 507, as with work time 505, the scheduled work time is selected from a pull-down menu in units of a predetermined time, for example, five minutes. After entering scheduled work time 507, the user presses the "Register scheduled work time" button 508. This causes the scheduled work time to be registered in the service work performance DB 401.

[0032] FIG. 6 shows an example of data stored in the service work performance DB 401 of FIG. The work record database 600 is made up of six columns. The model column 601 stores the name of the model on which maintenance work was performed. The work reason column 602 stores the error or maintenance item that was the reason for performing the maintenance work. The treated part column 603 stores information about the part on which the work was performed. In this embodiment, the part name is stored, but a part ID indicating the part may also be stored. The action column 604 stores the classification of the action taken for the treated part column 603. In this embodiment, a selection is made from three classifications: "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment." The work result column 605 stores the results of the maintenance work, such as whether the error was resolved after the maintenance work or whether the maintenance item was completed. The work time column 606 stores the work time required for each task. The data registered in "Register work time" in Figure 5 is registered here. Note that work time is stored in the work time column 606 only when the work result column 605 is "resolved." When the work result column 605 is "not resolved," the work time column 606 for that task is left blank.

[0033] The data registered in "Registering Scheduled Work Time" in Figure 5 is registered as a separate database table from Figure 6. The columns consist of "Registered Date" and "Working Time," with the "Registered Date" storing the date registered in "Registering Scheduled Work Time," and "Working Time" storing the data registered in "Registering Scheduled Work Time" in Figure 5 (not shown). FIG. 7 shows an example of statistical information data stored in the statistical information storage unit 403 of the service work performance management system 102 of FIG. The statistical information 700 is made up of 10 columns, which store the results of the aggregation performed by the statistical information generating unit 402 on the data in the service work results DB 401. The model column 701 stores the model name of the image forming apparatus 106 on which maintenance work was performed. This corresponds to the model column 601 in the work history database 600. The work reason column 702 stores the error or maintenance item that was the reason for performing maintenance work. This corresponds to the work reason column 602 in the work history database 600. The treated parts column 703 stores information about the parts that were treated. This corresponds to the model column 603 in the work history database 600. In this embodiment, the part name is stored, but a part ID indicating the part may also be stored.

[0034] The action probability column 704 stores the percentage of actions taken for the action part column 703 based on the results tallied by the statistical information generation unit 402. The action content replacement column 705 stores the rank of action actions for which the action column 604 in the work record database 600 belongs to "replacement" based on the results tallied by the statistical information generation unit 402. The rank is determined based on the percentage of "replacement" actions taken for the target action part relative to the total number of actions taken for the target action part, with A being assigned to a percentage of 50% or more, B being assigned to a percentage of 20% or more but less than 50%, and C being assigned to a percentage of less than 20%. However, the rank determination method of this embodiment is merely an example and is not limited thereto. A percentage [%] value may be stored instead of a rank. Similarly, the action content cleaning column 706 and adjustment column 707 store the rank of action actions for which the action column 604 in the work record database 600 belongs to "cleaning" and "adjustment" based on the results tallied by the statistical information generation unit 402.

[0035] The work time replacement column 708 stores the actual work time values ​​corresponding to the response content replacement column 705, based on the results tallied by the statistical information generation unit 402. Similarly, the work time cleaning column 709 stores actual work time data corresponding to the response content cleaning column 706, and the work time adjustment column 710 stores actual work time data corresponding to the response content adjustment column 707.

[0036] ●Statistical information generation process Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the statistical information generation unit 402 in Fig. 4. However, the processing method of this embodiment is just an example and is not limited to this. The processing in Fig. 8 is executed by the CPU 201 of the service work performance management system 102. This flowchart starts every day at a specified time, say 6:00 AM. First, in S801, the number of occurrences of each work reason in the work reason column 602 is calculated for each model in the model column 601 stored in the work record database 600. Next, in S802, filtering is performed to limit the items (records) to those whose value in the work result column 605 is resolved.

[0037] Next, in S803, the number of occurrences of each action part in the action parts column 603 is calculated for each action reason, for records whose value in the action result column 605 narrowed down in S802 is resolved. Then, using the number of occurrences of each action reason calculated in S801 as a parameter, the proportion of action parts is calculated from the number of occurrences of each action part calculated earlier. In other words, the proportion of action parts for each model and each action reason is calculated. The result is stored in the action probability column 704 of the statistical information 700.

[0038] In S804, the number of occurrences of each of the action contents "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment" in the action column 604 is further calculated for each action part. Then, using the number of occurrences of each action part in S803 as a parameter, the proportion of each action content is calculated from the number of occurrences of each action content calculated earlier. In other words, the proportion of each action content "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment" is calculated for each model, work reason, and action part. The calculated proportions are then converted into ranks using the method described in FIG. 7, for example, by comparing them with a threshold value, and these results are stored in the action content replacement column 705, cleaning column 706, and adjustment column 707 of the statistical information 700, respectively.

[0039] In S805, the actual work time values ​​are stored in the replacement column 708, cleaning column 709, and adjustment column 710 for each action content ("replacement," "cleaning," or "adjustment") of each part. If there are multiple actual work time values ​​for the same model, the same work reason, and the same part in the database 500, the histogram may be divided into five-minute classes, for example, and the work time with the highest relative frequency may be used as the actual value. Alternatively, the maximum value or average value may be used as the actual value. When the average value is used as the actual value, it is possible to adopt the concept of a safety factor and add a positive number of minutes to the average value to represent a margin of time.

[0040] In S806, the statistical information 700 generated in S801 to S805 is saved in the statistical information saving unit 403. At this time, since the processing of this flowchart is executed every day, the saved results are saved in association with the date so that they can be distinguished.

[0041] 7 is generated by the above procedure and stored in the statistical information storage unit 403. The generated statistical information 700 is added to the intermediate data of the service manual in the manner shown in FIG. 9 and stored in the service manual DB 410.

[0042] ●Manual update process Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of manual update in the service manual management system 101 of Fig. 4. The processing of Fig. 9 is executed by the CPU 201 of the service manual management system 101. First, in S901, the market performance information generating unit 406 acquires model information of the designated service manual update target from the service manual updating unit 409, and sets the target model for the service manual update. Next, in S902, the market performance information generating unit 406 acquires a list of errors and maintenance items that may occur for the target model from the intermediate service manual content DB 408. Next, in S903, the market performance information generation unit 406 acquires statistical information 700 for errors or maintenance items of the target model from the statistical information storage unit 403. Specifically, it acquires countermeasure parts 703, countermeasure probability 704, countermeasure contents 705, 706, 707, and work times 708, 709, 710 for which the model name acquired in S901 matches the model column 701 in Fig. 7 and the error or maintenance item acquired in S902 matches the work reason column 702 in Fig. 7. At the same time, the market performance information generating unit 406 acquires the scheduled work time registered in the "Registration of scheduled work time" in FIG.

[0043] Next, in S904, the market performance information generation unit 406 acquires intermediate service manual data for the target model and the error or maintenance item acquired in S901 and S902 from the service manual content intermediate DB 408. Then, in S903, the acquired statistical information 700 is embedded in this intermediate data. For example, if the intermediate data is in XML format, embedding may involve adding a tag describing the statistical information 700 to the tag for the error or maintenance item. Even if the intermediate data is in another format, the statistical information may be added by linking it to the corresponding item in the service manual using, for example, the identification information for the error or maintenance item. In this case, the work time information is written so that it is displayed in each cell of the action content: "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment." In this embodiment, if a value other than 0 is entered in the work time information, the service tool 303 displays that value, and if the value is 0, it may not be displayed. When embedding the statistical information, the parts are sorted in descending order of the action probability 704 to make it easier for the maintenance worker to check the order of performance. If the content acquired from the service manual DB 410 already contains statistical information, it may be overwritten and updated with new statistical information.

[0044] Through this process, in addition to text indicating the part to be dealt with and the action content (i.e., the action method) corresponding to the error or maintenance item for each model (i.e., the reason for work for each model), the following content is added to the corresponding reason for work. First, there is the action probability for each part to be dealt with, which indicates the rate at which each part was selected from among the action parts that could be selected. There is also a rank for each action content, which indicates a classification based on a predetermined threshold of the rate at which each action method was selected from among the action content that could be selected for each part to be dealt with. There is also the required time for each action content. In this embodiment, all of these values ​​are calculated based on actual results.

[0045] Next, in S905, the service manual update unit 409 updates the service manual DB 410 with the service manual in which the work time information has been embedded in S904. Finally, in S906, the market performance information generation unit 406 checks whether the statistical information embedding process from S903 to S905 has been performed on all of the error and maintenance item lists acquired in S902. If not completed, the process returns to S903 and the statistical information embedding process is repeatedly performed on the unprocessed error and maintenance item lists. If completed, the embedding process ends.

[0046] By following the above procedure, the service manual can be updated and statistical information for each error and maintenance item can be embedded. At least a part of the updated service manual is then downloaded by the service manual downloader 308 of the maintenance service terminal 107 and stored in the service manual storage unit 307.

[0047] ●User Interface Fig. 10 is an example screen of the work list display unit 306 in Fig. 3. That is, the UI in Fig. 10 is displayed on the display unit of the maintenance service terminal 107. The work list is a list display of the applicable model and error (and maintenance items). At the dispatched site, the maintenance worker connects the printing company system 103 to the maintenance service terminal 107 and starts the service tool 303. The service tool 303 has a work list display unit 306, and the maintenance worker can check the work list of errors and maintenance items that he or she needs to address.

[0048] For example, the service tool 303 obtains model identification information of the connected device and information about errors and maintenance work from the device information DB 302. Then, using the obtained information, it searches the service manual in the service manual storage unit 301 to obtain content related to the corresponding model and the corresponding error and maintenance work. For example, if the information obtainable from the identified device is an error code, the content data corresponding to that error code is obtained. The error code, maintenance item code, and the like, as well as the type and name of the corresponding error or maintenance item, are applied to a predetermined format as a worklist and displayed as shown in FIG. 10. Note that the content information in the service manual is linked to the worklist by link information embedded in the worklist, as will be described later.

[0049] 10, a screen 1000 is displayed in the work list display unit 306, and displays a work list 1001 of maintenance work to be performed by a maintenance worker. The screen 1000 displays the model name and serial number of the model to be worked on as its title. The content of the screen 1000 is the model work list displayed in the title.

[0050] Furthermore, worklist 1001 is made up of worklist 1002 for errors and worklist 1003 for maintenance items. However, the screen configuration in this embodiment is just an example and is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to configure worklist 1002 for errors and worklist 1003 for maintenance items to be integrated and displayed as a single worklist, or to add information related to maintenance work other than worklist 1001 to worklist 1000.

[0051] The worklist 1002 for errors is made up of a code column 1004 , a type column 1005 , and a name column 1006 . The code column 1004 displays a unique code assigned to each error, and the name column 1006 displays the name of the error. The type column 1005 displays type information that indicates the level of the error, and by referring to this type information, the seriousness of the error and the required level of maintenance personnel can be determined. The work list 1002 is displayed in order according to this error type information, with more serious errors being displayed at the top. Link information 1007 and 1008 have embedded in their character strings a link to open the service manual corresponding to the selected error, and when a maintenance worker selects this, the service manual screen shown in FIG. 11, which will be described later, opens and the worker can refer to it.

[0052] The work list 1003 for maintenance items is made up of a code column 1009, a name column 1010, and an estimated remaining days column 1011. A code column 1009 displays a unique code assigned to each maintenance item, and a name column 1010 displays the name of the maintenance item. The number of days remaining until the deadline for the maintenance work is displayed in the estimated remaining days column 1011. The work list 1003 is displayed in order according to the estimated remaining days, with maintenance items with closer deadlines displayed at the top. Link information 1012 and 1013 has a link embedded in its character string to open the service manual corresponding to the selected maintenance item, and when the maintenance worker selects it, the service manual screen shown in FIG. 11, which will be described later, opens and the worker can refer to it.

[0053] FIG. 11 shows an example of a service manual that is displayed when the service manual stored in the service manual storage unit 307 of the maintenance service terminal 107 is opened from the link information 1007 in the work list 1002. In FIG.

[0054] The service manual 1100 is made up of related parts 1101, countermeasures 1102, and statistical information 1103. The related parts 1101 and countermeasures 1102 are generated by the service manual content generation unit 407, and the statistical information 1103 is generated by the market performance information generation unit 406. The service manual 1100 displays the model name (Model A in FIG. 11) and the code and name of the error or maintenance item (Sensor A Error in FIG. 11) as its title. The contents are a service manual regarding the error or maintenance item of the model displayed in the title. Related parts 1101 lists parts related to the error or maintenance item, that is, parts that may be causing the error. Countermeasures 1102 describes the procedure for dealing with errors or maintenance items, and if there are multiple causes of errors or multiple maintenance tasks, multiple countermeasures are described, such as countermeasures (contents of the countermeasures) 1104, 1105, 1106, and 1107. In this embodiment, the procedures are described using only text, but the procedures may also be shown with images or videos.

[0055] The statistical information 1103 is composed of a part name column 1108, a treatment probability 1109, a treatment content replacement column 1110, a treatment content cleaning column 1111, and a treatment content adjustment column 1112. As explained in S905, work time information is displayed in the cells of the replacement column 1110, cleaning column 1111, and adjustment column 1112. These display statistical information reflected in the service manual DB 410 as a result of the flowchart in Fig. 9.

[0056] In the example of FIG. 11, statistical information reflected in the service manual DB410 for "Sensor A Error" of "Model A" is displayed. 7. In the part name column 1108, information corresponding to the action part column 703 of the statistical information 700 is displayed. Similarly, in the action probability column 1109, information corresponding to the action probability column 704 is displayed. In the action content replacement column 1110, information corresponding to the action content replacement column 705 and the work time replacement column 708 is displayed. Similarly, in the action content cleaning column 1111, information corresponding to the action content cleaning column 706 and the work time replacement column 709 is displayed, and in the action content adjustment column 1112, information corresponding to the action content adjustment column 707 and the work time replacement column 710 is displayed. Also, as described above, in S905, the parts are sorted in descending order of action probability 704 and the statistical information 700 is embedded in the service manual, and therefore the order of part names displayed in the statistical information 1103 is the order of the action probability 1109 values ​​in descending order.

[0057] The maintenance worker refers to this statistical information 1103 and checks the replacement column 1110, cleaning column 1111, and adjustment column 1112 for the action content for the part that is displayed first and has the highest value in the action probability column 1109, to identify the action content with the highest action track record. At the same time, the maintenance worker also reads the work time required to implement that action from the statistical information 1103. The maintenance worker compares the planned work time available for that day with the work time for the action method with the highest action track record read from the statistical information 1103. If the work time for the action method with the highest action track record is shorter than the planned work time available for that day, the maintenance worker will implement that action track record. If the work time for the action method with the highest action track record does not fit within the planned work time available for that day, the maintenance worker can know that even if the action track record is implemented, the work will not be completed within that day. In this case, a different action track record should be considered.

[0058] For example, suppose a maintenance worker has 30 minutes of scheduled work time available that day. In this case, when attempting to deal with the part name "Sensor A," which has a 42.0% probability of being resolved, the solution will be "cleaning," which is ranked "A." However, the statistical information 1103 reveals that "cleaning" will take 40 minutes. In this case, since this work will not be completed within the scheduled 30 minutes, if the maintenance worker performs this work, for example, the worker will be sent home midway through the work. Therefore, the next step is to consider dealing with the "Sensor A Driver Board," which has the next highest probability of being resolved, at 38.0%. When attempting to deal with the "Sensor A Driver Board," the solution will be "replacement," which is ranked "A." The statistical information 1103 reveals that "replacement" will take 10 minutes. Since this work can be completed within the scheduled 30 minutes, it is sufficient to perform this work. Then, the specific procedure for that solution is found from the solution methods 1102, and the repair or maintenance work for the error is performed according to that procedure.

[0059] ●Display processing Fig. 15 shows a display control procedure by the service tool 303 for displaying the work list of Fig. 10 and the service manual of Fig. 11. This process is mainly executed by the work list display unit 306 in terms of software, and by the CPU 201 in terms of hardware.

[0060] The work list display unit 306 first acquires device information including model identification information and serial number of the device to be worked on, and error or maintenance item or both codes, via the device information acquisition unit 304 (S1501). The work list display unit 306 searches the service manuals stored in the service manual storage unit 307 using the acquired device information to acquire information on the relevant items (S1502). The work list display unit 306 displays the work list 1000 illustrated in Fig. 10 based on the acquired information (S1503). At this time, a link to the corresponding service manual acquired in S1502 is included in the work list for each error or maintenance item.

[0061] When a link to a service manual is instructed from the work list 1000, the work list display unit 306 displays the linked service manual accordingly (S1504).The work list display unit 306 then determines whether the displayed service manual contains information instructing that the manual be displayed in gray (S1505).If information instructing that the manual be displayed in gray is present, the work list display unit 306 changes the background of the portion instructed to be displayed in gray, for example, the target content, and displays it (S1506).

[0062] In the first embodiment, since the information instructing gray display is not written in the service manual, S1505 and S1506 may be omitted.

[0063] In this way, the service manual updated according to the procedure of Fig. 9 can be displayed on the maintenance service terminal 107. Note that instead of displaying in gray against a gray background, other colors may be used. Furthermore, the display is not limited to color, and any display mode may be used as long as it can be distinguished from other areas. Alternatively, instead of displaying the part in gray, the part may be hidden.

[0064] According to the present embodiment, with the above-described configuration and procedures, a service manual can be downloaded to a service / maintenance terminal used by a worker at the work site, allowing the worker to use the service manual even offline. The service manual can also display, for each model, each error or maintenance task, and each remedial part, the rate at which the remedial part is selected (probability of remediation) and the remedial measures (contents of remediation) that can be taken for that part. This allows the worker to determine the remedial part based on past work performance. Furthermore, the remedial measures can be ranked based on the rate at which they are selected and displayed together with their ranks. This allows the worker to determine the remedial measure based on past work performance. Furthermore, the required time for each remedial measure can be displayed based on past work performance. This allows the worker to select a remedial part and a remedial measure that can be taken within the allowed work time.

[0065] This allows the operator to select the most appropriate solution for an error or maintenance task from among the solutions available within the limited time available, improving work efficiency and shortening downtime of the target image forming device, thereby minimizing losses caused by downtime.

[0066] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the work time information input in "Work Time Registration" on the screen of the work time information input unit 411 in Fig. 5 was an actual value for each countermeasure method for an error or maintenance item. However, the work time information does not have to be an actual value, and may be an estimated work time. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which the work time information input in "Work Time Registration" on the screen of the work time information input unit 411 is an estimated work time.

[0067] First, in "Work time registration" in Fig. 5, the estimated time for each method of dealing with errors and maintenance items is registered in advance in the service work results DB 401. For example, the development department and maintenance department work together to create information about the estimated time for each method of dealing with errors and maintenance, and register this information in "Work time registration" on the screen (Fig. 5) of the work time information input unit 411. Since this is not an actual value, the information about the estimated time for each method of dealing with errors and maintenance is a fixed value.

[0068] Accordingly, in the work time column 606 in FIG. 6, the assumed work time (fixed value) is registered, instead of the actual work time.

[0069] As a result, the assumed work times (fixed values) are stored in the replacement column 708, cleaning column 709, and adjustment column 710 of work time in FIG.

[0070] In calculating the work time information in S805 of Figure 8, actual values ​​are not used, so the estimated work time (fixed value) is stored in the work time replacement column 708, cleaning column 709, and adjustment column 710 for each action content of each action part (replacement, cleaning, or adjustment).

[0071] The above are the differences from the first embodiment, and the rest of the system configuration, device configuration, data contents and processing procedures are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0072] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment, the scheduled work time was registered on the screen of the work time information input section 411 (FIG. 5), but the display of the statistical information 1103 on the service manual screen of FIG. 11 only displayed the work time information.

[0073] Therefore, in the third embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which the display content of the statistical information 1103 on the service manual screen in Fig. 11 is changed based on the scheduled work time input in "Register scheduled work time" on the screen of the work time information input unit 411. The difference from the first embodiment is S904 in Fig. 9. The rest is the same as the first embodiment.

[0074] In the first embodiment, in S904, the market performance information generation unit 406 obtained intermediate data of the service manual for the target model and the error or maintenance item obtained in S901 and S902 from the service manual content intermediate DB 408. Then, the statistical information obtained in S903 was embedded in this intermediate data. At that time, the work time information was displayed in each cell of the action content "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment." This is the same in the present embodiment. Next, in the first embodiment, when embedding statistical information in S904, the parts are sorted in descending order of the handling probability 704 so that the maintenance worker can easily check the order of performance. This embodiment differs in this respect.

[0075] In this embodiment, in S904, the planned work time acquired from the service work performance DB 401 in S903 is used, and for countermeasures that cannot be completed within the planned work time, the cells are displayed in gray so that the maintenance worker does not select and perform the countermeasures. Since the gray display is performed by the service tool 303, the market performance information generation unit 406 may, for example, write an instruction or code in the relevant location that causes the service tool 303 to display the countermeasures in gray. Furthermore, the maintenance worker selects and performs the countermeasures ranked A, but the parts are sorted in order of the shortest work time for the countermeasures ranked A, which are the highest. Note that countermeasures that cannot be completed within the planned work time are those that require a longer work time when the work time for the countermeasure is compared with the planned work time.

[0076] Fig. 12 is an example of displaying statistical information by graying out the cells. Related parts 1201 to countermeasures 1212 in Fig. 12 correspond to related parts 1101 to countermeasures 1112 in Fig. 11, respectively. Grayed-out cells in the replacement column 1210, cleaning column 1211, and adjustment column 1212 in Fig. 12 indicate countermeasures that will take longer than the scheduled work time obtained from the service work record DB 401, i.e., countermeasures that are difficult to complete within the scheduled work time. Graying out the cells prevents the maintenance worker from selecting those countermeasures.

[0077] Furthermore, the cleaning column 1211 for "Sensor A" is ranked A, and the work time is 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the replacement column 1210 for "Sensor A Driver Board" is ranked A, and the work time is 10 minutes. In this embodiment, the parts are sorted and displayed in ascending order of work time for rank A. Therefore, in FIG. 12 , "Sensor A Driver Board," which has a 38.0% action probability, is displayed above "Sensor A," which has a 42.0% action probability. The maintenance worker refers to the statistical information 1203 and selects the part with the action content ranked A at the top of the list and performs the work. In particular, if there are parts with similar action probability 1209 values, by doing this, the maintenance worker can select work that can be completed within the scheduled work time rather than work that cannot be completed within the scheduled work time. This prevents the worker from interrupting work midway and resuming it the next day, which is inefficient, and reduces equipment downtime.

[0078] (Fourth embodiment) In this embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which the content displayed in the service manual can be switched based on information about the work time input in the work time information input section 411. The differences from the first embodiment are the work time information input section 411 and the processing content in S904. Other than that, it is the same as the first embodiment.

[0079] Fig. 13 is an example of a screen of the work time information input unit 411 of this embodiment. The fields 1301 to 1308 for registering planned work time in Fig. 13 correspond to the fields 501 to 508 for registering planned work time in Fig. 5. In the field 1307 for planned work time, similar to the field 507 for planned work time in the first embodiment, the planned work time can be selected from a pull-down menu in 5-minute increments.

[0080] Additionally, in this embodiment, an item "Not Set" is provided in the pull-down menu, allowing "Not Set" to be selected from the pull-down menu. When the "Register Scheduled Work Time" button 1308 is pressed in this state, the scheduled work time is registered in the service work record DB 401 in a manner that indicates that "Not Set" has been selected. If the scheduled work time is managed numerically, it may be registered in the service work record DB 401 as, for example, "9999."

[0081] In the first embodiment, in S904, the market performance information generation unit 406 acquired intermediate data of the service manual for the target model and the error or maintenance item acquired in S901 and S902 from the service manual content intermediate DB 408. This is also the case in the present embodiment. Furthermore, in S904, in the first embodiment, the statistical information 700 acquired in S903 was further embedded in this intermediate data. At this time, the work time information was recorded so that it was displayed in each cell of the action content, "replacement," "cleaning," and "adjustment." Furthermore, when embedding the statistical information, the parts were sorted in descending order of the action probability 704 to make it easier for the maintenance worker to check the order of performance. In contrast, in the present embodiment, if a planned work time is input during the process of embedding the statistical information, the way the service manual is displayed and the sorting order are changed according to that value, which differs from the first embodiment.

[0082] 14 is a flowchart relating to the change of display content in this embodiment, and shows the details of the process of embedding the statistical information 700 in this intermediate data in S904 in the procedure of FIG. In S1401, the market performance information generation unit 406 checks whether work time information has been entered in the work time columns 708, 709, and 710 of the statistical information 700 acquired in S903. If work time information has not been entered, the process proceeds to S1402, and if it has been entered, the process proceeds to S1403. If any one of the items has been entered, it may be determined that information has been entered. In S1402, the parts are sorted in descending order of the handling probability 704. In this case, since the work time has not been input, the service tool 303 displays the service manual without displaying the work time. If a work case has been input, in S1403 the market performance information generation unit 406 acquires the "scheduled work time" from the service work performance DB 401. Then, it checks whether time information has already been input into the acquired "scheduled work time". If it has not been input, i.e., it is "not set", the process proceeds to S1404. For example, if the value of the scheduled work time acquired from the service work performance DB 401 is "9999", it can be determined to be "not set". If it has been input, the process proceeds to S1405. In S1404, the parts are sorted in descending order of the handling probability 704. In this case, since the work time has been input, the service tool 303 displays the service manual with the work time displayed. In S1405, two processes are performed. First, for a remedy that cannot be performed within the scheduled work time, service tool 303 stores information in the service manual to gray out the corresponding remedy so that the maintenance worker does not select that remedy and perform the work. Furthermore, the parts are sorted in order of the shortest work time for rank A. If the remedy includes information indicating graying out, service tool 303 grays out the column for that remedy and displays the service manual. In this way, it becomes possible to switch the content displayed in the service manual based on the information relating to the work time input in the work time information input section 411.

[0083] According to this embodiment, by graying out the countermeasures that require work that does not fall within the preset scheduled time, the worker can easily identify the corresponding work and prevent the worker from selecting such work. Furthermore, by highlighting the countermeasures in order of shortest work time, the worker can easily select work that best fits the work time constraints. This prevents the downtime of the target image forming device from being prolonged.

[0084] [Other Examples] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0085] Summary of embodiments The above embodiments can be summarized as follows: (Item 1) A program for causing a computer to execute a control method, The control method includes: a first display control step of displaying a list of errors and / or maintenance items of the device to be addressed; a second display control step of displaying a service manual corresponding to an item selected from the listed errors and / or maintenance items; In the second display control step, the work time for each selectable countermeasure for the selected error or maintenance item is displayed. A program characterized by: (Item 2) The program according to item 1, In the second display control step, the countermeasure content whose operation time is longer than the set scheduled operation time is displayed in a manner that can be distinguished from the other countermeasure content. A program characterized by: (Item 3) The program according to item 1, In the second display control step, the countermeasure content whose work time is longer than the set scheduled work time is not displayed. A program characterized by: (Item 4) The program according to item 2 or 3, The selectable countermeasures are displayed for each part that can be selected for the selected error or maintenance item, and the selectable countermeasures are classified by rank according to the performance of selection for each countermeasure, In the second display control step, the selectable parts are displayed in an order according to the work time of the action content classified as the highest rank for each of the parts. A program characterized by: (Item 5) Item 4. The program according to item 4, If the scheduled work time is not set, the second display control step displays the selectable parts in an order based on the selection results for each of the parts. A program characterized by: (Item 6) 6. The program according to any one of items 1 to 5, If the work time for each of the countermeasure contents is not included in the service manual, the second display control step does not display the work time for the countermeasure contents. A program characterized by: (Item 7) The program according to any one of items 1 to 6, The work time for each of the measures is based on actual results. A program characterized by: (Item 8) The program according to any one of items 1 to 6, The work time for each of the measures is a preset work time. A program characterized by: (Item 9) The program according to any one of items 1 to 8, The measures include replacing parts, cleaning parts, and adjusting parts. A program characterized by: (Item 10) A program for causing a computer to execute a service manual update method, The update method includes: Based on the information indicating the results of maintenance work, statistical information is created that links the work time of each selectable solution for the error or maintenance item of the target device to the solution. The statistical information is linked to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual, and the service manual is updated. A program characterized by: (Item 11) A first information processing device, a first display control means for displaying a list of errors and / or maintenance items of the device to be dealt with; a second display control means for displaying a service manual corresponding to an item selected from the listed errors and / or maintenance items; The second display control means displays the work time for each selectable action to be taken for the selected error or maintenance item. A first information processing device. (Item 12) A second information processing device that updates a service manual, Based on the information indicating the results of maintenance work, statistical information is created that links the work time of each selectable solution for the error or maintenance item of the target device to the solution. The statistical information is linked to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual, and the service manual is updated. A second information processing device. (Item 13) A maintenance support system including the first information processing device according to item 11 and the second information processing device according to item 12, the first information processing device further comprises means for downloading a service manual updated by the second information processing device; The second display control means displays the downloaded service manual. A maintenance support system characterized by: (Item 14) A control method executed by an information processing device having a first display control means and a second display control means, a first display control step in which the first display control means displays a list of errors or maintenance items, or both, of the device to be addressed; a second display control step of the second display control means displaying a service manual corresponding to an item selected from the listed errors and / or maintenance items, In the second display control step, the work time for each selectable countermeasure for the selected error or maintenance item is displayed. A control method comprising: (Item 15) A service manual update method executed by an information processing device having a creation means and an update means, the creation means creates statistical information linking the work time of each selectable countermeasure for the error or maintenance item of the target device based on information indicating the performance of the maintenance work; The update means updates the service manual by linking the statistical information to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual. A method for updating a service manual.

[0086] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 101 service manual management system, 102 service work performance management system, 104 information processing device, 106 image forming device, 107 maintenance service terminal

Claims

1. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method, The control method includes: a first display control step of displaying a list of errors and / or maintenance items of the device to be dealt with; a second display control step of displaying a service manual corresponding to an item selected from the listed errors and / or maintenance items; The second display control step displays the work time for each selectable solution for the selected error or maintenance item. A program characterized by:

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, In the second display control step, the countermeasure content whose operation time is longer than the set scheduled operation time is displayed in a manner that can be distinguished from the other countermeasure content. A program characterized by:

3. 2. The program according to claim 1, In the second display control step, the countermeasure content whose work time is longer than the set scheduled work time is not displayed. A program characterized by:

4. 4. The program according to claim 2 or 3, The selectable countermeasures are displayed for each part that can be selected for the selected error or maintenance item, and the selectable countermeasures are classified by rank according to the performance of selection for each countermeasure, In the second display control step, the selectable parts are displayed in an order according to the work time of the action content classified as the highest rank for each of the parts. A program characterized by:

5. 5. The program according to claim 4, If the scheduled work time is not set, the second display control step displays the selectable parts in an order based on the selection results for each of the parts. A program characterized by:

6. 2. The program according to claim 1, If the work time for each of the countermeasure contents is not included in the service manual, the second display control step does not display the work time for the countermeasure contents. A program characterized by:

7. 2. The program according to claim 1, The work time for each of the measures is based on actual results. A program characterized by:

8. 2. The program according to claim 1, The work time for each of the measures is a preset work time. A program characterized by:

9. 2. The program according to claim 1, The measures include replacing parts, cleaning parts, and adjusting parts. A program characterized by:

10. A program for causing a computer to execute a service manual update method, The update method includes: Based on the information indicating the results of maintenance work, statistical information is created that links the work time of each selectable solution for the error or maintenance item of the target device to the solution. The statistical information is linked to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual, and the service manual is updated. A program characterized by:

11. A first information processing device, a first display control means for displaying a list of errors and / or maintenance items of the device to be dealt with; a second display control means for displaying a service manual corresponding to a selected item from the listed errors and / or maintenance items; The second display control means displays the work time for each selectable action to be taken for the selected error or maintenance item.

1. A first information processing apparatus comprising:

12. A second information processing device that updates a service manual, Based on the information indicating the results of maintenance work, statistical information is created that links the work time of each selectable solution for the error or maintenance item of the target device to the solution. The statistical information is linked to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual, and the service manual is updated. A second information processing apparatus comprising:

13. A maintenance support system including the first information processing device according to claim 11 and the second information processing device according to claim 12, the first information processing device further comprises means for downloading a service manual updated by the second information processing device; The second display control means displays the downloaded service manual. A maintenance support system characterized by:

14. A control method executed by an information processing device having a first display control means and a second display control means, a first display control step in which the first display control means displays a list of errors or maintenance items, or both, of the device to be addressed; a second display control step of the second display control means displaying a service manual corresponding to an item selected from the listed errors and / or maintenance items, The second display control step displays the work time for each selectable solution for the selected error or maintenance item. A control method comprising:

15. A service manual update method executed by an information processing device having a creation means and an update means, the creation means creates statistical information linking the work time of each selectable countermeasure for the error or maintenance item of the target device based on information indicating the performance of the maintenance work; The update means updates the service manual by linking the statistical information to a target method for the error or maintenance item in the service manual. A method for updating a service manual.

Citation Information

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