Information processing device, method and program

Abstract

When a user checks information about the operating status of a device, the administrator can review the scheduled date for visiting the installation location of the device to replace a part of the device. [Solution] The information processing device includes a determination means for determining whether the scheduled date for an administrator to visit the equipment installation location to replace a part of the equipment is after the lifespan, and a transmission means for transmitting information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to an information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is after the lifespan, and a display control means for displaying information regarding the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted on an operation status screen when it is determined that the scheduled date is after the lifespan.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, method, and program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been techniques for estimating the replacement time of a device part, such as an image processing device, in order to replace the part before the end of its life. When the replacement time of the part is estimated, the device manager visits the installation location of the device at the estimated replacement time and replaces the part. Patent Document 1 discloses a maintenance planning system that calculates and presents a planned date for the manager's next visit to the user so as to minimize costs, based on the failure probability estimated from the user's usage history of the device and the visit work time required for maintenance work. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-199596 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, after a scheduled date for a visit by an administrator has been set, it may become desirable to revise the scheduled date due to factors such as the end of the life of a part before the scheduled visit due to an increase in the frequency of use of the equipment by the user. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the trigger for revising the scheduled date or the revising of the scheduled date. The present invention aims to enable an administrator to review the scheduled date for visiting the installation location of equipment to replace equipment parts, when a user checks information regarding the equipment's operating status. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the information processing device of the present invention comprises: a part information acquisition means for acquiring, from an information providing system, scheduled date information indicating the scheduled date for an administrator to visit the installation location of the equipment to replace a part of the equipment, and part information regarding the target part that is to be replaced; a display control means for displaying an operation status screen regarding the operation status of the equipment; a lifespan information acquisition means for acquiring, when the operation status screen is displayed, lifespan information indicating the specified lifespan of the target part of the equipment; a determination means for determining whether the scheduled date is later than the lifespan; and a transmission means for transmitting information to the information providing system indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, and the display control means is an information processing device that, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, displays information regarding the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted on the operation status screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, when a user checks information regarding the operating status of the equipment, it is possible to review the scheduled date for an administrator to visit the equipment installation location to replace equipment parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a device management system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of a device management server, a prediction server, a customer management server, and a terminal device, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the devices. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a device management server and a terminal device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a prediction server and a customer management server. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow from when a customer operates a terminal device until a UI widget is displayed on an output device of the terminal device. [Figure 6](A) is a diagram showing the contents of lifespan information, (B) is a diagram showing customer device information, (C) is a diagram showing scheduled date information, and (D) is a diagram showing part information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a screen display process. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a device management screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a device management screen. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a screen display process according to a first modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a device management screen according to a first modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a screen display process according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a device management system 1. The device management system 1 is a system that manages devices by predicting the lifespan of device components and replacing the components before they reach the end of their lifespan. The device management system 1 includes a device management server 101, a prediction server 102, a customer management server 103, a terminal device 104, and a device 105. The device management server 101, the prediction server 102, the customer management server 103, the terminal device 104, and the device 105 are each connected via a network 106.

[0009] A device management server 101, as an example of a system, manages the status of the device 105 by acquiring information about the status of the device 105 from the device 105. If the device is an image forming device, the status of the device 105 may include the remaining amount of toner, whether there is a paper jam, and a service call error. Hereinafter, information about the status of the device 105 may be referred to as status information. In addition, the device management server 101 provides UI widgets for displaying the status of the device 105 in response to a request. A UI widget is a component used in a UI. Examples of UI widgets include buttons and icons displayed on a screen. In a broad sense, the screen itself can also be considered a UI widget. In this embodiment, the device management server 101 provides status information by including it in the UI widget.

[0010] A prediction server 102, as an example of a system, periodically acquires information indicating the degree of wear of components of the device 105 from the device 105, predicts the date on which the component will reach the end of its life based on the acquired information, and sets the predicted date as the estimated date for component replacement. The component's life is the limit of the period during which the component will function normally. In addition, the prediction server 102 provides information indicating the predicted component's life upon request. Note that, hereinafter, information indicating the component's life predicted by the prediction server 102 may be referred to as "life information." In addition, any method may be used by the prediction server 102 to predict the component's life.

[0011] The customer management server 103, as an example of an information providing system, manages information about customers who are users of devices 105. Information about customers that is the subject of management by the customer management server 103 may be referred to as customer information below. Examples of customer information include information about the devices 105 used by the customers and information indicating the planned date on which the administrator of the device management system 1 will visit the installation location of the device 105 to replace a part of the device 105. Examples of customer information include information about parts that are to be replaced by the administrator. The planned date on which the administrator of the device management system 1 will visit the installation location of the device 105 may be referred to simply as the planned date below. Information indicating the planned date may be referred to as planned date information below. Information about parts that are to be replaced by the administrator may be referred to as part information below. A part that is to be replaced by the administrator may be referred to simply as a target part below. The customer management server 103 acquires lifespan information from the prediction server 102 and determines the scheduled date based on the acquired lifespan information, for example, once a month. The customer management server 103 manages information indicating the determined scheduled date as scheduled date information. The customer management server 103 also provides a customer site, which is a website for customers. This customer site displays information regarding the sale of the device 105, information indicating how to contact the sales company of the device 105, and the like.

[0012] The device management server 101, the prediction server 102, and the customer management server 103 are realized, for example, by computers. The device management server 101, the prediction server 102, and the customer management server 103 may be configured by a single computer, or may be realized by distributed processing using multiple computers. The device management server 101 and the prediction server 102 may also be configured by a single computer. The device management server 101, the prediction server 102, and the customer management server 103 may also be realized on virtual hardware provided by cloud computing.

[0013] Terminal device 104, an example of an information processing device, is a terminal used by a customer. When a customer inputs the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a customer site into a web browser on terminal device 104, the customer site is displayed on terminal device 104. Some of the pages displayed on this customer site include the UI widgets described above. Therefore, status information is also displayed on the customer site. Examples of the terminal device 104 include a personal computer (PC) and a smartphone. The device management system 1 is provided with a terminal device 104 for each customer. The number of terminal devices 104 provided in the device management system 1 is not limited to the example shown in the figure, and may be one or more.

[0014] The device 105, which is an example of an information processing device, is an image processing device such as a printer or multifunction peripheral used by a customer. However, the device 105 may be a device other than an image processing device. The device 105 periodically transmits status information to the device management server 101 and information indicating the degree of wear of parts to the prediction server 102. The device management system 1 is provided with a device 105 for each customer. The number of devices 105 provided in the device management system 1 is not limited to the example shown in the figure, and may be one or more.

[0015] The network 106 is realized by, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) such as the Internet, a WAN (Wide Area Network), etc. Furthermore, the network 106 may be realized not only by the Internet, but also by any one or a combination of telephone lines, dedicated digital lines, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), frame relay lines, cable television lines, wireless lines for data broadcasting, etc.

[0016] In this embodiment, the device management server 101 and the prediction server 102 are server devices used by a vendor of the device 105. The customer management server 103 is a server device used by a sales company of the device 105. Note that the device management system 1 may be provided with a customer management server 103 for each sales company of the device 105. In this embodiment, customer information is held in the customer management server 103, but not in the device management server 101 or the prediction server 102. Cases in which customer information is held in the customer management server 103 but not in the device management server 101 or the prediction server 102 include cases where it is due to reasons related to the contract between the vendor and the sales company.

[0017] 2(A) is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the device management server 101, the prediction server 102, the customer management server 103, and the terminal device 104. When the device management server 101, the prediction server 102, the customer management server 103, and the terminal device 104 are described without any particular distinction, they may be simply referred to as devices. The devices include a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a HDD 204, an input device 205, an output device 206, and an I / F 207. The CPU 201, the ROM 202, the RAM 203, the HDD 204, the input device 205, the output device 206, and the I / F 207 are connected to one another via an internal bus.

[0018] The CPU 201 controls the device by executing a program. The ROM 202 stores the BIOS. The RAM 203 is a direct storage device that is used as a work area for the CPU 201 and as temporary storage for loading software modules. The HDD 204 is an indirect storage device that stores the OS, which is basic software, and software modules. Note that an SSD (Solid State Drive) may be provided as the indirect storage device instead of the HDD 204. The input device 205 accepts input of information. Examples of the input device 205 include a keyboard and a pointing device. The output device 206 displays information. Examples of the output device 206 include a display. The I / F 207 is an interface used to connect to the network 106. After the device is started up, the CPU 201 executes the BIOS and loads the OS from the HDD 204 into the RAM 203. The CPU 201 loads various software modules from the HDD 204 to the RAM 203 as needed in accordance with the operation of the OS. The various software modules operate under the control of the CPU 201.

[0019] Fig. 2(B) is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the device 105. Note that the example shown in Fig. 2(B) is an example in which the device 105 is an image forming device. As shown in Fig. 2(B), the device 105 has a CPU 231, a ROM 232, a RAM 233, an NC 234, a DKC 235, a raster controller 237, a print engine 238, an operation panel 239, a storage device 240, and a device I / F 241. The CPU 231, the ROM 232, the RAM 233, the NC 234, the DKC 235, the raster controller 237, the operation panel 239, the storage device 240, and the device I / F 241 are connected to one another via a bus 230.

[0020] The CPU 231 controls the entire device 105 based on a control program stored in the ROM 232 and control programs and resource data (resource information) stored in an external memory 236 connected via the DKC 235. The RAM 233 functions as the CPU 231's main memory, work area, etc. The storage device 240 is an external storage means that functions as a large-capacity memory. The operation panel 239 displays a screen and accepts customer instructions via the screen. The NC (network controller) 234 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) and communicates with external devices. The raster controller 237 is a controller that converts print data written in, for example, a PDL language into image data. The print engine 238 forms an image on a sheet based on the image data input from the raster controller 237. Examples of the print engine 238 include electrophotographic, inkjet, and thermal transfer print engines. The device I / F 241 is an interface with an external device connected via a USB or the like.

[0021] 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the functional configurations of the device management server 101, the prediction server 102, the customer management server 103, and the terminal device 104. More specifically, Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configurations of the device management server 101 and the terminal device 104, and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the functional configurations of the prediction server 102 and the customer management server 103. The terminal device 104 includes a web browser 301 and a customer site 302 . The web browser 301 is an application program for browsing websites installed in the terminal device 104. An example of the web browser 301 is Microsoft Edge. When a customer inputs the URL of the customer site 302 into the web browser 301, the web browser 301 requests page information for displaying the customer site 302 from the customer management server 103 and obtains the requested page information from the customer management server 103.

[0022] The customer site 302 is a site provided by the customer management server 103. The customer site 302 is made up of HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) which is a style sheet, and a program (JavaScript) that runs on the web browser 301. The customer site 302 has a control unit 310, a reception unit 311, an authentication management unit 312, a transmission / reception unit 313, and a UI component 320. The control unit 310 controls the customer site 302. The control unit 310 also analyzes the page information acquired by the web browser 301, and causes the web browser 301 to display the analyzed page information. The reception unit 311 receives information input to the UI widget 320. Examples of information input to the UI widget 320 include token information and customer information. Token information is key information with an expiration date that is issued to call an API (Application Programming Interface) provided by the device management server 101 or the prediction server 102. The reception unit 311 also receives events issued from the UI widget 320. An event is a signal that is generated when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0023] The authentication management unit 312 manages customer authentication for logging in to the customer site 302. When the authentication management unit 312 receives input by a customer of authentication information such as an ID and password required for customer authentication, the authentication management unit 312 transmits the received authentication information to the customer management server 103 to have the customer management server 103 execute authentication, and receives the authentication result from the customer management server 103. When authentication is obtained from the customer management server 103, the authentication management unit 312 enables the customer to use the customer site 302. The authentication management unit 312 also requests token information required for using the UI component 320 from the customer management server 103, and upon receiving the requested token information, transmits it to the control unit 310. The token information transmitted to the control unit 310 is input to the UI component 320 via the reception unit 311. This token information is used by the UI component 320 to obtain status information from the device management server 101 and lifespan information from the prediction server 102.

[0024] The transmission / reception unit 313 transmits and receives information to and from external devices. The transmission / reception unit 313 receives customer information from the customer management server 103 via an API provided by the customer management server 103. The transmission / reception unit 313 transmits the received customer information to the control unit 310. The customer information transmitted to the control unit 310 is input to the UI widget 320 via the reception unit 311. The transmission / reception unit 313 also transmits information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the customer management server 103. More specifically, the transmission / reception unit 313 receives an event issued to the UI widget 320 regarding the revision of the scheduled date, and notifies the customer management server 103 of the received event via the API of the customer management server 103.

[0025] The UI widget 320 is a program such as JavaScript that is incorporated into the customer site 302 and is provided by the device management server 101. The UI widget 320 is configured as a program independent of the libraries and frameworks used to build the website where it is to be incorporated. Examples of such programs include programs implemented using Web Components, a technology for creating reusable UI components using web standard technologies. The program may also be a program that can be incorporated in accordance with the library framework used to build the customer site 302. The UI widget 320 is defined in the page information of the customer site 302 and is loaded when the page of the customer site 302 is displayed. More specifically, when a URL indicating the save destination of the UI widget 320 is written in a script tag in the HTML of the customer site 302, the UI widget 320 is sent from the device management server 101 to the terminal device 104 when the customer site 302 is displayed. The UI widget to be incorporated into the customer site 302 is specified using a unique HTML tag, and the corresponding UI widget is displayed by writing the unique HTML tag in the HTML of the customer site 302. The UI widget 320 includes a UI control unit 321 , a notification unit 322 , a customer information management unit 323 , a lifespan acquisition unit 324 , and a state acquisition unit 325 .

[0026] The UI control unit 321 controls the UI component 320. The UI control unit 321 acquires information necessary for displaying images on the terminal device 104 from the customer information management unit 323, the lifespan acquisition unit 324, and the status acquisition unit 325. The UI control unit 321 also accepts information input to the UI component 320 by a customer operation, and performs control according to the accepted input. The notification unit 322 notifies the customer site 302 of an event. The event notified by the notification unit 322 is defined in advance as an event notified by the UI widget 320. The customer site 302 receives and processes the event issued by the notification unit 322 by implementing processing for when an event is received as an event listener.

[0027] The customer information management unit 323 manages customer information. Examples of customer information managed by the customer information management unit 323 include customer information received by the transmission / reception unit 313 and customer information entered into the customer site 302. The lifespan acquisition unit 324 acquires lifespan information from the prediction server 102 via the API of the prediction server 102 . The status acquisition unit 325 acquires status information from the device management server 101 .

[0028] The processes of the web browser 301, customer site 302, and UI widget 320 of the terminal device 104 are realized by the CPU 201 loading programs stored in the ROM 202 or HDD 204 into the RAM 203 and executing them. Here, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 is regarded as a part information acquisition unit that acquires scheduled date information and part information from the customer management server 103 .

[0029] The device management server 101 includes a parts management unit 330 , a status management unit 331 , and an acquisition unit 332 . The component management unit 330 manages the UI components 320. When the component management unit 330 receives a request for a UI component 320 from the customer site 302 in the terminal device 104, the component management unit 330 provides the requested UI component 320 to the terminal device 104. The state management unit 331 manages state information and also provides state information to the UI widget 320 in response to a request from the UI widget 320. The acquisition unit 332 acquires state information periodically transmitted from the device 105. The state information acquired by the acquisition unit 332 is managed by the state management unit 331.

[0030] The prediction server 102 includes a lifespan management unit 340 and an acquisition unit 341 . The acquisition unit 341 periodically acquires information indicating the degree of wear of each component of the device 105 from the device 105. The components for which information is acquired by the acquisition unit 341 are components that have reached the end of their life and require periodic replacement in the device 105. The lifespan management unit 340 predicts the date on which a part will reach the end of its lifespan from the information acquired by the acquisition unit 341, and generates lifespan information indicating the predicted date, i.e., the estimated date for part replacement. The lifespan management unit 340 predicts the lifespan of a part by identifying the tendency of part wear from the history of information acquired by the acquisition unit 341 for that part. Furthermore, every time the acquisition unit 341 acquires the latest information, the lifespan management unit 340 generates lifespan information using the acquired latest information. Therefore, for the same part, the lifespan information is updated every time the acquisition unit 341 acquires the latest information.

[0031] The customer management server 103 includes an information management unit 350 , an authentication unit 351 , a customer management unit 352 , and a planning unit 353 . The information management unit 350 manages page information displayed on the customer site 302. The information management unit 350 holds program information written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as page information. In addition, in response to a request from the web browser 301 of the terminal device 104, the information management unit 350 transmits the requested page information to the terminal device 104. The authentication unit 351 authenticates a customer's login to the customer site 302. The authentication unit 351 issues authentication information in advance and transmits it to the terminal device 104. When the authentication unit 351 receives authentication information from the terminal device 104 for a customer's login to the customer site 302, the authentication unit 351 compares the received authentication information with the authentication information that has been issued in advance to determine whether to authenticate the login. If the authentication unit 351 authenticates the login, it permits the customer to use the customer site 302.

[0032] The customer management unit 352 manages customer information. Furthermore, upon receiving a request from the customer site 302, the customer management unit 352 transmits the customer information to the terminal device 104. Furthermore, upon receiving an instruction from the customer site 302 to revise the scheduled date, the customer management unit 352 notifies the planning unit 353 of the received instruction. The planning unit 353 plans a schedule for the manager to visit the installation location of the device 105. The planning unit 353 requests lifespan information related to the device 105 that is the target of the plan from the prediction server 102, and acquires the requested lifespan information from the prediction server 102. Furthermore, the planning unit 353 determines a scheduled date from the acquired lifespan information so that the manager will visit to replace a part of the device 105 before the part reaches the end of its lifespan or before the estimated date for part replacement. Note that multiple candidates for the scheduled date may be determined by the planning unit 353, and the scheduled date may be determined by the manager from the multiple candidates.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the flow from when the customer operates the terminal device 104 to when the UI widget 320 is displayed on the output device 206 of the terminal device 104. First, the customer operates the terminal device 104 to input the URL of the customer site 302 in the web browser 301 of the terminal device 104 (step (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "S") 401). The web browser 301 of the terminal device 104 requests the page information of the customer management server 103 from the customer management server 103 (S402). Upon receiving the request, the customer management server 103 transmits to the terminal device 104 page information of a login page for the customer to log in to the customer site 302. The Web browser 301 of the terminal device 104 displays the acquired login page on the output device 206 (S403).

[0034] The customer operates the terminal device 104 to input authentication information on the login page (S404). The authentication management unit 312 of the terminal device 104 transmits the authentication information input by the customer to the customer management server 103, causing the customer management server 103 to authenticate the customer (S405). The authentication unit 351 of the customer management server 103 collates the authentication information acquired from the terminal device 104 and authenticates the customer. In the following, it is assumed that the customer's login to the customer site 302 is authenticated by the authentication unit 351. The control unit 310 of the terminal device 104 requests the customer management server 103 for page information after login to the customer site 302 (S406). The information management unit 350 of the customer management server 103 transmits the requested page information to the terminal device 104. The control unit 310 of the terminal device 104 causes the output device 206 to display a device management screen as an example of page information acquired from the information management unit 350 of the customer management server 103 (S407). The device management screen will be described in detail later.

[0035] With the device management screen displayed on the output device 206 of the terminal device 104, the customer operates the terminal device 104 to instruct switching of the content displayed on the device management screen (S408). Here, it is assumed that the customer instructs to switch the content displayed on the device management screen to an image of one device 105. When the customer site 302 of the terminal device 104 receives an instruction from the customer, it requests the UI component 320 from the component management unit 330 of the device management server 101 (S409). Upon receiving the request, the component management unit 330 of the device management server 101 transmits the requested UI component 320 to the terminal device 104. The customer site 302 of the terminal device 104 requests information identifying the logged-in customer from the customer management unit 352 of the customer management server 103 (S410). Upon receiving the request, the customer management unit 352 of the customer management server 103 transmits the information identifying the customer to the terminal device 104. Note that the information identifying the customer acquired by the customer site 302 may be referred to as customer identification information hereinafter.

[0036] The customer site 302 of the terminal device 104 requests the customer management unit 352 of the customer management server 103 for token information to be specified as a parameter of the UI widget 320 (S411). Upon receiving the request, the customer management unit 352 of the customer management server 103 transmits the requested token information to the terminal device 104. The customer site 302 of the terminal device 104 inputs the customer identification information and token information acquired in steps 410 and 411 to the UI widget 320 (S412). The input information is received by the UI control unit 321 of the UI widget 320. The status acquisition unit 325 in the UI widget 320 of the terminal device 104 requests status information from the status management unit 331 of the device management server 101 (S413). The device 105 for which the status acquisition unit 325 requests status information is the device 105 specified by the customer in step 408. The request by the status acquisition unit 325 is sent as a request to the API of the device management server 101. Upon receiving the request, the status management unit 331 of the device management server 101 sends the requested status information to the status acquisition unit 325.

[0037] The lifespan acquisition unit 324 in the UI widget 320 of the terminal device 104 requests lifespan information from the prediction server 102 (S414). The request by the lifespan acquisition unit 324 is sent as a request to the API of the prediction server 102. Upon receiving the request, the lifespan management unit 340 of the prediction server 102 sends the requested lifespan information to the lifespan acquisition unit 324. Note that the lifespan information requested and acquired by the lifespan acquisition unit 324 is the latest lifespan information for each component of the target device specified by the customer in step 408. The UI component 320 of the terminal device 104 causes the output device 206 to display a device detail image including the customer identification information, status information, and lifespan information acquired by the terminal device 104 (S415). The device detail image is the image specified as the content to be displayed on the device management screen in step 408. The device detail image will be described in detail later.

[0038] 6A is a diagram showing the contents of lifespan information 601. The lifespan information 601 is managed by the prediction server 102. The lifespan information 601 includes device identification information 602 and list information 603. The device identification information 602 is information for identifying the device 105 . The list information 603 shows a list of parts in the device 105. The list information 603 shows part content information 604 for each part of the device 105. The part content information 604 indicates the content related to the part content information 604. The part content information 604 indicates part identification information 605, estimated date information 606, history information 607, number information 608, and part name information 609.

[0039] Information for identifying the type of part is indicated in the part identification information 605. In the illustrated example, the part identification information 605 indicates "BK-DRM-UNT" which identifies the black drum unit. The estimated date information 606 indicates the date on which the part will reach the end of its life, i.e., the date identified by the prediction server 102 as the estimated date for replacing the part. In the illustrated example, the estimated date information 606 indicates information indicating that the estimated date for replacing the part is November 30, 2023. Note that each time the life specified by the lifespan management unit 340 is updated, the estimated date information 606 is also updated. History information 607 indicates the date on which a part was last replaced as a part replacement history. The model number of the part is indicated in the number information 608. In the illustrated example, "1111B" is indicated in the number information 608. The part is identified by this number information 608 and the part identification information 605. The part name information 609 indicates the part name.

[0040] 6(B) is a diagram showing customer device information 611. The customer device information 611 is managed by the customer management server 103. The customer device information 611 includes customer identification information 612 and device list information 613. Customer identification information 612 indicates information for identifying a customer. The device list information 613 shows a list of devices 105 used by the customer. The device list information 613 shows device identification information 614 for each device 105. The device identification information 614 indicates information for identifying the device 105 .

[0041] 6(C) is a diagram showing scheduled date information 621. The scheduled date information 621 is managed by the customer management server 103. The scheduled date information 621 includes visit identification information 622, date information 623, and customer identification information 624. Visit identification information 622 indicates information for identifying a visit by the administrator. Date information 623 indicates the planned date. The customer identification information 624 indicates information for identifying the customer that the manager will visit.

[0042] 6(D) is a diagram showing part information 631. The part information 631 is managed by the customer management server 103. The part information 631 includes visit identification information 632, device identification information 633, work information 634, and part list information 635. Visit identification information 632 indicates information for identifying a visit by the administrator. The device identification information 633 indicates information for identifying the device 105 that the administrator will visit. The work information 634 indicates the details of the work that the administrator plans to perform on the device 105 when he or she visits the location where the device 105 is installed.

[0043] The parts list information 635 shows a list of parts that the administrator plans to replace when he visits the installation location of the device 105. The parts list information 635 shows part identification information 636 and number information 637 for each part that the administrator plans to replace. Information for identifying the type of part is indicated in the part identification information 636. In the illustrated example, the part identification information 636 indicates "BK-DRM-UNT" which identifies the black drum unit. The model number of the part is indicated in the number information 637. In the illustrated example, the number information 637 indicates "1111B."

[0044] 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the screen display process. The screen display process is a process in which the terminal device 104 displays a device management screen (see step 407 in FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the screen display process is started when a customer operates the terminal device 104 to instruct the display of the device management screen. An example of an operation of the terminal device 104 to instruct the display of the device management screen is to select an image (not shown) that accepts an instruction to display the device management screen on a screen (not shown) displayed on the output device 206 of the terminal device 104. The UI widget 320 of the terminal device 104 acquires customer information including scheduled date information 621 and part information 631 from the customer management server 103 (S501). The customer information acquired by the terminal device 104 in step 501 is customer information about one device specified by the customer in step 408 of FIG. 5. The UI widget 320 acquires state information from the device management server 101 (S502). The state information acquired by the terminal device 104 in step 502 is the state information requested by the terminal device 104 in step 413 of FIG. The UI widget 320 acquires lifespan information 601 from the prediction server 102 (S503). The lifespan information 601 acquired by the terminal device 104 in step 503 is the lifespan information 601 requested by the terminal device 104 in step 414 of Fig. 5. That is, in step 503, the UI widget 320 acquires the latest lifespan information 601 indicating the lifespan of each component of the target device 105 specified by the customer in step 408 of Fig. 5.

[0045] The UI control unit 321 of the terminal device 104 determines, as a target of determination, one component that has not been determined in the current screen display process among the components that are the target of the lifespan information 601 acquired in step 503 (S504). Note that the component determined as the target of determination in step 504 may hereinafter be referred to as the component to be determined. The UI control unit 321 determines whether the estimated replacement date for the part being evaluated is approaching by determining whether the period from the present until the date on which the part being evaluated reaches the end of its life is within a predetermined period (S505). The predetermined period may be any period, but is, for example, 30 days. The UI control unit 321 also performs the determination in step 505 based on estimated date information 606 for the part being evaluated in the lifespan information 601.

[0046] If the period from the present to the end of the life of the part being evaluated is within a predetermined period (Yes in S505), the UI control unit 321 determines whether the part being evaluated is scheduled to be replaced (S506). The UI control unit 321 makes the determination in step 506 based on whether the part being evaluated is included in the parts list information 635 of the part information 631. If the part to be determined is scheduled to be replaced (Yes in S506), the UI control unit 321 determines whether the estimated replacement date of the part to be determined is before the scheduled date (S507). The UI control unit 321 makes the determination in step 507 by comparing the estimated date information 606 of the lifespan information 601 with the date information 623 of the scheduled date information 621 for the part to be determined. If the estimated replacement date of the part to be determined is later than the scheduled date (No in S507), the UI control unit 321 determines to display the scheduled date for the part to be determined on the equipment management screen (S508).

[0047] If the part to be determined is not scheduled to be replaced (No in S506), or if the estimated replacement date for the part to be determined is earlier than the scheduled date (Yes in S507), the process proceeds to the next step. The UI control unit 321 transmits information indicating an instruction to adjust the scheduled date to the customer management server 103 (S509). The UI control unit 321 determines to display information indicating that the scheduled date of the part to be determined is being adjusted on the device management screen (S510).

[0048] If the period until the end of the lifespan of the part to be judged is longer than the predetermined period (No in S505), the process proceeds to the next step after step 508 or after step 510. The UI control unit 321 judges whether all parts that are the subject of the lifespan information 601 acquired in step 503 have been judged as parts to be judged (S511). If all parts have not been judged as parts to be judged (No in S511), the process from step 504 is repeated. In this way, in the screen display process, judgment is made for each part until all parts that are the subject of the lifespan information 601 have been judged as parts to be judged. If all components have been determined as components to be determined (Yes in S511), the process proceeds to the next step. The UI control unit 321 displays the device management screen on the output device 206 of the terminal device 104 according to the content determined for each component in step 508 or step 510 (S512).

[0049] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a device management screen 700. The device management screen 700 is displayed on the output device 206 of the terminal device 104. In this embodiment, the device management screen 700 is displayed by executing a screen display process (see step 512 in FIG. 7). The device management screen 700 is an image displayed in step 407 in FIG. 5. The device management screen 700 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed by performing the process of step 508 in the screen display process when the part to be determined is the "black drum unit." The device management screen 700 shown in FIG. 8 displays a menu image 702, a device reception section 703, and a device details image 710. The device management screen 700 is an example of the UI widget 320 .

[0050] The menu image 702 displays items as candidates for which the customer may display images on the device management screen 700. When the customer selects an item displayed on the menu image 702, an image related to the selected item is displayed on the device management screen 700. When the device reception section 703 is selected, it accepts the display of a device details image 710 on the device management screen 700. The device reception section 703 is one of the items shown in the menu image 702. In the illustrated example, the device details image 710 is displayed as a result of the device reception section 703 being selected. Note that the selection of the device reception section 703 by the customer represents the customer's instruction made in step 408 of FIG. 5.

[0051] The device detailed image 710 shows a device display section 711 and an attachment section 712 . The device display section 711 displays information about the device 105. In the illustrated example, the device display section 711 displays the name of the device 105 and the location where the device 105 is installed. The reception unit 712 receives information to be displayed on the device details image 710. The reception unit 712 displays "Status," "Consumables," and "Security," and the "Status" in the reception unit 712 receives the display of information related to the status of the device 105 in the device details image 710. In the illustrated example, by selecting "Status" in the reception unit 712, a lifespan indication unit 713, an error display unit 714, and a part display unit 715 are displayed on the device details image 710. When "consumables" is selected in the reception section 712, the device details image 710 displays information specified from the status information, such as the remaining amount of toner.

[0052] The lifespan suggestion section 713 displays information suggesting that there is a part in the device 105 that is close to reaching the end of its lifespan, in other words, that there is a part that is close to the estimated replacement date. In the illustrated example, the lifespan suggestion section 713 displays the text "Part replacement will soon be necessary." The error display section 714 displays information indicating an error that has occurred in the device 105 and that is identified from the status information, such as a service call error. Information about parts that are close to reaching the end of their lifespan is displayed in the part display section 715. The part display section 715 shows a target display section 716, an estimated date display section 717, and a visit content display section 718.

[0053] The target display section 716 displays the target part that is nearing the end of its life. The target part section 716 displays the text "Drum unit (Bk)", which means that the target part is a black drum unit, the text "BK-DRM-UNT" that identifies the target part, and the text "1111B", which is the model number of the target part. The target part section 716 also displays the text "The drum unit (Bk) is nearing the end of its life." The date when the part will reach the end of its life, in other words, the estimated date for replacing the part, is displayed in the estimated date display section 717. In the illustrated example, the estimated date display section 717 displays the text "2023 / 11 / 30", which is the estimated date for replacing the part. The visit content display section 718 displays the details of the visit by the manager to replace the part. In the illustrated example, the visit content display section 718 displays the text "Next visit scheduled: 2023 / 11 / 22," which is the scheduled date. That is, as described above, in the screen display processing, the processing of step 508 was performed when the part to be determined was the "black drum unit," and therefore the scheduled date is displayed in the visit content display section 718. The visit content display section 718 also displays the text "This part is scheduled to be replaced during the visit," which means that the manager plans to replace the part during his next visit. Note that in this example, the current time is assumed to be a time before the scheduled date.

[0054] In this way, the device management screen 700 displays information such as component indicators according to the operation of the device 105. Therefore, the device management screen 700 can also be regarded as an operation status screen relating to the operation status of the device 105.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a device management screen 700. More specifically, the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 9 is the device management screen 700 that is displayed when the part to be determined is a "black drum unit" during the screen display process by performing the processing of step 510. Note that, regarding the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 9, a configuration that differs from the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 8 will be described, and a description of the same configuration as the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 8 will be omitted.

[0056] The visit content display section 718 in the device details image 710 of the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 9 displays the text "Next visit scheduled: Visit schedule being adjusted," which means that the scheduled date has not been decided and is being adjusted. That is, as described above, in the screen display processing, the processing of step 510 was performed when the part to be determined was the "black drum unit," and therefore the scheduled date is not displayed in the visit content display section 718. Even in this case, the visit content display section 718 displays the text "This part is scheduled to be replaced during the visit," which means that the manager plans to replace the part during his next visit.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, when the device management screen 700 is displayed, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 acquires lifespan information indicating the lifespan identified for the target part of the device 105. Furthermore, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 determines whether the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, and if it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, transmits information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the customer management server 103. Examples of information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date include information transmitted to the customer management server 103 in step 509 of the screen display process (see FIG. 7). Furthermore, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 displays information about the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted on the device management screen 700 (see FIG. 9). In this case, when a user checks information about the operating status of the equipment, it is possible to revise the scheduled date for the administrator to visit the installation location of the equipment to replace parts of the equipment.

[0058] In particular, in this embodiment, even after the scheduled date has been set, if the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, the scheduled date can be revised. Therefore, even if the lifespan of a part shortens as the user uses the device 105 more frequently after the scheduled date has been set, and the part reaches the end of its lifespan before the scheduled date, the scheduled date is prevented from remaining later than the lifespan. Furthermore, when a customer instructs the terminal device 104 to display the device management screen 700, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 acquires the latest lifespan information and determines whether to revise the scheduled date based on the relationship between the lifespan and the scheduled date identified from the acquired lifespan information. Therefore, compared to when the screen display process is performed at predetermined intervals, revision of the scheduled date is suppressed regardless of the customer's interest in the device 105. Furthermore, when the customer instructs the terminal device 104 to display the device management screen 700 infrequently, the load on the device management system 1 and the cost required for the screen display process can be reduced compared to when the screen display process is performed frequently and periodically.

[0059] The CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 can also be regarded as a display control means for displaying the device management screen 700. The CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 can also be regarded as a lifespan information acquisition means for acquiring lifespan information. The CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 can also be regarded as a determination means for determining whether the scheduled date is later than the lifespan. Furthermore, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 can also be regarded as a transmission means for transmitting information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the customer management server 103 when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan.

[0060] Furthermore, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 acquires information about the device 105 from the device management server 101, which does not store information indicating the scheduled date, and displays the acquired information on the device management screen 700. Examples of information about the device 105 include information identified from status information, such as the remaining amount of toner displayed when "consumables" is selected in the reception area 712 of the device details image 710, and information identified from status information, such as a service call error displayed in the error display area 714. In this case, even if the device management server 101 does not store information indicating the scheduled date, the customer can be made aware of the information about the device 105 and the information about the scheduled date. The CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 can also be regarded as a device information acquisition unit that acquires information about the device 105 from the device management server 101, which does not hold information indicating the scheduled date.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the scheduled date is not later than the lifespan, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 displays information indicating the lifespan and information indicating the scheduled date on the device management screen 700 (see FIG. 8). When it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 does not display information indicating the scheduled date on the device management screen 700, but displays information indicating the lifespan on the device management screen 700 (see FIG. 9). In this case, the customer can be made aware of the lifespan of the part regardless of whether the scheduled date is later than the lifespan or not, and can also be made aware of the scheduled date that is earlier than the lifespan.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the end of life, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 displays information on the equipment management screen 700 indicating that the target part is scheduled to be replaced the next time the administrator visits the installation location of the equipment 105. In this case, the customer can be made aware that the date on which the target part will be replaced will be determined by determining the scheduled date that is currently being adjusted.

[0063] (Variation 1) Next, we will explain Modification 1 of the device management system 1. The device management system 1 of Modification 1 prompts the customer to manage parts by displaying, on the device details image 710 of the device management screen 700, events that may occur when a part has reached the end of its life or when the part is close to reaching the end of its life. 10 is a diagram showing event information 901. The event information 901 is managed by the lifespan acquisition unit 324 in the UI widget 320 of the terminal device 104. The event information 901 includes component identification information 902, number information 903, and content information 904.

[0064] The part identification information 902 indicates information for identifying the part. The number information 903 indicates the model number of the part. The content information 904 indicates the content of an event that may occur when a part has reached the end of its life or when the part is close to reaching the end of its life. In the illustrated example, the content information 904 indicates "poor print image." In this embodiment, for example, an administrator inputs an event that may occur when a part has reached the end of its life or when the end of its life is imminent into the terminal device 104, thereby generating event information 901. Furthermore, the lifespan acquisition unit 324 manages the event information 901 for each part for which there is an event that may occur when the part has reached the end of its life or when the end of its life is imminent.

[0065] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the screen display process according to the first modification. In the screen display processing shown in FIG. 11, the contents of steps 801 to 807 are the same as the contents of steps 501 to 507 in the screen display processing shown in FIG. If the estimated replacement date of the part to be determined is later than the scheduled date (No in S807), the UI control unit 321 determines whether or not event information 901 (see FIG. 10) for the part to be determined exists (S808). If there is no event information 901 for the part to be determined (No in S808), the UI control unit 321 determines (S809) to display the scheduled date on the device management screen 700. In this case, events that may occur when the part has reached the end of its life or when the part is close to reaching the end of its life are not displayed on the device management screen 700.

[0066] Furthermore, if event information 901 exists for the part being judged (Yes in S808), the UI control unit 321 determines to display on the equipment management screen 700 the scheduled date and events that may occur when the part has reached the end of its life or when the part is close to reaching the end of its life (S810). 7. In the screen display processing shown in FIG. 11, the contents of steps 811 and 812 are the same as the contents of steps 509 and 510 in the screen display processing shown in FIG. After step 809, step 810, and step 812, the process proceeds to step 813. In the screen display process shown in Fig. 11, the contents of step 813 and step 814 are the same as the contents of step 511 and step 512 in the screen display process shown in Fig. 7.

[0067] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a device management screen 700 in Modification 1. More specifically, the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 12 is the device management screen 700 that is displayed when the part to be determined is the "black drum unit" during the screen display process by performing the processing of step 810. Note that, regarding the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 12, a configuration that differs from the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 8 will be described, and a description of the same configuration as the device management screen 700 shown in Fig. 8 will be omitted. 12, the visit content display section 718 in the device details image 710 of the device management screen 700 displays the text "Next visit scheduled: 2023 / 11 / 22," which is the scheduled date, and the text "This part will be replaced during the visit." Note that in this example, the current time is assumed to be a time before the scheduled date.

[0068] The visit content display section 718 also shows an event display section 1002 and a review reception section 1003 . Event display section 1002 displays events that can occur when a part has reached the end of its life or is close to reaching the end of its life. In the illustrated example, event display section 1002 displays the text "poor print image." In addition, above the text "poor print image," event display section 1002 displays information to prompt the customer to select review reception section 1003 if the displayed event occurs. In the illustrated example, event display section 1002 displays the text "If the following phenomenon occurs and adjustments to the visit schedule are required, please execute 'Adjust visit schedule'." as information to prompt the customer to select review reception section 1003. The review reception unit 1003 accepts a review of the scheduled date. When the review reception unit 1003 is selected by a customer, the UI control unit 321 sends information indicating an instruction to adjust the scheduled date to the customer management server 103. As a result, the customer management server 103 or an administrator reviews the scheduled date. Also, although not shown in the figure, when the review reception unit 1003 is selected, the visit content display unit 718 no longer displays the scheduled date, and instead displays the text "Next scheduled visit: Visit schedule is being adjusted."

[0069] As described above, in this embodiment, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 displays information indicating a predetermined event and a reception image for receiving an instruction to revise the scheduled date on the device management screen 700 (see FIG. 12). Here, the predetermined event is an event that is predetermined to occur with respect to a target part when the target part has reached the end of its life or when the end of its life is approaching. In addition, the reception image includes a review reception unit 1003. In this case, the customer can be given the option to revise the scheduled date in the event that a predetermined event occurs.

[0070] In particular, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the scheduled date is before the lifespan specified for the target part, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 displays a reception image (see steps 807 and 810 in FIG. 11). In this case, the customer can choose to review the scheduled date for parts whose scheduled dates have not been reviewed based on the relationship between the scheduled date and the lifespan.

[0071] (Variation 2) Next, we will explain Modification 2 of the device management system 1. In Modification 2, the device management system 1 reviews the scheduled date when the estimated date for part replacement is more than a predetermined period in advance, thereby preventing the manager from making excessive visits to customers. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the screen display process according to the second modification. In the screen display processing shown in FIG. 13, the contents of steps 1101 to 1110 are the same as the contents of steps 501 to 510 in the screen display processing shown in FIG.

[0072] Furthermore, if the period until the end of the life of the part being determined is longer than a predetermined period (No in S1105), the process proceeds to the next step. The UI control unit 321 determines whether the scheduled date is before the adjustment period with respect to the date when the part will reach the end of its life, i.e., the estimated date for part replacement (S1111). The adjustment period is a period used by the UI control unit 321 to determine whether or not adjustment of the scheduled date is necessary from the scheduled date to the estimated date for part replacement. The adjustment period may be any period, but is, for example, 60 days. If the scheduled date falls before the adjustment period with respect to the estimated date for part replacement (Yes in S1111), the UI control unit 321 sends information indicating an instruction to adjust the scheduled date to the customer management server 103 (S1112). As a result, the customer management server 103 or the administrator reviews the scheduled date for the part being evaluated.

[0073] If the scheduled date is within the adjustment period relative to the estimated date for part replacement (No in S1111), the process proceeds to step 1113 after step 1108 and after step 1110. 7. In the screen display processing shown in FIG. 13, the contents of steps 1113 and 1114 are the same as the contents of steps 511 and 512 in the screen display processing shown in FIG.

[0074] As described above, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the scheduled date is before the end of the service life and the conditions defined for the relationship between the scheduled date and the service life are satisfied, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 transmits information regarding the revision of the scheduled date to the customer management server 103. The conditions defined for the relationship between the scheduled date and the service life include the scheduled date being before the adjustment period for the date on which the part reaches the end of its service life, i.e., the estimated date for part replacement. Furthermore, information regarding the revision of the scheduled date includes information transmitted to the customer management server 103 in step 1112 of the screen display processing in FIG. 13 . In this case, it is possible to prevent the administrator from visiting the location where the device 105 is installed even if the parts of the device 105 are not to be replaced.

[0075] In step 1112 of the screen display process, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 instructs the customer management server 103 to review the scheduled date, but the present invention is not limited to this. In step 1112 of the screen display processing, the CPU 201 of the terminal device 104 may transmit information to the customer management server 103 that accepts a selection of whether or not to revise the scheduled date. In this case, whether or not to revise the scheduled date may be determined by the customer management server 103 or the administrator selecting whether or not to revise the scheduled date.

[0076] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the screen display process is started when the customer instructs the terminal device 104 to display the device management screen 700, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the screen display process may be started at predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time interval may be any time, but may be, for example, 24 hours.

[0077] In addition, in the present embodiment, the terminal device 104 is described as including a part information acquisition means, a display control means, a lifespan information acquisition means, a determination means, and a transmission means, but is not limited to this. The device 105 may also include a part information acquisition means, a display control means, a lifespan information acquisition means, a determination means, and a transmission means.

[0078] The present invention also includes a case where a software program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device having a computer that can execute the program directly from a recording medium or via wired / wireless communication, and the program is executed. Therefore, the program code itself, supplied to and installed on a computer to implement the functional processes described above, also embodies the present invention. In other words, the computer program itself for implementing the functional processes of the present invention is also included in the present invention. In this case, the program may take any form, such as object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to an OS, as long as it has the program's functionality. Recording media for providing the program may include, for example, a hard disk, a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical storage medium, or a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Another possible method for providing the program is to store the computer program forming the present invention on a server on a computer network, and then download the computer program to a connected client computer. Furthermore, an operating system or the like running on a computer may perform some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized by this processing. Furthermore, program code read from a storage medium may be written to memory provided on a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Then, a CPU or the like provided on the function expansion board or function expansion unit may perform some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code. Even in this case, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized.

[0079] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) a part information acquisition means for acquiring, from an information providing system, scheduled date information indicating a scheduled date on which an administrator will visit the installation location of the equipment to replace the part of the equipment, and part information regarding the target part to be replaced; a display control means for displaying an operation status screen relating to the operation status of the device; a lifespan information acquisition means for acquiring, when the operation status screen is displayed, lifespan information indicating a lifespan identified for the target part of the device; a determination means for determining whether the expected date is later than the lifespan; a transmitting means for transmitting information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan; Equipped with The display control means, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, displays information about the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted on the operation status screen. and an image processing device for displaying the image on a display means. (Configuration 2) further comprising a device information acquisition means for acquiring information about the device from a system that does not store information indicating the scheduled date; 2. The information processing apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein the display control means causes the information acquired by the device information acquisition means to be displayed on the operation status screen. (Configuration 3) The display control means When it is determined that the scheduled date is not later than the lifespan, information indicating the lifespan and information indicating the scheduled date are displayed on the operation status screen; 3. The information processing device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, information indicating the scheduled date is not displayed on the operation status screen, and information indicating the lifespan is displayed on the operation status screen. (Configuration 4) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the display control means, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, displays information on the operation status screen indicating that the target part is scheduled to be replaced the next time an administrator visits the installation location. (Configuration 5) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the display control means displays, on the operation status screen, information indicating a predetermined event that is to occur with respect to the target part when the target part has reached the end of its life or when the target part is close to reaching the end of its life, and a reception image that receives an instruction to revise the scheduled date. (Configuration 6) 6. The information processing device according to configuration 5, wherein the display control means displays the reception image when it is determined that the scheduled date is before the lifespan specified for the target part. (Configuration 7) The information processing device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the transmission means transmits information regarding the revision of the scheduled date to the information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is before the lifespan and a condition defined regarding the relationship between the scheduled date and the lifespan is satisfied.

[0080] The present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1...device management system, 101...device management server, 102...prediction server, 103...customer management server, 104...terminal device, 105...device

Claims

1. a part information acquisition means for acquiring, from an information providing system, scheduled date information indicating a scheduled date on which an administrator will visit the installation location of the equipment to replace the part of the equipment, and part information regarding the target part to be replaced; a display control means for displaying an operation status screen relating to the operation status of the device; a lifespan information acquisition means for acquiring, when the operation status screen is displayed, lifespan information indicating a lifespan identified for the target part of the device; a determination means for determining whether the expected date is later than the lifespan; a transmitting means for transmitting information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan; Equipped with The display control means, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, displays information about the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted on the operation status screen.

2. further comprising a device information acquisition means for acquiring information about the device from a system that does not store information indicating the scheduled date; The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display control means causes the information acquired by the device information acquisition means to be displayed on the operation status screen.

3. The display control means When it is determined that the scheduled date is not later than the lifespan, information indicating the lifespan and information indicating the scheduled date are displayed on the operation status screen; 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, information indicating the scheduled date is not displayed on the operation status screen, and information indicating the lifespan is displayed on the operation status screen.

4. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control means, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, causes the operation status screen to display information indicating that the target part is scheduled to be replaced the next time an administrator visits the installation location.

5. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays, on the operation status screen, information indicating a predetermined event that is to occur with respect to the target part when the target part has reached the end of its life or when the target part is close to reaching the end of its life, and a reception image that accepts an instruction to revise the scheduled date.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5 , wherein the display control means displays the reception image when it is determined that the scheduled date is before the lifespan specified for the target part.

7. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits information regarding a revision of the scheduled date to the information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is before the lifespan and a condition defined regarding the relationship between the scheduled date and the lifespan is satisfied.

8. acquiring, from an information providing system, scheduled date information indicating a scheduled date on which an administrator will visit the installation location of the equipment to replace the part of the equipment, and part information regarding the part to be replaced; displaying an operation status screen relating to the operation status of the device; When the operation status screen is displayed, acquiring lifespan information indicating a lifespan identified for the target part of the device; determining whether the expected date is later than the end of life; a step of transmitting information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan; and In the step of displaying the operation status screen, if it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan, information about the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted are displayed on the operation status screen.

9. On the computer, a function of acquiring, from an information providing system, scheduled date information indicating a scheduled date on which an administrator will visit the installation location of the equipment to replace the equipment part, and part information regarding the target part to be replaced; a function of displaying an operation status screen relating to the operation status of the device; a function of acquiring lifespan information indicating a lifespan identified for the target part of the device when the operation status screen is displayed; a function of determining whether the expected date is later than the lifespan; a function of transmitting information indicating an instruction to revise the scheduled date to the information providing system when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan; a function of displaying, on the operation status screen, information about the target part and information indicating that the scheduled date is being adjusted, when it is determined that the scheduled date is later than the lifespan; A program to make this happen.

Images